1. Counting Crows-Films About Ghosts: The Best of Counting Crows
Counting Crows emerged in the early 90s and their folk-based pop/alternative rock sound offered a respite in a scene crowded by Nirvana and Pearl Jam wannabes. Comprised of David Immergluck (vocals, acoustic & electric guitars, slide guitar, electric sitar); Dave Vickrey (vocals, acoustic & electric guitars, banjo, sitar); Charles Gillingham (vocals, acoustic guitar, accordion, piano, Wurlitzer electric piano, Fender Rhodes electric piano, Omnichord, Hammond B-3 organ, chamberlain, Mellotron, synthesizer); Matt Malley (vocals, guitar, electric bass, double bass); Adam Duritz (vocals, harmonica, piano, tambourine, loo bells, samples); Jim Bogios (vocals, drums, percussion, loops) and Steve Bowman (vocals, drums), the band became one of the most notable acts of the decade. The melancholic poetry sung by the sad-sounding voice of vocalist Adam Duritz blended well with the excellent keyboard and rhythm section and jangling guitars to spawn some of the decade’s finest songs. This compilation is consists of their best songs from the first album up to 2003. The hits are all here–the break–out single Mr. Jones (one of the 90s best songs ever), the highly-infectious Big Yellow Taxi, Round Here and A Long December, one of our favorite sing-along songs in college. Then there are the not-so-famous but really great songs that highlighted Duritz pensively sad voice—Recovering The Satellites, Omaha, Anna Begins and my new favorite Holiday In Spain. This album’s a perfect companion for those rainy days when all you want to do is lie on your bed and ponder on the things that might have been and could have been.
2. Third Eye Blind-Collection: Best of Third Eye Blind
It was the time when grunge was slowly waning that Third Eye Blind hopped on the alternative rock scene via the inevitable catchy single Semi-Charmed Life (with its unforgettable chorus…I want something else, to get me through this semi-charmed kind of life). The song, which is actually about living a junkie life, was culled from the band’s 1997 self-titled debut which featured songs with angst-filled lyrics (e.g. Jumper, Graduate and the tear-jerker How’s It Going To Be) sandwiched between Stephan Jenkins’ clear-cut voice and the band’s straightforward, guitar-driven pop rock approach. Their next two albums, Blue and Out of the Vein, featured a darker, somber and somewhat indie mood as opposed to the radio-friendlier debut. Still it yielded songs bearing the band’s trademark pop leanings such as Never Let You Go, Deep Inside of You and Blinded . This collection contains those aforementioned hits and more. The 19 tracks featured here expound the band’s ability to produce excellent modern rock songs which clearly distinguished them from the post-grunge era’s one-hit wonders.
