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E3: August & Everything After--Song Ranking (Part 2 of 2)
569 Plays2 years ago
Eric, Chris, Jeremie, and Dan talk about their Top 5 songs from the Crows' landmark album August & Everything After.
Jeremie and Dan also share some personal stories of meeting the band.
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If you want to hear more from Dan Piling, you can find him on his podcast Danny P on Cars
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/danny-p-on-cars/id1671466836
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Feedback or want to join the podcast as a guest? Email us at
SullivanStreetPC@protonmail.com
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Transcript
Introduction and Episode Overview
00:00:00
Speaker
Welcome to Episode 3 of Sullivan Street, a Counting Crows podcast. In this episode, we finish our ranking of the songs from August and Everything After. In the prior episode, we did songs number 11 through number 6. And so, from right now, please listen to our ranking of the top 5 songs from August and Everything After.
30-year Anniversary of 'August and Everything After'
00:00:38
Speaker
We're basically at the 30 year anniversary of this album, right? That it was September 14th, 1993. And as far as I could see in Mr. Jones, so so I wasn't right now. Now, nowadays, right, the singles are sometimes released before the album, right? In this case, the album was released and it looks like the single came out a couple months later, December 1st. So and right, it has sold millions and millions of copies. So all right, here we
Analysis of 'Round Here' and Its Live Performances
00:01:05
Speaker
go. The top five Cat and Chris on the official
00:01:09
Speaker
Podcast ranking number five and this one Was basically I guess bifurcated if you will two people had it very high and two people had it surprisingly low Which would be a big hit round here So let's start off with Dan
00:01:26
Speaker
Yeah, for me, this is the song of the album. It's the song that introduced me to the band. In my head, this is Juritz's Thunder Road. This is the song. It's the one that when I hear it live, hair's on the back of the neck. Yeah, that's my number one. Jeremy, what about yourself? So this one was up there at number three for me.
Deeper Meaning and Impact of 'Round Here'
00:01:53
Speaker
And I have to agree with Dan about just
00:01:56
Speaker
the chills you get when you hear those first notes. This is one that I've heard open up the concert several times and just his vocals on it, the instrumentation of it. I just love it. And then I heard an explanation on an interview with Adam for kind of what the song, you know, means to him. And he was talking about how all these things you're told as a child, you know, are so important. And if you do all these things, life is going to be great. And you're just going to be this, you know, responsible adult and things are going to work out for you.
00:02:26
Speaker
And this song is really just kind of saying, you know, that's a bunch of BS. That's not how it works out at all. So, you know, maybe don't don't worry so much about these arbitrary little things and, you know, go ahead and stay up late and, you know, do all these things you want to as a kid and enjoy your life and don't be held back.
00:02:44
Speaker
Chris, what about you around here? They're a big hit. Again, I have the song lower than others at number seven. Again, kind of much like Murder of One, a struggle of like the song itself versus obviously it is one of the great, they're great live vehicles.
Personal Experiences and Interpretations of 'Round Here'
00:03:01
Speaker
It has taken them a million amazing places as a live song.
00:03:06
Speaker
it is it is hard to there's only one other song that I think reaches that heights and we're still haven't talked about it on this record yet so we'll get there and at the same time again some of these specific songs individually kind of hit me
00:03:23
Speaker
And maybe part of it is having heard it more times live versus not some of these songs, something like Perfect Blue Building stays a little more special in certain ways. Maybe that's why it sort of landed a little low this time as I was going through it. But of course, it is still maybe the only song on the record. I remember someone finding an essay on the Internet a long time ago, pages and pages about whether
00:03:47
Speaker
The song, whether Adam is Maria, or is it some is a dead person named Maria? I don't know who like and you could write pages like connects text textually connecting this song to other things. And it's a it's a yeah, a fascinating song. Yeah, I put it in and so and so still still amazing. I will also say one of the best my other favorite bands Gaslight Anthem swipes the line from this song.
00:04:16
Speaker
in High Lonesome, Maria came from Nashville with a suitcase in her hand. I always kind of sort of wished I looked like Elvis, is their swipe and rewrite of that. I also, speaking of karaoke, again, if you ever wanna really freak people out, you can do this song in karaoke and you obviously can't do an alt in the middle of it. Can't really do that. But you can sing an outro like he does and sing
00:04:43
Speaker
It really starts to stun people when you start singing words that are not on the screen and do not, at least in their minds, connect to the actual song. But it's fun. I used to be able to just sort of... It's been a long time and you kind of got to get in the right mindset of how to drop things on
Podcast Ranking Dynamics and Live Performance Influence
00:05:02
Speaker
top of it. It's actually kind of interesting how he does it.
00:05:06
Speaker
But I used to be able to put all sorts of things on top of this song. And it's just such a still, again, incredible song. Like, again, that I had this low as I think a tribute to how fucking incredible this record is.
00:05:18
Speaker
Dan, Dan, I need to thank you for putting it high because it balanced, because I had it the second lowest. Oh, absolutely. You're feeling bad. And I, no, no, and I'm glad then that we didn't do my original idea of the ranking, you know, one by one, because I would have lost a lot of subscribers by saying, Ron, here was my number 10. So, and I could, I was like, we have to have some people that love it to counter me. And I guess it's just, you know what it is? I always like this, and I do appreciate that, according to Adam,
00:05:47
Speaker
If it wasn't for around here on Saturday Night Live, Cat and Crows, you know, probably wouldn't exist today. Certainly not how we know them. Yeah, I guess, you know, and Dan, somehow I agree with what you say. And I've actually, I think this will be higher in a couple of years for me. I've gotten this re-appreciation, especially after seeing them live three times last year. And I don't know if something just hit me, but it used to be like a song that I liked a lot, but I could
00:06:15
Speaker
If they didn't play it in concert, I was like, yeah, no problem. And I have other things I want to see. And it's too long. I guess for some reason, something like what you said, Jeremy, in the beginning, even though I think his lyrics are brilliant.
