It’s the 20th anniversary of two seminal American records of the 90s. Nirvana’s In Utero and Counting Crows’ August and Everything After came out a week apart in 1993. Which do you prefer? Why? Has your opinion changed over the years? Here’s a link to an article about them from Grantland.com.
I read that article. I think it is a reach. But I never really took to Counting Crows; I respect the talent but found their stuff a bit too whiny for my tastes.
In Utero holds up well. I just wish we had more material to assess Nirvana/Cobain by…
I loved Nevermind, and I remember feeling that In Utero was a little too raw for my taste at the time. AaEA definitely embodied the whiny, slacker movement of the early/mid-90s.
I can’t believe it is a tie, then again it is only 3-3.
In Utero is pretty close to perfection.
5-5 now. And I’m surprised it’s still a tie. I like that Counting Crows album, but In Utero seems like a no-brainer to me. Go figure. Different strokes…
The Counting Crows album is certainly more “accessible” and was much more successful, so I imagine a lot of people remember it fondly. It is, after all, an opinion poll.
In Utero is an amazing followup to Nevermind. It’s different and manages to show an entirely different side of the band’s genius.
It’s the better album by a mile.
Never much liked the Counting Crows, so this is an easy one for me. (Plus, In Utero is just a phenomenal record without needing to be compared to anything.)
Counting Crows gives me the smooth, mellow hives.
August and Everything After does it for me more. Same in '93. I just prefer the lyrics and the music style of Counting Crows. Additionally is the fact that A&EA is a debut, whereas IU was a sophomore effort (and I didn’t like itanywhere near as much as Nevermind) (ETA or not, forgot about Bleach)
Now A&EA or Vs., that’d be too close to call for me.
With all the great bands out there I truly cannot understand any fondness for Counting Crows.
Seriously. What is their appeal?
People like all kinds of different things Although I’m in Seattle, I don’t care for Nirvana. Some people like jazz, some people like the Carpenters. It’s a crazy world.
Really? They sound kinda singer-songwriter with a bit more oomph to their sound. Very much in the tradition of the Laurel Canyon 70’s-type stuff - you can argue whether they do a poor, good or great job of it, but that is what I hear.
There’s a fine line between perfect crossover rock - e.g., Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours; Sheryl Crow’s first few albums - and blandness that just goes in one ear and out the other…I think the CC’s are more than just bland (that’s matchbox 20 to me, from the same era), but it just happens that I don’t like their approach to getting above the bland - again, per my post upthread, I find them too whiny…
I don’t see how these two albums have anything to do with each other in any way other than they were released a day apart. I can’t imagine a great many people own both of these albums; we may as well be comparing Slayer’s Seasons in the Abyss with whatever crap Celine Dion was putting out at the time.
Counting Crows has some nice poetry. That’s their appeal to me. Kind of like DMB but with less pretention (but there is definitely some pretention!)
I’m not voting…I like them both, for different reasons. Apples & oranges.
I’m going to go out on a very short limb and assume that 90s teenagers surely own/owned both. I know I do.
Well, they’re both part of the generic alterative 90s music landscape and would get played on the same radio stations (at least here in the Chicago market you’d here both Nirvana and Counting Crows on Q101 and WXRT). And it seemed like everyone in college had a copy of both at the time, at least among my friends.
ETA: Ninja’ed by Justin. I personally didn’t own a copy of either at the time, but it didn’t matter, as their music was everywhere.
These two albums shouldn’t even be uttered in the same breath. Nirvana is a classic and Counting Crows is whiny drivel.
August and Everything After vs. Pearl Jam’s Vs. would be a much harder choice for me. I never much cared for Nirvana.
Yeah, there is no doubt to me that In Utero is the better album. But I still prefer to listen to August And Everything After more often. So I voted for that.
Of course I would pick Vs. over both of them 90% of the time.