Counting Crows - New Amsterdam Live at Heineken Music Hall (15 tracks) +Album Reviews

Mr. Jones has left the building: New Crows live "bootleg" is

A. G. Corwin | 06/21/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Counting Crows has joined the trend of releasing your own bootlegs, made common by Dave Matthews and Pearl Jam, with this 15 track collection culled from the 2003 Crows European tour in support of the Hard Candy album. This is essentially a record for the true fans of the band, the ones who prefer Perfect Blue Buildings to Mr. Jones, the ones who appreciate the subtlety of Holiday in Spain, the ones who know the words to Richard Manuel is Dead. This is not a commercial album by any means, but can be a decent addition to your collection.

Sound quality is quite good for a live recording, the band is tight, and Duritz sounds less strained than he does when I have seen him live. The track selection delves heavily into Hard Candy tracks, which is logical considering this was the Hard Candy promo tour they were on at the time. A few classic tracks are thrown in like Omaha and Goodnight Elizabeth and Perfect Blue Buildings. Each song is performed quite well, Miami sounds especially good as does Richard Manuel Is Dead. Though there are some tracks I would have liked to hear, especially A Long December, I can't be too disappointed considering this was a fairly stealthy release with no massive publicity blitz. This was one released for the fans, not the hook hungry, rabid masses looking for the next commercial sensation. Overall this is a pleasing, relaxing album that makes for nice background music. I consider it a bonus until an album of new material comes out. Recommended for the serious Crows fan...

A.G. Corwin

St Louis, MO"

Always Counting Crows

Cory R. Schaffner | Nazareth, PA United States | 06/20/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Im a pretty big Counting Crows fan and I always enjoyed their music since they were The Himalyans. I have always thought that their music was best heard live. On Across The Wire they showed the harder side and the softest of sides on a 2 disc live. This could really be a sequel to those discs by showing both of those sides on this single disc. This is basically just act 3 on their career spanning the period after the first 2 discs and relies heavily on live doses of Hard Candy which wasnt out during the other live disc releases. I recommend this disc to any countin crows fan or any fan of music in general. This cd can be hard, soft, and absolutely beautiful."

Everything From Auguest And After....

Roger Jr. | Pittsburgh | 06/21/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This album was made because counting crows are just starting on tour and they wanted to release it to get fans of thier backs and probably the record company too. Counting Crows have FINNISHED half of thier new album, and the other half will be completed at the end of the summer tour with the goo goo dolls, and will be released sometime early next year or maybe even late this year. This is some older stuff, but the quality is amazing, better than any bootlegs you may have, mastered very well. The setlist is great filled with some rare songs, some cover songs, and one new song. Counting Crows are an amazing live band, they are the type of band that you can see them a hundred times and never get bored, cause everytime its something new and different. Thier one of the most bootlegged bands in the last 30 or 40 years, so that should say alittle about what most people think of them live.

This is a really nice set, I PERSONALLY would recommend getting Across A Wire first, then this one, as Across A Wire shows you the two sides of the Crows, The soft acoustic, then the solid rock.

The best tracks on this album (in my opinion) are:

*Catapult - they dont play this one alot and not usally this way, very refreshing!

*Four White Stallions - This is a real nice cover song, always been one of my favorites

*Perfect Blue Buildings - Dark painful song, not played much,very underrated!

*Hazy - its something new, inspired by an artist that i really like, Gemma Hayes

This is a great album, no acoustics, but oh well.. i highly reccomend you buy the album here from amazon, then go to iTunes and pick up the bonus track, Black and Blue Live (another amazing dark, painful song) for 99cents! (if you by chance live in the uk, you can get Mr Jones from itunes as a bonus track!)"

Counting Crows go for the "Songs in the Attic" gambit

Adam Selzer | Chicago, IL USA | 06/25/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In high school, my favorite band was probably Counting Crows. Their first two albums hit me and that way that only teenagers can really be hit by music. That whole "this song sounds just like my life" kind of way. I was obsessed. I had everything they recorded, every soundtrack they had a song on. And, as good as the albums were, they were a LOT better live. The guy could write, no question about it, but he could also perform.

As time went by, they ended up sort of lumped into a category with Dave Matthews, one of the most unfair groupings in music history, if you ask me. Their third and fourth albums had their moments, but weren't as good as the first two, on the whole. The online CC fan community was my real introduction to the sick, sad world of internet message boards - a habit I really wish I could break to this day - which left a sort of bitter taste in my mouth.

But, anyway, I'm so ashamed that I didn't even realize that they had a new live album out until after it was released. Been a long time since their last album. On the one hand, I thought it looked great: mostly obscure songs, not the big hits. The "Songs from the Attic" gambit that tends to pay off well for a lot bands. On the other hand, more than half of the songs were from the last two albums, and the recording is already a few years old; I'm more interested in what they're doing NEXT, not what they did in 2003.

And yet, here I sit, listening to the live album, and it's FANTASTIC, showing off sultry, somewhat slowed-down versions of a bunch of album tracks. they all run together and cast this spell that may be a lot of what was missing from the 3rd and 4th albums. I can't think of when they've ever sounded much better."

Great live album from a great band

cincyjake | Omaha, NE | 06/21/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Perhaps Nick needs to listen to albums before he chooses to review them. New Amsterdam is the live album I have always hoped Counting Crows would make. It features a great setlist (the absence of many of their "hits" is a plus, because it features many great, underplayed songs) and a fantastic mix that allows the listener to clearly hear every instrument. The arrangements of the songs showcase their talented instrumentalists, and Adam is in great form.

I've never really understood the reputation Counting Crows have with some people as a terrible live band - I listen to a lot of live music, and to my ears they're a fantastic live band. If you're not a fan, I doubt anything will convert you, but if you are, this is an essential purchase."

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