Angels of the Silences Daylight Fading Mercury This album is really unique in that it has two perfect opening tracks. Sometimes I think Angels should have been the opener but then I listen to Catapult and remember how perfect it is as a starting point. I loved that they pulled Angels in as the opener for the greatest hits though. Mercury is one of the more underrated Crows songs, I think. Extremely catchy, and a very unique vibe for them. They were so loose and creative on this record, especially the second half. I love it.
AOTS Daylight Fading Children in Bloom This album and the next two are especially going to be hard...
Angels of the Silences (easy) Have You Seen Me Lately? (tougher than the first matchup, but not too terrible) Children in Bloom (also pretty easy)
Geez, an entire weekend and we still came to a tie between “Daylight Fading” and “Have You Seen Me Lately?” and “Monkey” still didn’t get a single vote! Looks like I’m gonna have to vote for all matchups again in order to maintain what tenuous grasp I have left on my sanity! Monkey Daylight Fading Mercury Which makes our winners... Monkey - 1 Angels of the Silences - 8 Daylight Fading - 5 Have You Seen Me Lately? - 4 Children in Bloom - 6 Mercury - 3 Round Three up next!
Recovering the Satellites ROUND THREE 1.) Another Horsedreamer’s Blues vs. Recovering the Satellites 2.) A Long December vs. Walkaways 3.) I’m Not Sleeping vs. Angels of the Silences 4.) Daylight Fading vs. Children in Bloom First matchup kills me. Literally the two best deep cuts on this (insanely good) record.
Recovering the Satellites A Long December Angels of the Silences Daylight Fading Tough one for "Walkaways," which I really do adore. But "A Long December" is just a perfect song.
Horsedreamer's (tough) Walkaways (december is gonna win anyway, gotta show this some love) Angels of the Silences Daylight Fading
Current Totals ———————— Another Horsedreamer’s Blues - 3 Recovering the Satellites - 3 A Long December - 5 Walkaways - 1 I’m Not Sleeping - 1 Angels of the Silences - 5 Daylight Fading - 5 Children in Bloom - 1
Horsedreamer’s (Satellites feels more essential, but Horsedreamer’s is the kind of brilliant storytelling we wouldn’t get much of again until SUW) A Long December (It’s cool that even this band’s singles are some of the all-time best) Angels of the Silences (There was a time then I’m Not Sleeping was one of my favs on the record, but it’s lessened on me as time has gone on) Daylight Fading (Perfect)
Recovering The Satellites (This wasn't too difficult) A Long December (Very easy) Angels Of The Silences (I'm Not Sleeping is great...but this was a fairly easy decision as well) Children in Bloom (The toughest decision for me this round...but not too tough)
Margery's wingspan's all feathers and coke cans, and TV dinners and letters she won't send, and Every race night is shot through with sunlight Trying to hit the big one one last time tonight for Drunken fathers and stupid mothers and Boys who can't tell one girl from another So she takes her pills, careful and round One of these days she's gonna throw the whole bottle down
It's great writing! I'm not denying that. I just 1) don't think it's winning the whole album when heavy hitters like "A Long December" and "Angels of the Silences" are here, and 2) prefer other songs. @TedSchmosby is right in that it's very much in the style of Somewhere Under Wonderland, which is least favorite Counting Crows album. Maybe that explains why this song has never been a highlight for me.
And the first matchup is tied again! Am I gonna do three tiebreakers in as many days? Also, Hey monkey! Where you been? This lonely spiral I’ve been in Hey monkey, when can we begin? Hey monkey, where you been?
The best line Adam Duritz ever wrote, for my money, is "All at once you look across a crowded room to see the way that light attaches to a girl."