Search - Counting Crows :: Recovering the Satellites

By far Counting Crows' best album

Chuck | Ohio | 08/06/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"While this may not be a popular opinion, I have always felt that "Recovering the Satellites" is the best album Counting Crows have put out. Duritz's lyrics, which can come across as whiny and annoying when set to a calmer backdrop, are embodied perfectly in this infused set of driven, artsy rock compositions. The tasteful, sparse use of strings throughout the album enhances the emotional impact of the songs, and the wide variety of song structures and styles brings an almost epic scope to the album. You will find the Crows exploring everything from straight-ahead power rock ("Angels of the Silences") to country-tinged pop/rock ("Daylight Fading") to more colorful explorations of sound and style ("Mercury") to the piano/jangly rock Counting Crows are known for ("Goodnight Elizabeth"). Yet despite this wide stylistic scope, "Recovering the Satellites" feels like a complex and rich journey that unfolds, climaxes, and resolves itself with wondrous grace. The hooks present on this album are stronger than any on their debut (with the exception of the overplayed single "Mr. Jones") and the generally harder sound just makes for a more engaging listen. After the excellence of "Recovering the Satellites", I suspected that they would have trouble producing a worthy follow-up, and behold -- "This Desert Life" was simply a regression to the more predictable classic-rock influenced "August and Everything After". There is no doubt in my mind that this has much to do with the lukewarm reception of "Recovering the Satellites", which alarmed many fans who preferred the folkier sound of their debut. One can only hope that they will once again get motivated to explore new musical ground and refuse to stick to predictable formats simply to satisfy fans."

Nothing Compares

J. | Somewhere, TX | 04/20/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It has been said that Counting Crows hit their peak once they made their debut album, "August and Everyhting After", but this is not true. While their debut is a classic for sure, their sophomore album, "Recovering the Satellites", is a masterpiece. Never have the Crows rocked harder or played better. The songwriting of Adam Duritz is perfected on this record. Never has something so outwardly sad become so uplifting and comforting. Duritz has a voice that is so personal, it can't help but touch you. The beauty of the songwriting is that it is just SO personal. There isn't always a need for the song to have a universal appeal towards everyone's emotions. Here we are allowed to look inside this man, to see what his life is like, and to know what is going on. Duritz paints beautiful and compelling pictures with this album's songs, but the accents placed on the music by Dan Vikery's guitar and Charlie Gillingham's Keyboard, along with the excellent low end of Matt Malley and rhythm of David Bryson. And by the way, Ben Mize....awesome drummer. Buy this album. If you feel anything at all, buy this album. If you like emotional, deep, dark music, you will love "Recovering the Satellites.""

Out of all 6 of their released albums, this is the best.

Tiffany Michelon | Seattle, WA USA | 07/23/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"One of the most disappointing things I hear about Counting Crows is that nothing they've released is as good as August and Everything After. This is just not the case. August is great, don't get me wrong. It's one of my favorite albums. But I really think that Recovering the Satellites is the best thing they've ever put out (and I have all but one of their CDs... missing only By The Time We Got To Woodstock).When I first got this album, I was disappointed too. It's not August and Everything After. Since that was the CD that made me fall in love with them, I was upset. But the more I listened, the more it grew on me. In the beginning, all I heard was Adam saying that he couldn't handle being famous. But when you read a little deeper into the lyrics, you can relate it to your life as well. The whole album is about wishing people would look past the first thing they see and find out who you really are underneath.This album is full of all the great, powerful prose and soul-searching melodies that made August great, it's just not the same thing. If you're looking for the light and airy Adam from August, then get This Desert Life. It has a lot of the same feeling as August. But if you're looking to get a little deeper into the mind of a genius, this is definitely the album to check out."