Not only was that a bs balk call, Halladay was getting squeezed on his strike zone all night. In the previous at-bat against Reese, Halladay buried strike three on the inside corner -- except the umpire called it a ball. Since when does the Cy Young Award winner not get that call against a guy hitting in the .100s? Do you think Chris Woodward would've gotten the same benefit on a similar pitch from Martinez? It doesn't help break your way out of a slump when the umpiring is as bad as your luck.

Anyway, there are still good things to be taken from this game. As Bauxites noted last night and Griffin correctly observes today, Delgado is coming out of it, slowly but surely. I hope facing a knuckler tonight doesn't send him back into a funk, but when Carlos is hot, he can hit Sidd Finch. And even if Halladay is "struggling," which I don't really think he is (though he seemed to have only erratic control of his breaking stuff last night), he's having a much better April 2004 than April 2003 -- faint praise, perhaps, but it's something.

I really wish someone would actually hit Manny Ramirez at some point, so that he can get all worked up for good reason. That act is getting really old.

Barry Bonds Watch

Bonds went 1/1 with a home run (off Brian Lawrence, into McCovey Cove) and three walks in a 9-5 loss to San Diego. He has 667 career home runs, and trails Babe Ruth by 47. He has homered in his last seven consecutive games; the record is eight held by Dale Long, Don Mattingly and Ken Griffey Jr.

With the dinger and walks, Bonds raised his OPS above the 2000 level at 2051. He is hitting .514, with an OBP of .673 and a slugging percentage of 1.378.

Bonds's current stats, projected to a full season:

 G   AB  R   H  2B 3B  HR RBI  BB  K  AVG  OBP  SLG   OPS
162 428 162 220 58  0 104 220 208 35 .514 .673 1.378 2.051 

I'll have daily updates until he stops being so damn amazing.

I'll have daily updates until he stops being so damn amazing.

You sure you want to commit for the whole season? :-)

Moffat,

I'm so in love with the Jam "Best of" album I bought last week after the "That's Entertainment" reference. No seriously, I actually bought it - what a great album.

I predict Lilly will bust out tonight and Wakefield will serve up some BP. At least Carlos had some good rips last night.

In addition to the Bonds update, today's Dontrelle Willis update shows him to be in a serious slump. Dontrelle went 0-3 at the plate last night to lower his batting average to .667. He also allowed an unearned run. His ERA is still 0.00 but his RA/9IP has jumped to 0.47.

If being a Jay fan is hard right now, imagine being a Giant fan. You have the greatest ball player in the game playing at his best, and your team is losing because he's surrounded by a team that simply cannot play. What would happen if Barry was injured?

Anyways, the projected figure of 208 walks might very well end up being low. I just hope that he doesn't become frustrated, and that the facts come out, one way or another, about the steroids issue so this is not left hanging over him.

Re the balk... Geoff Baker said that Halladay told Cash to tell Reese not to block the sign on the pitch before the balk call. Cash should have done exactly that, and Halladay should have done exactly that (in hindsight).

What concerns me more is if Cash did tell Reese, and the plate umpire heard it, and did nothing. Blocking the catcher's signs is unsportsmanlike, and a player is liable to be tossed for that sort of thing (Rule 9). If I were behind the plate, I would warn the batter in no uncertain terms to lay off it, and tell his manager on the break what was going on.

That kind of BS, trying to block signs, leads directly to guys being put in the hospital because of macho bull****. The plate umpire has control over it; you cannot let it go.

Well, at least the Jays have a chance versus Wakefield: He had a 5.72 ERA against the Jays last year, and they hit .340 off him at Skydome. The streak begins tonight! (and probably ends against Schilling, but whatever)

On a totally unrelated note: Anybody else read Doonesbury today? Wow.

No seriously, I actually bought it
Oh great, I knew he was doing work for car rental agencies but now I have to be on alert of Moffat's covert attempts to get me to buy records too?!? :-)

If I thought a batter was blocking my signs intentionally, the next ball is heading straight at the knob of his bat.

I'm so in love with the Jam "Best of" album I bought last week after the "That's Entertainment" reference. No seriously, I actually bought it - what a great album.

