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The Black Crowes Live (2002) - this live album is one of the live albums I had not heard before, and it seems it was largely for good reason. Having seen them live and heard a few of their live albums and shows, they can be a truly transformative band in the live setting. They can jam, but that jamming usually remains within the structure of the song and pushes their material to the next level. That level of live performance was evident in Live at the Greek but not so much here. For the most part, they are tearing through their songs in almost an exact replication of what’s on the album - particularly in the first half of this release. The main highlight for me early on here were Greasy Grass River, Girl From a Pawnshop, and Cosmic Friend which all saw some level of their ability.
In the second half, things did start to come together more memorably. High Head Blues was great, as was Title Song. She Talks to Angels featured really wonderful slide work.
The release really just disappointed me based on what they are capable of, but any live Crowes is better than none.
Just a note here I will skip Lost Crowes since it is not available at the moment on Spotify and I don’t have it on CD anywhere (I have the first 5 studio albums, Into the Fog..., Warpaint, and the recording of the show I went to in 2013). Sometimes I guess there are limitations to such ventures...Into the Fog is next.
I just listened to it on a drive and my updated take is the songwriting is B but the band is smoking at A+. The performance and arrangements are great and tight, maybe a little too tight. Would like to have the solos a little louder in the mix and a little longer. I’d love to hear live recordings from this tour, to see if the songs breathed a little more or jammed out.
Their '96 shows are awesome, I used to have a bunch burned on CD, I think St. Louis was one I liked a lot.
Also what happened to Lost Crowes? It was on Apple Music for awhile but not anymore.
Just a note here I will skip Lost Crowes since it is not available at the moment on Spotify and I don’t have it on CD anywhere (I have the first 5 studio albums, Into the Fog..., Warpaint, and the recording of the show I went to in 2013). Sometimes I guess there are limitations to such ventures...Into the Fog is next.
Half of it is on there under The Tall Session.
_________________ absinthe makes the heart grow fonder...
If you're on the Amorica 3 message board, you've seen the effort one member there made to clean up as much of the various studio outtakes and unreleased sessions stuff that has leaked or shown up over the years. I honestly have mixed feelings (no pun intended) because the guy went through and did some "repairs" to take out some things, add some others, or balance the volume more consistently on some tracks. Since these weren't ever officially mastered or released, I suppose it's fair game, but what results is a pretty solid case for four additional albums that they could've released. Some of the songs are earlier versions of things that were later re-reworked and released, but none of these were official releases.
Exit The Fear Years Tied Up And Swallowed Title Song Painkiller Bewildered Song Of The Flesh Wind And Wood Heart Feathers She Gave Good Sunflower Bitter, Bitter You
2) Curses and Clues
Never Forget This Song Smile Another Roadside Tragedy Boomer’s Story Lifevest My Heart’s Killing Me Nothing Love Everything Paint An 8 Spider In The Sugarbowl Blues Everybody Has Scars Entrance Wyoming And Me Peace Anyway Downtown Money Waster
Download for albums 3 and 4: we.tl/t-Y3zl4AcM6n
3) The Glory Revival
Share My Blanket Movin’ On Natural Born Turn It On Late Nights Again Nobody Rides For Free Show Me What You Can Do It Takes One To Know One Here Comes Daylight Ready For Rain Spaces In Between Right Where You Want Me Share My Blanket (early version)
4) No Excuse To Be Wicked
Bled To Death Cosmic Friend Every Little Bit Nightingale Song Black Tango Horsehead Old Man of the Midnight Sea Tickle Tickle Thrown It All Away Out West Tomorrow Is Here Virtue And Vice
Freak ‘N Roll...Into the Fog: The Black Crowes All Join Hands - this is the next live album from the Black Crowes and me, while focusing on their best known hits, comes much closer to capturing the soul and spirit of this band as a live act. The first half is a strong performance after another of their better known songs like Sting Me and Jealous Again, though the first set ends on an epic My Morning Song. This is followed by a good semi acoustic set that leads into the second half that is just one epic throw down after another, particularly from Nonfiction through the end - a great cover of The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down. Hard to Handle, Let Me Share the Ride, and Mellow Down Easy is just an amazing trifecta of that transformative power of the Black Crowes. When this band is on, their chemistry is just so good it can barely be put into words. This one is worth it.
