The Black Crowes have apparently broken up

I don't know about all this negative talk about Chris.

Is he a bit...? Sure. He's the lead singer. Gotta have an ego.

This band smoked in the early to late 90s. Every show I saw by them left us happy happy happy.

Hard, jamming, cool covers, fun vide. Freak nation was coming to town and small group of friends; 3 guys, 3 girls saw this band 20 times. Great shows. Every one.

When Marc left it changed. But...those were still very good show. A bit tighter. At bit less freak vibe but still awesome.

I remember them playing Torn and Frayed. I thought, I never saw the Stones in 72, but I can't imagine it was better than this.

Give them some time apart. They'll be back in a few years. Maybe with Marc! I'll be there.

 

I was a huge Black Crowes fan from Shake Your Money Maker through July 2006. The best run for the band was definitely when Marc Ford first joined (to record Southern Harmony) through Three Snakes And One Charm ('92-'97). That line-up (Chris R, Rich R, Marc, Steve Gorman, Johnny Colt, and Eddie H) made 3 all-time classic rock albums (Southern Harmony & Musical Companion, Amorica, and Three Snakes And One Charm) and were possibly the best live band of that era ('92-'97). The musicianship and cohesiveness of that line-up was flat-out amazing. The jams they would come up with were awesome. When Marc Ford rejoined in 2005 I was beyond psyched-up - and they did not disappoint, though Chris' vocals were no longer what they were in the mid-90s. I had the good fortune of seeing the Crowes at Red Rocks in July 2006 (with everyone but Johnny Colt from the classic line-up). They were amazing that night. And bassist Sven Pipien was a better musical fit than Johnny Colt imo. However, shortly thereafter, Marc quit and Eddie was fired. Band was never the same after that imo. They still played some good shows but the chemistry was never anywhere near as good. The single biggest problem they had was they could never find a good fit at the 2nd lead guitarist slot (Ford's slot). With Ford they were transcendent. With the other guitarists (Audley Freed, Luther Dickinson, Paul Stacey, and Jackie Greene) it always felt like it was a notch or two below.

I think the other big problem was that over time Chris wanted TBC to become more like the Grateful Dead and Rich wanted TBC to become more like The Stones or Led Zep. So they were no longer on the same musical page. And that hurt the songs. I think Chris preferred this direction because he could no longer belt-out the harder, louder rock songs (such as "No Speak, No Slave" or "Remedy") the way he used to. You could hear him really straining on those type of songs.

I doubt they'll ever get back together because Chris' relationship with Rich, Steve and Marc is quite toxic based on comments I've heard him make over the last year or so. I think it's a wrap. But from '92-'97 they were about as great as it gets.

 

What's with all the hate/indifference towards Warpaint in here? I still think it's a damn good album. I can do without Gold In Them Hills & Whoa Mule, but the rest is great. Luther actually fit in really well on the album, though that wasn't the case on tour.

 

That's a completely one-dimensional statement about two completely different bands with similar sounding lead singers.

I know this because they are two of my favorite bands.

 

They also sound like the Stones and Faces as well which were big influences on them.

 

I know people who don't even like the Crowes who love I Ain't Hiding.

I agree with your post Graham, except that I do not find Warpaint disappointing.
Though it could have been better, to me it was still great to have a new Crowes album to play.
Anyone who likes the Marc Ford years should still like the following tracks, because they are good old fashion Crowe rockers.

Goodbye Daughters of the Revolution
We Who See The Deep
Movin' On Down The line
Wounded Bird

Add these rocking Frost tracks

Good Morning Captain
Been A Long Time
I Ain't Hiding
Kept My Soul

and you have yourself a nice hard mix CD of Black Crowe rock.

 

Even more so that when the band split they stuck with Liam and let Noel walk.

Which reminds me of an odd incident.
When I saw the two bands play the Greek, right before playing the encore, Chris pointed at Gem Archer and said
"What's your name again?"

And this after playing together for 2 nights.

 

I think that was the idea. Their commercial appeal was waning by that point, at least in terms of album sales - not live so much, so they released a track the label thought might get them some air-play.

That song was sorta the exact opposite of the raw rock n roll they'd specialized in. There's a bit of a disco vibe to "I Ain't Hiding". I remember they even released an extended "club mix" for that song. That really threw long-time Crowes fans such as myself. I do remember those fans who liked that song comparing it to The Stones' "Miss You". "I Ain't Hiding" was not my cup 'o tea but I don't think it was the worst thing ever recorded either.

 

For those that are insinuating that CRB are a Grateful Dead tribute band, I suggest you listen to some Grateful Dead.