Thanks! It is a spectacular album. One I've listened to at least a hundred times.

I'm willing to reciprocate: What are your two or three favourite albums from that period? I'll go pick up which one I don't already own this week.

Nice catch on the OMD reference.

Oh great, I knew he was doing work for car rental agencies but now I have to be on alert of Moffat's covert attempts to get me to buy records too?!? :-)

The car rental industry wasn't evil enough, so now I'm working for the RIAA, until the patent comes through on my catapult that launches war orphans into the sun.

I am quite confident in the jays to overcomem their bad start, but I remember a few interviews during spring training, where some of the hitters including Carlos Delgado said they don't really need spring training to get into their swing. Enough said.

The pitch inside to Ramirez and his subsequent strikeout got the biggest cheer from the SkyDome crowd. I'm surprised it took that long for some Jays' pitchers to back some people off.

And although I don't like seeing batters get hit, I would have thought about doing that to Reese with him blocking the catcher signs. I don't know if there's a rule against that in MLB but they should have consulted the ump and not taken the mound until it was straigthened out.

http://www.doonesbury.com
JKCL, it looks like he's getting ready to kill off B.D. -- he's been badly wounded in Iraq. Considering how upset Trudeau is with the war, and how much he probably wants to express his anger with it, it's conceivable he might just do it. COMN for today's strip and the few preceding it.

Nice catch on the OMD reference.

Argh! That's what it was. I could hear the song in my head but couldn't figure out who was singing. Oh well, no 3 for 3.

I have most of the albums you reference, but haven't listened to them in a while. Although I did just buy OMD's greatest hits CD, so my shame increases.

Some other favourites...Love and Rockets, Shriekback, Blancmange, The Cure, Echo and the Bunnymen.

I'm certainly no expert on balks, but it seemed pretty clear. He started the motion and stopped before coming set. Watching the Sox broadcast Jerry Remy identified that it was a balk prior to the umpire calling it.

I didn't really notice Halladay getting squeezed, but there was no doubt that he got a call on the 3-2 pitch to Bellhorn with the bases loaded. I was swearing when I saw the pitch low and away, but then the ump punched him out.

What last night showed me was that there's a real need for Simon Pond on the team. In the 7th there's no way Cash should be hitting with 2 runners on and one out down 4-0. Myers should have pinch hit there, and then Pond would be available to pinch hit for Woodward (or Johnson). With so many RH starters I think you need more than 1 LF pinch hitter, especially when that pinch hitter is your backup catcher. Simon Pond will bring more value to the team than the 12th pitcher or 2nd backup middle infielder.

Shriekback

Really? I'm a huge Barry Andrews fan! I think my reference to their Go Bang is the only song I've quoted that nobody was able to identify.

it looks like he's getting ready to kill off B.D. -- he's been badly wounded in Iraq. Considering how upset Trudeau is with the war, and how much he probably wants to express his anger with it, it's conceivable he might just do it.

I don't think he'll kill him off, though. But to have him be maimed for life - no leg - man, rough.

For those who think this is ridiculous, sorry. I've lived with Doonesbury for about 20 years now, so it's personal to me in a way.

I'm willing to reciprocate: What are your two or three favourite albums from that period? I'll go pick up which one I don't already own this week.

I think you've done covered most of that era already, but I'll give you the list of the albums that defined the entire 80's for me.

Let me see...

The Clash: London Calling (I think you've referenced)
The Clash: Combat Rock (major flop, but still groundbreadking)
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds: From here to Eternity
Roxy Music: Avalon
The Smiths: Strangeways (or Meat is Murder)
Talking Heads: Little Creatures or Remain in Light (or get Sand in the Vaseline if you don't already have it.)
The Cars: Heartbeat City (They have a new greatest hits album out)
Yaz: Upstairs at Erics
Yes:90215
Pixies: Surfer Rosa(Come on Pilgrim) (I assume you're a Pixies fan already?)
3 Ft high and rising: DE LA SOUL

I'd have to give honourable mention to Husker Du, They Might be Giants, The Stone Roses, Public Enemy, REM.

