The Black Crowes | ||
| Allmusic Biography : At the time of their 1990 debut, the kind of rock & roll the Black Crowes specialized in was sorely out of style. Only Guns N Roses came close to approximating a vintage Stones-style raunch, but they were too angry and jagged to pull it off completely. The Black Crowes, on the other hand, replicated that Stonesy swagger and Faces boogie perfectly. Vocalist Chris Robinson appropriated the sound and style of vintage Rod Stewart, while brother Rich Robinson fused Keith Richards lean guitar attack with Ron Woods messy rhythmic sense. At their best, the Black Crowes echoed classic rock without slavishly imitating their influences, and the bands nostalgic sound helped foster a long, popular career. The Robinson brothers originally formed the Black Crowes in Georgia in 1984. By the time the group released its first album with 1990s Shake Your Money Maker, the lineup comprised vocalist Chris Robinson, guitarist Rich Robinson, bassist Johnny Colt, guitarist Jeff Cease, and drummer Steve Gorman. "Jealous Again," the first single from Shake Your Money Maker, was a moderate hit, but it was the bands cover of Otis Reddings "Hard to Handle" that made the Black Crowes a multi-platinum success. "Hard to Handle" climbed its way into the Top 40, propelling the album into the Top Ten along the way. The acoustic ballad "She Talks to Angels" became the bands second Top 40 hit in the spring of 1991, and Shake Your Money Maker eventually sold over three million copies. The Black Crowes delivered their second album, The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion, in the spring of 1992. It entered the charts at number one but lacked strong hits, as none of the singles cracked the Top 40 and only "Remedy" and "Thorn in My Pride" made the Top 100. Nevertheless, the band established itself as a popular concert attraction that summer, selling out theaters across America. During 1992, the band added keyboardist Eddie Harsch as a permanent member. The Black Crowes third album, Amorica, arrived in late 1994 and debuted in the Top Ten. Even so, none of the singles from the album made a significant dent, and the album slipped from the charts after going gold. Three Snakes and One Charm, the groups fourth album, was released in July 1996. The album quickly slipped out of the Top 50 after making a strong entrance, yet it also received the best reviews of any Crowes album since The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion. Guitarist Marc Ford was fired from the Black Crowes in August 1997, and bassist Johnny Colt left the lineup in order to form the Brand New Immortals. With Rich Robinson handling all guitar parts, the band recorded and released By Your Side before collaborating with one of the worlds most celebrated guitarists, Led Zeppelins Jimmy Page. This partnership was captured by the concert album Live at the Greek, an eclectic mix of newly recorded Zeppelin covers and additional classic blues cuts. Greatest Hits 1990-1999: A Tribute to a Work in Progress, a 16-track best-of compilation, was released several months later in 2000. Don Was was enlisted to produce the bands new album, 2001s Lions, whose lyrics were influenced by Chris Robinsons highly publicized relationship with actress Kate Hudson. A monthlong summer tour with Oasis -- dubbed "the Tour of Brotherly Love" due to the prevalence of siblings in both bands -- followed in June. All was apparently not well with the group, however, and the band announced its decision to go on hiatus in January 2002. Drummer Steve Gorman was fired, and Chris Robinson began planning a solo career. It was Rich Robinson who was first out of the gate with a solo project, though, releasing Paper in 2004. In 2005, however, the Black Crowes reunited for a show at San Franciscos Fillmore, a concert that was released in both CD and DVD formats as Freak N Roll...Into the Fog in 2006. That year also saw the release of The Lost Crowes, which contained two previously unreleased albums, 1993s Tall (parts of which were heard on Amorica and in other places) and the 1997 never-before-heard Band. Following a series of lineup changes, the retooled band hit the road for a proper tour before setting to work on its first studio effort in seven years. Joined by newcomer Luther Dickinson, guitarist and co-founder of the North Mississippi Allstars, the Black Crowes combined the rootsy appeal of their early work with a newfound political awareness on 2008s Warpaint. A live performance of the album, available as both a DVD and a two-disc CD set titled Warpaint Live, appeared a year later in 2009. Before the Frost/Until the Freeze arrived that same year, marking the bands eighth studio effort and gathering warm reviews. The Black Crowes continued their prolific streak with 2010s Croweology, a double-disc album that featured new acoustic recordings of the bands past work. The albums release was bittersweet, though, as it coincided with a farewell tour followed by another indefinite hiatus. Rich Robinson released his second solo album, Through a Crooked Sun, in 2011 and his brother Chris released two albums with his new band, the Chris Robinson Brotherhood, in 2012. The Crowes lurched back to life in 2013, announcing a spring tour and releasing the live album Wiser for the Time on vinyl and MP3. This proved to be the last time for the Black Crowes: in January 2015, Rich Robinson announced the band was breaking up. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 18 Title: Shake Your Money Maker Released: 1990-01-24 Tracks: 11 Duration: 44:52 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Twice as Hard (04:09) 2 Jealous Again (04:34) 3 Sister Luck (05:13) 4 Could Ive Been So Blind (03:44) 5 Seeing Things (05:18) 6 Hard to Handle (03:07) 7 Thick n Thin (02:44) 8 She Talks to Angels (05:29) 9 Struttin Blues (04:09) 10 Stare It Cold (05:14) 11 Mercy, Sweet Moan (Live Too Fast Blues) (01:07) |
