Counting Crows - New Amsterdam: Live at Heineken Music Hall

SUPERB!!

Short and sweet......this is a magnificent compilation. It has been years since I have enjoyed listening to a CD to the point of having to pry it from my machine. Can we please see a companion DVD!! April 13, 2008

Worth adding to your Crows collection

This live record is a great demonstration of the band's musicianship. I particularly admire Adam Duritz's talent to convey the original impact of the vocals on the well-known tunes, enhanced by (or derived from?) the live modifications the band makes to tempo, acoustic, electric, percussion - you name it, Adam makes it sound even better than the first time around (thanks for humoring a moment of my self-indulgence).
"New Amsterdam" sums up some of the Crows' best studio cuts in better-than-average live versions. The only reason I give 4 stars instead of 5 is that the liner notes leave something to be desired: when I purchase a live record that is subsequent to a few studio records, I expect more description of the culture of their live performances. Overall, a worthy addition to any Counting Crows collection. April 9, 2008

An amazing performance of amazing songs

This is the only band I know of that could elevate songs of this caliber further by performance. Whether you're looking for great songcraft, an out-of-mind reworking of songs live, or just a spine-tingling recording of a tight performing band, it's hard to find one that matches this level of intensity. For the already initiated, believe it, this is a recording worthy of representing Counting Crows live shows. The performances are always this tight it seems, but the mix and mastering on this CD are EXCEPTIONAL. Turn the volume up, it sounds better the closer it gets to concert volume, believe me.
For the uninitiated, don't try to put this CD on behind anything; it will steal your attention subtly and sneak into your subconscious until you're sitting at a doctor's office humming the tune without remembering the name of the song. And with these songs, the name is worth remembering. I've spent hours comparing these side-by-side with the studio versions, and they are both so great in their own ways.
To me, the most impressive part of this performance is the dynamics they achieve. The band surges forward behind Adam (the singer), sometimes seeming to swallow him up in sound, then spitting him back out right on time to most effectively deliver the lyrics. Actually, I believe this performance is comparable to Bob Dylan's performances with the Rolling Thunder Revue. By that time, Bob had found a brand new way to perform his songs that squeezed the maximum effect out of all of his songs, making his initial studio versions sound flat. After hearing these versions of these songs, even excellent recordings like "August and Everything After" sound like slightly flattened performances. It impressed the heck out of me to hear how much the changed PERFORMANCE of these songs affects the clarity of their COMMUNICATION to the listener. Sit, back, and enjoy; you can't go wrong with this CD if you like live music. February 2, 2008

For True Counting Crows Fans Only

I purchased this album expecting what many others probably did, another Across the Wire. It's not, in fact it's better. For those who have complained about there being no hits on this album, well your wrong. This album has what many refer to as 'underground' hits. The song that are not radio friendly, but hold just as much, if not more passion and emotion as chart toppers like 'Mr Jones' and 'Long December.' If your looking for an album of mainstream, radio exhausted songs performed live by the band, then no this album is not for you. But if your looking for an live album will Duritz singing his heart out to lesser known songs full of powerful lyrics and sometimes heart-achingly raw emotion, this go for it. You won't be disappointed. December 9, 2007

Unexpected selection... pleasant surprise

Second live album released by Counting Crows (the first one was the double album containing the VH1 and the New York concerts: Across a wire); when announced I was kinda expecting a very similar album to the mentioned before with live versions of their hits and singles. Well, when I finally got it I was a little surprised when I saw the track list, most of the songs (if not the entire album) are what are commonly called b-sides, they were never singles.

So in this album you will find live versions of songs like the incredible `Richard Manuel is dead', `Four white stallions', `Miami', `Perfect blue building' and the like. For me as a long time fan this was a pleasant surprise as this is not your average live album. All the songs are songs I am familiar with and that I never had heard live. `Catapult', `Hanginaround' and `Hard candy' are also included and may be the ones most people will recognize

The songs were recorded between February 4h-6th, the audio quality is excellent and the album design is superb as with all their albums, the cover album is credited to Felipe Molina.

Highlights of the album are many, is this an album I'd recommend? Definitely, but I guess it all depends on who's purchasing it. If you have followed the band you must get this one, simply look at the track list and imagine all those songs live with an incredible mixing sound. If you are new to the Counting Crows then this album may not be the best one to start off, you should try the `Across a wire' first as that one has a more approachable track list.

A special edition was released and could be found at certain stores only that included a live version of `Big yellow taxi', the song is not a great favorite of mine but I got that edition; if you didn't don't worry, that song is (I believe) one of the most commercial tracks they have and it actually doesn't add that much to the album.

Great band, great songs, great music.
September 24, 2007

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