That's my list - you've stumped me at least a dozen times, so I suspect your list is more exhaustive.

That's my list - you've stumped me at least a dozen times, so I suspect your list is more exhaustive.

Not really. I have a *ton* of compilation albums, so many of the more obscure singles I like come from those.

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds: From here to Eternity

Don't have this one (and a couple others on your list). Going to pick it up this weekend. Thanks!

Whoof, you're right -- I just glanced at the strip and didn't see his left leg was missing in the last panel. Man, oh man.

I'm a longstanding Doonesbury fan myself -- Call Me When You Find America was the first one of his books I read -- so yeah, these characters are as familiar to me as old friends. I hated Lacey Davenport dying with Alzheimer's and I'm going to hate this.

For those of you in Montreal, BP is having a Smoked Meat Feed/Brunch this Saturday before the game.

Really? I'm a huge Barry Andrews fan! I think my reference to their Go Bang is the only song I've quoted that nobody was able to identify.

You're really taking me down memory lane here. I used to listen to them over and over and over. Doesn't mean my old brain can remember the lyrics though :)

But you are inspiring me to get my turntable hooked up and rip some MP3 files.

Two massive stunners in Doonesbury, actually; I had to read the strip twice to take it all in. The amputated leg was almost painful to see; so shocking, in fact, that I almost didn't notice that BD wasn't wearing his helmet.

One of greatest prizes is a collection of some of the very first Doonesbury collections I permanently borrowed from my father: "Just a French Major From the Bronx", "Even Revolutionaries Like Chocolate Chip Cookies"... The early strips with BD in Vietnam are pure genius.

I think you've done covered most of that era already, but I'll give you the list of the albums that defined the entire 80's for me.

I need to include the caveat that the 80s for me ran from 1983 to about 1992. I think this is the same for most people; we tend to associate a "decade" with what happened a bit later in it.

Here's my list. Just dredged up out of memory, no guarantee of completeness.

Kiss - Dynasty (released in 1979, oh well)
Duran Duran - Seven and the Ragged Tiger
Eurythmics - Touch
Michael Jackson - Thriller
Iron Maiden - The Number of the Beast
Iron Maiden - Powerslave
Yes - Yesshows
Run DMC - Raising Hell
Run DMC - Tougher Than Leather
Public Enemy - It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back
Public Enemy - Fear Of A Black Planet
Quincy Jones - Back On The Block
Marillion - Script For A Jester's Tear
Marillion - Misplaced Childhood
Marillion - La Gazza Ladra
They Might Be Giants - Flood
Smiths - The Smiths
New Order - Substance
Peter Gabriel - Security
Peter Gabriel - So
Talking Heads - Little Creatures
The Sundays - Reading, Writing, and Artihmetic
REM - Chronic Town
REM - Fables Of The Reconstruction
REM - Green
10,000 Maniacs - The Wishing Chair
Indigo Girls - Indigo Girls

This is in no way a list of the best stuff of the 80s. In fact, some of this stuff is BAD. But this is my 80s.

so shocking, in fact, that I almost didn't notice that BD wasn't wearing his helmet.

LOL Ryan. My God, you're right!

I knew things were bad from the hitting aspect-but check this stat out from the preview on mlb.com:

Toronto is batting .041 (1-for-24) with runners in scoring position during the current homestand.

That's truly astounding.

http://www.phillies-fan.com
That's nothing, the Phils are 14-87 with RISP on the season. Subtract Burrell (7-12), Byrd (4-11), and Glanville (1-2), no one else has more than 1 hit, and as a group the rest are 2-62. That's .032/.176/.092 for anyone who cares.

Sorry to have missed the other Bauxites last night, but Named For Hank, Jacko, R Billie and I met up in Sec. 528 and never thought to check out the "other" 528 before heading down to field level for a better view.

I didn't see the balk; I thought perhaps Doc had touched his mouth or something. Reese is just asking for trouble if he continues to block signs. From our vantage point, I questioned a couple of non-strike calls that didn't go Roy's way, but I also thought he was missing his spots more than in any previous start. You can't be perfect every time, though we've come to expect that from Halladay; Baltimore may be in for a long afternoon on Sunday.