I have seen CRB enough to surmise that their improv is much more formulaic than the GD's ever was. I would bet they work with set lists as well. Yeah they cover a few Dead tunes, but lately they seem to play a lot more Stones, Dylan and old rock n roll tunes. They are certainly influenced by the Dead, but calling them a tribute band is akin to calling the early Crowes a Stones or Faces tribute band.

I don't have a dog in the brothers fight, could not care less actually. I enjoy the Crowes, CRB, and really like Rich's new LP. Sometimes bands break up. I remember similar arguments in '87 when Roger and DG's Floyd were touring at the same time. I went to both shows and loved them both.

Props to Chris for following his muse and playing the music he wants to. I also respect the fact that he does not mention the Crowes in any of his promotional stuff or use it to get people to buy tickets, charges just $20 for a show etc. Casal is a real tasty player as well IMO. If you don't like them, that's fine. Like Lennon said listen to your old records.

 

I don't think they were expecting any airplay at this point. And by this time the label was themselves - Silver Arrow Records, CR's label which has also released all the CRB stuff.

They never released a "club mix" for the song. There was a DJ-released 12" "Heavy Disco Edit" (with a Rare Earth mix on the b-side!) from two years later which is pretty much the same track with a spoken introduction and a few effects thrown in. Maybe you're confusing it with "Lickin' (Dance Mix)", a Lions b-side from 2001.

 

MTV Spring Break '93 in Daytona Beach. "No Speak, No Slave" - this is The Black Crowes at their kick-ass best imo. Just smoking'.

 

Nicely stated. The band flow so high during the Marc years. It was like honey dripping from their fingers.

They have nothing more to prove imo.

 

Hot stuff for sure!

Imo it was a year or two later that they peaked. 94-95. Wow. But I won't take away from this. Hot stuff.

 

i thought the bands fanbase loved the 2 recent studio albums

 

Hi there, acouple of questions about the BC.

I just bought the 5 DC Box "Sho' Nuff" and really like the sound, but...

• is it worth to buy the LP's soundwise? The first 5?
• are the repressings coming out this year?

Thanks!

 

Meh.

BTF/UTF has a Couple good songs (Kept My Soul, Been A Long Time Waiting on Love) but a lot of filler (the Stills cover, Aimless Peacock)

Warpaint is simply passable - Walk Believer Walk and Oh Josephine are really good...but Gold In Them Hills may just be the worst TBC song on any album. Evergreen has great music by Rich and an awesome solo by Luther...but CR delivers some pretty dumb lyrics.

The best studio music from TBC us generally regarded as 1990-97.

The best live Era is basically, for all intents and purposes 1991-2007.

There were still some good shows after 2007, but there were some clunkers too.

1. Try and grab the original pressings of the first 4 albums (NOT the remastered ones, which are the same as what is in the box set)

2. Nope. CR & RR aren't talking. They are TBC, Inc. No reissues, no catalog stuff, no B-sides...

And now that boa has in effect "retired", there may possibly be no more archive releases coming through LBC at nugs.net.

Strange days indeed...

 

Finding those LPs won't be cheap. The only one I have is an original white vinyl of Amorica - the CD sounds better to my ears.

The repressings have been delayed for a couple of years and now seemingly cancelled. I wouldn't hold out hope. Also, BYS is Columbia/Sony so I think that would be on a different re-release schedule, if ever.

 

This may not be the place but the Rich Robinson Band will be headlining Metro Jam on Saturday evening June 20th...for FREE. The festival is on it's 37th year and is held in Manitowoc WI. It will be the final night of his tour and AG Ghent a fellow Atlanta musician will be opening for him. check it out at www.metrojam.org (By the way we make nothing off of this we just do it for the love of live music and our town and I thought this may be of interest to his fans)

 

Locust street is one of my favorite tunes by them

 

I do. And I believe most of the band's fanbase do too. But then there's also the very vocal "Marc & Eddie fanbase" who would rather the band stopped recording/performing if those two are not involved.

 

I like both of those albums. And the film that goes along with the releases (Before The Frost/Until The Freeze). I've been listening to the band since the beginning. I think it's shame they couldn't keep it together.

 

I liked the last two albums better than By Your Side and Lions.