00:06:27
Speaker
I um they didn't hit me I guess in my personal life as much kind of like what you said about some of the other songs a little lower on your list and that may be why I didn't have it as high it might have been you know some narcissism on something on my part that I thought it was a great song but it a little and maybe you know as I said concert maybe a little longer whatever but anyway I love around here and it's definitely moving up and now I love when they play it um when they play it live so
00:06:52
Speaker
Okay, great. So now we are in the final four. August and everything after is final four. I think already some surprises, the fact that round here was down at number five. So let's go to number four. And this is one that two people had it in the middle
Discussion on 'Mr. Jones' and Its Relatable Themes
00:07:08
Speaker
ish. One person had it pretty high and one person had it very high, which would be their first big hit. Mr. Jones. Dan, start us off. So this was my number two. Uh, it,
00:07:22
Speaker
I find half my life when I'm talking about the crows, I have to explain to people who don't know the crows that this isn't just Counting Crows. Oh, they had this Mr. Jones song. I remember it from the 90s. And I'm like, but there's so much more than that. So I find myself having to explain.
00:07:39
Speaker
Great song. I've even tracked down and been to the new Amsterdam. So there's a bar in San Francisco to change names. There is a little tribute on the wall to them. I think it's called the International Bar now, and it's in the mission area. So if you get to get to go to San Francisco, I'd recommend you do it. But yeah, this was my number two. Thank you for that trivia. That was one I never looked into. Yeah. Yeah. So you can still go to that bar.
00:08:05
Speaker
Oh, that's awesome. What about you, Jeremy? Where did you have Mr. Jones? I reluctantly had Mr. Jones at number six, and I love the song, absolutely love it. And I think this is just kind of a testament to how great this album is, that I could look at their biggest single ever in 30 plus years, or close to 30 years, and say, this is my sixth favorite song on this album, not in their entire catalog. And I think there's just something so relatable to it,
00:08:36
Speaker
you know, who hasn't been sitting at a bar before with their friends and you look across and here's this, you know, super good looking guy and he's surrounded by girls and you're like, you know, I want to be that guy. Or not so good looking guy. But you want to be that guy regardless, right? Yeah, of course. And I think it kind of speaks to a tendency we have. I know, I know I personally have it and I think a lot of people in our society do as well. Where you just have a hard time accepting good enough, right?
00:09:05
Speaker
you always want more, you always want to increase your status. And sometimes you need to just be happy with what you've got, because even when you do achieve these things, you're going to find something else that you feel like you need to achieve to make yourself happy. And, you know, as the song tells you, it's not always going to happen. You know, you can keep reaching for the stars, but eventually, you know, maybe you get too close to the sun.
Transformative Elements of 'Mr. Jones' and Personal Impact
00:09:30
Speaker
That's right.
00:09:31
Speaker
Chris, what are your thoughts on Mr. Jones? And so I had at number eight, again, so lower, a little bit lower, although again, it's a classic song, another one where I kind of struggled with the like, the album version versus, I mean, I think the Across the Wire version is one of the greatest moments they have committed to Tate. I think that five minutes there is spectacular. And in a lot of ways, I think that is what turned me into like a Counting Crow super fan, is that five minutes,
00:10:00
Speaker
of them taking the song that we'd all heard, I'd heard a million times at that point, just nothing in the background. Oh, yeah, Mr. Jones, yeah, yeah, okay. And then them doing it that way and you go, oh, oh, that is what the song is about. That is how, oh, okay. And I in some ways think the song, it's fascinating because I think the song is better because they succeeded, right? So it's a song written from the perspective of someone who,
00:10:27
Speaker
wants to be a rock and roll star. And we're talking Eric right before about that Bobby Bones interview and he kind of explains the story, right? I mean, he's in a bar. It's kind of literally, it's like Marty Jones is my friend, Mr. Jones, my friend Marty. His father's a flamenco player. It's pretty direct when you think about it, but he's like seeing this and going like, man,
00:10:48
Speaker
my life would be so much better if I could just be this star that I want to be knowing of course it's not perfectly true but then he achieves it and it's like it is kind of awesome but also kind of terror and it's so the song is I feel like kind of flipped in meeting so many times for him that I think that's part of the interesting journey you know of the song
00:11:08
Speaker
And a lot of interesting great, like part of the interesting thing about the song live is that it's got so many different, like you've got the sort of the original version, you've got the acoustic version, this desert life, they're playing it sort of in the middle and they've kind of returned to the acoustic thing a few times, but done it kind of differently than the burst one. So it's an amazing song. And again, I'm like, I kind of can't believe I had it so low retrospectively, but also again, there's so many other things. And again, I think sometimes the things that
00:11:37
Speaker
are the bigger things maybe feel a little bit less special sometimes than things that are, you know, a little bit, you know, a little bit more personal because they're not, you don't yell them with everyone at each show, you know. Yeah. And for those that might
00:11:54
Speaker
criticize my putting around here as number 10 and and that I want to be an iconoclast or something like that but I had Mr. Jones as my number one and very upset it didn't make the top three and and it's funny because yeah usually I think quote unquote super fans of bands they like to be defensive and say well you know that's single and yeah that's a great single but that's not their best song and if you bought the whole album you'd realize that that was just a single. I think Mr. Jones from that Van Morrison-esque
00:12:23
Speaker
type of shanana and to the yeah, I just and I don't I'm not saying I play it all the time and it's that but
00:12:31
Speaker
I don't get sick of it. I just think it's amazing, unique, and so Counting Crows. And as you said, Chris, I mean, they have two meta things on their album. One of them being mentioning Counting Crows on track number 11, Murder of One. And then they have this meta of, like, their first single is about wanting to be a rock and roll star and made them into a mega rock and roll star. And I looked it up. They sold, what, seven million albums in the US and at least another million overseas and became
00:13:00
Speaker
Yeah, wildly popular and even to this day. So that's unbelievable to me. It's funny you mentioned about the, this is the only kind of, I don't love, despite living in Japan a couple of years, I don't love karaoke. I love my speaking voice, which is why I was in radio, but I do not love my singing voice. But I did Mr. Jones once, and there's a guy that did not know me. He was kind of a jerky coworker, actually, American guy. But he looked over at me and he's like,
00:13:29
Speaker
Uh, that song is so you like, he knew me, but he didn't know it like kind of grows. And he just, like, he just thought I liked the song with the lyrics, but it said, remind me, but that actually, the reason I say that too, is there was another.
