Chris Robinson's new Black Crowes project

In my prediction only Adam McD is certain. No way would Chris invite Bill Dobrow to play. Chris hated Bill's playing. Before Steve rejoined in 2005 Chris would stand on stage chastising Dobrow throughout the set. I'm guessing Luther or Jackie, yes. (Although, I don't think Rich would refer to Luther as a "B team" member. Rich and Luther are tight.) I don't see Neal being involved, even though he almost had the gig in 2005. I can't imagine Chris would want all three core members of CRB up there with him. But then again, it's Chris. Who the hell knows.

 

Source? What info do you have? My 1992 Europe Southern Harmony LP sounds excellent! Your By Your Side DAT comment certainly doesn't seem far-fetched though.

 

I was being (possibly) more than slightly (almost) slightly facetious.

Kind of.

 

As a former die-hard devotee of the Crowes (I ran the longest running fan forum for the band for years), I hated what the band turned in to over the years. Once they jumped on the "VIP Experience" bandwagon, I knew that it was over. I lost basically all interest after "Before the Frost / Until the Freeze" came out. Outside of a few songs, I'm sorry, in my opinion, that album is complete garbage. I can't stand the Grateful Dead, and it's painfully obvious that Chris wanted to be Jerry Garcia reincarnated. While most Crowes fans like it when they jam, and I can tolerate it to an extent, it got to be overkill for me. Again- I don't like the Dead or jam bands in general.

Don't even get me started on the joke that is the Chris Robinson Brotherhood. Chris's hippy dippy joke of a band played five minutes from me at one point a few years back, and I still couldn't be bothered to go.

I like the Crowes when they ROCK, and there was little to none of that over the last few years of their existence. I find it hard to even listen to them at all at this point in time. Chris's antics really ruined the band for me as a whole.

 

@Rockin' Robby - We have no idea where the laquers those 1992 EU pressings were cut from even are in 2017, and my source comes from the inside, i.e. the keepers of the vault.

Trust me, we're all aware on the inside that the 98 Crowes remasters on CD and the recent LPs left much to be desired, and there has been discussion on what, if anything, can be done about that...but it's all just talk at this point, and the prognosis isn't something I can even comment on because of...everything and everyone involved.

How's that?

Because TBC.

 

In addition, will the real Chris Robinson please stand up? I don't know how you go from the second coming of Rod Stewart / Steve Marriott to a drugged out Garcia disciple, BACK to a Stewart / Marriott ROCK singer (BYS/Lions era), then back to Mr. Jam Band. Is he a chameleon or a fraud?

These days, he's just a jerk, so there's that.

 

Yeah, I kind of figured that. But only after I posted my message!

 

I agree with some of what you are saying. I think the jam dimensions of the band became a bit too prominent for a protracted period. The final tour, with Jackie, featured a more streamlined set, with truncated jam sections, and some jams altogether deleted. And they leaned toward tighter rock songs. It's worth acknowledging that. The two 2013 shows I caught in Austin and Tulsa were quite good. Setlists were relatively static, but they were upbeat rock shows.

The VIP move didn't bother me. I could never afford it. But the music business transformed rapidly. As record sales plummeted numerous bands fumbled, and sometimes succeeded, at finding ways to make up the financial losses. The Black Crowes were not a young band anymore. They were rock stars early in their careers. They only know how to operate a certain way. And to be fair there were generous gestures to the fans over the years.

Finally, why are chameleon transformations and changes a virtue for David Bowie, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, and others, but when Chris does it he's a fraud? I don't like every period either. I too regret the Souled Out period. But I can say the same about some of Bowie, Dylan, and Neil's characters and personas. Whatever Chris has done, and I haven't liked all of it, he's seemed to do it with genuine enthusiasm and sincereity. It's okay to not like the hippie-dippie gnomes and fairies lyrics. But not liking them doesn't mean they are fake.

