The Black Crowes May 2022

[57gold]

Is Charlie Starr playing two vintage GTs with the Crowes?

Great tones, whatever he and Rich are playing!

 

[jb_abides]

Certainly looks like it, I tried to hunt that info down but didn't come up with clear identification of the gold top.

Rich's guitars are fairly well-known.

$YMM Tour Summer 2021



Hats off to Charlie for filling in, but Isiah Mitchell remains a better fit...

and Blackberry Smoke great in their own right.

 

[WholeLottaTone]

Hats off to Charlie for filling in, but Isiah Mitchell remains a better fit...

I think Mitchell is a great player but didn't fit very well during the early shows. Based on more recent YT videos he seems to have settled in quite nicely. I still wouldn't mind Charlie Starr doing more shows with the Crowes, though.

 

[Bruce R]

Those guys can still do it!! Rich is an all-around fantastic guitarist but his rhythm playing just knocks me out. So very solid. Atta boy, Charlie!!

 

[Azmedian]

Shame what happened to the original musicians in this "Band"

IMO Greed

Change name to Robinson Bros band

 

[Brent13]

I gotta admit I miss Marc Ford.

 

[zacknorton]

I am a HUGE black cowes fan. Seen them every tour multiple times...bought all the albums. Warpaint is super strong. after the frost...freeze is great... magpie salute... CRB.... green leaf rustlers.... all of it. but this covers thing is pretty soft.

The band can play. for sure. they can REALLY play. they can Sound great... but C'mon. This is EXACTLY the thing these guys railed against even a small handful of years ago. Plus... there isn't one of these covers that has anything interesting in it outside of some tasty licks or "tone".

sorry I can't fanboy for anything this mediocre. Especially...in light of their impressive track record.

 

[zacknorton]

this is what the Black Crowes used to do.

 

[Wally]

I could not get through two verses there.

 

[jb_abides]

I am a HUGE black cowes fan. Seen them every tour multiple times...bought all the albums. Warpaint is super strong. after the frost...freeze is great... magpie salute... CRB.... green leaf rustlers.... all of it. but this covers thing is pretty soft.

The band can play. for sure. they can REALLY play. they can Sound great... but C'mon. This is EXACTLY the thing these guys railed against even a small handful of years ago. Plus... there isn't one of these covers that has anything interesting in it outside of some tasty licks or "tone".

sorry I can't fanboy for anything this mediocre. Especially...in light of their impressive track record.

COVID threw a wrench in the $YMM anniversary tour, and the lineup changed, but after being re-re-scheduled, I saw them and they were powerful if somewhat overly structured.

We'll see if this devolves into a cash grab, or has legs. '1972' seems to be a way-station between legs of the tour to get them into the studio and seeing if they can gel... without tearing each other apart. Baby steps.

Something to keep in mind: this represents a somewhat public rebuilding of the brother's relationship, in the wake of their father's passing.

Once they establish some measure of equilibrium perhaps even harmony between them, even if it's an uneasy alliance, perhaps inspiration will get them into a new place. And the new guys are capable, so...

Maybe they'll catch some fire.

 

[bursty]

I'm a big fan of Blackberry Smoke & Charlie but Charlie just seems outta place and kinda stiff with the Robinson bros & the Crowes.

Now Luther D. on the other hand fits the Crowes pretty well IMO.

 

[zacknorton]

JB abides... I was actually looking forward to hearing what they'd come up with as far as new material.

This 1972 release is management motivated, I'm sure... but it's kinda beneath them... and not very good. I mean Chris can CRUSH a pile of covers. or he sure used to. these covers sound kinda half assed and phoned in from the singing standpoint.


I'll keep my ears open if they release new BC material... but I'm checking out, and that's a bummer.

 

[J.D.]

Crowes aren't the Crowes without Steve Gorman behind the drums and Eddie Harsch on the keys. This current band is "the Robinson Bros" and not the Black Crowes. Still glad to see them performing again.

 

[guitarbob123]

In terms of Charlie, I think he's relatively restrained here as it is just a favour for him to fill in and he probably doesn't want to step on anyone's toes. Much better than him trying to make himself the big star and put the band out so he can show off and trample all over each song!

