Some Black Crowes News

[Mr Walker]

First thing is they are releasing a live disc on 4/27 featuring the entire Warpaint album with a few extra tracks...

Disc One
1 Goodbye Daughters Of The Revolution 2 Walk Believer Walk 3 Oh, Josephine 4 Evergreen 5 We Who See The Deep 6 Locust Street 7 Movin’ On Down The Line 8 Wounded Bird 9 God’s Got It 10 There’s Gold In Them Hills 11 Whoa Mule

Disc Two
1 Poor Elijah – Tribute To Johnson 2 Darling Of The Underground Press 3 Bad Luck Blue Eyes Goodbye 4 Don’t Know Why 5 Torn And Frayed 6 Hey Grandma

A dvd will follow later in the year.

The second thing is the band has spent the last few weeks recording their new studio lp of original material in front of a live audience...

The Black Crowes will record new, original material for an upcoming album during four sold-out concerts at Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock, New York, in February and March. This run of performances at the recording studio built decades ago by the 2008 Grammy winner and former drummer for the Band are being billed as “Cabin Fever Winter 2009.” The shows on February 21, 22, 28 and March 1 sold out in less than two days.

I did a quick check of the 'Crowesbase' and here's a list of the songs performed... some of these are covers.

Aimless Peacock
Greenhorn
The Shady Grove
Shine Along
What Is Home
Fork In The River
Roll Old Jeremiah
Houston Don't Dream About Me
Kept My Soul
Make Glad
And The Band Played On
So Many Times
The Dolphins
Ain't No More Cane On The Brazos
Garden Gate
The Last Place That Love Lived
Appaloosa
Little Lizzie Mae
A Train Still Makes A Lonely Sound
Good Morning Captain
Been A Long Time (Waiting On Love)
Lady Of Avenue A
I Ain't Hidin'
Oh Sweet Nuthin'
Find A Pearl
Darkside

Based on some of the reviews over there (all positive of course) the music was described as
"Warpaint on steriods"

"...INCREDIBLE. A new direction for sure, but an amazing direction at that. Most songs contained elements of soul, country, bluegrass, 60's/70's rock, pyschedellic, and even disco...yes, the played a song that was 100% disco."

"It was a confident performance by a band that has tremendous balls. The range of styles was astounding, from bluegrass to rock to psychadelia, with echoes of The Beatles, Bob Dylan, the Velvet Underground, the Rolling Stones, The Band and Gram Parsons. But nothing was derivative of any of their idols or anything they’ve done themselves. The musicianship was breathtaking. The set’s scale and ambition reminded me of Exile On Main Street. They must know they are onto something, for they’re willing to go out on the tightrope without a net, playing songs being written and arranged seemingly days before inviting fans to watch them record them in Levon Helm’s living room. It’s a stroke of genius to do it live because there was tremendous energy in the barn which can only be captured when a supremely confident and comfortable band invites its most beloved fans to be witness to it."

Bottom line is if you are still waiting for SHAMC II, it's not coming... even Chris knows there's a large contingency of fans still waiting for it...

Chris even stopped a security guard from throwing out some guy in the first row whose cell phone went off , saying something like, "It's cool, he's not recording the session, he's just calling his friends to tell them how much it sucks!" Then he goes, "you better be telling them it's better than fucking Southern Harmony, man!"

[Jérôme Frenchise]

I bought "Warpaint" last year in March. I first didn't like it much, but over the past 12 months I've come to really dig that album, though I still prefer "The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion", "By your Side" and "Lions". But well, it's their own business, they play what they feel like playing.
The Crowes are magicians IMO, as it's a real feat to sound so genuine while playing stuff you'd swear you've heard before. I'm not sure any other band has done that as successfully since the 1990s.
They're one of my top fave rock bands ever.

[Andy Taylor]

[I]"The range of styles was astounding, from bluegrass to rock to psychadelia, with echoes of The Beatles, Bob Dylan, the Velvet Underground, the Rolling Stones, The Band and Gram Parsons.

It's a bit like reading... the range of styles was astounding, from power metal to symphonic metal to operatic with echoes of Helloween, Gammaray, Nightwish, Blind Guardian, Edguy and Therion.

