True sons of the South, Georgia’s Black Crowes for north of two decades have been one of America’s preeminent purveyors of genuine blues rock. On their new 2-CD acoustic collection Croweology (available August 3), brothers Chris and Rich Robinson strip away nearly all the instruments originally found on some of their biggest hits and tastiest cuts, and in so doing, reveal each number’s true soul. Unencumbered by excess instrumental baggage, the Crowes once more prove why Melody Maker magazine once dubbed them “The most rock ‘n’ roll rock ‘n’ roll band in the world.” Light a candle, burn some incense, and share the ride.
Soul Singing: On the cusp of the band taking what they’ve termed an “indefinite hiatus,” the Black Crowes will leave fans with an absolutely amazing album (Croweology), a couple of very high profile television appearances (The Tonight Show with Jay Leno August 3; Jimmy Kimmel Live August 4), and a fresh round of coast-to-coast concert dates (the “Say Goodnight to the Bad Guys” tour begins August 13 in Milwaukee, WI, and closes with a 6-night residency December 12-19 at The Fillmore in San Francisco). In turn, fans – in this case, the fine folks responsible for choosing worthy artists for induction into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame – will honor the band on September 11 at the 32nd Annual Georgia Music Hall of Fame Awards Show.
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves; first things first – as always – is the music. Disc one of Croweology gets underway with an easy as Sunday morning laid back rendition of “Jealous Again” - arguably the band’s biggest hit – followed by the far more obscure “Let Me Share the Ride,” originally track 10 on 1996’s Three Snakes and One Charm. The group taps into 1992’s The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion and reworks its rock radio staples “Remedy” and “Hotel Illness,” here tracks 3 and 5, respectively. “Nonfiction,” “Wiser Time,” and “Ballad in Urgency” – all 3 originally on 1994’s Amorica - also populate disc 1, plus three more.
The CD-2 tracklist includes “She Talks to Angels” and “Sister Luck” (both off Shake Your Money Maker), “My Morning Song,” “Thorn in My Pride,” and “Bad Luck Blue Eyes Goodbye” (all 3 off Southern Harmony), “Downtown Money Waster” (Amorica), “Good Friday” and “Girl From a Pawnshop” (both off Three Snakes), “Welcome to the Good Times” (By Your Side), and the Gram Parsons nugget “She.”
The Black Crowes may be flying off for a well-deserved extended rest in their individual nests, but, though the thought of losing their favorite band for an indefinite period of time may be hard to handle, rest assured fans will be waiting with open arms for their eventual return. Until then, Croweology will be their remedy.
Telling The Congregation: Catch Chris Robinson talking about the genesis of Croweology and sticking with the band through thick and thin for more than 20 years:
As A Matter of Fact…
* The current Black Crowes lineup consists of Chris Robinson (vocals, guitar), Rich Robinson (guitar), Steve Gorman (drums), Sven Pipien (bass), Luther Dickinson (guitar), and Adam McDougall (keyboards).
* Chris and Rich Robinson first formed the band in Atlanta as Mr. Crowes Garden in 1984; they signed to American Recordings as the Black Crowes in 1989 and released their debut Shake Your Money Maker the following year.
* In 1999, the Crowes were joined onstage by Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. The union led to the release of the live album Live at the Greek and a subsequent full-scale tour with Page the following year,
* Croweology (also available on vinyl and on iTunes) was recorded last year at Sunset Sound Studios in Los Angeles.