| Shake Your Money Maker : Allmusic album Review : The Black Crowes debut album, Shake Your Money Maker, may borrow heavily from the bluesy hard rock grooves of the Rolling Stones and Faces (plus a bit of classic soul), but the band gets away with it due to sharp songwriting and an ear for strong riffs and chorus melodies, not to mention the gritty, muscular rhythm guitar of Rich Robinson and brother Chris appropriate vocal swagger. Unlike their later records, the Crowes dont really stretch out and jam that much on Money Maker, but that helps distill their virtues into a handful of memorable singles ("Jealous Again," "She Talks to Angels," a cover of Otis Reddings "Hard to Handle"), and most of the album tracks maintain an equally high standard. Shake Your Money Maker may not be stunningly original, but it doesnt need to be; its the most concise demonstration of the fact that the Black Crowes are a great, classic rock & roll band. | ||
 | Album: 2 of 18 Title: The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion Released: 1992-05-11 Tracks: 10 Duration: 50:37 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Sting Me (04:40) 2 Remedy (05:22) 3 Thorn in My Pride (06:03) 4 Bad Luck Blue Eyes Goodbye (06:28) 5 Sometimes Salvation (04:44) 6 Hotel Illness (03:59) 7 Black Moon Creeping (04:54) 8 No Speak No Slave (04:01) 9 My Morning Song (06:15) 10 Time Will Tell (04:06) |
| The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion : Allmusic album Review : The addition of the more technically gifted guitarist Marc Ford and a full-time organist gives the Black Crowes room to stretch out on The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion, perhaps the bands finest moment. Using Rich Robinsons descending chord progressions as a base, the band grooves its way through a remarkably fresh-sounding collection of Faces-like rockers and ballads, tearing into the material with flair and confidence and really coming into its own as a top-notch rock & roll outfit. But while the focus is undeniably on the bands musical chemistry, Southern Harmony also boasts a strong collection of songs, striking a perfect balance between the concise Shake Your Money Maker and their later, more jam-oriented records. While there arent as many obvious singles as on their debut album, The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion is the best expression of the Crowes ability to take a classic, tried-and-true sound and make it their own. | ||
 | Album: 3 of 18 Title: Amorica Released: 1994-10-25 Tracks: 13 Duration: 1:00:43 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Gone (05:08) 2 A Conspiracy (04:46) 3 High Head Blues (04:01) 4 Cursed Diamond (05:56) 5 Nonfiction (04:16) 6 She Gave Good Sunflower (05:48) 7 P.25 London (03:39) 8 Ballad in Urgency (05:39) 9 Wiser Time (05:32) 10 Downtown Money Waster (03:41) 11 Descending (05:39) 12 Song of the Flesh (03:45) 13 Sunday Night Buttermilk Waltz (02:46) |
| Amorica : Allmusic album Review : On Amorica, the Black Crowes finally come into their own, taking their cue from the most relaxed, groove-oriented tracks on their previous album. While the album contains no immediately obvious singles, the songs are the best the band has ever written, stretching out into a hard, jam-oriented, funky blues-rock. The Black Crowes influences are still discernible -- no band celebrates the glory days of rock culture quite as enthusiastically -- but they use the music of the Stones, the Faces, and Little Feat much the same way the Stones used the music of Chuck Berry: its a starting point that leads the band into a new direction, incorporating different musical genres, and making the music original. That sense of reinterpretation is what keeps Amorica fresh. | ||
 | Album: 4 of 18 Title: Three Snakes and One Charm Released: 1996-07-23 Tracks: 12 Duration: 48:35 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Under a Mountain (04:11) 2 Good Friday (03:51) 3 Nebakanezer (04:07) 4 One Mirror Too Many (03:34) 5 Blackberry (03:26) 6 Girl From a Pawnshop (06:17) 7 (Only) Halfway to Everywhere (04:00) 8 Bring On, Bring On (03:56) 9 How Much for Your Wings? (03:28) 10 Let Me Share the Ride (03:21) 11 Better When Youre Not Alone (04:09) 12 Evil Eye (04:09) |
| Three Snakes and One Charm : Allmusic album Review : With Amorica, the Black Crowes began developing a distinctive sound, shading their Stonesy Southern boogie with a variety of rootsy and psychedelic overtones. But where Amorica was rich with kaleidescopic colors, Three Snakes and One Charm is stripped-down and direct. Sure, it has a punchy, muscular sound that is, if anything, more eclectic than its predecessor, but the production is distressingly monotonous and the songs lack strong hooks. Even with its faults, Three Snakes and One Charm is a winning album, mainly because the Black Crowes musicianship continues to deepen -- the musical fusions and eclecticism are seamless, particularly from lead guitarist Rich Robinson. Their musicianship would be even more impressive if the songs were equal in quality. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 18 Title: By Your Side Released: 1998 Tracks: 11 Duration: 44:55 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Go Faster (04:02) 2 Kickin My Heart Around (03:40) 3 By Your Side (04:28) 4 HorseHead (04:02) 5 Only a Fool (03:43) 6 Heavy (04:43) 7 Welcome to the Goodtimes (04:00) 8 Go Tell the Congregation (03:35) 9 Diamond Ring (04:09) 10 Then She Said My Name (03:43) 11 Virtue and Vice (04:45) |