The Adams brushback and subsequent strikeout of Ramirez was just the highlight of Terry's best outing yet -- he had been nibbling around the edges of the plate until last night, when he seemed to have much better command. The Phelps "triple" (a single and a turf bounce over the Unfrozen Caveman, reminiscent of last year's inside-the-park HR by Myers) was also great fun.

I wasn't surprised to see Delgado have a good night; prior to the game, he strolled out to the batting cage in a nearly-silent Dome and bellowed "MUSIC!" at a volume that Aaron would appreciate. Carlos even threw a little BP, and appeared to be enjoying himself.

After a couple of informal chats with Jays officials on behalf of the Cheer Club, we may be getting closer to getting the bass drum into the building. Youneverknow; we could end up with something like the legendary Brooklyn Dodger SymPhony, which played classics like "Three Blind Mice" every day at Ebbets Field for decades (the photo is of a recent reunion). Branch Rickey let the band play on in Section 8, because they were "loco," and that might be the key for the Cheer Club -- regular seats where the signs can be seen and the noise heard, without disturbing anyone.

What last night showed me was that there's a real need for Simon Pond on the team.

As good a job as JP has done, this constant need to overstock the pen and leave the bench short has baffled me. The fact that it doesn't frustrate Tosca baffles me. Plus, the more hitters on your team, the greater chance one catches fire; it isn't like Reed Johnson has to be a fixture in that lineup.

How was Roy's velocity last night? When I was at the Tigers game last Thursday the clock at Comerica had him consistently between 95-98 on his fastballs, and I'm pretty sure that Roy doesn't throw that hard on a regular basis. Sportsnet in their infinite wisdom apparently doesn't show pitch speeds any longer, and I suspect they overclock the guns in stadiums for the entertainment of fans. Anyone know anything about this?

http://mothershipconnection.blogspot.com/
Amusingly, it was the semi-obscure 80's music references that turned me on to the site in the first place. (That, and the prospect of sizing up division rivals, heh heh heh.) Being an audiophile (as opposed to an audio file)with most of my musical tastes falling around the 70's punk and its subsequent deviations (post-punk, new wave, etc.), I'm always surprised when you toss out a lyric that totally perplexes me. Quite the humbling experience.

I've noticed that most of the 80's albums listed have been in extremely good taste, although I'd like to add some of my favorites that haven't been mentioned already:

Marshall Crenshaw- Self Titled (Possibly the best AM-friendly pop album of our generation)
Lloyd Cole and the Commotions: 1984-1989
B-52's: Cosmic Thing
Prince: Purple Rain
The Clash: Sandinista (My all-time favorite band [have a tattoo of the famous London Calling cover picture of Simonon smashing the bass on my back], this album was such a disaster, yet I think of it as the punk White Album, a snapshot of a band trying to move forward with its sound)
David Bowie- Scary Monsters

Also, any of you into the New Pornographers at all? I think I fell in love with Neko Case after hearing her pipes on "Letter from an Occupant".

PS. This is one Boston fan who's also fed up with Manny's jawing antics.

B-52s Cosmic Thing! I knew I'd forgotten something!

http://bluejayscheerclub.com
I am a huge New Pornographers fan.

Also, any of you into the New Pornographers at all? I think I fell in love with Neko Case after hearing her pipes on "Letter from an Occupant".

I like the New Pornographers as does Aaron (if I remember correctly). I'm a bigger fan of Neko Case and I'd recommend her solo albums, "Furnance Room Lullabys"(a bit more countryish) but especially "Blacklisted". I believe that she's just recorded a live album in Toronto with the Sadies. Also, don't know if you're in Toronto but she's back on Wednesday April 28th. It'll be a year or so before she's back.

She's got an amazing voice.

http://mothershipconnection.blogspot.com/
After being hipped to the New Pornographers, I went out and picked up Blacklisted, which has to be one of my favorite alt-country albums, right up there with Whiskeytown's work. Also have this old compilation someone made me with a song by her and Her Boyfriends, "Mood to Burn Bridges", which if I'm not mistaken is off of "Lullabys". The relative upbeatness song seemed in rather stark contrast to the dark sound of "Blacklisted". Is the whole album as upbeat as that song?

