The Black Crowes have apparently broken up

i wish for the same thing....just to have bitter, bitter you, spider in the sugarbowl blues, and exit in perfect quality

 

Yes a box or something would be nice

 

Killer version of "Sister Luck". Chris sounds great here.

 

GMAFB. Have you seen many rock shows where the band opened with a ballad?

 

i have. the black crowes.

 

Drakoulias was Rick Rubin's right hand man/main engineer/guy who got the sounds while Rubin sat on his exercise bike - also did the Screaming Trees Dust which is also a fantastic sounding album.

 

I have. Would you still like us to GYAFB?

 

I'd rather you shared the name of the band and song.

 

Not too surprised considering the history of the Robinson brothers' relationship... and Chris' own huge ego.

 

I saw quite a few Crowes shows in 1998 and thought the band was very tight, but perhaps not enjoying playing live as much as they used to. The setlists didn't vary nearly as much as they had on previous tours, and shows were heavy on TBC's songs that had gotten a lot of airplay on radio & empty vee over the years (Jealous Again, Twice As Hard, Remedy, Hard to Handle, Kicking My Heart Around, etc.) It seemed liked a forced attempted to return to the early 90's.

 

DMB typically start their shows with "Two Step" or something similarly slow (let me guess, they don't count). Pearl Jam have frequently started shows with "Release" or something brooding. It's just not as crazy unheard of as you're making it out to be.

 

Of course DMB doesn't count, we're talking about R&R bands here. (Not a slam against DMB, but there ain't no Marshalls stage at a DMB show. )

Good call on Pearl Jam. I have heard a couple recordings of shows where they opened w/ Release.

 

While it's an interesting question to ask when other rock bands have ever started shows with a ballad, I ultimately don't think it would prove anything because it worked for them on the rare occasions that they did. For awhile, they had the guts to do things other bands didn't, to work outside of the template, which is one of the things that made them great. What separates the great bands is not necessarily what they do the same as everybody else, it's what they do that's distinct from other bands that manages to work for them. They were true rebels in the sense that the industry and media had cut out a little place for them, and they always refused to stay in that little box. I'm reading the recent George Clinton books right now, so I guess I'm just identifying with any template-breaking moves more than usual.

For me, the only proof one needs that it could be a good idea when done right is Descending on 7/23/96 Supper Club. The effect is unexpected and powerful.

They brought a depth to their shows that many other bands did not know how to bring, or even if they did they couldn't pull it off. To use another example, to hear Chris and Rich come out and play Cursed Diamond as an opener tells you right off that you're not just there to boogie and recreate the Stones, no matter what the media told you...you're there to feel the whole range of emotion, so better strap the f*#@ in.

 

Nice post. I love the Stones but, FACK the Stones comparison forever. Way more versatile, were the Crowes.

 

I like By Your Side better than either the 3rd or 4th album and I am a longtime Crowes' fan.

 

Preaching to the choir. I saw TBC open with Cursed Diamond, as well as w/ Descending, and both shows were fantastic. I'm probably a bit biased though as I feel every Crowes' show I saw in 96 & 97 was great. Between their album tracks, cover tunes, and un-released songs, they had so much material to pull from by then that the setlists varied dramatically night to night. And frankly it didn't make a difference to me if they opened the show with a fast tune, like Thick n Thin, or a super slow song like Feathers, as I knew what I was in for when I bought my tickets.

 

Amorica is definitely my favourite but I quite like By Your Side. I remember when I first heard it thinking that it was much better than Three Snakes and One Charm.

 

To honor the music of the Black Crowes and in order to preserve their legacy, a friend and I have created this new site. We'll provide a steady stream of lists, reviews and links to classic stuff. We hope the Crowes fans will enjoy it.

https://crowesfeed.wordpress.com

 

REM (with Femme Fatale) and Wilco (on Being There tour) come to mind.

 

Grateful Dead would sometimes open with a "Morning Dew", "Black Peter", or "Box of Rain".

 

My bad! Must have tried to skim through things too fast...thought you were saying it was a mistake for them to open with ballad. Maybe that was somebody else (?), or maybe I just misunderstood the conversation completely.

 

No worries! I was saying the Crowes could pull it off, but most other R&R bands couldn't. And by R&R bands I mean Les Pauls & SGs played through cranked Marshall stacks, a la AC/DC, GnR, etc. Not bands like the Dead, DMB, REM, etc.

 

When did they open with Morning Dew or Black Peter? In an acoustic set?

Box of Rain isn't a slow song - at least as far as GD originals go. Its beats per minute are right in line with 2/3 of the tunes the band would typically play in a show. I certainly wouldn't call Box of Rain up tempo, but it's not slow.

 

I agree with all you said. I was thinking the same with black Peter, that is, "hmmmm, when? Perhaps a 1970 acoustic set opener.." And same thought for box of rain, that is, not a ballad.

Re: dew, perhaps you forgot this show/dick's picks? Or perhaps not b/c well, how could you...



http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick's_Picks_Volume_14

 

Pearl Jam have long adapted this method of concert starting where they open with a slower and contemplative song and it works really well.