Upon its release in 1993 the debut Counting Crows album, August and Everything After sounded remarkably fresh, a welcome change from the crunch and screech of grunge. Blending the vocal athleticism of Van Morrison with the moody rock of The Band, the Counting Crows turned on a whole legion of fans turned off by modern rock. It features such stand-out cuts as the dark lilt of Anna Begin, the morose Rain King, and the outstanding U2-meets-Grant Lee Buffalo anthem Murder of One and of course Mr Jones.