00:13:43
Speaker
I was on a road trip once when I was, I can tell you, I was 20, either six or 27. And somebody had a mix, I guess it was a mixed CD, right? When you're burning, burning CD, he had a mixed CD. And Mr. Jones was on and this guy was a pretty good friend of mine just getting to know me pretty well. And he and I was loving I was kind of falling asleep in the backseat, but loving that I heard Mr. Jones and he looks in the back and he's like, Eric,
00:14:05
Speaker
For some reason, this song makes me think of you. And then I was like, did you know I was like an obsessed Captain Crows fan? And so there's something about the lyrics that just really, like you said about Jeremy, I don't know everything about being aspirational to, you know, wanting the pretty girl on the other side of the bar.
00:14:22
Speaker
the drinking. Yeah, I just think the song is just uniquely great too as a song, even if the even if the lyrics didn't hit me the way it did. So there's a reason it was their big hit first big hit. Yeah. Okay. You know, it's interesting thing here. So, you know, Jeremy talked about that's a Dan at the top talks about Oasis, right? You know, on that list of things. Yeah, it's interesting. I'd never made that love love both bands love Oasis never made and obviously love accounting grows. Never made the connection before, right?
00:14:50
Speaker
Mr. Jones, right? You want to be a rock and roll star. One of the first songs on the first Oasis record is called Rock and Roll Star. And in that song, which was written far before they were rock and roll stars, Liam sings Tonight I'm a Rock and Roll Star. And it's the interesting sort of dichotomy in part of if you were trying to sort of describe the difference, the similarities and the differences in those two bands.
00:15:13
Speaker
Right. It's Adam says, I want to be a rock and roll star. Right. And, and Oasis just said, we're rock and roll stars. It's like, are you famous yet? Like we are rock and roll stars. We get like, you know, and I, differences probably just the amount of cocaine, the two of them were consuming the relative differences. But, um, it's just interesting thought about that. The other, the other thing I'll point out, which we'll talk about lots, I'm sure when we talk about like the bootlegs, but one of my favorite lyric switches.
00:15:41
Speaker
is I want to be Alex Chilton, because I don't really want to be Bob Dylan, but I, you know, I kind of wished I was Alex Chilton a few times in my life. Oh, that's funny. Jeremy, when you were talking about one of the other songs, I Can't Remember, and then we'll get to Dan.
00:15:59
Speaker
about explaining. Luckily, we don't hear as much nowadays about, you know, people saying, Well, what's Mr. Jones? And who's Mr. Jones? And is he talking about his private area? I did actually have a co worker that said that to me. And he and it's funny, because people said that, like, fratty guy, this guy was definitely a fratty guy. And I love them. But he said, Yeah, it's a great song. Because somehow he heard I was a Chris fan. He's like, but it's about this. I'm like, No, it's not. Oh, yeah. No, it's not. Look, I can help you do some research. I did want to say about Mr. Jones that we're gonna go to Dan is that
00:16:28
Speaker
a little piece of random trivia. Of course, Mr. Jones, we all know as fan, crows fans is based upon a real person, Marty Jones. Now, Marty Jones did not co
Counting Crows' Cover Songs and Influences
00:16:37
Speaker
-write Mr. Jones, but he did co-write another song on this album, which we'll get to in a bit. We actually didn't mention it yet. Dan, you had a comment?
00:16:44
Speaker
Yeah, I could be wrong here, but my first gig was 97 and it was at the Royal Albert Hall. And they played a cover of So You Want to Be a Rock and Roll Star, which I think was an Oasis cover. I could be wrong. But yeah, that was that was my first gig. So that would have been recovering. It's the Bird song.
00:17:04
Speaker
Okay. So you want to be a rock and roll star, listen now to what I say, just get an electric guitar, take some time and learn how to play. Got it. Okay. All right. Great. They should cover some of my weight. I think they did some in the shim sham. They did a couple of the Oasis songs somewhere. Yeah. I think you're right. I forget now, but I didn't listen to one speech. I didn't listen to them a lot, but all right. Here we get the cut. Now here we're getting to the top three official ranking, of course, here are top three kind of chorus song. And somehow we already went through their top two singles.
00:17:33
Speaker
which would be Mr. Jones Around Here. So here we go, number three, and this was a song that two people had very high and two people had moderately high, I guess, which would be Anna Begins.
Exploration of 'Anna Begins' and Personal Resonance
00:17:46
Speaker
Dan, start us off.
00:17:48
Speaker
Yeah, this was, uh, middle for me. This was number seven, but I just love the lyrics and this one, you know, he's, he's kind of talking about being in love and, uh, uh, you know, and, um, just, just the lyrics are just fantastic. I'm going to want to quote the lyric, but I'm not going to get it perfect. So, uh, I'll, uh, I'll come back and come back. Yeah. The lyrics. Thank you, Jeremy. And it begins. Yeah. This one, uh, probably surprisingly is number one for me.
00:18:19
Speaker
And I feel like it's the most relatable song for me on the album. And that probably just pegs me as a messed up person. The song is kind of a mess. The chorus doesn't really break in until the very end of the song. The lyrical patterns, they're just kind of all over the place. But I just love the way it speaks to me. And the way I've always interpreted it, and the reason I can relate to it so well, not to get too personal,
00:18:50
Speaker
I just feel like in the beginning when he's saying, you know, I'm not ready for this sort of thing. It's early in a relationship and he's, he's putting himself out there and all of his flaws and everything. And he's saying, I'm not ready for this, uh, to be a part of this person's life and be the support that they need. And then as time goes by, this person realizes that, Hey, they were right. They weren't ready for it. And now when, you know, at the end when he's going into the final chorus, he's saying he's not ready to lose this person.