Sadly, I live in the Boston area, which means I usually miss out on some of the better alt-country stuff that passes through the midwest and Canada.

Halladay's velocity was the same as it was in his first start against Boston at Fenway. The TV gun had him at 92-94 on most of his fastballs. Frankly, his location was off with his fastball. I'm not sure what his feel is with his curve, he didn't seem to throw as many of them in last night's start as he did in that start in Fenway. Maybe that's because that was the pitch that more or less did him in that start.

How has his curve come along in past years? To what extent do you think Doc's early April troubles might be attributable to his lack of confidence in his curve (for good reason) early in the year?

I thought both pitchers were getting calls, frankly. It was a pretty wide zone last night. That 3-2 call on Bellhorn was as bad a ball/strike call as it gets. It was the kind of call that gets hitters thrown out of games.

For all the problems Halladay had, and he really had far, far less than his best stuff, he was still real hard to hit. That guy is going to be really good for a real long time.

Tom, If you like Blacklisted then you'll like Lullabys. I do not notice a thematic departure but I think that perhaps there's less country instrumentation in Blacklisted. That doesn't seem to be a problem for you but I'm always careful to point out to people that they're heading for that genre. If you're interested in alt country definitely check out early Old 97's albums like "Wreck your Life" if you haven't heard them.

Craig, I'm surprised you have REM's "Green" over "Murmer" on your list.

http://mothershipconnection.blogspot.com/
Rhett Miller and Ryan Adams will always be inexorably linked in my mind as two of the worst crossovers into pop music. I like Rhett's solo work infinitely more than Adams', but it's hard to hear his Old 97's stuff and just pine for the good ol' days.

How is it that every Smiths' album except The Queen is Dead has been mentioned? What's wrong with you people?

Strangely, just about any album I thought was 80s turned out out to be early 90s. Basically, I just don't care for the decade a whole lot. I would, however, be remiss if I didn't toss in The Cure's Disintegration. Head on the Door is pretty nifty, too.

Not true. No one has mentioned Strangeways Here We Come. It's my personal favorite Smiths album and the one that never receives any accolades---Batter's Box or elsewhere. Paint a Vulgar Picture has the best lyrics and story I've heard in a pop song.

To drag the conversation back to Doonesbury, that really is shocking.

I don't think B.D. will die though, and I'd guess it's because of the helmet thing: he's worn it through three wars, a football career and various things I forget, and I imagine we've now seen the last of it. It's a pretty abrupt shift.

Also, it's possible that Trudeau wants to draw attention to one of the crying shames about this war: the subtle shift of the meaning of the word 'casualty.' Obviously, nothing is as devastating to a family as a death-but the airbrushing out of the permanently maimed is something I myself hadn't noticed until recently, and one that is making me increasingly angry.

I can't believe no one has mentioned Depeche Mode. Perhaps it's because they embody both the good and bad of 80's music.

A now laughable sense of style but Music for the Masses was huge. I'll have to check if this is a 90's album but earlier work like "People are People" is definately 80's.

Depeche Mode spawned a genre that is still cranking today. A lot of the music is bad, but there's an occasional gem...

Craig, I'm surprised you have REM's "Green" over "Murmer" on your list.

It's not a list of what's good, or what I like now, but what I listened to then. I don't think I had a copy of Murmur until about 1997, oddly enough, or Fables of the Reconstruction until 1994. Fables is basically my soundtrack of the fall of 1994, though, I carried that thing everywhere in my Walkman.

I carried that thing everywhere in my Walkman.

What's a Walkman?

First things first - Liam and I enjoyed ourselves, and actually got to see the Jays put together a big inning (on the theory that anytime they score now qualifies as a big inning ...) So a big thank you from us.

As I may have said last night, I think Carlos needs that Nelly music again. I don't actually like the song, but I thought it worked for Carlos. Men on base, pitcher fidgeting, managers phoning the bullpen - "it's getting hot in here..". Well, I thought it was cool, although I may be the only one.

