The Black Crowes best album

Here at Minneapolis Music Blog I am going to continue ranking albums from some of my favorite bands and musicians of the past.  “The Most Rock & Roll Rock & Roll Band in the World”, The Black Crowes, are up next and rightfully so.  Chris and Rich Robinson have been soul singing since the late 1980’s with their own brand of bluesy soul flavored rock and they’ve influenced me deeply along the way.  After several changes of the guards, they are still at it today and touring as heavily as ever.

1. Amorica – I’ve seen the polls and read all the reviews that say The Black Crowes second album, The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion, is their best.  Well I ain’t buying it!  Their third album Amorica is sex, drugs and rock-n-roll at its very finest.  Amorica, released in 1994 is so raw that even the original cover that depicted an American flag bikini being ever too small was like a big middle finger to the establishment.  Of course the original cover was quickly censored, but the true artistic beauty lies within the music.  This entire album is loaded with fan-favorites and the songs “Cursed Diamond”, “Nonfiction”, “She Gave Good Sunflower” and “Wiser Time” are some of mine.  The Black Crowes always did things their way and just like the band, Amorica makes no excuses whatsoever.  That I respect greatly.
2. The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion – This, the Crowes’ second album was released in 1992 as the follow-up to their hit debut, Shake Your Money Maker.  The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion is vintage Black Crowes and a true masterpiece.  Upon its release it went straight to #1 on Billboard’s top 200 albums and subsequently produced four #1 hits (“Remedy”, “Sting Me”, “Thorn in My Pride”, “Hotel Illness”) which is a record for rock albums.  Southern Harmony was the first album showcasing the amazing Marc Ford on guitar who took over for Jeff Cease.  With the “High as the Moon” tour following its release, The Black Crowes added keyboardist Eddie Harsch therefore creating one of the best rock-n-roll bands in music history.  Live powerhouse tunes, “My Morning Song”, “No Speak, No Slave” and “Black Moon Creeping” are featured on this must-have album.
3. Shake Your Money Maker – In January of 1990 The Black Crowes released their debut album on Rick Rubin’s Def American Records label.  Rubin signed the promising young band to what the Crowes’ manager, Pete Angeles, later described as “the worst contract in the history of music”.  Rick Rubin essentially reaped every reward the album produced.  With Angeles finally on board, the band was later able to renegotiate.  Through all of this Shake Your Money Maker did not suffer and immediately was received as a multi-platinum hit album with help of commercial favorites, “She Talks To Angels”, “Hard to Handle”, and “Twice as Hard”.  “Seeing Things” is the true gem of this album though.
4. Before the Frost – Read my review of this album here.  I added Before the Frost to this list after it was released.
5. Three Snakes & One Charm – If Amorica was the album The Black Crowes made while stumbling high through psychedelic land (need proof?), Three Snakes & One Charm is the morning after when they woke up.  This album is stripped down, less aggressive and is loaded with plenty of jammy influence.  Overall the album did not recieve much commercial success despite the singles, “Good Friday” and “Blackberry” and many may not find this album very accessible.  It’s a good album though with the Crowes’ ultimate lineup still in tact and it produced some beautiful tunes like “Girl From A Pawnshop”, “Evil Eye” and “One Mirror Too Many”.  After The Black Crowes’ role in 1997’s Further Fest, the lineup unfortunately parted ways with the departure of Marc Ford on guitar and Johnny Colt on bass.  The band was never again the same.
6. Warpaint – Seven long years after the release of the 2001 album Lions, The Black Crowes put out their most recent album Warpaint in March of 2008.  Warpaint points the band in an entirely new direction compared to their previous efforts and showcases their early country and 70’s folk-rock influences.  With the first few listens I was quite disappointed but the more I listen the more I realize this is a nice album, especially taken for what it is and not comparing it to their other albums.  Luther Dickenson of the North Mississippi Allstars joined the band for this effort lending his resonant slide guitar sound.  Longtime keyboardist, Eddie Harsch, was given the boot before the album was released and was replaced by Adam MacDougall.  Tracks “Goodbye Daughters of the Revolution”, “Walk Believer Walk”, “Evergreen” and “Locust Street” are definite standout tracks.  Warpaint was released on The Black Crowes own label Silver Arrow Records and upon its release the band embarked on another huge tour crossing all points of the US.
7. Lions – Lions was released on Richard Branson’s V2 Records on May 7th, 2001 after the Crowes departed from Columbia Records due to promotional issues with the release of By Your Side.  This album featured guitarist Audley Freed for the first time who joined the band on the By Your Side tour.  And while Freed is an accomplished guitarist, he is no Marc Ford by any means.  Before the recording of Lions, The Black Crowes backed Led Zeppelin guitar god, Jimmy Page, on a short tour playing all Zeppelin tunes.  That, and singer Chris Robinson’s new relationship with actress Kate Hudson directly influenced the sound of Lions which was critically acclaimed as being a 70’s rock ripoff with lack of invention.  “Cosmic Friend” is a psychedelic ride, and “Lay It All On Me” are good tracks but overall this album lacks some serious standouts.
8. By Your Side – Released in 1999 after the split of Marc Ford and Johnny Colt, By Your Side was an album made with a dull edge, a bit of glam, and a lot of radio-friendliness.  Overall, many critics enjoyed the album due to its straightforward nature similar to the sound and production of their debut Shake Your Money Maker, but I for one disagree, especially in comparison to their previous classics The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion and Amorica. Kevin Shirley produced the album and pushed the Crowes out of their element with a strict recording schedule that eliminated long nights and weekends and it shows through on the album which is as polished as a chrome bumper.  Rich Robinson played every guitar track on this album.  With exception of the awesome rocker “Horsehead”, By Your Side was far too clean for my liking, especially coming from a band who could get as down and dirty as The Black Crowes.