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| Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings | 
 enlarge | Artist: Counting Crows
Label: Geffen
Category: Music
List Price: $13.98
Buy New: $6.47
You Save: $7.51 (54%)
Buy New/Used from $5.83
Avg. Customer Rating:  (117 reviews)
Sales Rank: 251
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.1
Dimensions (in): 5.4 x 4.9 x 0.1
MPN: 001021202
UPC: 602517499850
EAN: 0602517499850
ASIN: B000WMGDD4
Release Date: March 25, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 If you liked This Desert Life. June 15, 2008
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
2.5 stars maybe a weak 3. I can first tell you that no matter what people reviews of this cd are you must hear it for yourself to either appreciate or burn it at the stake. I feel these songs are just "made up". I don't think any of them have any passion or feeling to them. In my opinion, August and everything after is still one of my favorite cds. Recovering the Satellites had to grow on me, but I could feel most of the music straight out of the gate. This Desert Life, was okay at best, some songs are okay. Hard Candy, in my opinion was close to their best album. I like the whole thing. This cd was bought on the fact that I am a Counting Crows follower, not so much a fan but I do like there music. I felt that this was a forced album, Adams crooning sounds better when he is mopy and depressed and "recovering" This cd is none of that. I havnt felt the cd hit me yet so I won't say it's a complete failure, but for someone so talented this gets a low grade. It took this long for what I feel is shallow music that just seems forced. Just so this helps I do listen to a wide range of artist from Sarah Mclachlan, Snow Patrol, Coldplay, Keane, Tool, Jimmy Eat World, Maroon 5, Avenge Sevenfold, Mudvayne, Seether, Marvin Gaye and Toad the wet Sproket. That may help with understanding where I am coming from.
 counting crows June 9, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
I was disapointed with most of the songs. There are a couple that I like.
I like the slower songs better. The faster, more rock and roll songs, sound alike. (sorry)
Middle of the road for the old boys. June 8, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Counting Crows: Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings - Producer Gil Norton must be on a mission, a modern musical rampage, for his ammunition he's strategically recruited the likes of veteran bands like the Foo Fighters and now the Counting Crows. He's here to prove that in spite of the ridicule that producers often receive with regards to polishing records of rock & roll bands, that he'll inevitably have the last, "draw," anyhow, and Gil's aiming directly at the bulleye.
Not to discredit the members of the Counting Crows, because even as that the band has gone in somewhat of a pop direction since 2002, with the album Hard Candy, followed with singles, "Big Yellow Taxi," "She Don't Want Nobody Near," and "Accidentally In Love," the band has not lost sight of their lead singer's often cynical view on life. Although lead single, "You Can't Count of Me," would not have been my first choice for a re-birth red carpet entrance, what the song does is clean the almost stale, `Counting Crows,' pallet, and slowly draws the listener back into a more authentic 2000 and earlier single, when the band last released the epic 8-minute (often radio-singled down to 5 minutes), "Mrs. Potter's Lullaby." But where the story lies is with this album's onslaught intro on track 1, with, "1492."
"1492," might be read by some critics as a bit overly egotistical, especially for only a modest platinum mainstream rock band, as that the song sings of the lead singer, Adam Duritz's sexual escapades in vain of his fame, and his lack of understanding with the outside world - but critics need to choose a side here, because that's what most Counting Crow's songs have been about: indulgence. The song streams sounds from 1996's & Gil Norton's Recovering the Satellites and continues through next track, "Hanging Tree." The song's spinning guitar matches to the carnival ride lyrics, mixed with raw edgy vocals that beg to prove the point that the Counting Crows never took a break. "Los Angeles," has a pseudo bluesy riff, and both vocals & lyrics sound have a live recording - less studio, texture, which work and the song feels very alive. Again, on, "Sundays," the song's elements feel like this was a live cut, with very little production, if even needed, to produce a song that inevitably fulfills. "Insignificant," sounds like a sequel or rather a different take to Recovering the Satellites 4th single, "Have You Seen Me Lately," in lyrics. And the song comes out with not a lot new to the table, but definitely not a low point. The opening guitar sounds like the beginning to a punk song, but when the vocals begin, the lyrics make the song sound like it's a little Dashboard Confessional, of which Adam Duritz has contributed vocals to. And again, not a low point, but where Counting Crows usually like to tell a story, this track goes pretty much nowhere in that department and is only worthy of those uncharacteristic electrics thrills.
No, I guess I should make mention of the fact that like the Foo Fighters last album, In Your Honor, or even similar to the Smashing Pumpkin's Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, the Counting Crows have devised an album with both a hard and soft side. And in this case, a different producer was brought in to highlight the side-B Sunday Mornings, part of the album. Some of these songs are sound like they're straight from around a campfire. And while this could mean simple masterpieces, like from Recovering the Satellites on, "Walkaways," for the most part they are like folk forgetables, with only a hint of intrigue, like on, "When I Dream of Michelangelo," where the connection of a girl arises interest from anyone from a relationship. "Anyone But You," starts odd, like a Beatles' song of ole, where an instrument sounding like a hybrid flute/violin butts next to timid vocals that repeal the ballad, "Colorblind," but that's where the connection ends. However, the song is depressing. The lead single, "You Can't Count on Me," is next in the numerical order, which I find strange, because it'd be suited a little better at the end of side-A Saturday Nights, because of edgier direction and wire-cutting guitar. "Le Ballet D'or," sounds like a song fit for Dave Matthews in one of those movies he's acted in lately. "On a Tuesday in Amsterdam Long Ago," is title that basically prologues the story. The song is slow, with piano notes sounding like raindrops slowly dripping off from a roof during a mid-summer's rainfall. A love story, written for a short play. Our outtro, "Come Around," comes in the form of an electric guitar, and vocals that fill the spot where ending credits would usually roll.
Is this album good? It's great, all things considered. The songs all balance to form an album full of all the right ingredients; a little short on sugar, a little tall on lemon, but the perfect amount of spices and even a little cooking wine with a kick. Comparatively speaking, this album fits in the middle of CC's catalog - a little better than the last two, but not quite as classic as the first. Well done, and I expect to hear some airplay with this one.
Album Highlights: "1492," "Hanging Tree," Los Angeles," "When I Dream of Michelangelo," "You Can't Count on Me."
Rating 7 out of 10
Not their best, but a pretty good refresh June 7, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I must say that previous albums from CC were better, but this one is alright. Worth the purchase for long time fans.
 Always great May 30, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Who could possibly say anything negative about Counting Crows or this new CD? It is great, as expected.
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