I'm seeing the Crowes themselves in Germany later this year, regardless of who should/shouldn't be in the band, I'm pretty hyped for it and it'll be great to hear the entire first album as that's where the gold really is, if they add some of these songs in too then that's ok with me (the Temptations cover in particular is fun)

 

[jb_abides]

JB abides... I was actually looking forward to hearing what they'd come up with as far as new material.

This 1972 release is management motivated, I'm sure... but it's kinda beneath them... and not very good. I mean Chris can CRUSH a pile of covers. or he sure used to. these covers sound kinda half assed and phoned in from the singing standpoint.


I'll keep my ears open if they release new BC material... but I'm checking out, and that's a bummer.

Same, I remain cautiously optimistic not so callous, even after reading Gorman's book...

BTW the book is highly recommended even though it's through his eyes, and he's taking shots. Great read, though!

 

[jb_abides]

Crowes aren't the Crowes without Steve Gorman behind the drums and Eddie Harsch on the keys. This current band is "the Robinson Bros" and not the Black Crowes. Still glad to see them performing again.

Well, Ed's Dead, baby... Ed's Dead.

Sven is solid. No qualms there.

When they debuted with Raj Ojha on drums pre-Covid, I thought he wasn't working at all, perhaps they didn't do much practice. Raj moved on, not sure of the circumstances.

Brian Griffin the new [touring] drummer is a solid session guy and synched more with the material, but he's no Gorman. Too precise, click-track, seasoned for sessions.

Isiah can only get better... Mark Ford would be ideal but I don't think his temperament and sobriety would be a fit nowadays with Chris. Rich made things easy with The Magpie Salute I don't think major touring, etc. is his thing now... God Bless him! Great solo material.

Gorman just kicks ass and has that swing! But he burned bridges and just doesn't want to do it, per his claims. I thought they'd fight until they make up, if the brothers can, well... We'll see if the thing has legs and things go forward they may resolve. He wants an equal share, and I think the brothers are united in that NOT happening, but equal share of shares of a much bigger pie might convince them.

As I said, we'll see... it's always DRAMA with the Crowes. That much Gorman has right.

 

[jb_abides]

In terms of Charlie, I think he's relatively restrained here as it is just a favour for him to fill in and he probably doesn't want to step on anyone's toes. Much better than him trying to make himself the big star and put the band out so he can show off and trample all over each song!

I'm seeing the Crowes themselves in Germany later this year, regardless of who should/shouldn't be in the band, I'm pretty hyped for it and it'll be great to hear the entire first album as that's where the gold really is, if they add some of these songs in too then that's ok with me (the Temptations cover in particular is fun)

Agree 1000% WRT Charlie.

The show was powerful and well performed, just a bit structured. Still delivered with passion. Very very LOUD.

There may be a cover or two, and it may be from '1972' or some other favorite. They encored with 'Feeling' Alright' when I saw them and it was a bit more enthusiastic then '1972' at the Whiskey. FWIW they aren't "touring behind" this as a release, it's just fun and filler and dust off the studio chops.

$SYMM in it's entirety 1st set, then the 'Hits' 2nd set.

And by hits they are rotating from their 'Golden Era'... you'll get: No Speak No Slave, High Head Blues, Wiser Time, Remedy and other gems. A nod to Lions' anniversary... venturing into Warpaint or Before the Frost...Until the Freeze.

It's roll the dice show to show.

Again very very loud, and structured to the time limits at sheds and such given the rules -- at least in the US.

Not the unstructured jamming, wandering power-sets of yore. Maybe if festivals open things up we'll get that again.

 

[zacknorton]

Gorman is one of those eidetic memory guys....like a recorder always going. And he's way more important to that band than anyone named Robinson wants to admit.

But I'm sure they'll figure it out with a new cast of characters.

Here's to hoping for new material that smokes.

 

[jb_abides]

Gorman is one of those eidetic memory guys....like a recorder always going. And he's way more important to that band than anyone named Robinson wants to admit.

On one tour, Steve's bass drum skin borrowed from the famous Guinness toucan advert, altered to read:

"Gorman For Strength"

Indeed.

 

[jb_abides]

The $YMM tour runs thru November... We'll see if they are cooking new material for something in 2023!