In 1993, a somewhat scruffy band from San Francisco with a charismatic lead singer and sprawling, wordy songs were able to break through the stranglehold grunge held on the music scene. The band was Counting Crows, and the album was August and Everything After.
Time has told the tale, as August and Everything After holds up as a classic today rather than a relic of the times. Here’s the story about how this wonderful album came to be.
More than Hype
When they burst onto the scene in 1993, Counting Crows sounded like a kind of reaction to grunge. The songs revealed all kinds of influences more akin to the ’60s and ’70s than the crunching sounds of the day. But Adam Duritz, the band’s lead singer and songwriter, didn’t put that kind of forethought into it, instead simply writing and singing what came to him.
In an interview with A&E Spotlight about making August and Everything After, Duritz talked about the band simply trying to please themselves with what they were making, rather than worrying about how audiences would react based on what else was out there:
“I don’t think any of us knows what makes something resonate with listeners. And you can’t really chase that. The mistake artists make is thinking too much about creating music that’s popular. Just make great records that resonate with you—and let the chips fall where they may as far as people liking it.”
Counting Crows had only formed two years before the album arrived, and it was originally just a duo (Duritz and David Bryson). Its lineup was somewhat fluid even as they were making the record. For example, David Immerglück, who has since become a stalwart in the band, wasn’t officially a member on August, but his multi-instrumental abilities played a key role in its creation.
The band was signed following a bidding war among several record companies based solely on their demos. Once Geffen won out and signed them, the hype machine went into overdrive, as Counting Crows made major appearances on television and at industry events even before the songs from the album could be heard by the wider public. That kind of thing can lead to a backlash. Luckily, August and Everything had the goods to warrant all that publicity.
Looking Back at August and Everything After
Counting Crows threw a lot at the wall on August and Everything After, which is, once again, evidence they didn’t really have commercial concerns in mind when making the record. For example, the big hit single “Mr. Jones” is catchy as heck, and rides a long way on Duritz’s incredible vocals, but its Van Morrison-style musical approach certainly wasn’t dominating the airwaves otherwise.
“Round Here,” the album’s other breakout song, also bucked trends with its atmospheric verses and a strange, cacophonous middle eight. Give credit to producer T Bone Burnett, who no matter the stylistic twist, lent the album a lived-in, analog feel and richness.
Audiences just seemed to react to Duritz’s high-wire lyricism and fearless vocal emoting. That alluring mix can be found on the deeper cuts as well, such as the lilting “Anna Begins” and the somber “Sullivan Street.” The band could also juice up the tempo while still allowing Duritz the room for mouthfuls of inventive lyrics, as proven on “Rain King” and “Murder of One.”
It is to their utmost credit that Counting Crows has been able to sustain such a long career after starting off with such a striking, seemingly unrepeatable debut. August and Everything After might not have been what anyone expected. But it turned out to be just what many fans needed to hear.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Photo by JEP Celebrity Photos/imageBROKER/Shutterstock
Most Popular
Comments / 0