Black Crowes Recommendations

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Interpolantics, Apr 20, 2018.

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  1. John Fell

    John Fell Forum Survivor

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    Disappointing to you. I thought it was a return to form and the critics liked it.
     
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  2. Rhett

    Rhett Forum Resident

    Location:
    Cool City
    What form?
     
  3. John Fell

    John Fell Forum Survivor

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    The sound of the first 2 albums.
     
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  4. Desolation Row

    Desolation Row Forum Resident

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    Oklahoma
    "Yeah, well that's just, like, your opinion, man." Your critique omits the album Band, the album the, well, band actually wanted to release. That's an important part of the equation for many fans.
     
  5. Rhett

    Rhett Forum Resident

    Location:
    Cool City
    Yes and no.
    The 1st album and 2nd album were produced by George Drakoulias.

    The 1st album was a debut in that George helped the band get those songs together as a producer. And it was a solid debut - sorta like a Georgia Satellites type of flavor to it. The songs are tight and compact for the most part. Some would say commercial I suppose.

    The 2nd album - this is where it gets interesting.
    Marc joins, Ed Harsch is playing and the band sounds like a real band playing together live in the studio. These sound like songs the band wants to play and these songs are long - there are no obvious edited (for time) tracks on here. It feels like George just rolled tape and the band did their thing. It doesn't sound like there was a committee steering this album. It doesn't sound commercial.

    This album's production in no way does it sound like Kevin Shirley's production. Nope.
     
  6. Rhett

    Rhett Forum Resident

    Location:
    Cool City
    That's true. Sony/Columbia didn't like The Band (with Marc Ford) and said the songs weren't good enough. I think I may like the album The Band more than TSAOC by a tad but then (for me) The Crowes would've had a nice 4 album run (excluding SYMM).
    By the time BYS needed to be recorded (because of the rejection of The Band album) - Marc was now gone. Now Rich was recording all the guitars for the album.
     
  7. Matthew Tate

    Matthew Tate Forum Resident

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    Richmond, Virginia

    so now my opinion doesn't matter because i'm not older than moses?
     
  8. John Fell

    John Fell Forum Survivor

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    That is problem for me. The jammy type songs don't really work for me. I like the tighter and more compact songs. The songs on the second album are more jammy than those on the first album but still catchy. By the time of Amorica and Three Snakes And One Charm they were jammy but not as catchy.
     
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  9. twicks

    twicks Forum Resident

    Location:
    Detroit
    I knew the first two albums pretty well from when they came out, but only recently did a deep dive into the catalog from there.

    While Amorica is clearly the artistic highpoint I find myself going to By Your Side almost as much as Southern Harmony. It's just a loud, fun listen. And sometimes that's enough.
     
  10. Deek57

    Deek57 Forum Resident

    Aerosmith, what ? I don't hear that. I find BYS the most "Faces" like sounding album in their cannon. Nothing wrong with that per say. BUT, as you say the songs are too commercial sounding. too short, it's their "sell out pop" album. I don't hate BYS I do though think it their worst/weakest album, along with "Lions" my least (by a long way) played album(s). Fwiw my favourites are "SHaMC and Amorica and the live "Freak and Roll....Into the Fog". I love the long jams, the longer the better, Rich and Marc doing the fine art of weaving, I love it, gimme more..
     
    Last edited: Sep 2, 2018
  11. Former Lee Warmer

    Former Lee Warmer Emotional Rescue

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    NoBoCoMO
    Emphasis on the "loud" part, that thing can part your hair.
     
  12. Jim Walker

    Jim Walker Senior Member

    Location:
    southeast porttown
    I've listened to the Black Crowes for a long time, have owned the
    first two at one time or another, have a handful of fabulous 90's
    live shows, still have and love Amorica from when it was released,
    and just got through listening to half of a BC record I've always
    wanted, but never got until now. Three Snakes and a Charm is
    bliss... thought it was a great impressive listen.
     
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  13. tinnox

    tinnox Senior Member

    Location:
    Maryland
    Three Snakes And One Charm is an underrated gem
     
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  14. Former Lee Warmer

    Former Lee Warmer Emotional Rescue

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    3 Snakes is easily my favorite TBC album.
     