00:19:20
Speaker
And I think everybody can relate throughout their lives. You know, there might've been a person that was special to you and you pushed them away. And by the time you realized it, it was too late and now they're gone. And you know, it's, it brings me back to a lot of feelings that, you know, maybe we're not such good feelings, but it's in a comforting way.
00:19:39
Speaker
Chris, what about yourself? Yeah, I'm with you. It's such a beautiful and the odd pacing of it is so beautiful. Oh, that's true. It's another kind of a classic. I think a little bit like time and time again that way, right? Where it's like the pacing of it is not traditional. Like it's not right. If you're like if you were to try to like sit down and break down the structure of it is it's sort. It's a BA. It's sort of a BA, but it's not, you know. And yeah, it's like one of those songs that if you.
00:20:08
Speaker
ever again ever been had those complicated feelings about someone such a like sort of beautiful and perfect expression of it I had it down it's again number six but that was hard this was hard this was in the middle where I was like oh these all these songs were real great in the middle here
00:20:23
Speaker
But what you were saying, Chris, before about the time of life and stuff, I think this was written about, if I remember correctly, an Australian woman when he was backpacking, when he was, what, 24 or 22 or something. So but that ties into exactly what both Jeremy said and what you said about kind of the coming of age.
00:20:41
Speaker
as like post college coming of age, right? Like that you're trying to, yeah. Yeah. They're trying to figure out like, is this again, this, this relationship, is it meaningful? But what does that mean? And what is, am I, am I ready for something that's big and important? And we all had kind of, I'm sure we all had a little bit of multiple years, right. And to commit, right. That's what I think some of it's about committing where you kind of know if you have a relationship in high school and college, sometimes you kind of know it's not going to last or be your wife or husband or whatever. So,
00:21:11
Speaker
OK, sorry, any other thoughts? I will also just another another great another great opener.
00:21:16
Speaker
They've very, they've done, it's not a common opener. When they've opened with this, I actually think this is an amazing way to start a show, to sort of break into this, the way it comes in, the way the band kind of slowly comes in. I like, one of the things they do that's not, I think a traditional thing as a live act, is sort of the slow opener, right? That like, we're not coming out and like hitting you full force, but kind of coming out and letting this sort of breathe and open up. And this song, I think, does that.
00:21:42
Speaker
very very well. It's been a long time but they either played this as number one or two when I saw them last and I know on the last tour they also started a bunch of songs or a bunch of yeah what you said I think Speedway they started a couple right to try to do that untraditional
00:21:57
Speaker
Yeah, you know, Mr. Jones might be my favorite song from the album, and I think it always maybe was, but Anna begins might have been the one I was obsessed with the most because of everything you said. It was the lyrics, it was the non-traditional, it was this kind of right, maybe thinking about my love life at the time and this kind of thing.
00:22:15
Speaker
You know, let's just say it's not the only reason but I loved it so much I might have named one of my kids in part because of this song So that if that's not a testimony to the power of either Adams lyrics or my you know Strange obsession with this band. I don't know what is and I have to say I love both this is the one song that some people get upset that Basically the version they played in the last what maybe 15 years is a different version of
00:22:44
Speaker
than the one on the album. And I love both. I know this is the one song that gets some people riled up that, oh, I don't, especially if they're people that love the album, but aren't huge kind of crows heads, right? They did love that album, but maybe didn't buy album after that. This is the one song that kind of gets under them. But I think the kind of harder version, I guess it's the more electric version. I think it's also a fantastic, and I understand why Adam loves that version. Yeah. Live. And this gets kind of the complaint of like, why isn't he actually singing it? Because he kind of like,
00:23:12
Speaker
right this is a little bit more yeah yeah exactly and yeah and i almost get mad that people say oh he speaks all his lyrics i'm like no but there are some songs he tends to do it more which is this one but i said if you watch him in his other songs he is he is singing but this is this is just how he feels yeah and i did check it by the way were you at the o2 show in doublin was that the one that he they opened with that i'm jealous it's been a long time since i've seen them open with it now i'm a little bit jealous of you eric but that was part but you know
00:23:39
Speaker
You know, that was part of my friend, though, because I joke because he hadn't seen him in a while. And as I said, he doesn't understand my obsession as much anymore. But that was what he kind of said, like, here's six songs I want to hear. They played five of those. And some of those were not regular songs like Anna Begins. And I was like, are you getting did you get your list at a time or something? Dan, did you want to say something about the lyrics? Did you? Yeah, I didn't want to get them wrong. So you try to tell yourself the things
00:24:05
Speaker
You try to tell yourself to make yourself forget. Yes. You make yourself forget. The lyrics are genius on this one. That's true. Yep. No, when you were reading them, I was like, this is genius. You know, it's funny. I have those lyrics framed hanging on my wall about five feet away from me. Wow. And is that something that would you be able to get a print or something with those? Yeah.
00:24:33
Speaker
Yeah, funny. That was the one song I kind of thought about doing that too, but I have not yet, but I might.
Emotional Depth and Legacy of 'Sullivan Street'
00:24:40
Speaker
So we're down to the last two. So Crows fans listening know what the last two are, but maybe don't know their order. And so let's go right into number two. And I got to say that, well, anyway, I'll say that when we get to number one.
00:24:52
Speaker
So number two, I've got to say, I don't think there's any doubt that this, except for maybe having Omaha number 10, I think the biggest surprise has to be that number two is Sullivan Street. And I'm guessing it's not just because you loved episode one of our podcast.
00:25:09
Speaker
Dan, you didn't have it as high, but you still had it pretty high. When I'm talking about Sullivan Street, maybe your surprise is ranked number two. Yeah, it is a surprise, actually. It was number six for me. This goes back to the opening of the concert, right? For me, many of them I've been to. It's been Sullivan Street. It's been the opener. And it just, for me, it just sets up the concert really well. I know I'm going to have a really good, you know, few hours. And yeah, it was my sixth, but super cool song.
