new Crowes

[shaman]

I know there are some Black Crowes fans here...whattya think about the latest "Before the Frost"..(I think that is what its called...)..heard two songs today and was hooked...wanna hear from me British friends before I lay down the $$

[horsehead]

Got them the other week...not bad, seems a lot funkier & Luther is strating to get into his stride. Worth the money definitely & very worthy of the b-sides (in the vrowes world that's were the class is!)

[AndyR]

Got it the day it came out. Love it, and the download second album.

At first I thought "LOADS better than Warpaint" (which I like already), but now I'm not so sure. It's actually helped me to get further into Warpaint, funnily enough. The cd album is more immediately accessable than Warpaint for me, but maybe lacks its depth, the depth for me at the moment is on the download album.

It's definitely worth getting, it had that "new LP from one of my fav bands, put it on, ooo... yeah... they haven't let me down" vibe. I haven't experienced that feeling since the early 80s!!

[tomjackson]

Not bought a Black Crowes album since Amorica.

No, I did buy 3 snakes on cassette but lent it my mate and when I went round to his house it was on the floor broken.  He said he'd hoovered it up by mistake.

So, what's the best album since Amorica, I used to really like the Black Crowes and need to catch up!

Got to admit when I saw them in the late nineties without Ford I thoought theyed lost something, they had this guy playing who was a bit more hard rock scratch LP tone than ford.  I saw them at Glasto in 1995, they were killer then.

[AndyR]

This new one and Warpaint is where I'd suggest you go first.

I much prefer 3 snakes to Amorica. I actually rarely listen to Amorica (so take that into account :lol:).

I also kinda like By your side, which I understand is not a common view, but I agree it is a bit "in your face" commercial, I suppose.

Lions is ok, but it seems like they're wandering a bit - it does have some good songs on it, but I can never remember Black Crowes song titles :lol:

If you're a Led Zeppelin fan as well (and like live albums), you must have Live at the Greek - it's a stunner, worth it just for Nobody's Fault But Mine, but there aren't any "Black Crowe" songs on it.

I've also got the first live double CD album - I think it's around "Lions" time - it's ok and a good document, but I find it lacking something. It's also a bit hard work in headphones, the two guitars are panned hard left/right. This is great for finding out who's playing what, but one of the things I like about them is how the two guitars meld into one groove - doesn't happen on this one on your personal stereo :lol: (Just realised, I've never tried Live at the Greek like that - might have the same issue, but who cares, it's got "the vibe" :D)

EDIT: If anyone's got owt to say on the other live albums/dvds, I'd be very interested to hear their thoughts myself - I love live albums and have a hankering to get these but don't know where to start. Also that album of "lost albums" - should one be shelling out for that? Many thanks :D

[blue]

i got the new album, and it is indeed a good one.  Chris Robinson's voice has changed a bit, it's deeper and fuller.  i always liked his voice, but i think some people were irritated by it.  the download second disc is basically a country album!  good country though.  there are a couple of tracks on it that are just a bit too country for me, but there's good stuff on there too.  just had Warpaint on yesterday, it's a fine album too.

oh, a lot of both discs of the new album appear to have been recorded live.  can anyone confirm if they really were?

[AndyR]

Blue, I understand that the basic tracking for most of the songs was done "live" in a studio before an invited audience - and then ovedubs, etc, were done as necessary. I think this has definitely worked and given the basic tracks an intimate and natural "band" feel to them, there's a real "feel good" vibe to this album.

At first, the audiences, which have been left on, distracted me on what are pretty much "studio recordings", but I've got over that now :D

[Philly Q]

I'm not a huge fan, but I don't think they've ever improved on The Southern Harmony...

(Having said that, I haven't heard anything since Lions)

[blue]

thanks Andy, and you're right, it does have a great feel to it.  intimate is a good word, it really is a very fine recording.

Philly, yes, Southern Harmony... is an absolute classic, and i didn't enjoy some of the subsequent albums as much, but i think you might like these last two.

[AndyR]

Philly, (bear in mind this is just personal taste!) the new album is obviously played by a more sophisticated set of musicians, and the material/style is different, but I feel that somehow some of the "spirit" found on Southern Harmony seems to have been recaptured. I think it might have been there on Warpaint as well, but I didn't notice it as much until I'd heard this new one.

EDIT: Yeah Blue seems to be finding the same thing :D

[Philly Q]

Thanks chaps, I'll see if I can find them on Spotify or something - certainly not buying 'em.  :)

[HTH AMPS]

hmm, the new record is one thats gonna need some repeated listens - hasn't grabbed me like their albums usually do - I loved Warpaint from the start.

[AndyR]

hmm, the new record is one thats gonna need some repeated listens - hasn't grabbed me like their albums usually do - I loved Warpaint from the start.

I was waiting for someone to post that very post HTH, I was sure there'd be people who see it that way. I'm round the other way - I could tell Warpaint was good stuff, but for me it was almost "background music" and definitely a "grower" - this one was "WOW" on first listen, and I had to press play again the minute the CD finished (the download album, partly because of how I have to listen to it, is a "grower", I have a feeling in the long run I'll value it more than the CD album).

It's one of the things I like about them - they seem to plough their own furrow... and they appeal to different people for different reasons :D

So there you go Philly - you'll have hear it for yourself. Shaman, hooked on two songs already, quit stallin' man, you want it... :lol:

[Philly Q]

OK, I feel I do need to check it out!

For the record, I never like Black Crowes stuff on first listen.  It either grows on me slowly, or not at all.

But as I said, I'm not a huge fan.  They've never been quite rocky enough for me, they always have those gospel/soul/country/"Americana" elements, none of which I'm very keen on....

[38thBeatle]

I have enjoyed them from a distance. With you guys being so enthusiastic and the right kind of buzz words being bandied around I will have to have a close look.