| By Your Side : Allmusic album Review : Between Shake Your Money Maker and Three Snakes and One Charm, the Black Crowes evolved from a muscular, Stonesy hard rock outfit to full-fledged modern-day Southern rockers, drawing from a wealth of blues, country, folk, and rock styles to create a sprawling, fluid sound that was simultaneously traditional and distinctive. The problem was, their loose-limbed grooves tended to connect better in concert than on record, especially since they were sacrificing songs for the sake of sound, which in turn was decreasing their audience. Aware of the situation, the Crowes went back to their roots with By Your Side. Armed with a string of concise, energetic rockers, the Crowes hit harder than they had since their debut, yet they retain the sonic detail that reared its head on Amorica, adding pianos, choirs, and scores of other flourishes throughout the record. Its a back-to-basics set performed with all of the knowledge they have gained over the years, and the result is a thoroughly enjoyable record, their most satisfying and accessible effort since The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion. Not that its necessarily in that league -- it lacks the parade of great songs that elevate that album above all their others -- but it does find the Crowes in lean fighting form for the first time in years, proving that theyre possibly the best straight-ahead rock & roll band of the 90s. | ||
 | Album: 6 of 18 Title: Sho Nuff Released: 1998-08-11 Tracks: 57 Duration: 4:12:50 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Twice as Hard (04:09) 2 Jealous Again (04:34) 3 Sister Luck (05:13) 4 Could Ive Been So Blind (03:44) 5 Seeing Things (05:18) 6 Hard to Handle (03:07) 7 Thick n Thin (02:44) 8 She Talks to Angels (05:29) 9 Struttin Blues (04:09) 10 Stare It Cold (05:14) 11 Dont Wake Me (03:32) 12 She Talks to Angels (Acoustic version) (?) 1 Sting Me (04:40) 2 Remedy (05:22) 3 Thorn in My Pride (06:03) 4 Bad Luck Blue Eyes Goodbye (06:28) 5 Sometimes Salvation (04:44) 6 Hotel Illness (03:59) 7 Black Moon Creeping (04:54) 8 No Speak No Slave (04:01) 9 My Morning Song (06:15) 10 Time Will Tell (04:06) 11 Sting Me (slow) (05:48) 12 99 lbs (04:18) 1 Gone (05:08) 2 Conspiracy (04:46) 3 High Head Blues (04:01) 4 Cursed Diamond (05:56) 5 Nonfiction (04:16) 6 She Gave Good Sunflower (05:48) 7 P.25 London (03:39) 8 Ballad in Urgency (05:39) 9 Wiser Time (05:32) 10 Downtown Money Waster (03:41) 11 Descending (05:39) 12 Song of the Flesh (03:45) 13 Sunday Night Buttermilk Waltz (02:46) 14 Tied Up and Swallowed (?) 1 Under a Mountain (04:11) 2 Good Friday (03:51) 3 Nebakanezer (04:07) 4 One Mirror Too Many (03:34) 5 Blackberry (03:26) 6 Girl From a Pawnshop (06:17) 7 (Only) Halfway to Everywhere (04:00) 8 Bring On, Bring On (03:56) 9 How Much for Your Wings? (03:28) 10 Let Me Share the Ride (03:21) 11 Better When Youre Not Alone (04:09) 12 Evil Eye (04:12) 13 Just Say Youre Sorry (03:32) 14 Mellow Down Easy (03:44) 1 No Speak No Slave (live) (05:12) 2 Sometimes Salvation (live) (04:57) 3 Cursed Diamond (live) (06:38) 4 Hard to Handle (live) (04:30) 5 Remedy (live) (06:50) |
| Sho' Nuff : Allmusic album Review : American Records alliance with Warner Brothers fizzled shortly after the release of the Black Crowes fourth album, Three Snakes and One Charm. Following some behind-the-scenes wrangling, American set up shop at Sony in 1997, leaving the band with a new label willing to push them a little bit harder. The first sign of the newfound enthusiasm was Sho Nuff, a five-disc box set collecting remastered versions of their first four albums, all with bonus tracks and multi-media videos, plus a bonus live EP. Exhaustive, it surely is, but its enlightening as well, since its possible to hear the group forge out a distinctive voice through its devotion to the Stones, Faces, and Allmans when listening straight through its catalog. True, all the bonuses are essentially fodder for fans -- the unreleased cuts are usually solid but unremarkable, the videos familiar but entertaining, the live EP fun but not vital -- but so is the box set itself. After all, only diehards will notice remastering on albums as young as two years old. Still, those very fans will not be disappointed by Sho Nuff. It may not be a complete-recorded-works retrospective, but it delivers on everything it promises. | ||
 | Album: 7 of 18 Title: Greatest Hits 1990-1999: A Tribute to a Work in Progress Released: 2000 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:13:30 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Jealous Again (04:34) 2 Twice as Hard (04:09) 3 Hard to Handle (03:07) 4 She Talks to Angels (05:29) 5 Remedy (05:22) 6 Sting Me (04:40) 7 Thorn in My Pride (06:03) 8 Bad Luck Blue Eyes Goodbye (06:28) 9 A Conspiracy (04:46) 10 Wiser Time (05:32) 11 Good Friday (03:51) 12 Blackberry (03:26) 13 Kickin My Heart Around (03:40) 14 Go Faster (04:02) 15 Only a Fool (03:43) 16 By Your Side (04:28) |
