Rich Robinson

LP Review: The Black Crowes’ Solid, Rocking Comeback – ‘Happiness Bastards’

~ kcorsini ~ 4 Comments

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I can’t tell you how much we’ve been waiting for this new Black Crowes album down here at B&V. The phrase, “highly anticipated” doesn’t do it justice. Both the Rock Chick and I have been fans of the Crowes since their early days. The Black Crowes, formed by brothers Chris Robinson (vocals) and Rich Robinson (guitars) have had an up and down career. That can happen when brothers form bands. When the Crowes first started out, we thought they were the Stones of the 90s. They had a similar sound to the Stones or perhaps more accurately a sound similar to Stones’ acolytes Humble Pie and the Faces. We hoped they’d have the Stones’ longevity… Somewhere along the line the Crowes turned into a bit of jam band, or at least that was the impression many of us got. They broke up after 2001’s Lions and I’m not sure any of us were terribly surprised. If my brother and I had formed a band I’m sure he would have fired me a long time ago…

However, by the time they broke up again in 2015, I’m not sure I even noticed. After reuniting in 2005 they’d put out two very solid albums – 2008’s Warpaint (which is sadly overlooked) and 2009’s Before The Frost…Until The Freeze. They’d recorded that latter double LP of new material, live in Levon Helm’s barn in front of an intimate crowd. I still don’t think that album was a jam band album. It was more rootsy than jammy? I think that whole jam band reputation comes more from Chris Robinson’s solo projects like the Chris Robinson Brotherhood. Not that there’s anything wrong with jam bands but I digress. The animosity between the brothers Robinson was so bad in 2015 I never thought they’d get back together.

But, and good for them as humans, they reconnected as brothers before they reconnected as band mates. I’m sure that made Thanksgiving less awkward and made their mother happy. Everybody wins. Eventually they decided, like you do, to get the band together. They were criticized for not involving any former members, especially erstwhile drummer Steve Gorman. But Gorman had written a tell-all book about the Black Crowes that wasn’t a terribly flattering portrait of the Robinson Brothers. They said when they first got back together that they were trying to keep influences who were “negative to their relationship” out of the band. Read that how you want. Sometimes you’ve got weigh the pro’s and cons of a relationship, especially in light of the chemistry within a band. Chemistry is so important and yet so fragile in a working rock n roll outfit.

I think it’s safe to say at first the reunion was a tentative one. They intended to tour for the 30th anniversary of Shake Your Money Maker, their sensational debut album but then… Covid. I loved the deluxe edition of that album. In particular one of the outtakes from those sessions, “Charming Mess” is sensational. In light of their tour being cancelled they recorded a great, fun little EP of cover songs all from 1972, creatively titled 1972. I dug that little exercise. They did everything from Bowie to the Stones to Little Feat. It was fun but it could also be read as an experiment to see if their formerly combustible chemistry could take being in  the studio together. With the release of their first album of all new material in 15 years, it seems the answer was yes, it could.

The Brothers Robinson did eventually get a former member of the Black Crowes back into the fold, bass player Sven Pippien. They augmented the line up with Erik Deutsch on keyboards, Cully Symington on drums and Nico Bereciartua on guitar. Sure, I’d like to see Weird Eddie Harsch back on keyboards, but alas I think he passed in 2016. The new album is called Happiness Bastards and was produced by Jay Joyce. Oddly, I have never heard of this producer. I hear he’s been tied to rootsy albums. I know he’s worked with Emmylou Harris, John Hiatt, and Cage The Elephant… although admittedly most his credits read country. Have no fear though, this is not a country album.

I guess the Crowes had a choice to come back rocking or come back jamming and they chose to rock. I will admit, my first listen of Happiness Bastards didn’t grab me like I thought it would. Expectations can be tricky, and mine were pretty high. Sometimes though, you just have to commune with a new album – put it on the headphones… listen in the car… really spend some time with it. And I’ll tell you, the more I listened to this album the more I like it. I mean, if you’re looking for Southern Harmony And Musical Companion 2.0 – and considering the cover art is that album’s cover photo painted over like graffiti, so you could be forgiven for hoping for that – you’re likely going to be disappointed. Not many bands are gonna pull off a second Southern Harmony in a career. As mentioned the Crowes have definitely decided to come out swinging. It’s all guitars/drums/vocals with a few harmonica and keyboard accents. And in 2024 we need good ol’ solid rock n roll like this in our lives.

I think one of the reasons I didn’t immediately connect with this album on first listen – it’s more of a “grower” – is because of the first two tracks, “Bedside Manners” and “Rats And Clowns.” They’ve grown on me, believe me, but on first listen it sounded like they were trying too hard. They’re both balls-to-the-wall rockers but like on Van Halen’s first album with Sammy, the songs “Good Enough” and “Get Up” sounded like they were trying too hard to establish chemistry with the new singer. So too, these first two Crowes tunes sounded a little like they were trying too hard to re-establish their chemistry. But, the more I listen to these songs the better they sound. “Rats And Clowns” may be aimed at former band members?