 

That's not necessarily true - while I believe the best versions of that band had Marc & Ed in the lineup, here is my review of BTF/UTF from 2009 :

The Black Crowes – Before the Frost…Until the Freeze
August 31, 2009
Silver Arrow Records
Victim of Loudness War? No

The Black Crowes have long been established as one of rock and roll’s pre-eminent live acts. Over the last 20 years, they have pushed boundaries on stages across the world, refusing to play their hits, choosing to instead melt faces with soaring guitar duels, earthy jams, outtakes from album sessions, B-sides to singles, new originals, re-worked originals, or a myriad assortment of well-chosen and expertly executed covers. The unfortunate thing is, like a majority of bands who are vitally potent on stage, that vitality does not always translate onto record.

In the case of the Black Crowes, the studio catalog has been spotty at best. Discounting The Lost Crowes (a rarities collection released in 2006 comprised from unreleased sessions recorded from 1993-1997), the Crowes’ recorded output the past 10 years has ranged from tentative but earnest (last year’s “comeback”Warpaint) to non-cohesive experimentation (2001’sLions), to a downright awful parody of themselves (1999’s By Your Side). Even a live album (2002’s Live), which should have been the Crowes’ “ace in the hole,” failed to impress, mostly due to conservative song selection light on the jamming which defines their live experience, a sub-par line-up, and a very murky mix (very much a victim of the “Loudness War,” it is almost unlistenable).

Last year’s Warpaint, featuring new keyboardist Adam MacDougall and slide extraordinaire Luther Dickinson (North Mississippi All-Stars) on lead guitar was a step in the right direction; however, the raw experimentation that had permeated previous works was mostly missing – the record’s best moments were tempered with a weird anxiety – sometimes in the same songs (i.e “Walk Believer Walk,” “Wee Who See The Deep”), as if, as songwriters, brothers Chris (vocals, guitar) and Rich (guitar, vocals) felt they still had something to prove.

Those anxieties and insecurities are non-existent onBefore the Frost…Until the Freeze, a two-disc set of amazing scope and maturity, that was recorded live in front of a small audience at Levon Helm’s Barn in Woodstock, NY. It seems as if the Brothers Robinson chose to push forward by digging further into the musical past. All-out rockers (the opening “Good Morning Captain,” “Been A Long Time,” “A Train Still Makes A Lonely Sound”) can be found on the first disc (Before the Frost… ), right next to folk-tinged numbers (like “Appaloosa” and “Last Place Love Lives”) that feature fiddle and banjo contributions by Larry Campbell (Levon Helm, Bob Dylan, Phil Lesh & Friends). Also found on the first disc is Rich Robinson’s first lead vocal on a Crowes studio record (the wistful “What Is Home”) and the disco/funk-influenced, amazingly snotty first single “I Ain’t Hiding”, a song full of the lyrical vitriol that is found all over this double album.

That being said, the real treat is the second disc …Until The Freeze, (given away as a free mp3 or FLAC download to those who buy Before The Frost…), which opens up with the droning jam of “Aimless Peacock.” Featuring Rich Robinson on sitar, Larry Campbell’s fiddle, and Chris Robinson on harmonica, it is an amazingly vibe-heavy piece with almost no lyrics, save for the closing refrain “A song for everyone to sing.” “Peacock” eventually gives way to the harmony-driven “Shady Grove,” a folk-by-way-of-barroom-honky-tonk rock n’ roll number that is a winner from start to finish.

After that is “The Garden Gate,” which is a positively Appalachian, bluegrass-informed hoe-down. Again, Larry Campbell’s fiddle playing is amazing, and Dickinson’s mandolin flourishes are exquisite. If not for the voice, a person wouldn’t believe it was the Black Crowes, musically sounding as if someone has taken Yonder Mountain String Band, mixed it with Dan Tyminski of Allison Krauss’ band and filtered it through Beggar’s Banquet-era Stones. However, the highlight of Before the Frost…Until the Freeze has to be the gorgeous “Greenhorn,” a song filled with lush harmonies that is assured and mature, while remaining wistful and bright at the same time.

This may not be the record that most Crowes fans expect from the band, but it is an amazing piece of work. It certainly took guts for the band to release a record such as this, but it certainly feels right, as if this is exactly the record that they needed to make at this point, both to separate from their musical past as well as to open up the future. Before the Frost… signals a creative rebirth for the Crowes. While last year’s Warpaint was supposed to be the “comeback” record, this is the Black Crowes’ true return.

– Jeremy Hunsaker

https://recordreview.wordpress.com/2009/09/02/the-black-crowes-reawakened/#more-134

 

The box is good for the bonus material.

Get the original CDs.

The vinyl is OK but rare. I have the 3 Snake's 45 set. That sounds great. The Amorica vinyl is good. Maybe better than the cd. Southern Harmony is a waste.

Wish I had grabbed Lions on vinyl. I like about 2/3 of that gem.