Not exactly the most diverse.

[Matt White]

BRILLIANT band......


highly underrated....

WARPAINT is an excellent cd.....

Have to see them live again soon.....and they play their own instruments

[binnie]

A truly excellent band, and 'Warpaint' is a beautiful summer record.

I'd like them to get back to the riffier stuff, the first two records are hard rock classics....

[Matt White]

I think BY YOUR SIDE was their most focused recording in years....they had just missed the boat by that point

and the fact that they can't keep a steady lineup...

[kwame k]

Great fucking band! Their tour with Jimmy Page was brilliant. The new Album great. The Crowes are everything a rock band should be and they throw the middle finger up at the establishment. They make records their way and not based on some flow chart from a record company. Spot on fucking classic band.

[Mr Walker]

A truly excellent band, and 'Warpaint' is a beautiful summer record.

I'd like them to get back to the riffier stuff, the first two records are hard rock classics....

binnie... I'm not sure where you are located, but the band will be playing in London in May.

[Mr Walker]

I find it funny that since the beginning, Pete Angelus remains the man behind the band... I wonder what would have happened to Dave's career if he would have stayed tight with Pete through the years.

[Matt White]

I find it funny that since the beginning, Pete Angelus remains the man behind the band... I wonder what would have happened to Dave's career if he would have stayed tight with Pete through the years.

No doubt about that....

[binnie]

binnie... I'm not sure where you are located, but the band will be playing in London in May.

I know, I've thought about going down to see 'em. The problem is that a gig in London means an extortionate train fare......

[kwame k]

It's interesting that they recorded in Levon Helm's barn. The studio itself looks awesome and they do The Midnight Ramble there all the time. So many of the greats have played there and of course Levon's last cd Dirt Farmer was recorded there. The music I have heard recorded there sounds real organic and even the fact that it has a state of the art recording studio, doesn't over process the vibe of the place.Here's so more info on it http://www.levonhelmstudios.com/Phot...io_photos.html

[Mr Walker]

In a recent interview in a Dutch newspaper, Chris claimed the name of the new disc will be "Before the Frost, Until The Freeze".

[Mr Walker]

THE BLACK CROWES Announce 'Stuck Inside Utopia' Tour - June 4, 2009
THE BLACK CROWES have announce the 2009 "Stuck Inside Utopia" tour. The trek begins August 25, 2009 and runs through the end of the year. The shows will feature over two hours of music culled from THE BLACK CROWES' forthcoming album and the band's deep catalogue.

Chris Robinson, lead singer for THE BLACK CROWES states: "THE BLACK CROWES fearlessly continue to search for the self made utopian ideals that makes rock and roll music the last true real American adventure."

THE BLACK CROWES are:

Chris Robinson (vocals)
Rich Robinson (guitar, vocals)
Steve Gorman (drums)
Sven Pipien (bass)
Adam MacDougall (keyboards)
Luther Dickinson (guitar)

The dates are as follows:

Aug. 25 - Vienna, VA - Wolf Trap/The Filene Center
Aug. 26 - Hyannis, MA - Cape Cod Melody Tent
Aug. 27 - Boston, MA - Bank of America Pavilion
Aug. 29 - Atlantic City, NJ - Borgata Event Center
Aug. 30 - Baltimore, MD - Ram's Head Live
Aug. 31 - Lancaster, PA - American Music Theatre
Sep. 02 - New York, NY - Rumsey Playfield @ Central Park Summerstage
Sep. 04 - Westbury, NY - Theatre at Westbury
Sep. 05 - Asbury Park, NJ - Stone Pony Summerstage
Sep. 06 - Virginia Beach, VA - American Music Festival
Sep. 08 - Bridgeport, CT - The Klein
Sep. 09 - Jim Thorpe, PA - Penn's Peak
Sep. 11 - Utica, NY - Saranac Brewery
Sep. 12 - Rama, Ontario - Casino Rama
Sep. 13 - London, Ontario - Centennial Hall
Sep. 16 - Providence, RI - Lupo's
Sep. 17 - Burlington, VT - Higher Ground
Sep. 18 - Kingston, NY - Ulster Performing Arts Center
Sep. 24 - Oklahoma City, OK - Oklahoma State Fair
Sep. 25 - Huntsville, AL - Big Spring Jam
Sep. 26 - Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium
Sep. 28 - Oxford, MS - The Lyric
Sep. 29 - Knoxville, TN - Tennessee Theatre
Sep. 30 - Charlotte, NC - The Fillmore
Oct. 02 - Asheville, NC - Thomas Wolfe Auditorium
Oct. 03 - Atlanta, GA - Chastain Park Amphitheatre