00:25:39
Speaker
Jeremy, you had it very high. You were one of the people that pushed it. They can blame you, Jeremy, if it's too high. But you had it number two. So please talk about your love of Sullivan Street. I did. So this song has kind of had two different meanings to me throughout my life. The first one, I spent quite a bit of time deployed in my military time. And this song always came to me before we would go out in a convoy. And you're kind of worried about what's going to happen. You're a little bit scared.
00:26:07
Speaker
Um, you're out on the road and whenever I heard this song, um, it would always make me just think about, you know, taking the long way home and you're going to get there eventually. It's just going to be a while. And it was, there was always something comforting about it. Right. And then, uh, later on, you know, hearing Adam talk about it a little bit more, um, it kind of hit me in the same way. And it begins does, um, where he, he talks about, you know, no, no matter how good a relationship is, sometimes you just know it's going to be over.
00:26:36
Speaker
And I've been in that, I've been at that point several times in my life. And it just really, it really sinks in with me when I hear those lyrics from that song. And just, I love being able to listen to their songs and think different things, completely different things about them. And they all feel valid. And that's what's great about talking to you guys too, is there's so many different interpretations that we can pull from one song.
00:27:00
Speaker
Fantastic. Chris, what about you? And where did you rank Sullivan Street? I had this number two. So this lines up exactly where I had it. I'm with Jeremy. I think of the realizations you can have in life, that the idea that you are in a relationship and you are going to be the one to end this relationship is one of the more devastating ones you can have, especially when maybe the other person does not see that.
00:27:26
Speaker
And so the way he evokes that and talks about it, it's so beautiful. There are a couple live versions, but he really just kind of like tells the whole story and it is heartbreaking. The other thing I would say about this is I think this is one of his best vocals.
00:27:44
Speaker
He is so even in live, especially, especially the 90, the earlier versions, like 94, like I get just going back to the deluxe edition today just to kind of use that as a jumping off point for the live stuff. I mean, he is the way he sings this is so beautiful and what he gets out of it. And I'd actually always forget about there's there's really beautiful backing vocals on the song. I think it's Maria McKee.
00:28:09
Speaker
And it's like, that's part of, I just, I love this song. It's so beautiful and perfect. And it's one that sort of snuck up me. A friend of mine, one of my best friends from college, I remember him talking to me about how a girl that he really liked wrote these lyrics to him in their high school yearbook. And it didn't, I was like, oh, that's sucks, man. And I didn't, it wasn't until, again, I got further into the song and I was like,
00:28:37
Speaker
I think later I was like oh Frank man that is that is devastating I didn't really I don't think I realized that when you first told me how sad that was I I think I sort of knew but now I really know how how sad that one is one other thing I will say of the songs that I really love this has some of some of my favorite live versions like the openers to Dancepoint when they open with this especially when they were doing
00:29:01
Speaker
I belong where you belong because I belong. I love that. And that's actually it's interesting because you talk about those the feelings that you have when I started going to see shows with my wife when I was like you're kind of falling in love. They were they were doing that and that feeling of all that lyric is feels very appropriate in my heart right now.
00:29:21
Speaker
But I always, there's a version they did in the mid aughts about all that, like, does she want to run? And the way, it's like, it's weird. It's like, it's like sad. And so it sort of fits the lyrics, but it's, the way they sang it, I think they got so much joy out of singing it together that like, Adam's got this like huge smile on his face. Just totally took me out of it. I'm like, I'm not begrudging you your happiness, man. I'm just telling you, this is a sad as shit song. And I want to.
00:29:47
Speaker
I feel a little sad while you're singing it, man. I don't feel quite so like you're just like loving how sad this is. I don't know.
00:29:55
Speaker
Oh, that's so funny. Yeah, I had Sullivan Street at number five, and this is definitely one that's moved up on my list. You made the podcast after this, Eric. I know. I think, I don't think, I know they're so funny. That's another shocking move. I guess I thought more of Sullivan Street, right? It's a place that the Crows fans can hang out. In fact, I do have a Sullivan Street memory because it's not a big street, but when I was a Crows fan, this might have been
00:30:18
Speaker
Gosh, this would have been, I guess, like 98, I remember. And I and I kind of think it was raining, actually. So it reminded me of writing in Baltimore, too. But I went on a first date. Right, either on or right off Sullivan Street in the village. And I know that's not the Sullivan Street that he names it after. But there is a small little Sullivan Street in the village. I went to this great. And it was funny because and I remember even afterwards, it was like a typical, I guess, his personal, but like where I convinced
00:30:47
Speaker
I guess you'd say a woman who was, you know, she, I guess was a cohort, but in a different, like, building even, but she, I guess you could argue she was kind of out of my league a bit. And when I convinced her at the party to go on a date with me, my friends were like, you're the man. And then the first date was fine, but I left leaving. Okay, she wasn't
00:31:08
Speaker
not she was very neutral after the dinner and probably won't hear from her again and I didn't for years so but it kind of brought up but these insecurities too right and that's some of the stuff that that Jeremy was talking about and so I'd like I could get this girl for a date but I can't like it just ends at that and you know I'm in this never-ending loop I have more to say but Jeremy I do want to go to you right now. Oh sorry I didn't mean to interrupt you please just to Chris's point about Adam's vocals on this song
00:31:35
Speaker
And you were talking about karaoke earlier I can attest that his vocals are great on this song and mine are not That's funny One thing I want to say about Sullivan Street and I thought of this when I guess I named the podcast and was listening to it more and as I said, it's definitely moved up but
00:31:56
Speaker
Do you know how like every band or maybe even every album, there's a song that there could be the single songs, there could be your favorite song. And then there are the songs that I guess it's the prototypical, is that the right word, right? Or the most like this, I think Sullivan Street is the most definitive Counting Crow song from this album and from this era.
