Reviews > The Black Crowes
The Black Crowes Fly Higher
By Johnny Firecloud
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Before an intimate audience of die-hard fans at Levon Helm’s barn in Woodstock, New York earlier this year, The Black Crowes recorded new material for what would become Before The Frost… and its free-download partner, Until The Freeze. The former, an 11-song set of swaggering Southern Blues rockers, is easily the finest and most confidently triumphant Crowes release since Amorica. The latter… well that’s just country-infused icing on the cake.
After two decades of aspiring to be considered and respected on the same frequency of bayou-blues gurus Lynyrd Skynyrd and their ilk, leaning heavily into the mid-eighties honky soul attitude of Stevie Ray Vaughan, the Black Crowes have at long last reached the peak of their mountain as veteran road hounds.
For the first time in 15 years, the band sounds entirely comfortable in its own skin. From enthusiastic ragtime-soul opener Good Morning Captain to the snotty, disco-tinged Stones-esque single I Ain’t Hiding (listen), there’s a fifth-element force that lifts these new songs to more than the live party jams they were recorded as. The entire album rubs a gritty sweet spot in all the right ways, a feat the Crowes have been circling their entire careers.
Been A Long Time (Waiting On Love) is a looming force of a deceptively back-leaning groove, with Robinson’s off-time vocal shuffle making the melody damn near irresistible. The track is a perfect example of the leap the band has taken since last year’s Warpaint, a respectable release, but one that didn’t possess the cohesive quality of their current offering. The additions of Luther Dickinson on guitar and Adam MacDougall on keys have given the Crowes a new lease on jamming, as evidenced here, and the additions could very well have saved the band’s sound entirely from the bowels of doomed repetition most bands find themselves locked into two decades into their career. There’s true fire to be found in the mid-song jam, and when the crowd cheers at the end of nearly eight minutes’ worth of song, it’s hard not to clap along.
There’s little argument in the CSN aspirations of the gorgeous acoustic jam What Is Home, but if the song doesn’t lift your heart, you simply don’t have one. The song marks the lead-vocal Black Crowes debut of Rich Robinson, and the context is perfect. Supplemented by harmonies from bassist Sven Pipien and MacDougall, the typically less-flamboyant of the Robinson brothers matches his melody to the guitar line in the verse, building to the sweet release of the chorus.
The free download of Until The Freeze won’t strike all Crowes fans the same; those not partial to country will have a hard time getting through twangy, old-country tracks like Garden Gate, Roll Old Jeremiah or So Many Times. The songs are as much a tribute to real country as Jack White has been increasingly serving to Delta Blues over the years. It’s not a gimmick, a one-off way of throwing fans a curveball; this music is in their blood, as true to their roots as anything they’ve laid on wax before.
Want to know what’s wrong with country music these days? Listen to Appaloosa or Until The Freeze track Greenhorn, and try to bottle the soul-strumming balladry you find. You’d be a millionaire in no time – or certainly, at least, the recipient of innumerable sexual offers from today’s country heavyweights in exchange for the spark that sets the Crowes alight. There’s an effortless, honest charm that serves as a foundation for the bulk of Until The Freeze, and it takes a moment to adjust to, in the country context of being hammered with the Save A Horse, Ride A Cowboy type of country detritus.
There’s a full-band harmony at the onset of Greenhorn that grabs the heart, but again, if you’re not in a country kind of mood, your patience will be tested. Nevertheless, the sweetly-sad guitar strums have a gravity that doesn’t prepare you for the up-step turn of the chorus, but it makes for a great morning-sunshine song.
After the philosophical closer Fork In The River, there’s a void left within, like the feeling you get when dear old friends are leaving after a night of memory walking and hard drinking. It’s the mark of a great album, that feeling.
- 01. Good Morning Captain
- 02. Been A Long Time (Waiting On Love)
- 03. Appaloosa
- 04. A Train Still Makes A Lonely Sound
- 05. I Ain T Hiding
- 06. Kept My Soul
- 07. What Is Home
- 08. Houston Don't Dream About Me
- 09. Make Glad
- 10. And The Band Played On
- 11. Last Place That Love Lives
luther dickinson adds more soulful energy to a band of aging hippies. don’t get me wrong, i love the black crowes, but they were getting stale for a little bit. i had a chance to see them at midnight ramble this yr at levon helm’s studio in woodstock and it was INCREDIBLE!!!
Huh. I was just listening to “The Southern Harmony…” and “Warpaint” on a drive into LA a couple of weeks ago; guess I was emotionally warming up for this album.
I listen to Amorica obsessively. Warpaint was pretty good, but I havent given it much airplay lately. I am curious to see how the new stuff holds up compared to their greatest, the aformentioned Amorica. I like Luther Dickinson, but I really want to see em bring back Marc Ford. Shit, what ever happened to Audley for that matter. That guy shredded my face off on a few occasions.
The new stuff holds up, its freaking amazing. Easily album of the year.
They just keep getting better. I saw the Crowes live in July and they rocked! Before the Frost is awesome – I like every song on it. Until the Freeze is almost as good – I’m not generally a big country fan, and there is definitely a country “twang” present on this album. But, it all works. The Crowes have never sounded better. I thought Warpaint was an excellent album, but it pales in comparison to Before the Frost…Until the Freeze.
Definitely a contender for album of the year. This has considerably diminished my anticipation for Pearl Jam’s new record – they couldn’t come within screaming range of this kind of soul.
Fantastic and original, loved the Before the Frost, haven’t gotten a chance to hear Until the Freeze. I cannot wait to see them in Westbury tomorrow night. Always the best ever in concert, and it’s the one thing I make sure I get to see every year they tour in and around NY. Definitely should be Album of the Year, but the Crowes never aspire to that, they stay true to themselves and make kick ass music no matter which album you listen to.
luther dickinson is one of my favorite guitarists, he’s incredible with the AllStars and i love what he does with the crowes. was debating whether i really needed to pick this up, but i think i’m pretty damn convinced now.
Hey, nice review. Can’t wait to buy this album tomorrow when I can get a store.
Excellent review; I am new to your web site. The Black Crowes are one of the few great rock ‘n’ roll bands left. I hope people will buy the album(s) and go to the shows. “Good Morning Captain” has the swagger of Scott Joplin ragtime. They killed it on Letterman the other night. “Until the Freeze” reminds me alot of Tom Petty’s Mudcrutch record–Country music the way it should sound. “Before the Frost” is brilliant rock; could do without the disco though. Looking forward to seeing it all live in Nashville, TN, Asheville, NC, Orlando, FL, Pompano Beach, FL and Clearwater, FL. Road trip to TX for the Beaumont, Houston and Louisiana shows is in the works… I just wish everyone would pay more attention to this lengendary band in progress.
I’ve never seen a review more spot on. This is American music at its best. Fearlessly dedicated to its history, and gritty as they have ever been. They are securing their place in history as one of the best rock and roll bands of their time. Country + Blues = The Black crowes.
After nearly 20 years, the Crowes’ 8th studio record hits us and gives us a refreshing smile. This delightfully adds to their outstanding material and does not disappoint in the least. That bluesy southern rock sound is as impressive as ever and is even expanded upon with country and folk-like themes. It comes as an 11 song disk, and 9 additional free tracks are downloaded off their website. The funny thing is that the later 9 are just as good as the others! There is a handful of songs that you can’t stop putting on repeat. Full of rich melodies, the music is truly outstanding and is performed brilliantly – a crowning achievement.
A review within a review! Look at that.
Loved the review within a review. I liked the addition of the fiddle. I can’t get the melodies out of my head. Buy this CD, even if you are not a die hard Black Crowe fan, you can’t help but like this one.
T2CXdz wnmezmrwmlbr, [url=http://fzxqwjcztuvr.com/]fzxqwjcztuvr[/url], [link=http://vukbxdbgidrd.com/]vukbxdbgidrd[/link], http://evvyvmvfdsui.com/
The new album was a bit of a surprise sound wise but that sound has integrity. The crowes never let us down.
They have heart and that what I’ve always loved about them. The only thing I miss are the two ladies with their soulful background vocals. Maybe next record EH?
Saw the Crowes at House of Blues in Orlando on Friday night & the boys were on fire! I’ve seen the band perform over 30 times now & this was their best performance ever. The addition of Luther & Adam has breathed new life into them & Chris & Rich both seem to really have fun on stage. The crowd was as enthusistic with the new stuff as they were with the more familiar hits. The Black Crowes are one of a kind & we’re lucky to have them around still playing from their roots and from their heart. The new album is awesome & reminiscent of The Band or Little Feat. The country flavor of Until The Freeze might not make everyone happy but listen to it a few times. It will grow on you. I’m so glad these road warriors are still keeping it real.
This album has been stuck in my car since it was released and “By Your Side” has been keeping it company for the past 2 weeks. Now that album may have some of Robinson’s best vocals. Love the depth of soul in that album. And hey I’ve got them at Club Nokia on Saturday.
[...] to I Aint Hiding off the excellent Before The Frost… Until The Freeze album: Get the Flash Player to see the wordTube Media [...]
[...] to I Ain’t Hiding off the excellent Before The Frost… Until The Freeze [...]
Hi,I obtain that your blog is very instructive and useful and we wonder if there can be a possibility of obtaining More article content like this on your web log. If you willing to support us out, we will be willing to compensate you… Kind regards, Brain Hulet