Tickets go on sale for most dates on June 12, 2009 and are available at the box office and through Tickets for Concerts, Sports, Arts, Theater, Family, Events, more. Official Ticketmaster site. Tickets are on sale now for Wolftrap in Vienna, VA and The Melody Tent in Hyannis, MA.

[kwame k]

Well that sucks, no Colorado dates

[Mr Walker]

I don't think I want to go to the Stone Pony.
Just saw Butch Walker there and it was a great show, but I can't stand the crowds.

[twonabomber]

the Crowes are at the HOB on July 13...

[Mr Walker]

THE BLACK CROWES ANNOUNCE RELEASE OF NEW CD
AND GIVE FANS A FREE SECOND ALBUM

‘BEFORE THE FROST…UNTIL THE FREEZE’ DUE IN STORES SEPTEMBER 01, 2009

A LIMITED EDITION VINYL AVAILABLE

THE BLACK CROWES will release their new studio CD, Before the Frost... on September 1, 2009.

A second album, titled …Until The Freeze, will be given away for free exclusively through a unique download code which is included in Before The Frost… as a “thank you” to their fans for two decades of continued support.

Before the Frost..., and its corresponding free album …Until The Freeze, were recorded over a series of five nights at Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock, NY. Although both are studio albums, all the new material was performed and recorded in front of an intimate audience of the band’s fans, making them a part of The Black Crowes musical history.

The innovative technique of inviting fans into the studio as part of the process during recording is a rare experience.

Before the Frost... features eleven new and previously unreleased Black Crowes songs including Good Morning Captain, I Ain’t Hiding, Been a Long Time (Waiting on Love), and other original songs that will serve to spotlight the bands ability to make emotional connections through their music. The free album …Until The Freeze is a nine-song collection featuring eight new original Black Crowes songs plus a cover version of the Stephen Stills classic So Many Times.

A limited edition vinyl release of Before The Frost…Until The Freeze, featuring all 20 tracks, will also be available on September 1, 2009.

Chris Robinson conceived the concept of Before the Frost...Until The Freeze.
“I think we fulfilled a musical commitment to continue on the golden road of artistic independence. Approaching 20 years into our careers, we still are ambitious enough to push ourselves to create something unique that we have never done before.”

As The Black Crowes approach the upcoming 20th anniversary of their release of one of rock’s most influential records, Shake Your Money Maker, which produced such hits as Jealous Again, She Talks To Angels and Hard to Handle, they are time and again hailed as one of Rock and Roll’s best live acts.

Before The Frost… (CD Track Listing)
Good Morning Captain
Been A Long Time (Waiting On Love)
Appaloosa
A Train Still Makes A Lonely Sound
I Ain’t Hiding
Kept My Soul
What Is Home
Houston Don’t Dream About Me
Make Glad
And The Band Played On
Last Place That Love Lives

…Until The Freeze (Free Download Album Track Listing)
Aimless Peacock
Shady Grove
Garden Gate
Greenhorn
Shine Along
Roll Old Jeremiah
Lady Of Avenue A
So Many Times
Fork In The River

Before the Frost…Until The Freeze was produced by Paul Stacey and will be released through The Black Crowes label, Silver Arrow Records and Megaforce Records.

For more information, go to blackcrowes.com.

[damngoodtimes]

excellent, loves me some Crowes.

[Mr Walker]

You can download the new single 'I Ain't Hiding' from their website...

Before The Frost... Available September 1, 2009

Fuck... it sounds like 'I Was Made For Loving You' or 'Miss You'... fucking strange.
I don't think is gonna go over well.

[Mr Walker]

Chris used to be such a snotty big mouth... they he kinda started laying real low... here's a semi-recent interview...


