Sacrificing Like Lambs

Counting Crows

August and Everything After

1993, Geffen

produced by T-Bone Burnett

Adam Duritz - vocals, piano, harmonica

Matt Malley - bass

Chris Gillingham - piano, organ, accordion

Steve Bowman - drums

David Bryson - guitars

singles-

• Mr. Jones/ Raining in Baltimore/ Rain King
• Round Here/ Ghost Train/ Ghost in You
• Rain King/ Anna Begins/ Round Here
• Murder of One

The Counting Crows debut album is quite possibly their best. The single to this album is one of the first songs I had ever connected to someone else. Mr. Jones was a pretty popular radio hit when it was released, and I remember screwing around in gym class which ended in spontaneous song... this song, sung loudly and badly by two school kids. I can't remember her name now, but I do remember we went to church together, and I remember hearing it on the radio afterwards and remembering that particular gym class. 

Anyway, this album would be forgotten until high school when a friend of mine would play Raining in Baltimore and Anna Begins on the school piano, I found a renewed appreciation for it. The songs are certainly deeper and more contemplative than normal radio hits at the time. Besides, you don't have to rock out all the time.

Celtics All-Time Greats: an addendum

Paul Pierce passed Larry Bird on the Celtics all time scoring list recently.  In response to that, ESPN asked Bill Simmons to list his top ten all time Celtics greats.  ESPN put up a video with Simmons explaining his choices, but the video no longer exists.  You'll remember, I wrote something about this before, when Prince Charles left Pierce off his own list of the greatest Celtics a few years ago.

Bill Simmons list is as follows:

10: Robert Parish
9: Bill Sharman
8: Paul Pierce
7: Kevin McHale
6: Sam Jones
5: Dave Cowens
4: Bob Cousy
3: John Havlicek
2: Larry Bird
1: Bill Russel

The other day, Simmons interviewed Bob Ryan from the Boston Globe on the BS Report, and they talked about the same thing.  Bob Ryan gave his top 5, and also mentioned McHale, Sam Jones, and Dave Cowens.  His list is below.


5: Paul Pierce
4: Bob Cousy
3: John Havlicek
2: Larry Bird
1: Bill Russel

Later in the interview, Ryan confirms that he will hang up his shoes after the London Olympics after a 42 year career in Boston.  Not many writers understand the game like he does.  He will be missed.

If I Get Out of These Blues Alive

Hot Tuna

Hot Tuna

1970, RCA

produced by Al Schmidt

Jorma Kaukonen - guitar, vocals

Jack Cassady - bass

Will Scarlet - harmonica

I love this album. There is nothing bad to say about it.  It's live and ass kicking. It is also known as "the broken glass album". Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Cassidy were always about the old school blues, especially their favorite blues man, the Reverend Blind Gary Davis. This album encompasses what I think of when I think of the blues, acoustic, performed in a smoky bar environment. Most of the tracks are blues standards, covers, with two Kaukonen originals on the 1st edition, and two more originals from later studio albums on the rerelease. The 12 bar blues is simple, and yet the acoustic guitar, grinding gritty bass, and harmonica play off each other in such a complex way that one is in awe that such a sound comes out of only three guys. There are other good Tuna albums, and other good blues albums, but this one will always be my favorite.

Can't Avoid This Bum Rush!

Public Enemy

It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back

1988, Def Jam

produced by Rick Rubin and Hank Shocklee

Chuck D

Flava Flav

Terminator X

Johnny Juice Rosado

• Rebel Without a Pause
• Bring the Noise
• Don't Believe the Hype
• Night of the Living Baseheads
• Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos

Yeah, Boy!  Bring the Noise!  I will be honest.  I decided to check out Public Enemy after listening to the Rage Against the Machine People of the Sun EP which featured a cover of Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos with a Chuck D guest appearance.  This was also around the time that Flavor Flav began his ridiculous reality television career.  So... obviously buying this album was a great idea.

Produced by the Bombsquad and legendary Rick Rubin, this album features several Public Enemy classics, and also has a Flavor Flav solo track (Cold Lampin with Flavor) which proves he isn't completely clown shoes. The idea was to produce music that was fast paced, in your face, and full of rage. Bring the Noise encapsuled the entire philosophy of the record, that music is just organized noise.

The record is #3 on Slant's list of best albums of the '80s, #2 on Spex's list of best records in the 20th century, #7 on Q's list of best albums of the 80's, #48 on Rolling Stone's 500 best, and made Time's list of 100 best records. Kurt Cobain included it in his top 25 influential records.