Counting Crows: David Bryson (guitar, dobro, tambourine, vocals); Dan Vickrey (guitar, vocals); Adam Duritz (piano, Wurlitzer piano, tambourine, vocals); Charles Gillingham (Hammond B-3 organ, piano, Mellotron, Wurlitzer piano, accordion, harmonica, vocals); Matt Malley (electric & acoustic basses, vocals); Ben Mize (drums, tambourine, light bulbs, Zippo lighter, vocals).

Additional personnel: David Immergluck (pedal steel guitar, octave mandolin); Marvin Etzioni (mandolin); Mark Phythian (programming).

Three years after AUGUST AND EVERYTHING AFTER paved the Triple A way for the likes of Hootie & The Blowfish, Counting Crows take a more aggressive tack with their sophomore release. As with the debut, the sound takes its cue from singer Adam Duritz's introspective lyrics, but Duritz deals with especially weighty topics this time--the ups and downs of fame are on his mind now--and the band's approach is more slashing than subdued.

The yearning "Catapult" opens the record with a quavering guitar and Mellotron, but it gives way to the crashing cymbals, raging guitar and screaming organ of "Angels Of The Silences," a song about rejection. Even the strings on "I'm Not Sleeping" attack with an angry urgency before they are finally consumed by Dan Vickrey's squalling guitar. The Counting Crows showed off their bark on their debut; now they're showing off their bite.

What the critics say...

Rolling Stone (11/28/96, p.134) - 4 Stars (out of 5) - "...serious, worthy ambitions drive the Crows, ambitions that they largely achieve on their second album....for the most part, the Crows' richly textured folk-rock arrangements...remain intact....Counting Crows are here to stay."
Spin (11/96, p.122) - 6 (out of 10) - "...in the neo-classic sweepstakes the Crows beat Hootie's FAIRWEATHER bummer because they paint a much richer backdrop for their frontman....a lot of spacy country-rock inflections, and some of that earnest, driving pomp..."