COUNTING CROWS

In putting out ACROSS A WIRE as a live double-album, Counting Crows appear to be living on the edge of audacity having only released two records. These San Francisco natives blow away any of these notions with the unique complexity and nuance found within their music and live presentation. WIRE shows off two sides of the same coin by including performances from VH1 Storytellers and MTV Live From The 10 Spot. The audio version of Storytellers omits any narration regarding song origin and focuses entirely on reworked versions of the band's material. Songs such as "Round Here" and "Have You Seen Me Lately?" are radically stripped down so that by the time the full band is playing on "Ghost Train," the shimmering guitar and melancholy organ interplay make for a mesmerizing experience. On disc two, the Crows forgo restraint and tear into numbers such as "Angels Of The Silences" and "Have You Seen Me Lately?," complete with slashing guitars and pounding piano. Recorded on the last date of their American tour, cuts like "Children In Bloom" and "A Long December" take on an added poignancy as the connection between fans and band is palpable even through a set of headphones.

Estimated despatch 5-10 days after ordering.