Warpaint - it’s a return to form! From the ashes of Mother...wait. Okay so it is a bit of a return to the classic Black Crowes sound after the experimental Lions 7 years before, and the sort of commercial departure of By Your Side. This one has a lot more in common with their earlier releases, but cuts back to feature a lot more acoustic instruments, and you can really parse everything out well. For me, it’s still not quite on par with those first four albums but it is a definitive move in the right direction. Goodby Daughters of the Revolution and Walk Believer Walk is a great one two punch to open the album. Wee Who See the Deep was great, along with Movin’ on Down the Line, Wounded Bird and God’s Got It. Whoa Mule seems like a nice way to close this out too. I do like that this record does not feel rushed and that each of the songs get their own space to breathe.
Joined: Thu November 21, 2013 10:01 pm Posts: 1847
liebzz wrote:
Freak ‘N Roll...Into the Fog: The Black Crowes All Join Hands - this is the next live album from the Black Crowes and me, while focusing on their best known hits, comes much closer to capturing the soul and spirit of this band as a live act. The first half is a strong performance after another of their better known songs like Sting Me and Jealous Again, though the first set ends on an epic My Morning Song. This is followed by a good semi acoustic set that leads into the second half that is just one epic throw down after another, particularly from Nonfiction through the end - a great cover of The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down. Hard to Handle, Let Me Share the Ride, and Mellow Down Easy is just an amazing trifecta of that transformative power of the Black Crowes. When this band is on, their chemistry is just so good it can barely be put into words. This one is worth it.
All this has pretty much everything to do with Marc Ford’s return to the band during this period.
_________________ I'm trying real hard to be the shepherd.
Before the Frost... - the first half of the live recorded double album. It’s been many years since I last heard this. Truthfully the dexterity of this band is incredible. They cover a lot of range while staying within themselves on this. I don’t think they did anything like I Ain’t Hiding, which is reminiscent of the Chili Peppers or some sort of funk rock. It’s a really fun song. Houston Don’t Dream About Me is 100% Crowes. Make Glad pushes them somewhere in jam band territory. Been a Long Time, A Train Makes A Lovely Sound, Good Morning Captain, And the Band Played On are all perfect examples of what makes this band so great.
Before the Frost... - the first half of the live recorded double album. It’s been many years since I last heard this. Truthfully the dexterity of this band is incredible. They cover a lot of range while staying within themselves on this. I don’t think they did anything like I Ain’t Hiding, which is reminiscent of the Chili Peppers or some sort of funk rock. It’s a really fun song. Houston Don’t Dream About Me is 100% Crowes. Make Glad pushes them somewhere in jam band territory. Been a Long Time, A Train Makes A Lovely Sound, Good Morning Captain, And the Band Played On are all perfect examples of what makes this band so great.
On to ...Until the Freeze.
I love this album to death. I Ain't Hiding always reminded me of the Talking Heads. My faves are What Is Home? and Houston Don't Dream About Me. It's a complete album, front to back.
_________________ Think I’m going to try being kind to everyone a chance.
Before the Frost... - the first half of the live recorded double album. It’s been many years since I last heard this. Truthfully the dexterity of this band is incredible. They cover a lot of range while staying within themselves on this. I don’t think they did anything like I Ain’t Hiding, which is reminiscent of the Chili Peppers or some sort of funk rock. It’s a really fun song. Houston Don’t Dream About Me is 100% Crowes. Make Glad pushes them somewhere in jam band territory. Been a Long Time, A Train Makes A Lovely Sound, Good Morning Captain, And the Band Played On are all perfect examples of what makes this band so great.
On to ...Until the Freeze.
I love this album to death. I Ain't Hiding always reminded me of the Talking Heads. My faves are What Is Home? and Houston Don't Dream About Me. It's a complete album, front to back.
I’m with you. I’ll note that when I last heard this album many years ago I wasn’t ready to accept the second half so that’s really where my personal exploration on this is. I am more than halfway through it and loving it. It reminds me heavily of The Band, which I will note, but there is so much creativity happening on this album. It is MUCH better than I remember.
