Hard Candy

Performer: Counting Crows
Artist: Sheryl Crow; Ryan Adams; Matthew Sweet; Moon Zappa; Mark Isham
Engineer: Carl Glanville
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: Counting Crows: David Immergluck (vocals, acoustic & electric guitars, slide guitar, mandolin, electric sitar, bass); Dan Vickrey (vocals, acoustic & electric guitars, banjo); Dave Bryson (vocals, acoustic & electric guitars); Charles Gillingham (vocals, piano, Wurlitzer piano, Fender Rhodes piano, tack piano, Hammond B-3 organ, mellotron, omnichord, background vocals); Adam Duritz (vocals, piano, samples); Matt Malley (vocals, bass, upright bass); Ben Mize (vocals, drums, percussion, loops). Additional personnel includes: Andre "Don" Carter (trumpet); Jerry Hey (flugelhorn); Adam F. Duritz (congas, percussion); Leona Naess, Ryan Adams, Sheryl Crow Matthew Sweet, David Gibbs (background vocals). Producers: Steve Lillywhite, Ethan Jones, Carl Glanville, Counting Crows. Partially recorded at Ocean Way Recording, Hollywood, California and at Westside Studios, London, England. Intent on recapturing the mainstream glory of their debut AUGUST AND EVERYTHING AFTER, Counting Crows find themselves expanding ranks (adding touring guitarist David Immergluck) and tightening up musical execution on 2002's HARD CANDY. Make no mistake, frontman Adam Duritz continues plumbing the dark reaches of his sensitive and somewhat damaged psyche for lyrical inspiration, but the band's spirited playing makes for an excellent counterpoint. The results include a Byrds-flavored title cut (aided by Matthew Sweet's harmonies) and the semi-New Wave workout "New Frontier" peppered by Charlie Gillingham's delightfully cheesy synthesizer runs. Duritz's troubled romantic lyrics find him insecurely sabotaging an otherwise flourishing relationship on the soaring "Miami," unable to fathom whether love is nourishing or depriving on the bittersweet "Goodnight L.A.," and feeding off depression and suicide on the piano-driven "Black And Blue." Counting Crows' use of outside collaborators also works well. Among the most notable cameos are Ryan Adams contributing vocals and lyrics to the wistful waltz "Butterfly In Reverse," Jerry Hey delivering a rich flugelhorn solo to the melancholy "Carriage," and Sheryl Crow adding her distinctive voice to the groove-happy first single "American Girls." HARD CANDY makes for some tasty listening.

Rolling Stone (7/25/02, p.73) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...This is a supremely confident, fastidiously arranged, masterfully played record....achieving moments of finespun beauty..." Spin (8/02, p.114) - 6 out of 10- "...Duritz and his bandmates sell their drama with a power they've never before maintained for an entire album..." Entertainment Weekly (7/12/02, p.84) - "...13 doleful songs about the impossibility of Duritz's ever forging a lasting relationship..." Rating: B- Uncut (8/02, p.97) - 3.5 out of 5 - "...Best album since their debut..."

In the midst of the early 1990s grunge boom, Counting Crows emerged as an alternative to the heavy, alienated sounds of the Kurt Cobain crowd. The California band harked back to the classic '60s folk-rock sounds of the Band, Bob Dylan, and Van Morrison. Poetic frontman Adam Duritz proved quirky and charismatic enough to endear himself to the millions who bought the group's debut album. Neatly avoiding the notorious sophomore jinx, the follow-up album was even more accomplished, if not as commercially successful.

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