Counting Crows
Films About Ghosts

THE REVIEW

Why do so many people dislike Adam Duritz? 

Perhaps because (I admit) sometimes he sings as if he had two bananas stuck in his nostrils, or because (it's rumored, but, you know, the tormented artist always has his charm...) he has gotten cozy with some notable starlets in the Hollywood area?

Some accuse him of being a pretentious person in disguise and of carrying on a stale and uninspired musical discourse, others say his band can't play; I say I like Adam Duritz, not because he's a handsome guy, understood... I'm not an Adonis either, but I'd like to have hair like his (I already have the belly like him) and, more than anything, I'd like to be able to write beautiful songs like he does.

In the end, when someone decides to make music, isn't that the only thing that matters?

There is an abundance of beautiful songs (in some cases splendid) in this disc released in 2003, a not entirely exhaustive summary of the first 4 albums of the Counting Crows; thankfully we are spared the notorious "Greatest Hits" (which for many bands should consist of at most 3 or 4 tracks) and opt for a more fitting "Best of...", thus also picking out worthy tracks that probably were never played on the radio, like the fabulous "Mrs. Potter's Lullaby", 7 magical minutes in full Van Morrison style,  or "Anna Begins", perhaps the true gem of "August And Everything After" alongside "Rain King" (my favorite, a song that never fails to put me in a good mood).

The inevitable concessions to the charts are not missing, such as "Mr. Jones", "Big Yellow Taxi" (cover of the sublime Joni Mitchell) and "American Girls", perhaps the weakest of the batch along with "Hanginaround".

The impression derived from listening to the collection is that the CC manage to express themselves better when the sounds of electric guitars are less intrusive and melody takes over the rhythm, an impression confirmed, in my opinion, by their latest work, divided into 2 distinct parts, one more rocking and one acoustic; how to remain indifferent when listening to the wonderful root-style cover of "Friend of The Devil" by the Grateful Dead,  or the splendid, pianistic "A Long December" (for me personally, full of meanings with which I will not bore you...).

"So this record has rock and guitars but also ballads with a touch of mandolin... What's missing, then?"

At a guess, I would say "August and Everything After" is missing in its entirety, a work still unsurpassed by them for the overall quality of the songwriting and raw emotionality; they have produced great things after that album, but nothing that has the same inspired melancholy and the same expressive urgency.

"Films About Ghosts" is nonetheless a more than good level album for lovers of these sounds, or in any case of music that is not too complicated and cerebral; today, however, the Counting Crows are probably better on a stage than  on record.