| Greatest Hits 1990-1999: A Tribute to a Work in Progress : Allmusic album Review : At the end of the decade, the Black Crowes parted ways with American/Columbia, which made sense for both parties. The band didnt sell records like they used to, and they preferred to be independent anyway. It wasnt an entirely amicable parting -- the label wouldnt let the band record old songs for an independently released live album -- but as the last album in the contract, the compilation Greatest Hits 1990-1999: A Tribute to a Work in Progress, is a nice addition to the catalog anyway. Basically, the album has every song a casual fan would want ("Jealous Again," "Twice As Hard," "Hard to Handle," "She Talks to Angels," "Remedy," "Sting Me," "Wiser Time," "A Conspiracy," "Kickin My Heart Around") and is a nice listen for the hardcore. There are several great songs missing and theres perhaps a little bit too much of By Your Side here, but the only glaring omission is "Sometimes Salvation"; so, in other words, its pretty close to a perfect compilation of that first decade. Gathered like this, the Black Crowes finest songs are all the more impressive. The band not only sounds tight, but they sound diverse, able to handle full-throttle barroom ravers as easily as folk ballads, soulful vamps, blues, and laid-back Southern rock. Even more impressive, its easy to see what good songwriters the brothers Robinson are. Yes, theyre classicists, cribbing from the Stones and Allman Brothers and everything in between, but they know how to put it all together, write good hooks, and deliver them expertly. Greatest Hits is proof of that, and its some of the best pure hard rock since the golden age of album rock. | ||
 | Album: 8 of 18 Title: Live at the Greek Released: 2000-07-04 Tracks: 20 Duration: 1:51:15 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Celebration Day (03:42) 2 Custard Pie (05:18) 3 Sick Again (04:34) 4 What Is and What Should Never Be (05:26) 5 Woke Up This Morning (04:14) 6 Shape of Things to Come (03:09) 7 Sloppy Drunk (06:05) 8 Ten Years Gone (06:30) 1 In My Time of Dying (09:33) 2 Your Time Is Gonna Come (06:00) 3 The Lemon Song (08:59) 4 Nobodys Fault but Mine (06:41) 5 Heartbreaker (05:50) 1 Hey Hey What Can I Do (03:30) 2 Mellow Down Easy (05:20) 3 Oh Well (04:10) 4 Shake Your Money Maker (04:25) 5 You Shook Me (08:25) 6 Out on the Tiles (03:39) 7 Whole Lotta Love (05:34) |
| Live at the Greek : Allmusic album Review : The Black Crowes were dogged with comparisons to the Rolling Stones and the Faces throughout the first decade of their career, so it came as a mild surprise that they teamed with Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page in late 1999 for a couple of concerts. Zeppelin had a mystique and majesty about them that the Crowes never attempted to emulate. They were an earthy, bluesy rock band and while they found a number of different ways to rework their influences, they never tried the stately grandeur that was Zeppelins second nature. So, some observers were curious to see how these two approaches worked. Well, it worked very, very well indeed. It shouldnt have come as a surprise that it was a good, comfortable fit since Page always demonstrated a true love of blues and early rock & roll, even on Led Zeps heaviest moments. What may be a surprise, at least to listeners that always dismissed the Black Crowes as revivalist hacks, is how supple and muscular the band sounds on Live at the Greek and how powerful vocalist Chris Robinson is. The double-disc album, released originally only through the internet but then through retail on TVT, essentially replicates an entire concert from Page and the Crowes, one of the first before they set out on a full-length American tour in the summer of 2000. They stick to Led Zeppelin classics and old blues and R&B; standards like "Woke up This Morning," "Sloppy Drunk," "Mellow Down Easy," and "Shake Your Money Maker," plus the Yardbirds "Shape of Things to Come" and Fleetwood Macs "Oh Well." No Crowes songs are here due to contractual reasons - the band left American/Columbia in 1999, and they were not allowed to recut any song they released on the label in the years immediately following their departure; but in a way, that only strengthens the album. By pounding out hard-driving blues-rock and classic Zeppelin tunes, the band is able to stretch out and reveal just what a capable, versatile band they are. The true sign of their abilities is that Page sounds looser and happier here than he has in years; he sounds like hes truly enjoying himself, a quality that is debatable on the Page & Plant records, no matter what their virtues are. Live at the Greek isnt a landmark release, and only hardcore Page, Black Crowes, and Zeppelin fans are likely to want this, no matter how vibrant and lucent these faithful interpretations are. But for those fans, theyll be quite pleased with how good, how strong Live at the Greek is. | ||
 | Album: 9 of 18 Title: Lions Released: 2001-04-25 Tracks: 13 Duration: 55:06 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Midnight From the Inside Out (04:20) 2 Lickin (03:42) 3 Come On (02:58) 4 No Use Lying (04:56) 5 Losing My Mind (04:26) 6 Ozone Mama (04:00) 7 Greasy Grass River (03:20) 8 Soul Singing (03:53) 9 Miracle to Me (04:42) 10 Young Man, Old Man (04:13) 11 Cosmic Friend (05:22) 12 Cypress Tree (03:40) 13 Lay It All on Me (05:29) |