Look, Chris was always a jerk. That was kind of the point at the beginning, when he became a big rock star. Chris's headlines increased the band's visibility. He's Chris, you know? He was always difficult and obnoxious, and a bit of a diva. And now he's older and we're all less forgiving. It's easier to tolerate the jerk part when he's delivering the goods. That's true of most rock stars, right?

Brother, I think what I'm really trying to say is that it bums me out to read about your loss of love for your once favorite band. Your perspective is valid. Just wanting to encourage you to cut them some slack. They're imperfect people, and Chris has made some serious mistakes in recent years. But don't let that rob you of their music.

There was no group quite like them. The seeds of their dysfunction and ultimate collapse were planted from the beginning, and briefly bore massive fruit, before rotting from the inside. The band was always fueled by the brotherly conflict between Chris and Rich. So determined to land the next punch in this ongoing feud, Chris for some reason hit below the belt this time, trying to humiliate Steve, the third brother, the way he did. I really struggle with that. But I continue to support both camps, while constantly agonizing over how my all-time favorite band just had to be one that would hurt and disappoint me.

 

only a fool is one of the best songs on the album. why replace it?

 

you know what they say about opinions . . .

 

Yeah, but he's go the right one. At this point CR has one option and one option only: go stone cold sober, make it stick, and start making amends.

 

Fair point about Bowie, etc. I just think that in Chris's case it was just a shocking transformation because of how quickly it occurred. You go from SYMM and TSHAMC to Amorica by way of Tall, and you could start to see the winds changing. Then, here comes TSAOC and you just have this hippie dude onstage half strung out where a rock god once stood. Don't get me wrong, TSAOC is a fine album, but it's not one I've revisited in years. Then, to go from the aborted Band album to the Sho 'Nuff / BYS era where he was back to SYMM/TSHAMC Chris was equally as bizarre as his initial transformation. Slowly, he went back to Garcia-Chris and it's where we are now.

It's a weird dichotomy for me with the Crowes - it might be because I felt a lot more connected to it by way of running a huge fan forum for them and being close to a lot of people in the inner circle. You see the way that Chris has acted lately, and in some small way, I felt a little cheated by it, I suppose. Chris always had an ego and a big mouth, but his actions didn't match his words and you wonder what his real motivation was/is. Like I said, I also hated BTF/UTF and as they started busting out more obscure covers by bands that I don't like, such as the Velvet Underground - I just felt like I didn't "fit" with the culture anymore. I'm a rock / rockabilly guy through and through - Warpaint was a solid effort, but it all went off the rails for me after that.

Then again, I supported the Axl-Only versions of GNR over the years, so why I can't make the association from that to the current Chris/Rich issues baffles even myself. I'll keep trying to get my fire for the Crowes back - I just hope that it isn't completely extinguished at this point.

 

I'm well aware that I'm in the minority of fans of the Crowes in that I prefer their stripped down hard rock side over the jam eras.

I'll take By Your Side and even to an extent, Lions over the jam era(s) any day of the week. It's just simply more appealing to my ears.

I'll stand by my opinion that Before the Frost..., outside of a small handful of songs, is an embarrassing moment for what was once the "most rock n' roll, rock n' roll band in the world."

 

Yeah, I don't know anyone connected with the Black Crowes, beyond getting to play and hang with Marc a couple times. When I did, I made it a point not to ask him about the Crowes, preferring to just appreciate him for who he is, and not who he was. I'm just a fan from the beginning, like you. I don't know the real Chris Robinson. I've always assumed he's one rock star I'd be disappointed to meet. I'd rather be somewhat ignorant about him, and champion the things I love about him. As I elaborated in a previous message in this thread, Chris just really connected with me as a teenager, and then again from my thirties to the present. All the great rock frontmen are going away. Chris is the only one from my generation that I can grow old with. I guess I incentivize my forgiveness this way.

 

I always got the impression that the three guys who ran the official forum (before it was shut down) hated me and the fact that my board allowed, for the most part, an uncensored discussion about the band. The official board allowed no dissension in the ranks with threads being locked / deleted if it went against the official narrative.