I was surprised, believe it or not, by how good those seats are. I'm one of the STATS game scorers so almost every game I've ever seen at the Dome has been from the press box. I was thinking, OK, nosebleed level, this should be different. But I thought it was pretty good, and it's not like the pressbox is anywhere near field level anyway.

My 80's selections - a couple of bookends first. London Calling actually came out at the tail end of 1979, but I'm sure I listened to it more than anything else during the 80s. And Blue Rodeo's Diamond Mine, if only because "God and Country" always evokes Ollie North and that sorry crew. Overlooked and unmentioned album of the decade would be "Shoot Out the Lights" by Richard and Linda Thompson. Richard's been a cult hero for some thirty years now and he's still fabulous (saw him here last summer at the Star's Bluesfest, and he can still bring the fiery guitar.)

No mention of Knee-Deep in the Hoopla? Or even Crazy From the Heat? Eighties posers.

Great recap of yesterday's Jays game on The Score, and they interviewed Terry Adams after the game. Whoever made the Ricky reference was bang on, he even sounds exactly like the Trailer Park Boy when he speaks; it made me think he was gonna start profusely swearing. To say he was unapologetic would be to underappreciate the word.

It's on at half past the hour, if you get a chance check it out if for nothing more than its comedic value :)

It wouldn't surprise me if there were more than one, Craig. Hasn't Trudeau been being banned from and reinstated to papers for thirty years now?

Since Dear God was the song of the day yesterday XTC's Skylarking is one of my favourites. It sort of did/didn't have Dear God on it.

Murmur might be the best REM album.
Elvis Costello - Imperial Bedroom

The "paper" describes the strip as having graphic, violent battlefield depictions of Iraq. I personally found the depictions extremely tame, and would have had no trouble discussing them with a six year old child.

Would the reaction have been the same if BD had lost his leg in a terrorist incident in LA? Ahh, politics.

Since Dear God was the song of the day yesterday XTC's Skylarking is one of my favourites. It sort of did/didn't have Dear God on it.

I've got both versions, and although I love Dear God, I actually prefer the version without it better. Skylarking was certainly XTC's most ambitious album with the idea of the album chronicling the life cycle. Dear God captures the idea of losing faith, but I'm not sure how universal it is, and where it goes in the lifecycle.

I prefer the album Nonsuch. Rook is one of the most haunting songs I've ever heard; just reading the lyrics makes me shivver.

On the wings of night, I fly too, above field and stream
My head bursting with knowledge 'till I wake from the dream
If I die and I find that I had a soul inside
Promise me that you'll take it up on its final ride

For what it is worth, ESPN's power poll has the Jays and Expos ranked 29th and 30th, respectively.

I don't know if it's "tame", but it's certainly not graphic. (except in the sense that it's a visual medium) It's a bunch of closeups of BD and the medics helping him, then a shot of him with a bandaged leg. No blood, no body parts, no violence, and it's all the more powerful for it. I wasn't really into the past couple strips, but re-reading them now is a breathtaking experience.

And yes, banning Doonesbury is a national past-time. Usually happens at least a couple times per decade. Gay characters, war satire, occasionally brutal political satire... Why, the strip is positively UnAmerican at times.

I prefer the album Nonsuch

I didn't particularly like Oranges and Lemons and lost track of the band until Apple Venus. If Nonsuch is that good then I'll have to pick it up since Skylarking is one of my all-time faves.

As noted in the Minors Report, Howie Clark has been recalled from Syracuse, while Chad Hermansen is optioned back to AAA.

http://bluejayscheerclub
As I may have said last night, I think Carlos needs that Nelly music again. I don't actually like the song, but I thought it worked for Carlos. Men on base, pitcher fidgeting, managers phoning the bullpen - "it's getting hot in here..". Well, I thought it was cool, although I may be the only one.

I agree all the way. I don't like the song much, either, but I thought it made for a grand, theatrical entrance for Carlos.

I didn't particularly like Oranges and Lemons and lost track of the band until Apple Venus. If Nonsuch is that good then I'll have to pick it up since Skylarking is one of my all-time faves.