| Lions : Allmusic album Review : If the Black Crowes are anything, they are survivors (and, reportedly, if Chris Robinson had his way, hed be a genuine survivor, appearing on CBS genius television show with his wife Kate Hudson), weathering years of popularity and disdain, before emerging at the end of the 90s as a rarity -- a real, road-weathered rock & roll band, in the classic sense. And it wasnt just that they played classic rock -- they stayed out on the road constantly, bashing out albums when they werent fighting record labels. By the dawn of the new millennium, there werent many bands like that out on the market, and it was a mixed blessing -- it meant that they had an ugly breakup with their longtime label, American, but it also meant that there really wasnt anybody else for Jimmy Page to turn to when he wanted to tour in 1999. These two events inform Lions, their first album for V2 records, and their most idiosyncratic album since 1994s neglected gem, Amorica. Like that album, this record is instantly familiar, recalling many common and forgotten platters from the early 70s, yet twisted through a surprisingly individual voice from the Crowes. And, like that record, this is more about the music and the texture than the songs, which is disconcerting for anybody looking for the knockout songwriting of their first two records, or even "Stop Kicking My Heart Around." And, coming on the heels of that record, which was as tight a rock & roll album as they ever did, the diffuseness of Lions seems a bit off-kilter. Still, theres no denying that the group is stretching out and sounds terrific, and not just because Don Was is behind the boards. The group is supple, laying into jams without seeming indulgent, and rocking like a bastard when the occasion calls for it. Its just too bad that there arent many songs to remember here. Some could argue that was the case with Amorica as well, but those never felt like excuses to play music, and the tone shifted dramatically from track to track. Here, the songs can seem incomplete, as if they got the sound of the track down, but not the structure. Still, this is a powerful, textured hard rock record that covers a lot of ground, surging from powerful riffs to gospel choruses and funkier-than-expected riffs. There are few bands of their time that could sound so versatile within the confines of hard rock, and if this doesnt really deliver memorable songs, tracks do jell on repeated plays, and the Black Crowes kaleidoscopic vision of rocks history is reason enough to listen to this record -- even if youre left with a nagging suspicion that this could have been a knockout with some real songs in tow. | ||
 | Album: 10 of 18 Title: Live Released: 2002-08-20 Tracks: 19 Duration: 1:44:24 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Midnight From the Inside Out (04:46) 2 Sting Me (04:28) 3 Thick n Thin (03:42) 4 Greasy Grass River (03:38) 5 Sometimes Salvation (06:29) 6 Cursed Diamond (06:08) 7 Miracle to Me (06:12) 8 Wiser Time (07:39) 9 Girl From a Pawnshop (06:44) 10 Cosmic Friend (05:08) 1 Black Moon Creeping (05:59) 2 High Head Blues (06:11) 3 Title Song (08:25) 4 She Talks to Angels (06:01) 5 Twice as Hard (04:35) 6 Lickin (05:14) 7 Soul Singing (03:53) 8 Hard to Handle (03:26) 9 Remedy (05:37) |
| Live : Allmusic album Review : The title is simple, and it describes exactly what youll get -- two discs and 19 tracks of the Black Crowes in concert, tearing through fan favorites and chart hits. The album is culled from a series of concerts the group did on their farewell 2001 tour, with Rich Robinson sequencing the entire thing to flow close to an actual concert, right down to his brother Chris winding, sometimes embarrassing stage patter. Though this isnt as gutsy or revelatory as the dynamite live album with Jimmy Page, its still a really good live album, finding the band in fine form -- Chris is in good voice, the band rocks hard, and the versions here, while not drastically different than the album versions, find the band stretching out where necessary. In short, its nuthin fancy, just what a good rock & roll band does. And the Black Crowes are certainly a good rock & roll band, with a deep catalog of strong songs and a good sound, all evident here. True, this is pretty much the province of the dedicated, but those that are devoted fans will find this to be a sweet swan song. | ||
 | Album: 11 of 18 Title: Freak ’n’ Roll... Into the Fog Released: 2006-09-19 Tracks: 19 Duration: 2:14:02 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 (Only) Halfway to Everywhere (08:29) 2 Sting Me (04:41) 3 No Speak No Slave (05:31) 4 Soul Singing (09:46) 5 Welcome to the Goodtimes (04:02) 6 Jealous Again (05:04) 7 Space Captain (04:43) 8 My Morning Song (13:49) 9 Sunday Night Buttermilk Waltz (05:06) 1 Cursed Diamond (07:24) 2 She Talks to Angels (06:10) 3 Wiser Time (07:14) 4 Nonfiction (10:18) 5 Seeing Things (07:16) 6 Hard to Handle (08:27) 7 Let Me Share the Ride (09:24) 8 Mellow Down Easy (04:35) 9 Remedy (05:39) 10 The Night They Drove Ol’ Dixie Down (06:16) |
