Trollheart

This desert life --- Counting Crows --- 1999 (Geffen)


The first --- and originally, only --- thing that impressed me about this album when I first heard it was the second track, “Mrs. Potter's lullaby”, which I loved. But I was disappointed in the rest of the album. So much so, in fact, that yesterday I was considering featuring it in my “Nice song --- shame about the album!” spot. It was only when I started listening to it again I became aware of how decent an album it is, and I felt I couldn't feature it in that slot. So instead I'm now reviewing it as an album in its own right. If you knew how much my opinion of it has changed within six months, you would be amazed, but you don't so you won't, so here's the review instead.

It starts off with the bouncy “Hanginaround”, which I believe featured in the movie “Cruel intentions”. It's kind of a hymn for bums, as it were, written when things were not happening for lead singer Adam Duritz, and he was at something of a crossroads in his life, wondering where his career was going. The song has a lot of handclaps and good backing vocals, and comes across as more a wake-up-and-do-something-about-it song, when he sings ”I've been bummin' around/ For way way too long!” It ends on a kind of distorted piano melody, which then more or less segues into what I still consider the best track on the album, the toe-tappin', country-flavoured “Mrs. Potter's lullaby”, with its honky-tonk piano and organ, and some really nice pedal steel guitar from Dave Immergluck. This is a song I can never listen to without wanting to dance. Great lyric: ”The last one out of the circus/ Has to lock up everything/ Or the elephants will get out/ And forget to remember what you said.”

“Amy hit the atmosphere” is a brooding, moody ballad with atmospheric synths, piano and nice expressive guitar by David Bryson. The song builds up nicely to a good crescendo ending, then “Four days” reminds me of Irish country/rock forgotten heroes The Stars of Heaven: a nice rhythm and beat to the song, runs along at a decent clip with some nice jangly guitars. “High life” is a pleasant bopper with something of a tortured vocal, and some great synth work.

“Colorblind” is carried entirely on a nice piano line, sounding extremely REM, so much so that I realise I've heard this before and thought it was Michael Stipe and the boys. Haunting little bittersweet ballad, great little song but it's scary how like REM it is!

I find this band very influenced by country rock, the likes of the Eagles, and “I wish I was a girl” is no departure from that, though there's some very rocky electric guitar in it. It's a kind of mid-paced ballad, as indeed is “Speedway,” though more laid-back than the track that preceded it. In fact, a lot of this album is low-key, laidback and slow an' easy. The album closes on a sort of blues/boogie number, “St. Robinson in his Cadillac dream”. Great organ carries this final track, reminiscent of some of the best work done by the Hooters. Great bit of mandolin helps the song along to the finish line.

The track is just over five minutes, though runs for fifteen, and if you let it continue you will find a “hidden track” called “Kid things”, coming in at around the 8:30 mark. It starts off with recorded snippets like Neil Armstrong on the moon (fake) and a radio tranmission, then the track is a rocker in the mould of the Rolling Stones' “Start me up”. There's also a lot of NASA-style tomfoolery after the song, which is quite fun to listen to.

As I say, my opinion of this album has radically changed since I first listened to it. I still don't think it's the greatest album ever recorded, nor indeed does it make me want to rush out and buy the rest of Counting Crows' catalogue, but I can now listen to it all the way through and not just stop after “Mrs.Potter's lullaby.” I'm glad I finally got past that, because what you discover there is actually well worth taking the time to experience.

TRACKLISTING

1. Hanginaround
2. Mrs. Potter's lullaby
3. Amy hit the atmosphere
4. Four days
5. All my friends
6. High life
7. Colorblind
8. I wish I was a girl
9. Speedway
10. St. Robinson in his Cadillac dream

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