Will we ever get more Alabama Shakes?

I realize that here in 2020, everything is questionable. But can we expect new music ever again from Alabama Shakes?
Or are they forever gonzo?
Brittany is making great solo music, but it's not the 'Shakes. It's a totally different thing.

 

I sure hope so!!

 

Me too!!

 

After listening to Brittany Howard’s interview on WTF a couple of months ago, it sure doesn’t sound like she’s ever planning on playing with them again. Doesn’t mean it won’t happen eventually, but it seems unlikely any time soon.

 

new interview out today ...

Brittany Howard on Going Solo, Making Music With a Message, and Where She's Headed Next

 

This is what inspired me to start this thread!

 

Honestly, Brittany could play those songs with any solid band and they’d sound the same. Even when I first saw them back when the first album came out it seemed pretty obvious that she was going places with or without the other people onstage. I like the vibe they had, but I don’t think anyone in that band was particularly irreplaceable. She notably didn’t play any Shakes stuff solo so far, but I imagine that changing over time, as is the pattern for most solo artists, it seems like.

 

I sure hope so. Brittany did write most of the lyrics for Alabama Shakes but the songs were a total collaboration for the whole band. I love both their records, and I hope in a few years they knock out a reunion record. I don't see why not. There wasn't any major fall out of bad blood. Brittany just wanted to explore other collaborations. I think it'll happen at some point. It would certainly be financially beneficial for her to do so, and that never hurts reunion chances.

 

Here's my take, opinions, all of the nine yards:
They are all great. AS, Brittany, the songs, the vibe...if I could change some things, what would that be? Since this is a music forum for audiophiles, one glaring issue is how these albums were recorded. They are WAY too loud, and I think that issue is with the producer/engineers. Also, it's a budget thing.
We know they didn't use analog tape. We know that some songs can cause hearing damage if you don't start at a low volume and get a sudden blast of "Gimme All Your Love".
Here is a situation where the material cannot be harmed by a jacked up recording. But with a low point of 3 on the DR scale, it's just NOT necessary. I have the Shakes on LP, both of them, and it's a little better, but not much.
This is why MANY of their live videos sound so good. They are just jamming, no ear-splitting brick-walling.
So many in HQ on YouTube...it's cool.
"Gemini" - from Austin City Limits

 

Inside Track: Alabama Shakes’ Sound & Color

 

She needs the rest of the Shakes even less than Neil Young needs C , S and N.

 

Any recommendations on where to start with Alabama Shakes?

 

I'd start with their first album, Boys & Girls...then Sound & Color. There is also a necessary single, "Always Alright" somewhere in there, too.
I heard Sound & Color and was floored. Then I got the first album. Floored again. But Sound & Color is probably more 'out-there' in it's sound and moods.
Since they only have two fine albums, it's your choice where to start!

 

Does Blake Mills brickwall everything he produces?

 

Good question...

 

Agree 100%. They are so much better and more natural sounding live. It's a shame that an album as unique sounding as "Sound & Color" has a lower dynamic range than System of a Down's "Toxicity"...seriously!!

 

A friend of mine who is a tour manager let drop that Alabama Shakes broke up while we were having a late night in front of a turntable. I said, “are you sure? I hadn’t heard that” and she said “oh ****, you didn’t hear it from me”

 

Wow. I wonder why they are keeping it a secret. This is the part I hate about the industry.
Thank God I got the LPs before they are nowhere to be found.
Well, one more band I will not see live.
I love Brittany, but she should have given the Shakes another 2 to 3 albums. I wonder why this came about. RIP Shakes.

 

No doubt she is a star. But the real question is...why?
Why break apart a stellar band? I like her solo material...just not quite as much as the Shakes.
I'm going to guess:
Some agent convinced her that she could make more money without them. Typical music industry. OR...
Maybe they hate each other. Maybe the band put their souls into their careers and then had the rug pulled by someone or something.
Hard to say!

 

Who could replace Zack's beard?

 

This

 

I spelled "Zac" wrong...

With recent legal troubles here for the drummer...I think the Shakes won't be back...definitely not with HIM drumming.
Bring on a new drummer.
Let Brittany produce the album (but also get a engineer that doesn't mash the sound - Sound & Color is a superb album...mastered much too loudly)...analog tape, without the "3" DR value.

I think they're done.

 

Well here's a little more Alabama Shakes...three unreleased studio cuts and 4 live-in-studio versions for a S&C deluxe reissue:

Alabama Shakes - Sound & Color (Deluxe) [2xLP - Translucent Purple/Clear]


I could see the Shakes doing another studio album with Mills and tour in a few years (the tour would be a huge seller), most likely after one more Brittany solo album, though, and for sure with her current drummer Nate Smith.

Alabama Shakes reunion album and tour in 2025. Book it haha!

 

Howard's album Jaime is one of my favorite albums of the last decade. She's on a tear right now, her band is electrifying and she's got Nate Smith on drums. Absolutely no reason to step back at this moment. Honestly, she's currently got one of the best bands on the road, laying waste to most anyone else. I hope that doesn't change for some time.