I've met Marc, Rich, and Steve over the years - and they were all polite enough. Paul Stacey was extremely fan friendly during his short time in the band, and the one time that I was a few feet away from Chris, he signed two or three autographs and got on the bus before he could be bothered by the other handful of people (literally 10 or less) that were behind the venue waiting for them.

In some ways, Axl Rose is to me what Chris is to you. The one guy that I almost didn't want to meet because you knew that there would be a chance that it could be a huge let down. I did get to meet Axl briefly in 2012, and he was great. He signed for every single person that wanted to meet him, shook hands, and showed no signs of irritation over it at all. The dude even had three different colored Sharpies and signed based on the best color for fans' items. For as brief as it was, Axl exceeded my expectations. Chris didn't want to be bothered, and there were far less people waiting for him than there were for Axl. Sven Pipien didn't even acknowledge anyone. Walked from the stage door right to the bus.

Chris will always be one of the best front men to ever grace a stage (ditto Axl), but he leaves a bit to be desired as a person in my eyes. Axl has completely done the opposite and has mellowed out and become EXTREMELY fan friendly over the years. It seems to be the opposite for Chris.

 

Well, I love the Dead (hah), but I still mostly agree with ya. A jam band (yuck) isn't what BC should try to be. The original run of albums were all great IMO (yes, even BYS and Lions). But when they came back, something was seriously lacking. And I do not enjoy the lost Crowes albums, stand CRB or hoist the Marc Ford years above the early or latter years of the first run.

More than anything I'm totally fed up with the infantile bickering and feuding the Brothers (or more like it Chris vs. the entire population of the planet) are up to. I just wanna hear some great rock'n'roll.

 

I like Tall more than Band, but I haven't listened to either in years. Warpaint is ok to good, and Before the Frost was an abomination before the Lord.

Same with you - Chris running around acting like an infant has soured me on him greatly over the years.

 

I think that may have changed a bit in the CRB years. I’ve seen heaps of pics of fan selfies with Chris. I missed my chance in 2015. I was at Bluesfest in Australia, standing outside a stall, when I noticed that Chris and Adam were standing next to my partner! It was such a shock that I froze and missed my opportunity to even just talk to ‘em! They moved on soon afterwards.

 

I find it strange that people are angry at Chris for doing other music. Same case with Robert Plant.

They are not young men and it's hard to sing in that style when you get older. And people change you know. My music listening has evolved greatly since I was 20

 

Yes, there's a thread on this forum from a guy who ran into him at a record store, it's a heartwarming tale.

 

The thing that should be noted about the chameleon comparison to Bowie, Neil, Dylan, etc. is that these were all people doing it for real as part of the expression of their art.

Bowie became different characters as performance art, Neil & Dylan were simply doing what they wanted when they wanted, following the muse with no concern about what people thought about it. Pure artistic expression.

Chris on the other hand, seems to go out of his way to cultivate an image and try to convince everyone that's who he really is. I believe it's who he wants to be but it's not who he really is and his actions prove it.

He should just do his thing and let others decide if it's worth it or not. You don't run around screaming at the world "I'm a real hippie with a real farm-to-table communal work ethos". It's ridiculous. You don't have to announce it. If it's real, it will shine through and people will see it naturally.

 

Are people mainly angry at Chris for being a ********** or because of the music? I'm not even agitated but I do find CRB boring almost beyond belief. However it is more than okay with me if others find it enjoyable

Plant was and is great. Major difference Nah, I partially in jest here but old Percy cannot do anything right in a lot of people's books. Then again his attitude is a teeny-weeny bit more humble than CR.

 

I get the feeling that many Crowes fans hate the Dead. I don't think that CRB sounds like the Dead but the music is in that style. Magpie Salute plays Black Crowes music, Chris does not

 

Well, now he does. Hence this thread

Never got the Dead comparisons. The Crowes never sounded like 'em. Which is a bad thing because there is only one GOGD and the rest of those jammy bands leave me cold (excluding the Allmans and such).

 

I actually loved before the frost.