Note: I just can’t get over how they manage, live even, to somehow meld what sounds like a cross between Indian rhythms with a Celtic like sound on Aimless peacock. How is that even possible?
... Until the Freeze - for the second half, the Black Crowes strip down for a mix of Americana/ country rockish thing that is recalls the good days of The Band. As I noted, despite this stripped down side, the creativity abound in the first half spills over to the second half. Aimless Peacock straddles some sort of mash up of Indian sitar sounding rhythms with Celtic music.. and works! Shady Grove recalls that country sounding jam band music, Garden Gate going even further. Shine Along is really exceptional for me, as was Lady of Avenue A and Roll Old Jeremiah. I wrote this off years ago when I frankly wasn’t ready to hear it. I am so glad I went back. I think summer was the perfect description provided above. An excellent album I admittedly undersold when it came out. These guys know what they are doing. That they recorded this live is that much more impressive.
Joined: Thu November 21, 2013 10:01 pm Posts: 1847
Before the Frost...Until the Freeze should be listened to as it is on the vinyl double album with this tracklisting:
Aimless Peacock Good Morning Captain Been a Long Time (Waiting on Love) Greenhorn Appaloosa Shady Grove Garden Gate Shine Along Roll Old Jeremiah Houston Don't Dream About Me I Ain't Hiding Kept My Soul Lady of Avenue A Make Glad And the Band Played On... What is Home? So Many Times A Train Still Makes a Lonely Sound Fork in the River The Last Place That Love Lives
For me, The Black Crowes have two eras where they achieved true greatness, first with Marc Ford, and secondly with Luther Dickinson. Everything they did with other guitarists just doesn't compare. Warpaint, as you noted, was a fantastic return to form. And this one, well, they just took everything they loved musically and incorporated it all, exploring bluegrass, country & western, folk, psychedelia...this is truly a record deserving of the phrase "tour de force." As someone who lived and died by the Southern Harmony/Amorica sound when it came to this band, songs like Appaloosa, Roll Old Jeremiah, Houston Don't Dream About Me, Shine Along, Last Place That Love Lives just continue to blow me away. The musicianship is phenomenal (again, Luther is a player's player and just a fucking monster, and I give him credit for elevating TBC's game). And then you factor in that these songs were all recorded live. It's an absolute masterpiece.
_________________ I'm trying real hard to be the shepherd.
Before the Frost...Until the Freeze should be listened to as it is on the vinyl double album with this tracklisting:
Aimless Peacock Good Morning Captain Been a Long Time (Waiting on Love) Greenhorn Appaloosa Shady Grove Garden Gate Shine Along Roll Old Jeremiah Houston Don't Dream About Me I Ain't Hiding Kept My Soul Lady of Avenue A Make Glad And the Band Played On... What is Home? So Many Times A Train Still Makes a Lonely Sound Fork in the River The Last Place That Love Lives
For me, The Black Crowes have two eras where they achieved true greatness, first with Marc Ford, and secondly with Luther Dickinson. Everything they did with other guitarists just doesn't compare. Warpaint, as you noted, was a fantastic return to form. And this one, well, they just took everything they loved musically and incorporated it all, exploring bluegrass, country & western, folk, psychedelia...this is truly a record deserving of the phrase "tour de force." As someone who lived and died by the Southern Harmony/Amorica sound when it came to this band, songs like Appaloosa, Roll Old Jeremiah, Houston Don't Dream About Me, Shine Along, Last Place That Love Lives just continue to blow me away. The musicianship is phenomenal (again, Luther is a player's player and just a fucking monster, and I give him credit for elevating TBC's game). And then you factor in that these songs were all recorded live. It's an absolute masterpiece.
Side two is a tough listen for most people. Starting with Appaloosa, it is pretty bluegrass-ish. Houston beautifully melds bluegrass with mainstream rock vocal delivery to end the side. That said, Appaloosa always blows me away, such a spot on performance.
_________________ Think I’m going to try being kind to everyone a chance.
I love the songwriting period with Luther but not as much with him live. The band felt a little less punchy - though finely aged.
Honestly when I saw them again with Jackie green that felt a bit more like the crows of old. Much dirtier. Much more intense. I was really really hoping they’d write and record with him in the band.
Last edited by Strat on Sat June 13, 2020 12:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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