This album has been hitting a lot more recently. It’s really snuck up on me, and I
can’t
believe I underrated
it for so long. It’s an absolute masterpiece, somehow even more under appreciated than Recovering the
Satellites. In my opinion, it’s the last masterpiece the Crows ever made. Of course, I still love their
later work, but this three album run is nearly impossible for any band to ever top, at least in my mind.
This album sees Adam Duritz deal with the aftermath of his last two albums. These really feel like a
complete trilogy. August’s Adam wants fame, Satellites’ album resents fame, and Desert’s Adam reconciles
fame. The rocking meltdown that was Recovering the Satellites has left a blank slate, an opportunity to
try
new things. I’m sad to see many reviews underrate the musical elements of this album, because This
Desert
Life really showcases how tight Counting Crows are as a band. Of course, there’s the ever-iconic riff of
Hanginaround, the fantastic effects of I Wish I Was a Girl, and Adam’s blaring vocals on full display in
St.
Robinson and His Cadillac Dream. But this record shines in its simplicity at points, too. Mrs. Potter’s
Lullaby would not be a very notable song, if not for its length. An eight and a half minute long song is
something not many bands can pull off, but I’ve never seen the “long song” concept done better than on
here.
It’s THE quintessential Counting Crows song. It’s got everything; Adam’s beautiful lyricism, a perfect
chorus that never gets old, and the whole band gets a chance to shine. It encapsulates the entire band
up to
this point.
Some songs that have taken me a while to fully appreciate include High Life and Speedway. It’s a
little
ridiculous that I never recognized High Life’s greatness until recently. Such a beautiful song, making
perfect use of an excellent string section. All My Friends makes similar use of strings, and to an even
greater effect. Its one of my absolute favourites on the album, a powerful rocker of crisis and missed
opportunity, playing with themes that Adam toys with lots throughout the album. As I said before, Adam
deals
with similar themes as to before, but in a fresh lens. He sounds accepting of his fame, but still
grappling
with the new waves of depression that hit. That brings me to Speedway, which gets overlooked often.
While it
may be simple, Speedway’s lyrics grapple with a melancholic view on depression and loneliness, which
hits
close to home. “I’m just trying to get myself some gravity” is a quintessential Duritz lyric and I find
myself saying it to myself often.
While Adam may pave some new ground here, he doesn’t hesitate to retread on past soil. This might sound
bad,
but he brings a new spin on existing topics, through an older perspective that’s had more time to think
about them. I’m mainly referring to I Wish I Was A Girl, one of This Desert Life’s most unique tracks
that
goes over Adam’s relationship with Elisabeth. Yeah, the Goodnight Elisabeth Elisabeth! I was pretty
shocked
when I found this out, but it makes perfect sense when you analyze the lyrics. There was always lots of
tension between Adam and Elisabeth, because Elisabeth’s friends convinced her that Adam must be cheating
on
her while he was on tour and getting famous for August and Everything After. Goodnight Elisabeth was the
mourning for this relationship, the sorrow for her misguided anger. IWIWAG (terrible acronym) is written
in
a similar vein, but with multiple years haven passed since the relationship died. Adam still can’t
forget
this miscommunication, and his wrathful misery comes through in striking lyrics that paint all too clear
of
a picture.
I could keep going, but I’d probably reach the character limit. I didn’t even talk about Amy Hit the
Atmosphere or St. Robinson! I highly, highly recommend this album to not just people who love August and
Everything After, but to any rock fan. It’s perhaps the quintessential Counting Crows album, with Adam
and
the band being refined from many stressful years on the road and in the studio.
"You can see a million miles tonight, but you can’t get very far”
Here are some art projects I've done over the years based on Counting Crows' music. I hope you like them!
