August and Everything After (4/33)

August and Everything After - Counting Crows
1993

Standout Tracks: Anna Begins, Round Here, Time and Time Again

"She can't stop shaking and I can't stop touching her..."

At last the random number gods have picked an album that I can write about without gushing over the lyrics. The lyrics on this record are average, with occasional highlights like the one above. The music isn't anything groundbreaking either; mainly acoustic instruments, straight forward songwriting and 'Round Here' even features a cringe-worthy wah-wah moment!

So why the hell did this album make the list? Because I bloody adore it, that's why! Yes, it's got 'Mr. Jones' on it. Everyone remembers 'Mr. Jones' and has tried to sing along with the high bit in the chorus, usually only once.
I wont skip it now, but there was a time when I'd HAVE to because, whether it was the single being played on the radio or some kid banging out his own rendition in the college refrectory, I couldn't escape it. If you owned an acoustic guitar in 1993 you were expected to play 'Mr. Jones' and Soul Asylum's 'Runaway Train'. Exclusively and repeatedly.

I started this piece by declaring the lyrics as average, which they are, the magic here is in the melody and delivery. Even the sparsely instrumented ballads have a tune you'll find yourself humming and this is a great sing-along-at-home album. There's something almost annoying about a band whose songs are so good that the lyric "Her kindness bangs a gong, it's moving me along, and Anna begins to fade away!" works perfectly.

I have so many attachments to these 11 tracks! Every time I hear the starting riff to 'Round Here', I'm 17 years old and on the bus to college with my walkman on. Back in my guitar playing days I'd tune my guitar whilst playing along to 'Mr. Jones'. I've sang 'Anna Begins' loudly in the street with friends when drunk. I know every lyric on this album by heart and I can still play more than half of it on guitar. I don't listen to 'August and Everything After' regularly, but everytime I do is a real pleasure.