Counting Crows put in the gigging hours during the early days of the band, and it paid off. By the time they signed to Geffen in 1993, they had already built up a significant fanbase. Their debut, August and Everything After, produced by T-Bone Burnett, was released later the same year and became an unexpected multi-platinum hit, partly as a result of the successful single "Mr. Jones."

"We were fortunate that this was recorded to analog in an age that had many digital recordings," says Acoustic Sounds founder and CEO Chad Kassem, who describes August and Everything After as "one of the better albums in the entire '90s," with a timeless vibe and classic pop sound. Although recorded to audio tape, the album was originally mastered for CD and featured a longer playing time than a standard LP. Thus Analogue Productions has reissued August and Everything After as a double LP set to maximize the dynamic range of this recording. This is the first time that the 'Crows multi-platinum smash has been released in the U.S. as an SACD. Mastered by Ryan Smith at Sterling Sound.

When the prevailing guitar jingle of "Mr. Jones" cascaded over radio in the early '90s, it was a sure sign that the Counting Crows were a musical force to be reckoned with. Their debut album, August and Everything After, burst at the seams with both dominant pop harmonies and rich, hearty ballads, all thanks to lead singer Adam Duritz. The lone guitar work of "Mr. Jones" coupled with the sweet, in-front pull of Duritz's voice kicked off the album in full force. The starkly beautiful and lonely sounding "Round Here" captured the band's honest yet subtle talent for singing ballads, while "Omaha" is lyrically reminiscent of a Springsteen tune. The fusion of hauntingly smooth vocals with such instruments as the Hammond B-3 organ and the accordion pumped new life into the music scene, and their brisk sound catapulted them into stardom. On "Rain King," the piano takes over as its aloof flair dances behind Duritz with elegant crispness. The slower-paced "Raining in Baltimore" paints a perfectly gray picture and illustrates the band's ease at conveying mood by eliminating the tempo. Most of the songs here engage in overly contagious hooks that won't go away, making for a solid bunch of tunes. Containing the perfect portions of instrumental and vocal conglomeration, the Counting Crows showed off their appealing sound to its full extent with their very first album.



Tracklist:

01. Round Here (5:30)
02. Omaha (3:40)
03. Mr. Jones (4:34)
04. Perfect Blue Buildings (5:01)
05. Anna Begins (4:32)
06. Time and Time Again (5:14)
07. Rain King (4:16)
08. Sullivan Street (4:30)
09. Ghost Train (4:06)
10. Raining in Baltimore (4:41)
11. A Murder of One (5:43)