The Black Crowes’ Chris Robinson On What It Takes To Be A Great Singer
gbarton / Features / 03/04/2009 16:55pm

Chris Robinson of The Black Crowes is No.21 in our list of Rock’s Greatest Singers – see the current issue of Classic Rock for the full rundown. There follows the complete version of Chris’s interview in that same issue, courtesy of CR scribe Henry Yates…

Without being modest, what exactly makes you such a good singer?
“My father was a rock ‘n’ roll singer in the ’50s, and he didn’t think I was a very good singer, and didn’t encourage me much, but now he’s proud of me and realises what my talent is. I think it has something to do with honest expression. I probably wouldn’t get very far on American Idol. But this is rock ‘n’ roll. What comes out is who you are and how you live. Singing for me is very visceral. That’s the Southern side of me. Just get up there and do it. Open your mouth and hope a good sound comes out.
“There’s more to singing than hitting notes. Otis Redding sang out of key a lot, but he gave so much with his voice, it was as though he was taking a piece of himself in his hands and giving it to you. That always resonated with me. Rock ‘n’ roll is not a perfect science. The music that always grabs me by the heartstrings is the stuff that isn’t perfect but contains that exchange between the vocalist and audience. For me, that’s the way it has to be.”

Which other singers do you admire?
“Whether it was Otis Redding or Steve Marriott, it’s all about expression. That’s why Neil Young and Bob Dylan are great rock ‘n’ roll singers. I’m sure you’ve met people who don’t think Bob is a great singer, but his voice is honest within the material and cuts close to the bone, and there’s a sincerity to that. It’s the connection between the audience and the experience of what he’s singing about. Freddie Mercury had great emotional exchange too. You could get bogged down in tonalities. Paul Rodgers has a great tone to his voice as a great white blues singer. Or Rod Stewart, when he was starting out. But the stuff I learnt to sing with was Sly & the Family Stone and George Clinton’s Funkadelic records.”

What do you think is your best vocal performance?
“Early in our career, maybe something like Bad Luck Blue Eyes Goodbye from The Southern Harmony And Musical Companion [1992]. We were still very young; we made that record in a week, so we didn’t spend a lot of time fretting over it, and I think it’s a real heartfelt performance. And personally, I think Oh Josephine from the last album [Warpaint]. I always tend to go for the ballads, where the imagery and the vocal and the song convalesce into something. If I can’t believe in the stories and the words I’m saying, there’s no use singing it. That’s also true of the covers we choose to sing.
“What mood do I need to be in to give a vocal performance? When I was starting out, I was more at the whims of stuff like anger. Now I’m always ready to sing. Even when I’m tired. Even when I’m sick.”

What’s the hardest song you have to sing?
“Virtue and Vice from By Your Side [1999] is a song that as you get older… you know, it’s one of those things where because you were in the moment, you didn’t stop and think ‘maybe we should try this in a lower key’. That’s the way it was and the way it’s gonna be. I’ll tell you a very hard song and that would be from our Lions album [2001] – a real rock song called Lickin’. It just seems to have a very aggressive chorus. That’s probably why we don’t play it very often.”

How have you had to adapt your voice as you’ve got older?
“I’m 42 now, and I definitely have more control and I’m far happier with the quality of my voice, but I’ve lost a certain top of my range that I had when I was 22. Smoking? No, it’s just age. I’ve never smoked cigarettes in my life. I mean, everyone knows we’ve smoked the other thing, but I’ve even cut back on that. But you get wear and tear, because our lives are on the road. I still sing all the high harmonies. It would probably only be noticeable to me and our producer.”

Is there a big difference between singing live and in the studio?
“I never get too hung up in the studio; I don’t even use the headphones. I don’t get very precious about that stuff. Live, the adrenalin is totally different. You go out and it’s a visceral experience. Plus, the way we started out in the little clubs in Atlanta, like any other band with two guitar players and a gigantic man behind the drums, I had to project, because it was deafening.
“When you get out there, there is a sense of responsibility that you wanna do your best. It might be your last show – you never know what’s gonna happen – so you wanna leave it all on the stage every night. Have I ever missed a note? Hey man, you know how many gigs I’ve done in 20 years? The late, great Jerry Garcia had a great philosophy about hitting a bad note – there’s always tomorrow night. You can’t get hung up on it. Once you let it out of the bag, it’s in the atmosphere and it goes away. Like I say, it’s more about the moment than the science. I mean, some people are into the mistakes, because as long as you don’t make too many, they find a charm in that.”