00:32:16
Speaker
which is like the lyric, right? It's almost like, yeah, someone could like Mr. Jones and not like the album. But if I hadn't listened to Sullivan Street and they love Sullivan Street, then I think they'll probably like Counting Crows, August and Everything After. And I also love that it features my
00:32:32
Speaker
two favorite band members, I guess, which is just Dave's little right that Dave's has the catchy guitar. And Charlie is featured actually quite heavily, which I didn't realize until the last couple years, how important the piano is, you know, go back and listen if you listen to it tonight or whatever.
00:32:50
Speaker
the piano is so good in the song I think wouldn't be as good otherwise and yeah his lyrics I just think yeah it's a very August and everything after song until of course the actual song August and everything after but uh so there you go Sullivan Street so before we get to number one which of course people could have figured out I'll just not just recap but I also do want to say
00:33:11
Speaker
how close some of them were. So number 11 was Ghost Train, and that was a pretty clear 11, unfortunately, despite me trying to move it up the rankings a little bit. And then, actually, I can see why some of you had trouble, because that was the one spot, clearly, Omaha time and time again in perfect blue buildings, and that was the 10th, 9th, and 8th, respectively. That was basically a three-way tie. There was only one point that separated them. Then you had a fairly
00:33:41
Speaker
small gap, but clear gap, which would be number seven, reigning in Baltimore, number six, murder of one, number five round here,
'Rain King' as the Top Ranked Song and Its Significance
00:33:50
Speaker
number four, Mr. Jones, they all had basically three points between them. But once you get to Mr. Jones, I will say Sullivan Street, Anna begins and Mr. Jones were all fairly tied, even though there was a point difference between them. But
00:34:05
Speaker
a clear number one. And in fact, it might have been, in fact, in the whole gap, the whole list, except for the gap between Omaha and Ghost Train, which I could get, this actually had the largest gap between number two and number one. Number one being the ranking or ranking from Cat and Crow's. Dan, any thoughts about that being our number one?
00:34:27
Speaker
Yeah, lots of thoughts. I guess the first thing is if I want to introduce a friend to the band, that's the song I tell them to go listen to before any other song, before Mr. Jones, you know, go listen to ranking and you'll get an idea about what the band's all about. It might not be, you know, their greatest song, but you'll get an idea about the band. I love, again, when listening to it live,
00:34:50
Speaker
the fact in the middle they can go off and I've heard everything from O. Susanna, Lippy Kids, Thunder Road, so many different interpretations in the middle of it. And obviously on that Live at Town Hall album, you get Thunder Road, but it's such a good song. The only downside is that when you hear this song live, you know you're near the end of the concert. Apart from that, what a banger, what a banger.
00:35:16
Speaker
That's great. Thanks so much, Dan. What about you, Jeremy? Where did you have Rain King? I actually had this in number four, which makes me feel like I was probably a little low compared to everyone else. But I love the song. This song just makes me happy. It's hard to hear this song and not smile. And I actually always tie it to one of my dumbest memories of early adulthood, I guess I was 17 years old. And a friend of mine and I, Jason, he's my best friend since I was five years old.
00:35:43
Speaker
We got arrested for smashing mailboxes. This is what you do when you grow up in Illinois, right? You get bored and you go out and you destroy some mailboxes. So there's, there's the line in there about Mr. Henderson. And I know, you know, from reading up on it, it's about a character named Mr. Henderson from a book. But one of the, one of our arresting officers was detective Henderson. So I always, for some stupid reason, I always equate this song with driving around in this cop car.
00:36:09
Speaker
and pointing out the mailboxes and confirming, yes, we smashed that one. And then aside from that, as Dan mentioned, some of the live versions I think are just incredible. The Thunder Road version for me, I'm a huge Springsteen fan as well. So hearing that is great. And I also had the opportunity to see them when Rob Thomas opened for them.
00:36:34
Speaker
And, you know, they actually brought Rob Thomas back out for the encore and Adam gave him the second and third verses of Rain King. And it was just, just awesome to hear his interpretation of it. And it was vastly different than the way Adam would have sang it, but it was just, it was great. Just, I don't know, just overall a great song. I love it. Dan, before we get to Chris Dan, another comment on Rain King, please. Yeah, just on that Rob Thomas, I've actually got a recording of that. So if anyone wants a copy, let me know. Oh, great. Awesome.
00:37:02
Speaker
Yeah, I didn't know about that. So thanks for that. Thanks for the tip. Chris, you please tell us where you put rank. This is my number one song. This is this is my favorite Counting Crow song. In fact, you're the only one that had it as a number one. It was like uniformly high, but that gives you some that must make you feel good, Chris. If I were to rank songs that exist in the world, this would be top five at worst for me.
00:37:29
Speaker
And probably at some days in my life, this has been absolutely my favorite song in the entire world, no doubt, nothing else. If you had, if you told me I could pick one song to go on a desert island with, as long as I get to keep the live versions too, it is Rain King and it's actually not particularly close. Yeah, it's amazing. It's one of, it's the, I think it's, to Dan's point, it is the thesis statement, right?
00:37:59
Speaker
the kinds of feelings that the band evokes and the kinds of feelings about who you are and what you're looking for in the world. It's a sad song, but it is ultimately sort of hopeful and affirming, looking for something and a belief that
00:38:18
Speaker
You know, we talk in some of these songs about kind of how man, woe is me, like Perfect Blue Buildings is like, I got to protect myself from, from myself. And I'm, you know, and, and Rain King is, I, I deserve this. I actually, it's a, it's a, it's a self care. It's a, it's a song of love. Although of course the fact that you are the Rain King is suggestive that perhaps you are not a perfect person and that you maybe there's some sad pieces to that within you. Obviously the live versions help.
00:38:48
Speaker
They are some of the great, I think, performances. And I could talk, well, we could probably do, at some point we'll probably do all podcasts about live versions of Rain King. I think my favorite versions are those with, of the ones they've done somewhat regularly, would be the ones with the, someone to watch over me, the Gershwin song, which I always think is, and again, a really beautiful sort of representation. At some point I had a t-shirt where I got those lyrics like printed on the back.
