Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings
by Counting Crows
  • Record Label: Geffen
  • Release Date: Mar 25, 2008
User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 34 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 26 out of 34
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 34
  3. Negative: 4 out of 34

Review this album

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. Jim
    Mar 27, 2008
    10
    What a comeback by a great band. Their 2nd best album after August imo. They are back.
  2. JasonF.
    Mar 27, 2008
    10
    Great album.
  3. WadeT.
    Apr 2, 2008
    9
    Saturday Nights and Sunday Mornings manages that rare trick of an experienced band sounding fresh and new without going outside of their skills. These are still Counting Crows songs, but they manage to seem just different enough to not seem like a retread of previous albums, an element that downplayed the enjoyment of Hard Candy and This Dessert Life. If you read the liner notes Saturday Nights and Sunday Mornings manages that rare trick of an experienced band sounding fresh and new without going outside of their skills. These are still Counting Crows songs, but they manage to seem just different enough to not seem like a retread of previous albums, an element that downplayed the enjoyment of Hard Candy and This Dessert Life. If you read the liner notes apparently Duritz stayed off the piano allowing the sound of players behind him to seem more like a tight-rock outfit, not sessions players adding to a solo record. You Can't Count On Me is a lush organic piece of pop rock that recalls Cat Stevens and Cowboys seems like the dazzling epic rocker Duritz and company have never been able to pull off previously. The Counting Crows seem like a band on Saturday Nights and Sunday Mornings, allowing them to fly higher then they have in some time.… Expand
  4. KevinS.
    Apr 4, 2008
    7
    The opener set me up for some disappointment. Starting off with a great song that doesn't reflect the rest of the album is a mean trick. There are some really nice songs on here though. Unfortunately, that embarrassing rant about tacos and skinny girls at the end of "Los Angeles" was enough to make me not want to put the disc in again. I know it's not supposed to be serious, but The opener set me up for some disappointment. Starting off with a great song that doesn't reflect the rest of the album is a mean trick. There are some really nice songs on here though. Unfortunately, that embarrassing rant about tacos and skinny girls at the end of "Los Angeles" was enough to make me not want to put the disc in again. I know it's not supposed to be serious, but it's seriously cringe-inducing.… Expand
  5. DougalM.
    Mar 26, 2008
    10
    Unreal. Easily the album of the year so far. The best album by the best and most underrated band of the past 20 years. I wasn't even a big fan a year ago but the tracks I heard on the internet off this album a few months ago made me go see them in concert and they were so mindblowing that I went back and bought all the older albums. I don't know that I was thinking all those Unreal. Easily the album of the year so far. The best album by the best and most underrated band of the past 20 years. I wasn't even a big fan a year ago but the tracks I heard on the internet off this album a few months ago made me go see them in concert and they were so mindblowing that I went back and bought all the older albums. I don't know that I was thinking all those years. This is the best and bravest and most uncompromising band of the past 20 years. No one has the balls to make records like this anymore. Wake up people! I did.… Expand
  6. [Anonymous]
    Mar 26, 2008
    9
    The first song kind of sticks out as odd, but once the CD gets moving it's like going back in time. A ton of references t older songs get placed throughout the CD. The last 4 songs of the album are just epic.
  7. EvanM.
    Mar 26, 2008
    8
    Not as good as Hard Candy, but very good all the same.
  8. TomH.
    Apr 10, 2008
    7
    Rates behind first two albums, but ahead of last two.
  9. RichRainey
    Apr 11, 2008
    10
    I have always loved this band. It's popular to put them down, esp Adam, and say their songs are not so good, but when I hear those comments, I have to wonder if I'm listening to the same songs. His lyrics and singing style, as well as the arrangements and quality of musicianship have always been top notch for me. This album is no exception, and I'm glad they are still I have always loved this band. It's popular to put them down, esp Adam, and say their songs are not so good, but when I hear those comments, I have to wonder if I'm listening to the same songs. His lyrics and singing style, as well as the arrangements and quality of musicianship have always been top notch for me. This album is no exception, and I'm glad they are still making records.… Expand
  10. AaronA.
    Apr 4, 2008
    10
    I have been a long time fan of the Crows so I can't be totally sure that my rating is biased, but I am confident that this is definately one of their best albums. As with all albums there are some songs that I don't like that much, but the ones I do like are incredible. In my opinion critics are being pretty hard on this album because the crows haven't been in the spotlight I have been a long time fan of the Crows so I can't be totally sure that my rating is biased, but I am confident that this is definately one of their best albums. As with all albums there are some songs that I don't like that much, but the ones I do like are incredible. In my opinion critics are being pretty hard on this album because the crows haven't been in the spotlight for years and years. If this album was by Jack White the critics would of fallen all over it, or if the Crows were still underground the critics would of called this album groundbreaking. Either way, it's a great album with a few duds scattered throughout. Definately worth a listen. Whatever you do don't judge this album by the first radio release "You Can't Count on Me", there are so many better songs to be found here.… Expand
  11. DukeC.
    Mar 25, 2008
    8
    4th Best Counting Crows Album It is much better than Recovering the Satellites, but could have been better than Hard Candy (3rd best) if it had one more amazing song. "Come Around" and "Michaelangelo" are the special ones here for me...10/14 songs are good.
  12. bernlin2000
    Oct 5, 2010
    6
    More of the same music from Counting Crows, a band that I've loved now for over 15 years, but felt a bit cold about this piece. Overall, this is not a particularly serious album, and it hurts the quality of the songs for me, which feel very fluffly overall. A few standouts ("Cowboys", "Washington Square", "Le Ballet Dor") are filled in with mostly forgettable stuff ("Insignificant" beingMore of the same music from Counting Crows, a band that I've loved now for over 15 years, but felt a bit cold about this piece. Overall, this is not a particularly serious album, and it hurts the quality of the songs for me, which feel very fluffly overall. A few standouts ("Cowboys", "Washington Square", "Le Ballet Dor") are filled in with mostly forgettable stuff ("Insignificant" being especially well named). If you like Counting Crows a lot, I would probably buy it, but there's nothing here that distinguishes itself from better albums like "Recovering the Satellites".… Expand

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
63

Generally favorable reviews - based on 12 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 12
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 12
  3. Negative: 0 out of 12
  1. Blender
    60
    On the harder-rocking half, Duritz is nearly emo-esque in his self-loathing.... The disk's Sunday Morning half, is more acoustic, quieter, reflective. But after the epic bender that precedes it, it's also just kind of a drag. [Apr 2008, p.78]
    Read full review
  2. Entertainment Weekly
    67
    The disc's first half, produced by Pixies vet Gil Norton, is surprisngly fast and scrappy. But the pace slackens in the mellower remainder, produced by Brian Deck. [28 Mar 2008, p.65]
    Read full review
  3. Rolling Stone
    60
    The hair-shirt single "You Can't Count on Me" and the cheerily grim "Hanging Tree" are little masterpieces of pop craft, their arrangements and Duritz's invitingly petulant wail often echoing golden-era R.E.M. Sometimes that craft is enough: The latter song is so packed with guitar fireworks that its buzz-killing lines about freezing to death barely register.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »