Chris and Rick Robinson
of the Black Crowes have never been shy
of wearing their hearts on their Rock
‘n’ Roll sleeves proudly showing off their
influences. The Rolling Stones (Keith
not Mick), The Faces (Ronnie Wood not
Rod Stewart), Humble Pie (Steve Marriot
not Peter Frampton), and now after touring
the states with Jimmy Page they have released
Lions with a heavy Led Zeppelin Presence
era feel to it.
It may be clichéd, but for the Black Crowes
it really has been a long strange trip.
They completely startled the world with
their 1990 debut “Shake your Money Maker”,
and now in 2001 it looks like they are
going to do it again with “Lions”. In
the years in between they have released
4 very varied albums, both in critical
acclaim and sales. They have been kicked
off a worldwide tour with ZZ Top for not
towing the Budweiser sponsorship line.
Their story has ranged from the ridicules
to the sublime, heady and dangerous, a
line up of changing musician that would
make Spinal Tap look stable, and sometimes
thrillingly out of control. Musically
it’s been peaks and troughs, but “Lions”
finds them on the very crest of a wave.
On the opening track “Midnight from the
inside out” Chris Robinson blares forth
after the guitar feedback locks into a
guitar chugging rhythm with an opening
salvo of “Here where angels never sleep
/ The water’s dark and deep / and you
breath molasses”. The effect is excruciating,
clammy, sweaty, exhilarating - all rolled
into one. It sounds like Walking Street
should do at midnight.
For it’s part in the proceedings, “Lions”
is a wholly remarkable C.D, mostly recorded
in rehearsals, so it has a very live sound.
Right up there in your face, it captures
the Black Crowes vitality and indubitable
spirit from the heavy imagery of its psychedelic
third eye lion head cover artwork to the
bold grooves of “Soul Singing”, the uplifting
evocation of “Cosmic Friend”, or the lingering
refrain of the anthemic closing ballad
“Lay it all on me” where the Robinson
brothers really stretch out. The whole
album has a rock solid groove that locks
you in at the beginning, and doesn’t let
you out until the dying notes ripple from
the guitars. It embraces the bands impure
soul (in a very worts and all way) and
gloriously ragged Rock ‘n’ Roll. It’s
full of fervor and heart, reminding you
why everybody falls so heavily for them
the first time you hear them.
Producer Don Was sprinkles his magic over
the tracks, but never taking away the
roughness which is all part of the Crowes
charm.
Lions are kings of the jungle, how very
apt. A great Rock ‘n’ Roll record, lets
just hope that the Crowes stay on these
rails.
Pawed by Mott The Dog
Remastered by Ella Crew
E-mail: review@mott-the-dog.com