It’s interesting that your voice is very different to your brother Rich’s…
“The interesting thing about my voice and my brother’s is that when we sing close harmonies, there is something genetic that can’t be duplicated. I’m not comparing us to the Everly Brothers, but that kind of close harmony singing is something that we just fall into and it is unique. There’s some weird similarity, but it’s totally different.”

[Mr Walker]

little review of the new single...


Track Of The Day: Black Crowes
terrybezer / Communication Breakdown, News / 02/07/2009 12:45pm

Check out the new Black Crowes track here and get an insight into the day-to-day workings of the Classic Rock office.

We’ve got a very groovy very special Track Of The Day today, as we bring you I Ain’t Hiding, the first song from the new Black Crowes album Before The Frost…
We just listened to it at CR HQ, and here’s what ensued:

SCENE: THE CR OFFICE, TIME: MIDDAY

All the team are heads-down on deadline, headphones are on all round and everyone’s furiously working.

SIAN: “Guys, headphones off. PLEASE tell me what this reminds me of…”

New Black Crowes track is played aloud to all and sundry.

BRAD: “Er, it’s that Bloodhound Gang song, the ‘Discovery Channel’ one… what’s it called, The Bad Touch

SCOTT: “No, it’s Squeeze, Cool For Cats… Who is this?”

Track continues, until the backing vocalists chime in with a timely ‘woo hoo’.

PAUL: “Aha, it’s that Stones song, Miss You.”

SCOTT: “Good spot, yeah, it is.”

At this point, Crowes aficionado James from Metal Hammer strolls across the office.

JAMES: “Aha! You’ve got the new Black Crowes goes disco song. When they did it live at Brixton, nobody quite knew what to make of it. But then it ramps up and really works when the guitar solo kicks in.”

He’s right too. It does. At first we weren’t entirely convinced why the Crowes were now taking the Stones’ disco (OK, weakest) period as their inspiration, but once you’ve listened to it a couple of times it kinda makes sense. It very much makes us want to hear the new album, that’s for damn sure.

So, get yerselves over to Before The Frost... Available September 1, 2009 sharpish and download ‘I Ain’t Hiding’ and let us know what YOU think in the comments below.

Before The Frost is set for release on August 31.

[letsrock]

Anyone ever see them in concert?

[katie]

Yes I have,

Monsters of Rock - Castle Donington August 17th 1991

[Diamondjimi]

Anyone ever see them in concert?

Saw them open for the Michael Schenker Group at a club in Toronto back in
'88. A couple of us were sitting on the stage in front of Rich Robinson as they did their set. He looked nervous playing in front of a room full of Schenker guitar freaks. Singer dude was doing his best Iggy,Rod Stewart/Jagger trip.
Basically ignoring them , he struts over kneels down and starts singing in between us. Unimpressed we continued to ignore him, he got the drift and buggered off...
"Jealous Again" was the only tune I recognised that night as they'd just released their first album shortly before the tour. Over the years I've come to appreciate them a lot more. They were a 'lil too douchey and retro for my liking in the early days...

[twonabomber]

Anyone ever see them in concert?

'92 or so at Music Hall, on the Southern Harmony tour. awesome show. then last year at Bayfest, another great show.

i was going to go to the Jimmy Page/Black Crowes show but it was cancelled before tickets went on sale.

they're at HOB in a couple weeks but i'm not sure if i can make it.

[damngoodtimes]

saw 'em open for Aerosmith back in '90. back then, Chris was the cockiest mofo this side of David Lee. I loved it.

couple times at Music Midtown here in the hometown, 96 and 01, I believe. also at the Fabulous Fox Theatre on an Easter Sunday in 1999 (yes, they played My Morning Song).

then, after he shook of that little blond STD, at a couple of amphitheater shows in 06 and 08.

so, I guess that's six times, all told. they put on a great rock n roll show. lately, they've gotten a lot more in the Dead mode of operations. they'll play like 15 songs in a two hour set. lots of long jams, plenty of cover tunes, of the Crowes numbers they do most aren't the hits. that seems to bug a lot of the more casual fans, but they really sound great.

