Counting Crows' "High Life" = One of the Greatest Songs of All-Time?

I'd like to hear more about this.

I should stop embarrassing myself, but goddamn..."Chelsea" is really amazing.

I don't care how good this "one song" may be, a swift punch to the cock is in order.

-- astronautagogo (astronautagogo), Saturday, August 12, 2006 7:34 PM

this thread is like a conference call from Hell
-- Thomas Tallis (Tommy), Saturday, August 12, 2006 7:53 PM (9 months ago)

ahaha
a life-redeeming thread

(courtesy a friend at the CC message boards...back when I belonged)

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b361/tapestore/scottbaby.jpg

Hey! I can link to it now that someone's made a slideshow of pictures to it.

THAT SAW! THOSE STRINGS! MY GOD!

Ok, so I see why people are ignoring this thread, but you're all wrong!

I like the first two CC albums more than I'd like to admit, but that 3rd was just OK for me, and I never thought of the song this thread is about as memorable or a standout at all.

While I appreciate your reply, I couldn't disagree more. I find only half of the first album engaging. The second album is a huge improvement. The third, I think, is their salient point. The songs were much more interesting/"experimental." For me, "High Life" is easily the best CC song, probably because it doesn't like one. Those strings give me goosebumps, especially when they climax (around the "all the silver I can get" line)...and if you turn it up, there's even more going on (e.g. a saw, mumbling).

Counting Crows make me want to rip baby seals' heads off.

http://a5.vox.com/6a00c2252bdb4bf21900c2252c9cb5549d-500pi

Counting Crows make me want to rip baby seals' heads off so I can study their anatomy and become closer to nature. Afterwards, I often write beautiful poetry and turn the lyrics into gorgeous songs, like "High Life" (but really not as good). Thanks Counting Crows for the inspiration!

I agree that the 1st album is spotty and the 2nd one's way better. I really can't remember much about the 3rd beyond "Hanginaround" and that really long fake dylan song and the Cruel Intentions song, though. It's entirely possible i'm sleeping on it, but hearing "High Life" again on YouTube didn't really do anything for me.

i still really love "a long december" and also that stevie winwood song

On a family road trip to Toronto in 1987, all the radio played was Steve Winwood's "Back in the High Life" and Madonna's "Who's That Girl?"

y'all have gone too far this time

It's my cross to bear that I actually don't hate any of the music my parents played incessantly when I was a kid. But I have to take the good (Steely Dan, Little Feat, The Police) and the bad (Counting Crows, solo Sting) in equal measure.

t used to seem to me
That my life ran on too fast
And I had to take it slowly
Just to make the good parts last
But when youre born to run
Its so hard to just slow down
So dont be surprised to see me
Back in that bright part of town

Ill be back in the high life again
All the doors I closed one time will open up again
Ill be back in the high life again
All the eyes that watched me once will smile and take me in

And Ill drink and dance with one hand free
Let the world back into me
And on Ill be a sight to see
Back in the high life again

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b361/tapestore/adam_00.jpg

vocals that seem to be constantly climaxing

http://www.bullshitjob.com/officespace/oh.jpg

The song strikes me as rather listless, but if I you want to lose yourself in rolling waves of Duritz, this is one place you can go.

this song is terrible

just kidding i didnt really listen to it

If Duritz is Tape Store's Durst then I hope this soon becomes a full-on picture thread.

i once saw duritz driving around in a cherried-out vw beetle.

i wanted to slash those tires but I was too late. he was already driving.

i like august and everything after but i sure as fuck wont vouch for this song

and i mostly just like it because more than one cute chick at my high school loved the counting crows

cf. the shins

YR ALL BATSHIT CRAZY!

pretty impressive that duritz can make me want to root for durst

It's just more proof how uncool I am, but I still love August, and my appreciation for each subsequent album declines with each (although Satellites is not bad at all, as far as I'm concerned). All I remember from Desert Life is the first three songs and the last one, and never liking anything in between. I probably listened to it 20-30 times in the year after it came out. For the life of me, I can't remember "High Life" at all. That's how great it is.

Hey Vornado, I always skipped it after the first twenty seconds, but once the bass kicks in, it's heaven. Maybe this is why you don't remember it? Or perhaps you're just jealous you didn't write it?

it refers to "High Life," obv.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zl3otkPLyQ
NEVER FORGET

Thanks to you people I've been playing Steve Winwood's "The Finer Things" and "Valerie" all day.

sirfrancisco (3 weeks ago) Marked as spam
it really makes me shiver. Beautiful song and performance
(Reply) (Spam)

HAS ANYONE BESIDES AIB LISTENED?!

Did not like.

I SAID listless.

It really only lacks in energy for ~40 seconds...The rest feels very passionate/powerful to me. DIFFERENT FOLKS. But thanks for giving it a shot!

Surely someone else loves it? Afraid to come out?

not terrible, but it never really takes off

compared with say the dizzying heights of "Hanginaround"

NEW MATERIAL ALERT (HYP3 MACHINE IT!)

My second favorite CC song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pp2AboPGSv8

sounds like Dave Matthews assfucking Conor Oberst

Ok, I hear the Conor Oberst and the assfucking, but where the hell is Dave Matthews?

hey guyssssssssssssssss, this stuff is shit. :)

i can't believe i volunteered to review this goddamn album. godddamnit.skdfjl