There are two, great rootsy, acoustic songs. I really dug “Kindred Friend,” the track that ends the record. It’s not “She Talks To Angels,” but it’s a nice upbeat strummer. I love the lyrics, “Sit at my table, let me fill your glass with something strong and fine, Stay forever or leave tonight, Thankful for the time…” Nothing better than sharing a glass of something dark and murky with an old pal. The other track is “Wilted Rose” and features country singer Lainey Wilson. I’ll be honest, I had to google her. Her contribution here is more of a harmony vocal, it’s not a duet. But again, I love my Crowes old style acoustic songs.

When we get into the meat of this record, there is so much kick ass rock n roll to like. “Wanting And Waiting,” the first single, is just a great song. It’s a classic Black Crowes tune. “Cross Your Fingers,” the second single is a wild ride of a song. It starts acoustic and then turns into rocking funk, like they had too many ideas… but in a good way. “Dirty Cold Sun” is maybe my favorite… rocking guitars over an organ and a snarling vocal. Oh, yes the Crowes are back! “Bleed It Dry” is a fantastic blues song, complete with harmonica. It might end up on my Rockers Playing the Blues/Blues Rock playlist. I love that the Black Crowes still play the blues. “Flesh Wound” is another galloping rocker that should be played up loud.

The Crowes are back with a solid, if not completely sensational album of rock n roll. That, to me, is grounds for celebration. Two warring brothers, putting aside their feud and instead picking up instruments and making a glorious racket. Let’s all cross our fingers that this time the reunion holds and these guys continue to build that all important rock n roll chemistry. I know I’ll be keeping my eyes on the tour for this album… I haven’t seen them since the By Your Side Tour…

Cheers!

Review: Black Crowes ‘Southern Harmony & Musical Companion (Super Deluxe)’ – Revisiting Their Classic Second Album

~ kcorsini ~ 7 Comments

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The Black Crowes have just released a box set for their landmark second album – and how many second albums can we say that about, that it’s a classic? – Southern Harmony And Musical Companion. The box is modeled much the same way as the Shake Your Money Maker – 30th Anniversary box from a few years ago in that it’s a three disc box with the original album, a disc of outtakes and finally a concert disc from the “High As The Moon Tour” from 1992-1993. I still wonder why I didn’t include the Crowes and Southern Harmony on my list of bands who defied the “sophomore slump.” Maybe because their debut album was so strong? While I love this album and if you don’t own it this is a nice package, I do think the box is flawed. And at (currently) $97, it’s a bit pricey for a three disc set.

As I have stated before, I got on the Crowes band wagon in 1990, shortly after I’d returned from my corporate exile in Northwest Arkansas. I remember hearing “Jealous Again” in my car and that was all it took. I may have even heard this song when I still lived in Arkansas. However, I did wait until I heard their Otis Redding cover “Hard To Handle” before I headed down to the CD store in Westport to pick up the album. Man, am I glad I did. Blues rock had largely been supplanted in the 80s by Hair Metal. Those bands all wanted to look and sound like Van Halen – few did – and that wonderful connection to rock’s roots in the blues was severed. When the Crowes surfaced, they took me back to that classic Stones/Faces vibe that I sooo love. The Stones are my Alpha and Omega. In a world dominated at the time by Grunge, here was a band singing the blues and lamenting how they were “Seeing Things.” Oh, yes!

By May 12th in 1992 I was home in Kansas City and in that classic successful phase of life known as, “Moved back in with my parents.” So I can only guess that my first time hearing the first single “Remedy” had to be in the car. Mom didn’t appreciate high volume rock n roll the same way I did. She almost had a heart attack when I played some Sabbath at full volume… I didn’t know she was home…Anyway, at the time I remember reading in Rolling Stone magazine that the Crowes were putting out their second album. I was primed for some new Crowes but second albums can be difficult… the sophomore slump is real. As ready as I was for new Crowes in 1992, I was not emotionally prepared for the power of that first single, “Remedy.” God, what a song! It leaped from the speakers and grabbed me by the lapel and slapped my face. That riff was huge and heavy and wonderful. I steered the car immediately to the record store. I remember visiting a guy I knew in Dallas at the time and I couldn’t stop singing “Remedy.” I kept blowing the lyric, “Baby, baby why you dye your hair…” and I was singing, at the top of my lungs, “Baby, baby why you dry your hair…” Yes, there was drink involved. It’s hard to stay sober in Texas.