| Freak ’n’ Roll... Into the Fog : Allmusic album Review : This double-disc is essentially the audio component to the DVD of the same name released in March 2006. There are several live documents of the Black Crowes before their breakup especially, but this one shows them at their rawest, with a complete horn section and backing vocalists tearing it up at the Fillmore. Its true, one can listen to the DVDs , but if you arent one of those people who particularly likes to watch music videos, this might be a better bet. The sound is great, and the performance is positively electric. It starts a little ragged, but thats part of the charm; by the time the band gets to "Soul Slinging" four cuts in, they are burning. Chris Robinsons deep hippie aspirations as expressed on his New Earth Mud solo album get incorporated here without the Black Crowes losing any of their fire, ferocity, or crazy, raw performance antics. Rich Robinsons playing is top-notch, as is the rest of the bands. Check cuts like "Jealous Again" or the cover of "Space Captain." Slip on disc two and get to "Non Fiction," clocking in at over ten minutes, or the closing cover version of "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down," and the belief is in the hearing. If the Black Crowes wanted to prove they were back as a band, Freak N Roll...Into the Fog should be all the evidence one needs. | ||
 | Album: 12 of 18 Title: The Lost Crowes Released: 2006-09-22 Tracks: 26 Duration: 1:52:47 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 A Conspiracy (04:39) 2 Evil Eye (04:26) 3 Cursed Diamond (05:45) 4 London P25 (03:33) 5 Dirty Hair Halo (04:51) 6 Hi-Head Blues (04:20) 7 Feathers (06:41) 8 Nonfiction (04:13) 9 Tied Up and Swallowed (04:19) 10 Wiser Time (06:17) 11 Sunday Buttermilk Waltz (02:30) 12 Descending (05:25) 13 Lowdown (04:51) 14 Tornado (02:41) 15 Songs of the Flesh (03:44) 16 Thunderstorm 6:54 (04:03) 1 Paint an 8 (03:05) 2 Another Roadside Tragedy (05:31) 3 If It Ever Stops Raining (04:45) 4 Wyoming & Me (04:15) 5 Predictable (03:14) 6 Never Forget This Song (03:43) 7 Lifevest (03:19) 8 Grinnin (03:16) 9 My Hearts Killing Me (05:06) 10 Peace Anyway (04:01) |
| The Lost Crowes : Allmusic album Review : The Lost Crowes is right -- only hardcore fans will know of the music on this two-CD set, and even then, chances are they havent heard it. And its not like this is an odds-n-sods collection of outtakes and B-sides, either: The Lost Crowes contains two complete unreleased albums called Tall and Band, recorded in 1993 and 1997, respectively, but in the vaults until now. Theyre interesting companion pieces, too, since they not only have different feels but were shelved for different reasons. Tall metamorphosed into the sprawling 1994 masterpiece Amorica, with a handful of its songs popping up elsewhere, including 1996s Three Snakes and One Charm; Band was simply left behind as the group moved on to By Your Side. Not surprisingly, Tall sounds like a rough draft of Amorica; a lot of the ideas are in place, along with such Crowes classics as "A Conspiracy," "Wiser Time," "Nonfiction," and "Cursed Diamond," but the sound isnt as full-bodied, nor is the band as wooly. This means Tall isnt as rich or robust as Amorica, but its sure interesting to hear the roots of that album, and the previously unheard songs from these sessions -- such as the dirty funk of "Tied Up and Swallowed," the lazy hillbilly roll of "Thunderstorm 6:54," and the sweet acoustic "Tornado" -- fit into the cross-stitched fabric of Amorica quite well. Theres a seed of a great album in Tall and the Crowes found that seed and made it grow for Amorica; this may not be as good -- and its understandable why it was reworked -- but its certainly worthwhile for any fan to hear. If Tall did indeed need some reworking before it was released to the general public, its a mystery why the band didnt release Band as is in 1997. Sonically falling halfway between the ragged Amorica and the hard-edged Three Snakes, this is a great Crowes album showcasing their skills as songwriters and as a loose yet muscular jam band. On the fringes of this album there is some country and the band does stretch out to improvise, but it never feels aimless, because there is an immediacy to the performances and because there are some terrific songs that center the album in a way that was lacking on Three Snakes. There is a hard-driving R&B; and soul vibe here, ranging from the churning down-home funk of "Another Roadside Tragedy" and "Never Forget This Song" to the relaxed Faces-styled groove of "If It Ever Stops Raining," which is complemented by the few country flourishes, such as the mandolins on "Lifevest" or the high lonesome fiddles of "My Hearts Killing Me." This is the Black Crowes at their best, turning out classicist rock that flows so natural and easy it feels like these songs have always existed. It would have been great to have Band out in 1997, but having it arrive about ten years later only emphasizes how classic the Crowes sound at their peak, since it doesnt sound like a revival: it sounds like part of a tradition. And thankfully that tradition now contains these two albums, which do rank among the more interesting (Tall) and best (Band) records theyve ever done. | ||
 | Album: 13 of 18 Title: Warpaint Released: 2008-03-03 Tracks: 11 Duration: 53:43 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Goodbye Daughters of the Revolution (05:03) 2 Walk Believer Walk (04:39) 3 Oh Josephine (06:37) 4 Evergreen (04:20) 5 Wee Who See the Deep (04:49) 6 Locust Street (04:14) 7 Movin’ On Down the Line (05:41) 8 Wounded Bird (04:23) 9 God’s Got It (03:22) 10 There’s Gold in Them Hills (04:46) 11 Whoa Mule (05:45) |