00:39:19
Speaker
It's, yeah, I think that is, it's, it's so perfect that I could talk for again, like we could, I don't want to, I don't want us to be here for three hours. So I'm going to, I'm going to stop myself there, but that is, that is the song. But you said, Chris, this is why I hope, I hope we keep our podcast. Cause you either say things that I was thinking or.
00:39:42
Speaker
or unique perspective that I totally agree with, like, yes, I was going to say that. But you did mention something that I was thinking about actually quite a bit recently, which was that my favorite songs and really, if you look at my top five here.
00:39:54
Speaker
I think Cannon Crows are at their best when Adam mixes the optimism with realism, with pessimism, and it's all kind of intertwined. You're writing in Baltimore, and made perfect blue buildings, and maybe even time and time. No, but look what I write. Mr. Jones does that, right? That mixed, and Rain King, and Anna begins, and I would argue with four and five, murder of one in Sullivan Street as well.
00:40:20
Speaker
Yeah, I agree with you too. This has also moved up with me. I probably would have had this six, eight years ago or 10 years ago, but now it's number two. And Dan, clearly in their shows, whether you like it or not as a Crows fan, this is clearly their showstopper in the concerts. I mean, around here, of course, when people say get very, very late, they get excited, and they love to hear the intro of Mr. Jones.
00:40:46
Speaker
And some of those, but when you talk about that gets the largest applause and gets the people on their feet, it's it's always ranking, at least in the last five to 10 years, right? Maybe I don't know if it was always that way, but it clearly is that way now. I think it's always been kind of like one of those because in this was like the way Adam presents that song that ends up at the end. Right. There's a tonic image to it. Yeah.
00:41:10
Speaker
So did anybody hear recently Adam said it might have been on that podcast or might've been on a different one. We were just talking with Bobby that he said that he loves all his albums, but if he had one that he would rerecord is August and everything after. And partly you probably have a different version of Anna Begins and some, but he said it's a little shiny on certain things and there's a certain things he would do different. But clearly the ending of that song is one he would change instead of his like, yeah, right. He would do, why don't you commit, which I love the why don't you come out from a brand. That is just, that is incredible.
00:41:38
Speaker
Yeah, that moment is yes. I'm with you. That is a perfect. Yeah, that is and that's I will say the live aspect with that song. It's not just the vert like the alts and stuff like that. It's that they've played that song everywhere from the most gentle possible way to play it to the heaviest possible way to play it. And they all work.
00:42:00
Speaker
You could speed that song up. You could slow it down. You could add a mandolin. You could take away the drums. You could, like, Rob Thomas could sing the middle. Like, it does not matter. It will all work. It's all gonna be amazing. Actually, my favorite thing about the Rob Thomas thing was somewhere he said, he heard Rob Thomas sing it and he was like, what do you do? Like, how'd that melody come to you, the way you're singing the middle? And he's like,
00:42:24
Speaker
Well, I just sung it the way it is on the record. And was like, I beat me. I had no clue that was how I sung it on the record. I hadn't thought about that in years.
00:42:36
Speaker
So he's sung it a million different ways and they all work. That to me is aspect of it too, that it's the most flexible song of theirs. It's an opener and I'm with you Dan, they should go back to opening with it sometimes because I hate that it's towards the end and like an indication of the end. There are songs that lose, I think hanging around is obviously the biggest
00:42:58
Speaker
The song that's hurt the most by this, because it just always, like they've always just played it at the end. So it's like a great song that always makes you go, well, I guess the end is here. You know, like, I don't want Rain King to become that guys. Come on, Counting Crows. Let's bring it up in the set list somewhere. Dan, what do you have to add on that? I'm going to start a petition that the Crows owe you the Rain King. From now onwards, Adam, if you're listening,
00:43:24
Speaker
Every show. Get the crowd going right away. You're right. That would be a big difference from starting with Speedway. I'll tell you that much. Not the slow versions. The slow versions are pretty slow, but those are beautiful and they could do it every... Just alternate. Just do an acoustic one night electric the next. Or do both in the same show, right? Start with the acoustic and then with the... I could do that with Rank King. Just play it three times. Don't worry about it. Just play Rank King three times in the set. I will be very happy with that.
00:43:54
Speaker
The other thing I have to say about Rain King is that it has
00:44:00
Speaker
it's my joke that it's his fit. Okay, it is one of my favorite lines from him. But I but Adam has much more complicated, insightful, thoughtful lyrics that but he she's been dying and I've been drinking. I used to joke with people I'm like, he should have won a Grammy immediately after that. Right? I mean, come on, is there anything that like sums up like, I don't know, early 20s angst, then she's been dying and I've been drinking.
Contributions of Band Members and Album Impact
00:44:27
Speaker
Great. Okay, so I do have some
00:44:29
Speaker
There you go. I do have some housekeeping to do. I also wanted to mention that the Marty Jones thing, if I'm correct, he co-wrote Anna Begins. I didn't know that. I actually didn't know you got that. He was one of the, I think there's a couple writers on there, like five maybe, and he was one of them.
00:44:46
Speaker
Yeah, there's some other things I could say, but I did want to give both, I think Jeremy and Dan, Dan, you can correct me if I'm wrong, had maybe a little story since we haven't had you on before about meeting either Adam or some of the other bandmates. Just kind of a fun way to end this August show. Jeremy, we'll start with you. Yeah, so I know you guys had mentioned in the first episode that there might have been a couple of concerts you went to that you'd had too much to drink prior to the concert.
00:45:14
Speaker
And this was one of those situations for me. This was, I want to say back in 2014 in Tucson, Arizona. And it was at a casino, Casino del Sol. And my friend and I were up there for the concert and we're staying at the casino and we had had, you know, way too many drinks before getting ready to head downstairs. And we hit the button for the elevator and the doors opened up and Adam standing in the elevator.
