Rain King: The Life and Music of Adam Duritz and Counting Crows

by Geoffrey Victor Harkness

The definitive biography of one of rock's most enigmatic vocalists.

Counting Crows are one of the most successful bands of the past three decades, selling more than 20 million albums and touring the globe every summer. Fronted by charismatic singer and songwriter Adam Duritz, the Crows are renowned for infectious hits such as “Mr. Jones,” “A Long December,” and “Accidentally in Love,” as well as their powerful live concerts, which continue to draw thousands of fans.

Rain The Life and Music of Adam Duritz and the Counting Crows tells the complete story. This meticulously researched biography chronicles Duritz’s triumphs as well as his struggles with mental health, fame, and relationships. Here for the first time is the lost history of the singer’s scattered upbringing, as well as new insights into the decade he spent in obscurity on the San Francisco music scene. Here at last are the real stories of Anna, Elisabeth, Maria, and A-listers such as Jennifer Aniston and Courteney Cox, all of whom Duritz chronicled in his deeply personal song lyrics. Also cataloged are Duritz's battles with his record company, his fight for artistic freedom, and his skirmishes with celebrities such as Pearl Jam singer Eddie Vedder.

Most importantly, Rain King dives deeply into Counting Crows’ music, chronicling the often difficult process of writing and recording each of their six full-length albums, and how Duritz and the Crows reimagined these musical works on the road. Rain King is both a celebration and an unflinching historical account of one of rock’s most compelling and enduring artists.

231 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 10, 2023

Reviews

[Francis · Rating 4 out of 5]

So much work clearly went into this in terms of looking up the concerts, the reviews, what the press was talking about, what Adam said, etc. I learned many new facts about songs and things made sense that I’d always wondered about (like why I liked some songs on my least favorite album — turns out they were recorded for earlier albums and then left off those earlier ones and added to the least favorite one years later), but I have to admit somewhere around the third or fourth chapter the organization got so formulaic that it started to feel a little less exciting. “Here’s how some songs got started, here was where they recorded it, here’s the critical response, here’s the tours and the response to the tours” was pretty much every chapter. I listened to a podcast with the author and he talked about going into things like who the women in the songs were (Anna, Elizabeth, etc.) and he did touch on that but I guess I thought there would be more about the songs themselves. He says in the intro chapter that he isn’t here to do analysis of the lyrics etc., but you would have assumed for a book that is about the “music of Adam Duritz and the Counting Crows” that there would be more delving into the musical aspects. Sometimes it felt more like a laundry list of the press and how they recorded the album rather than an exploration of the songs themselves. Maybe that is asking too much, given how expansive Duritz’s songwriting is, and how open to interpretation it is. Still, it was a quick read and led me down some fun rabbit holes watching videos on YouTube, listening to rarities and tracks I’d never heard of until this book, and afforded me an opportunity to spend two days just soaking in all things Counting Crows. Can’t complain too much.

[Jen S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very detailed account of the band's music, but disappointingly little about anyone's life outside of work.

[Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of all, I'm a die hard crows fan who has poued over album lyrics and grown up with them since i was a young adult...now... the book...its an interesting list of facts about Adam. Some i knew some i didn't, but i dont know that it gave me all that much insight into him. Biographies are tough from the standpoint that, unless you interview the person, you have to rely on third-party sources. This was a well reaerched book, but at the end of the day, it was just a collection of facts strung together in a linear fashion. I read it in 2 short days, so it was worth the quick time.

[Jennifer Tralins · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a fun trip down memory lane for any Crows fan, but there's nothing new or revelatory here.

Mostly crafted from already-public interviews, it spends almost no time digging deep into the complex issues that make up Adam Duritz, or into the deeper meaning of his very personal songs.

[Andrea Leyland-logue · Rating 2 out of 5]

wish they would have given more stories behind the music and adam's life. almost like a resume of albums- and I love the crows.

[Karen Almelien · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I did learn a few new things, I think my time would have been spent listening to the crows albums.

[Zach Kirkland · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was certainly one of the biographies of our time.

[Amanda Roerden · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was informative but a bit dry. I learned some new things and enjoyed the quotes from Adam. 3.5 stars 🌟

[Brad Wojak · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book actually caused me to like the Counting Crows a lot less. The went from a band I actively enjoy, to a band that I am now apathetic about. Damn book.