| Warpaint : Allmusic album Review : Looking back, it seems inevitable that the Black Crowes would suffer a rocky middle age. Young bands yearning to be old tend to stumble when the years start to pile up, once hunger and ambition start to fade into the ceaseless grind of the road, and the Crowes were no exception. After they mapped out the furthest reaches of their world on 1994s Amorica they slowly spun their tires, turning out records both respectable and tired, before internal tensions slowly tore the brothers Robinson apart, leading to a split in 2002, not long after the release of their sixth album, Lions. A few years of solo wanderings led the Crowes to a reunion in 2005, but they had to go through a few more lineup changes -- including the addition of North Mississippi Allstar Luther Dickinson as the replacement for guitarist Marc Ford -- before they buckled down to record their seventh album, 2008s Warpaint. All that turmoil and trouble are felt on Warpaint, as are the years the band spent paying dues on the jam band circuit after Amorica. Warpaint shows that the decade of hard struggle gave the Crowes soul and chops, turning them into the band theyve always wanted to be. The Black Crowes havent changed their basic sound -- ever since Shake Your Money Maker the band has always drawn deeply from the Stones and Faces, tempering that British swagger with Southern-fried blues borrowed from the Allmans, then slowly threading hippie mysticism throughout -- but the feel of the band has changed, as the Crowes have turned from reckless ruffians into seasoned veterans, with the group feeling lived-in and genuine. Theres depth here, highlighted by an instrumental suppleness that slightly recalls Little Feat -- particularly on the slow-rolling "Oh Josephine" with its gently cascading choruses -- an evolution that could only be earned during those years on the road, building the band through nightly jams and a slow cycle of membership turnovers. This is a suppleness that has grit, thanks especially to Dickinsons glass slide runs that give this music some welcome grease. The Crowes also pull off a couple of sly moves here, weaving some swirling psychedelia through the chorus of "Movin on Down the Line," turning the Reverend Charlie Jacksons "Gods Got It" into a heavy, heavy backwoods stomp, then spinning the closing "Whoa Mule" into a roiling blues raga. These are the turns and tricks of veterans, who can slide these flourishes into their signature sound without calling attention to their changeups, but these numbers are enough of a departure to garner attention -- what may not get as much praise is how the Crowes write compellingly within their standard sound, as they do here, beginning with the opening gambit of the downndirty "Goodbye Daughters of the Revolution" and the crawling "Walk Believer Walk." From there, Warpaint continues to gain momentum, as this album is not only their strongest set of songs since Amorica, it has a depth and presence that is rare for a digital age creation and, best of all, the album has a true narrative thrust, making it feel like a true classic rock album. What the Black Crowes have done here is what true journeymen do: they dont renounce their past, they build upon it, finding hidden depths within it, shaping tradition after their own image to make it sound fresh. Theyre old-fashioned, but in the best sense: theyre in it for the long haul, which the superb Warpaint proves beyond a shadow of a doubt. | ||
 | Album: 14 of 18 Title: Warpaint Live Released: 2009 Tracks: 17 Duration: 1:36:31 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Goodbye Daughters of the Revolution (05:20) 2 Walk Believer Walk (04:55) 3 Oh Josephine (07:59) 4 Evergreen (04:21) 5 Wee Who See the Deep (07:35) 6 Locust Street (04:14) 7 Movin On Down the Line (07:58) 8 Wounded Bird (04:39) 9 Gods Got It (04:26) 10 Theres Gold in Them Hills (05:04) 11 Whoa Mule (06:53) 1 Poor Elijah / Tribute to Johnson (medley) (05:52) 2 Darling of the Underground Press (04:25) 3 Bad Luck Blue Eyes Goodbye (07:56) 4 Dont Know Why (05:17) 5 Torn and Frayed (05:16) 6 Hey Grandma (04:13) |
| Warpaint Live : Allmusic album Review : More memento than major statement, 2009s WarPaint Live -- available as a DVD and a two-CD set -- finds the Black Crowes running through their 2008 comeback Warpaint in its entirety during a gig in Los Angeles, adding a five-song coda of covers and Crowes classics. Warpaint was a reunion and revitalization for the Black Crowes, their best album in a long time, and much of that renewed energy can be heard in this performance, which manages to be loose and tight, the work of a band comfortable in its own skin and strength. Apart from the closing covers, highlighted by a coolly confident "Torn and Frayed" and a raucous "Hey Grandma," surprises are a bit hard to come by, but thats not a problem because the band never sounds tired; theyre engaged, so its hard not to be swept up in their enthusiasm too. | ||
