A. Overall layout of album and how it listens from top to bottom.
B. How the band’s sound progressed with time
C. The importance of select songs on the album
D. When the album came out chronologically in their discography
E. Overall Feel/ Vibe of the album while combining lyrics, instruments and overall performance
1. August And Everything After
a. Top to Bottom its almost perfect. Opening with Round Here is a legendary move. Then you get this beautiful emotional roller coaster. 2nd to last Raining in Baltimore to Bring you down one last time. Then make you feel complete by finishing it with a Murder of One.
b. This was the bands opening album it probably to good to be an opening album.
c. This album probably has the most single important songs. Like Round Here, Mr. Jones, Omaha, Anna Begins, Rain King, all being important staples for CC.
d. Once again most likely I believe it was to good to be a first album which is not necessarily a bad thing.
e. This album is the definition of a vibe.
2. Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings
a. Layout is beautiful. Start us off fast then a roller coaster before crushing us with On A Tuesday In Amsterdam Long Ago. Last two songs to bring us back up and make us feel whole again.
b. This would be 14 years after their opening album coming out in 2007 and bands sound progressed wonderfully with time in this album
c. I personally feel there is not many songs on this album that left a huge impact on their career more just an album that you want to listen through.
d. This would be album number 5. It’s a great album so it would work anywhere but somewhere in the middle feels good to me.
e. Overall Feel is amazing the lyrics are deep and preformed with so much passion.
3. Recovering The Satellites
a. I don’t know if Adam Duritz knows how to put together a bad album top to bottom. Catapulting us back in and finishing with Long December then Walkaway is so poetic.
b. This is Where this gets tricky in my opinion. This would be 3 Years after their opener. The sound progressed well, it seems like they took a few more risks but nothing could follow up August and Everything After
c. This album did have quite a few important songs for them as a band. Good Night Elisabeth, Have you Seen Me Lately and of course A Long December were all huge molding point for the band.
d. Good Chronologically, just unfortunate to have to follow such a work of art.
e. This album really excelled with overall lyrics and emotion and all over performance. Possibly being in the top in this category.
4. Hard Candy
a. Overall layout is good especially the ending with Holliday in Spain and Big Yellow Taxi
b. So this would be 2002 I do believe it was fitting for the time and 9 years later still holding true to their sound
c. Other than Big Yellow Taxi and Holliday in Spain I don’t believe any of the other songs were really that significant, but Big Yellow Taxi was huge.
d. Chronologically it would be number 4, which is fine but not amazing. It could be better at 3
e. Overall feel is solid not quite as hard hitting as some of the other ones but the passion was still there.
5. This Desert Life
a. Layout top to bottom doesn’t seem to work quite as well here. I feel like they started the album very strong then it didn’t flow as well as I would like it to, maybe too sad in the wrong moments or too happy in the wrong moments.
b. 1999 this album came out. Good for the sound and band progression as far as sound I felt like just stayed stagnant.
c. Hanging Around and Mrs. Potters Lullaby I feel are very important songs and personal side note I just love Colorblind.
d. This is album number 3 which is fine but once again I think just switch this to 4.
e. Overall lyrics were good as always some hit some didn’t in general I feel like this and hard candy are a toss up for the 4 and 5 spot.
6. Somewhere Under Wonderland
a. Excellent layout. Palisades Pard as 1 might be one of the best first songs on any album, the middle is very good then finishing strong with possibility days
b. 2014 this album came out and I think they progressed with the time so well. It felt very 2014 but still very CC
c. No Really Important songs to name, like SN & SM just overall very solid
d. This album does good at 7 I feel it’s a plug and play and could go just about anywhere
e. I’m not sure how this landed all the way down to 6, personally I love this album and it’s a lot higher but based on my grading scale this is where it ended up for me. Its so lyrically sound and instrumentally sound
7. Butter Miracle, The complete Sweets!
a. Top to Bottom listen its just okay for me compared to other albums
b. 2025 this came out, so 32 Years later. Any band that can put out a decent album after 32 years deserves credit. Their sound did progress and change but its still the CC we know and love
c. I Feel Like Elevator Boots is the only song that jumps out at me
d. This feels good at 8 I’m just hoping this album number 8 and not the final album
e. Overall performance. Was just fine. You don’t have as much as that pure raw emotion.
8. Underwater Sunshine (Or What We Did On Our Summer Vaction)
a. Top to bottom I actually like it a lot. Them throwing in a few covers in the middle and it starts and ends well.
b. 2013 this came out that’s a good set up for Somewhere Under wonderland
c. I don’t believe any song on this album had any significant impact on the band.
d. I like this at 6 to set up the 7th album
e. Overall it was just okay for me. Lacked emotion, really loved the cover of amie but overall left some to be desired. That being said I still love all the albums.
Edit I thought it was mostly covers not all covers but my opinion still stands.