00:45:39
Speaker
Right. And, you know, we kind of touched on earlier how, how we think Adam feels about super fans. Maybe not, not the best impression. So he probably feels the same way about drunk fans. And that was, that was certainly me. So I get on the elevator and the first question out of my mouth was, are you who I think you are? And his response was, I don't know, who do you think I am? And I was like, you're Adam. That is a very Adam response too. I said, you're Adam.
00:46:09
Speaker
And I was like, this is so cool. We're going to your show. And he's like, yeah, so am I. Oh, that's great. And I did get my shit together long enough to ask him for a picture. And it's a horrible picture that reflects off this shiny elevator wall. But just a great moment. And I know he probably was not happy to see me that day, but he handled it well.
00:46:31
Speaker
Adam, if you ever hear this, I apologize. I was a drunk guy. But it means a lot to the superfan. I know I almost get annoyed sometimes that when kind of casual fans or someone that just goes to the show bothers, not that, oh, they got a photo and I didn't, but I always like
00:46:46
Speaker
you know it's got to be so tiring to have all these people want to take selfies with you and everything so i'd rather just be the hardcore fans that it means so much to them when the other people put it on their insta and then maybe forget about it a year later or something uh dan did you have something to share about either meeting other band members or uh anything else sure and note to self uh i want to go before jeremy next time because
00:47:10
Speaker
I can't top that great story. So yeah, please. I thought I would just share a little bit about the meet and greets in the UK and how they did them. And unfortunately, I can't see them going back to doing them this way, but they were
00:47:23
Speaker
great way of doing it. So I went to the Hammersmith concert a few years ago and when you turned up for the meeting greet they handed you a poster and a pen. So you had a poster for that specific tour and a pen and essentially there wasn't there was probably about 20 people doing the meeting greet and you got to go around to each band member and ask them to sign the poster.
00:47:45
Speaker
So not only were you getting the signature and maybe something dedicated to you, but also you were getting a letter at a time with each band member. And it was just a fantastic way of doing a meet and greet. And as I say, I can't see them even going back to that, but what a great way of doing it. That is fantastic. Was there a particular question? Did you ask a particular question or get a particularly interesting comment to a non-Adam band member at that meet and greet?
00:48:12
Speaker
The only thing I remember is not clicking with Jim. And this is me, Big Fan, again, alcohol and stuff, but just trying to make some conversation and every answer was a very short answer. So maybe he wasn't on his game or maybe he just didn't like the fact that Brits kept asking you lots of questions, but yeah.
00:48:31
Speaker
Well that's funny because at the meeting greet I was at I kind of stood next to him and he was the most friendly and jovial you know I thought well this is his youthful um and he jokes now that he's not as young anymore but he was always considered right almost like the younger brother of so maybe that maybe that was part of it okay well another great
00:48:49
Speaker
Well, any other final thoughts about, I mean, the only thing I want to say, and then I'll go to Dan, we'll mention this later, but when you talk about the feeling of the album, and certainly the band members have changed, and we'll talk about that at a further time, but I did kind of want to mention that my buddy, Dave Bryson, not my buddy, wish he was, he co-wrote seven out of the 11 songs.
00:49:15
Speaker
much more impactful, I guess, on the feeling, shape and sound of this album compared to the others. And he actually did co-wrote two of the demo songs too, which we'll talk about in future episodes, 11 Addiction and Shallow Days. Dan, you had a wrap up comment? I just had a thought around, so at number 11, we all voted Ghost Train.
00:49:38
Speaker
When the album was being created, obviously they wrote a song that then got updated called August and Everything After. So to maybe an action for the listeners to write in to see whether they would substitute Ghost Train for a copy of August and Everything After. Oh, right. You're saying that if the album actually had that on the track list, which got omitted. Would people be, you know, do they think that the album would be different in a good way?
00:50:07
Speaker
That's interesting. Interesting. You know, the song, and this is like, would be a bummer for me, but the song, at least the story is, would make the most sense in the sense that they're the most similar, at least in the original versions.
00:50:22
Speaker
that kicked out August and Everything After is raining in Baltimore. That's what I would guess. I feel like it would really change the tone of the record if you had a second slower piano song. I love the August and Everything After. Again, they've never released the original version, but the live versions that
00:50:48
Speaker
Adam did in 2003 that were like solo that I assume are basically a pretty good version of what was on the record would have been on the record. Yeah, that's it. So yeah, I know what you're saying. So it would be interesting right to sub the ghost train because we the ranking out of number 11. But the other interesting thing that you bring up, would it have been an interesting sub for reigning in Baltimore? Take reigning out and put August in right with some people have like that.
00:51:14
Speaker
Interesting. Jeremy, any other comments on August at all before we wrap things up? No, just a just a great album. And I think like we talked about a coming of age album, it just, and it can mean so many things to so many people. And I think that's, that's the mark of a great album right there. You know, it can, it has so many different meanings and none of them are wrong. And that's, that's kind of what I love about it. I can talk to you guys, or I can talk to, you know, my friends who have listened to it, and we all come up with something different, but it's all great.
00:51:44
Speaker
Alright, Chris, I will before I say goodbye. I'll leave you with parting thoughts. Well, all I'll say is I think I'm going to steal Dan's idea after after after the discussion we've had.
Closing Remarks and Future Episodes
00:51:52
Speaker
I'm going to steal Dan's idea and start giving this to anyone I know who's starting college. I'm just gonna be like here you go man. Don't.
00:51:59
Speaker
or lady, you don't know that this record's exactly what you need to hear over the next four years right now, but just trust me and just put this on once every few months and eventually you're gonna, this is really gonna connect, I guarantee it.
00:52:14
Speaker
Well, thank you. Thank you so much. Well, we wrapped up our August review and I really appreciate Dan and Jeremy joining us and the don't worry or maybe worry. You will get an invitation again at some later podcast. Chris, as always, fantastic job. So until next time, see you down at Sullivan Street. Thank you so much.