 | Album: 15 of 18 Title: Before the Frost... Until the Freeze Released: 2009-08-27 Tracks: 20 Duration: 1:40:58 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Aimless Peacock (06:40) 2 Good Morning Captain (03:24) 3 Been a Long Time (Waiting On Love) (07:47) 4 Greenhorn (07:12) 5 Appaloosa (03:35) 6 The Shady Grove (04:42) 7 Garden Gate (04:20) 8 Shine Along (04:43) 9 Roll Old Jeremiah (04:40) 10 Houston Dont Dream About Me (05:05) 1 I Aint Hiding (05:57) 2 Kept My Soul (05:23) 3 Lady of Avenue A (05:20) 4 Make Glad (04:19) 5 And the Band Played On... (04:12) 6 What Is Home? (05:13) 7 So Many Times (04:52) 8 A Train Still Makes a Lonely Sound (04:23) 9 Fork in the River (04:11) 10 The Last Place That Love Lives (04:57) |
| Before the Frost... Until the Freeze : Allmusic album Review : Revitalized by their 2008 reunion, the Black Crowes decided to take a genuine risk, recording a double-albums worth of new material in front of a live audience at Levon Helms barn in upstate New York...and then release the second half, Until the Freeze, as a free download-only. To a certain extent, such formal experiments are where the Crowes can really stretch, as theyre so devoted to rock & roll roots from Southern England to South Georgia, they cant add new wrinkles to old traditions. But thats not exactly right: theyre willing to stretch until at least the late 70s, offering their spin on a Rolling Stones disco on the albums first single, "I Aint Hiding." As true as that may be, its too snide and easy, and does a disservice to what the Crowes pull off with aplomb on this rather remarkable record, a record that has all the easy interplay of a road-tested band but none of the weariness. The Crowes play with muscle and grace, easing into the rustic ramble of "Appaloosa" or getting dirt underneath their fingernails on the stupendous opener "Good Morning Captain," a song that sets the keynote for the rest of the record both in its sturdy construction and enthusiastically ragged performance. More than anything, its the kineticism that captivates, how the band deepens their already-strong songs with muscle and blood, sounding alive in a way that they never quite have in the studio. No longer young upstarts, they wear their years proudly on this terrific album, sounding like the veteran roadhounds theyve always aspired to be. | ||
 | Album: 16 of 18 Title: Croweology Released: 2010-08-02 Tracks: 20 Duration: 2:01:33 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Jealous Again (05:13) 2 Share the Ride (03:58) 3 Remedy (05:33) 4 Non-Fiction (07:53) 5 Hotel Illness (03:38) 6 Soul Singing (04:15) 1 Ballad in Urgency (09:16) 2 Wiser Time (09:33) 3 Cold Boy Smile (05:35) 4 Under a Mountain (04:43) 5 She Talks to Angels (06:16) 6 Morning Song (06:13) 7 Downtown Money Waster (04:17) 1 Good Friday (05:42) 2 Thorn in My Pride (09:35) 3 Welcome to the Good Times (04:01) 4 Girl From a Pawnshop (07:08) 5 Sister Luck (05:58) 6 She (05:31) 7 Bad Luck Blue Eyes Goodbye (07:07) |
| Croweology : Allmusic album Review : To celebrate their 20th anniversary, the Black Crowes decided to revisit several of their staples from the past two decades, giving them acoustic rearrangements. While some of the songs are revised heavily, some are merely given strength by the new setting, not so much because the songs sound better stripped down to bare bones, but because the Crowes are still riding the wave that started with their 2008 comeback Warpaint, retaining the rustic, ragged live vibe of Before the Frost/Until the Freeze. This is the opposite of that live-in-the-studio record, where the band laid down new songs on tape preserving their freshness; instead, this is the sound of seasoned veterans still finding new ways to play old favorites. Naturally, this makes this set the province of diehards, but at two discs, this is a generous, entertaining gift to the fans who have stayed true throughout the years. | ||
 | Album: 17 of 18 Title: Wiser for the Time Released: 2013-03-19 Tracks: 26 Duration: 2:36:01 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Cursed Diamond (07:21) 2 Sister Luck (06:21) 3 Smile (04:40) 4 Downtown Money Waster (04:47) 5 Hot Burrito #1 (04:06) 6 Hot Burrito #2 (04:37) 7 Garden Gate (04:35) 8 Better When Youre Not Alone (06:46) 9 Darling Of The Underground Press (04:27) 10 Jealous Again (05:45) 11 Hotel Illness (04:22) 12 Thunderstorm (04:37) 13 Oh The Rain (06:21) 1 Soul Singing (04:53) 2 Tonight Ill Be Staying Here With You (03:34) 3 Exit (06:17) 4 No Speak No Slave (05:02) 5 Only Halfway To Everywhere (10:44) 6 A Conspiracy (05:08) 7 Title Song (08:35) 8 My Morning Song/Stare It Cold (11:19) 9 Tied Up And Swallowed (05:58) 10 Make Glad (05:08) 11 Waiting Gulity (08:52) 12 She Talks To Angels (06:15) 13 Willin (05:31) |
 | Album: 18 of 18 Title: A Texan Tornado Released: 2015-03-16 Tracks: 12 Duration: 1:19:08 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 No Speak No Slave (05:20) 2 Sting Me (06:47) 3 My Morning Song (09:17) 4 Thorn in My Pride (12:38) 5 Twice as Hard (04:31) 6 Black Moon Creeping (06:42) 7 Thick n Thin (03:24) 8 Hotel Illness (04:10) 9 Stare It Cold (03:51) 10 Sometimes Salvation (04:58) 11 Jealous Again (05:35) 12 Remedy (11:49) |
| A Texan Tornado : Allmusic album Review : The final concert ever given at Houstons Sam Houston Coliseum, this February 6, 1993 show by the Black Crowes captures the rock & roll band in full flight. Supporting their second album The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion, the Crowes had yet to get as pot-mellowed and jammy as they soon would -- Amorica would prove to be the turning point on that journey -- so this shows the band at a hard, Stonesy peak. | ||