Artist: Black Crowes, The
Label: Rhino Records
Release: 2006
The Black Crowes are a fascinating band, especially for anyone who loves American rock soaked in blues, soul and even funk, the kind made by Led Zeppelin, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Allman Brothers Band, Grateful Dead and a few others. A truly thrilling debut in Shake Your Money Maker, a run of seriously good records after it, unpredictable gigs, constant friction within the band, mostly between the Robinson brothers, breakups and reunions…
A double album called The Lost Crowes just came out, and you might think it’s some collection of rarities, B-sides and whatnot, but… it’s actually a double album of two unreleased records – Tall from 1993 and Band from 1997. That means the music sounds a lot like the masterpiece Amorica (1994), and the songs showed up in one form or another on Three Snakes and One Charm (1996), while with Band the group “forgot” about it while preparing By Your Side.
The first record, Tall, already has rough versions of some classics – A Conspiracy, Wiser Time, Nonfiction, Cursed Diamond – and I do mean really rough, work-in-progress versions, since the sound is nowhere near as polished and the band sounds kind of shy and restrained. On the other hand, that’s exactly what makes it so interesting and appealing, because the sound is not only rawer but, as a result, more alive. And yes, here’s the proof of why Amorica is such a damn good record! Of course, there are also a few songs here that are real treasures – the funk-laced Tied Up and Swallowed, the hillbilly Thunderstorm 6:54 and the convincingly acoustic Tornado.
Tall is a great record, but Band is even better! On this one The Black Crowes really show themselves at their best – both as writers of interesting lyrics and as an excellent lineup that can improvise or be as precise as a Swiss watch. Tall and Band meet right at the improvisation, or rather the sound – on Tall the sound is very raw and alive, while on Band the group creates that “liveliness” through improvising, yet it never slips into mindless noodling or solo-fests. Genre-wise, The Black Crowes are once again very diverse here – at the core you get a punchy mix of rhythm & blues and soul, sometimes with a pinch of funk added (Another Roadside Tragedy, Never Forget This Song), If It Ever Stops Raining will remind you of the mellow Faces, and then there’s the mandolin-drenched Lifevest and the truly melancholic My Heart’s Killing Me.
On these two records we get to know The Black Crowes at their best – as a tight, dependable band that isn’t afraid of carefree improvisation within the limits of listenability, while still being radio-friendly and infectiously punchy. It’s a record that both longtime fans and those just discovering the band will enjoy. And even though we’d obviously have loved to see both records come out fifteen (Tall) and ten (Band) years ago, their timelessness is more than eloquent proof of what a high-quality, masterful band The Black Crowes are, and how badly they’re missed in today’s world of stereotypical, clichéd rock. Convincing and meaningful lyrics, excellent interpretation, layered vocals, punchy and virtuoso guitars, a solid rhythm, a rich sound thanks to bold mixing with organs, strings, mandolins… in one place you’ll find everything fans of good old rock miss elsewhere these days.
Lineup
Chris Robinson – vocals
Rich Robinson – guitar
Paul Stacey – guitar
Rob Clores – keyboards
Sven Pipien – bass guitar
Steve Gorman – drums
Production
The Black Crowes
Tracklist
CD 1:
1. Paint An Eight
2. Another Roadside Tragedy
3. If It Ever Stops Raining
4. Wyoming And Me
5. Predictable
6. Never Forget This Song
7. Lifevest
8. Grinnin’
9. My Heart’s Killing Me
10. Peace Anyway
Length of disc one: 42.15
CD 2:
1. Conspiracy
2. Evil Eye
3. Cursed Diamond
4. London P25
5. Dirty Hair Halo
6. Hi Head Blues
7. Feathers
8. Nonfiction
9. Tied Up And Swallowed
10. Wiser Time
11. Sunday Buttermilk Waltz
12. Descending
13. Low Down
14. Tornado
15. Songs Of The Flesh
16. Thunderstorm 654
Length of disc two: 72.18