I suppose I'd like to see them play Remedy again, too. I mean, who the hell else is gonna do it?

twona, I had tix for that Page/Crowes show too. Atlanta was on the second (cancelled) leg along with Cleveland. I really loved the live disc of that collaboration. Jimmy's back gave out. ugh.

[Mr Walker]

New Crowes disc in stores today... caught me a bit off guard being available on a Monday rather than the usual new release day of the week Tuesday... going to have to rearrange my schedule a bit.

[High Life Man]

The 1st is a Tuesday, Mr. W!

I'm listening to it right now.

Digging it.

[Mr Walker]

The 1st is a Tuesday, Mr. W!

I'm listening to it right now.

Digging it.

Yeah, I know...
I saw it in Best Buy's Sunday circular. I thought it was coming out toward the middle of September. I went to the website and it said it was released on 8/31 and available in stores, so I went and although it took the young lady about 45 minutes to find it, I wound up picking it up.
Nice packaging... mini vinyl replica thing plus a 2009 tour sticker and a code to download the "....Until The Freeze" lp (lp for lack of a better term).

[Mr Walker]

Sweet fucking move offering "....Until The Freeze" in flac format!

This band really knows how to treat its fans!

[indeedido]

I'll see them at the Oklahoma State Fair in Sept. Seems weird though. I'm used to seeing Loverboy, Eddie Money, etc for the last 4-5 years. Loverboy twice actually! Seems odd we would get a band this good, but I'll take it.

[Mr Walker]

I'm gonna assume that their server got hammered...
Tried the FLAC download and it timed out... tried the mp3 download and it looks like that is jamming up as well. I re-entered my code to retry the FLAC and it told me that I already downloaded it
I shot off an e-mail and hope they can find a way to make good on the offer.

[indeedido]

I went ahead and got it from Itunes this am, I'm digging it. Pretty fucking good album. I didn't expect to hear something like "I ain't hiding", but I like it

[Rufus T Firefly]

Well I bought the new record today and the CD's done up to look like Vinyl, which is a nice touch, I gotta say that Warpaint never really grew on me, too much mid tempo stuff with no real standout tracks IMO, and this one feels kinda similar, a little more varied though.

'could do without the disco track, that's for sure. When the falsetto backing vocals come in it's just so obvious that they wanted to do their version of "Miss You" it hurts!

Trying to get the free download thing going now but I'm fucked if I can get it to work...

[Mr Walker]

Read a long review... but this comment summed up my feelings on the new disc(s)...

It's almost damning praise to call a work "mature" but Before The Frost…Until The Freeze is nourishing, thoughtful, emotionally resonant music made by and intended for adults, a series of primo ruminations on paths taken. I'll let others wag over "best album" or even "better than such & such album." When music is this organic, switched-on and skillfully delivered there's no need for hierarchies. Just kick off them shoes and let it have its way with you and you'll get it just fine.

[Mr Walker]

Trying to get the free download thing going now but I'm fucked if I can get it to work...

They did have server problems... if you can't get your code to work, send an e-mail here

bbrannen@hearmymerch.com

and they will hook you up with a new one.
I was able to download the FLAC version this morning.

[Golden AWe]

Sweet fucking move offering "....Until The Freeze" in flac format!

This band really knows how to treat its fans!

Hi Lou!!!

[Rufus T Firefly]

They did have server problems... if you can't get your code to work, send an e-mail here

bbrannen@hearmymerch.com

and they will hook you up with a new one.
I was able to download the FLAC version this morning.

I got it to work in the end, cheers!

Still kinda underwhelmed though. It's all in a similar kinda country groove, no real standout tracks. Shame really.

I still wanna go and see 'em live though, saw 'em twice back in the day, it's about time I caught up again.

[Alex Mogilny]

Got the vinyl yesterday. Great fucking album.