Nonsuch is a lot closer to Skylarking than to Oranges and Lemons. I don't mind O&L, but it's really over-the-top relative to most XTC stuff.

Tom, I love Ryan Adams' later stuff. I think he's gotten better and better since Whiskeytown. I really dig Whiskeytown, but I think he's matured as a songwriter since then. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely hated some of the later albums at first and it took me insanely long to get into Love is Hell, Rock and Roll, Demolition, etc., but I've been greatly rewarded.
In my opinion, the best American songwriters today: Robert Pollard, Jeff Tweedy, Ryan Adams.

I don't understand the Jays. Why recall Clark after not getting Hermansen any PT? The only thing I can think of is that JP wants to keep everyone fresh, and shuttling them back and forth between Syracuse, where they're getting regular PT, and Toronto, where they sit on the bench. Not a bad strategy, I guess, but a little strange.

I created a new thread with the roster move. I'll copy over the comments already made.

As a 22 year-old, most of the music references here are a little before my time. Alas, no more! Ryan Adams! My current (and all-time) fave. I was into Whiskeytown (Stranger's Almanac) back in high-school but really got into him with Heartbreaker and Gold. Demolition took a few listens and I wasn't sure at all about Rock 'n Roll until seeing him perform most of it at the Opera House here in Toronto this past December. Anyone else attend? What a show. The encores (all three of 'em) were incredible.

Sorry for the rambling. Just excited that I can join in on one of these conversations.......

Any fans of Adam Duritz (Counting Crows)? I've seen them live about ten times and his songwriting blows me away.

Don't really know the Counting Crows, but it's great to see another Ryan Adams fan here. My friend was at the Opera House show and said that was what turned him on to Rock and Roll (the album).

Minor hijack:

Right now, just after I cast my ballot for the All-Star Game, the folks at MLB.com said:

Thank you for voting.
Every vote matters, so vote up to 25 times!

I don't know why, but I found it funny.

The Counting Crows are a solid band, but I did not think they were much in concert. I saw them with Live, who just kicked Duritz's ass in terms of performance. The funny thing? The show was in Berkeley, Duritz's home town, so you'd think he'd be more fired up. He probably was too fired up, if you follow me.

Duritz is a terrific song-writer, even though he they haven't been able top that first album, which is not really too surprising, and the band has suffered from the Dreaded Third Album Syndrome -- which is not to be confused with Third Eye Blind, which is an entirely different kind of ailment altogether.

Counting Crows in concert are a funny thing. As I said, I've seen them nine or ten times. A few of those I was blown away. Others, I left disappointed. The best shows were those in small, college venues (literally a gym with 500-1,000 people). Duritz seems much more comfortable in those types of venues and the overall performance is noticeable.

Their four albums (6 if you count the Best Of and double-live album) are almost all entirely different. August and Everything After (the first one) has some of the most brilliant songwriting I've ever heard. Round Here, Anna Begins, Raining in Baltimore etc etc.

The second album (Recovering the Satellites) is my personal favourite. I think some of Duritz' best work comes from this one (title track, Long December, Catapult).

The third album (This Desert Life) is easily the weakest. Only two or three real gems came from it. Though Mrs. Potter's Lullaby may be his finest song.

The fourth album (Hard Candy) was, in my opinion, quite good. There were a few lame songs (American Girls, Butterfly in Reverse) but I think it also has some great ones (Up All Night, Hard Candy, Black and Blue). Lyrically it may not seem as deep but personally, I think some of the songs are his most poetic in years. Unfortunately, the cover of Big Yellow Taxi was the only song to garner any attention at all.

CC may be back in the public's radar soon as they have penned the theme song to Shrek 2. It's titled 'Accidentally in Love' and is easily Duritz' 'happiest' song ever. Apparently when the director called him and asked for an upbeat, lovey-dovey song, Adam replied "who the hell gave you my number."

That's it for me. I think I'll go find a music message-board and start talking about baseball ;)

WHATS CARLOS DELGADO'S ENTRANCE THEME THAT THEY PLAY EVERY GAME?

IT'S PUERTO RICAN AND I WANNA KNOW THE NAME!