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  15. Former Lee Warmer

    Former Lee Warmer Emotional Rescue

    Location:
    NoBoCoMO
    They could've 'rocked' Band up by adding "Exit", "Pastoral", and "Spider In the Sugar Bowl Blues" and Sony MIGHT have released it...

    But remember, Sony also rejected the Crowes 2nd attempt at a 3 Snakes follow up, the album recorded in late '97 (as a 5 piece with Sven), the album with "Baby", "Old Man & the Midnight Sea", "Bled To Death" and the first "Cosmic Friend"...so it's entirely possible that Sony wasn't going to put out anything by TBC BUT a loud, "modern" rehash of the first album....
     
  16. JeffHunt

    JeffHunt Stray Cat Strutting

    Location:
    Pennsylvania, USA
    Hate the long jams. I like the Black Crowes when they rock.
     
  17. Former Lee Warmer

    Former Lee Warmer Emotional Rescue

    Location:
    NoBoCoMO
    Of course, but you like crappy nü-cøuntry, too.

    You don't know what's good for ya, Wildheart.
     
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  18. Rocketdog

    Rocketdog Senior Member

    Location:
    ME, USA
    Crappy track listing? From a certain point of view, perhaps, but it's literally all of their hits/single releases up until that point. It's complete truth in advertising from a commercial perspective, and to someone who was only familiar with the band from what they heard on radio or saw on MTV, these would be the songs they would, or might, know.

    Granted, as a fan who appreciated more than just the commercial hits, and prefers their deeper cuts, than I could see that you might have the opinion you do. For the average listener, though, it is a good starting point.

    It's pretty much the exact order in which the songs were released as singles, so it's anthological as a collection as much as it's a Hits compilation. Again, it makes sense in that respect, even if you don't appreciate it.
     
    Last edited: Oct 15, 2018
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  19. Rocketdog

    Rocketdog Senior Member

    Location:
    ME, USA
    I think you're missing the point, though. It was supposed to be LOUD - as in attention grabbing, in-your-face kind of way. Because let's face it, TSAAC certainly wasn't. It was their weakest selling album to that point. I believe that is also why Band was likely rejected by the label, as well. They heard it, and just didn't find it commercial enough, which, when you're switching over to a new label, success is something they are hoping to get out of you. Look at the musical landscape of the time. Band, even if the label had released it, would likely have not performed well at radio, or on the charts. Columbia and John Kalodner were hoping for hits, which is why they chose the approach they did. Not saying it was right, but I'm sure it seemed like the right move to make by all concerned parties at the time. Turns out it didn't work, and it was he last album they made for Columbia, with the band returning to more of the jammy sound heard on the rest of their output.
     
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  20. California Couple

    California Couple dislike us on facebook

    Location:
    Newport Beach
    Even with the first albums 9 year head start, I have played By Your Side far more times than I have ever played Shake.
    Not sure why. Maybe I need to listen to that first one again.
     
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  21. M2225

    M2225 Nebulus 7 intergalaxy eclipse

    Location:
    Helsinki, Finland
    Great to see a live Crowes thread! Nothing to add here, first four albums are super, Amorica is my favourite!
     
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  22. JeffHunt

    JeffHunt Stray Cat Strutting

    Location:
    Pennsylvania, USA
    Ah, well. 'Tis what it 'tis.

    I don't like the Grateful Dead. I didn't like it when the Crowes tried to be the Dead.
     
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  23. Mook

    Mook Forum Resident

    That's fantastic.

    Personally, I wouldn't recommend it to someone who asked about The Black Crowes but we're all different.
     
  24. Former Lee Warmer

    Former Lee Warmer Emotional Rescue

    Location:
    NoBoCoMO
    Understood, but the Crowes never tried to be the Dead. They had an extremely organic evolution into what I consider the preeminent "jam band" of our time.

    The Dead were into sonic exploration via an almost free-jazz disregard for "the rules"; the Crowes' jams were rhythmic and tribal, and seemed to be a natural extension of whatever part of the song they found themselves in.


    It's an oversimplification to say "the Crowes tried to be the Dead", because I get what you're saying...but I don't HEAR it.

    1995-1997 and 2005-2006 are the high water mark of live TBC for a reason.
     
  25. twicks

    twicks Forum Resident

    Location:
    Detroit
    This is probably the last song I would include on a self-made Crowes best-of.

     
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