The first half of Southern Harmony is about as good as the Crowes ever got. And believe it’s sublime rock n roll, dripping with blues feel. The opener “Sting Me” did just that. That track led to “Remedy,” my favorite Crowe’s tune. But just when you’d been pummeled into submission, in a good way, here comes the acoustic guitars (which weren’t heard a lot back then outside of the Unplugged Series) with “Thorn In My Pride.” “Bad Luck Blue Eyes, Goodbye” perhaps my favorite of their bluesy stuff, follows and at that point I’m in need of a shot of bourbon and fan. After that they just rock out. Listening to the entire album yesterday while I drove down to the DMV (yet again), it was those deeper, harder rock tracks that grabbed my ear. “Hotel Illness” was always a favorite. “Black Moon Creeping” is a sledgehammer of a rock song as is “No Speak No Slave.” “My Morning Song” is a great slide riff. There’s not a bad moment on this album. And then, just to freak me out, they cover a deep track of Bob Marley’s, “Time Will Tell.” Acoustic reggae on a blues rock album, Hell, yes!

As mentioned, the first disc in the box is the original album in all it’s glory. It’s been remastered and as usual they’ve cranked up the sound to 11 so it’s pretty damn loud aka “brickwalled.” But if you’ve never owned the album it’s still a great listen. Disc 2, for me is usually where the gold is found. Although, and this is where I think this disc is flawed, there’s only 9 tracks on the outtakes disc. I have to think these guys were on such a roll they had more in the can than just these 9 tracks. The last four tracks are “In Studio Live” versions of tracks on the album: “Sting Me (Slow),” “Sometimes Salvation,” “Blue Eyes Bad Luck, Goodbye” and “Black Moon Creeping.” Those are nice to have but far from essential. The “Sting Me (Slow)” version is one that I already had as bonus track. It is, as advertised, a “slow” version of “Sting Me” which is interesting.

Half the bonus disc filled with “In Studio Live” is just meh for me. However, that said there are 5 nice outtakes that every Crowes fan will dig. “99 Pounds” is quintessential Crowes, but it has been released prior to this and yes, I already have the song. “Miserable,” which I reviewed earlier, is a great track. I like the slow burn blues track more each time I hear it… and it does explode into a jam at the end. They do a ripping “In Studio Live” cover of Dylan’s “Rainy Day Woman No 12 & 35,” (the “everybody must get stoned” song). I do so love Dylan covers… “Boomer’s Story” is a nice bluesy number. It would have fit perfectly on the album. I really like this song. “Darling Of The Underground Press” is an acoustic blues number that knocks me out. Over bluesy acoustic there are stabs of electric guitar. As much as I love “Time Will Tell,” (nobody covers Bob Marley!), I would have rather had this track on the finished album.

Disc 3 is a concert from the tour for Southern Harmony, which was known as the “High As The Moon” tour. This was the first tour me and my friends saw the Crowes and man, were they awesome. As an aside, the Rock Chick saw the Crowes on their first tour when they opened for Aerosmith. She said she was more impressed with the Crowes that night than she was with Aerosmith. There’s a reason I call her the Rock Chick, but I digress. I saw pretty much the same setlist as they played in Houston, where this concert was recorded… this was only a couple of weeks before we – Storm Cat, the Accountant and I – saw them. Storm Cat liked the show so much a few months later he jumped in a car with two stoner cooks from where he worked and drove up to St Joseph, Missouri to see it again… kudo’s Storm!

No one is a bigger fan of a live album culled from the then current tour that bands put into these box sets than I am. It’s also usually where the gold is. Guns N Roses shows from the Use Your Illusions tour is a case in point. I don’t know how many times I’ve walked out of a concert and thought, “that should be the live album, just release this show.” Of course nowadays, bands actually do that. I purchased the Springsteen show I saw in February here in KC right after I saw the show and I love that live album! There was a real opportunity for the Crowes on this live disc. However, they edited all the Shake Your Money Maker live songs from the concert off this disc. They also did a Bob Marley cover that night and they cut it off. You get each Southern Harmony track live plus a “Jam” they put together. It’s good but as they say down south, it’s like kissing your sister. If they’d released the whole show I’d be 100% in. It doesn’t help that the bootleg of the entire show has been out there for 30 years… Sigh. They blew this one. Give us the whole concert – especially at $97!

As much as I love the Black Crowes – I even loved the EP they did last year 1972 – I can’t recommend this box as a purchase. First and foremost, it’s too expensive. The price may come down after the first of the year so keep an eye out and you may get it cheaper. The outtakes disc is far too short and contains too many “In Studio Live” songs that are already on the LP in a superior version. And finally, they edited the concert down which is, in this Rock Historian/Complete-ist view, a sin. This is going to be a set that you’ll want to stream – especially those first 5 outtakes – and the concert. While disappointing as edited, the live performance is still somethin’. This is some peak Black Crowes on these slender discs.

Cheers and Happy Holidays!