The Black Crowes

[Analogman]

For a new Crowes fan who has digested their whole catalog and is now ready to dive into some live sets, can anyone recommend the best eras? Or favorite individual shows?

 

I think there are good shows from every line-up of the band. You can just go to bt.etree.org and start grabbing stuff. Maybe you want to start with the H.O.R.D.E. fest shows.

[Shug]

My fave Crowes era is 2005 and 2006, the return of Marc Ford.  Eddie Harsch on keys is essential, in my view, so that means stick to stuff prior to Sept 2006 when Ford and Harsch were no longer in the band.

 

The Fillmore run in August of 2005 is great (live DVD Into The Fog is almost an entire performance from just one night, super hot playing, the lighting is too bright and bums some people out, though)

 

So is the Fonda Theater, Los Angeles run in October 2005

 

But for one epic jamming their asses off show, I'd heartily recommend either:

 

Hampton Beach Casino May 14, 2005  the Black Moon Creeping jam>Black Moon Creeping is beyond epic, just filthy filthy guitar tones and hard rock jamming, so freaking good! And they just don't let up on the inspired jamming with peak versions of Ballad>Wiser Time and Thorn In My Pride with a Thorn's Progress prelude.

 

or

 

Columbus OH 8-1-2006   Marc Ford tears the living shit out of Clapton's Got To Get Better In A Little While and Steady Rollin' Man.  Good acoustic first set, too.  Sugaree encore is sweet for Deadheads.

 

All of these were commerically released, try liveblackcrowes.com for downloads.  You might find the physical discs still for sale from Instant Live, too.

[choo-choo-charlie]

I realize now I could have shared a little more information to narrow the search. Of course, sometimes the live shows from an era aren't as beloved as the records, or vice versa. But a good show is a good show.

 

At any rate, my favorite record from the early years, front-to-back, is Amorica. I also really enjoy The Lost Crowes - the "Tall" and "Band" sessions, so you could say my favorite era right now is 1994-1997.

 

Fast-forward, I also really like quite a bit of Warpaint and BTFUTF. 

[Shug]

Check earlier in this thread for comments about the 94-97 era Crowes,  Bob Lamonta knows what he's talking about.  Many hard core Crowes fans feel the era you mentioned is best particularly the Winter tour (Jan and Feb) of Europe in 1997.  I prefer 2005 because of more covers, more setlist variety and I think Ford's guitar playing got even better when he came back, but others feel Chris' voice peaked in the mid 90s. 

 

Beacon Theater, NYC March 19, 1995 is very good.

 

I saw plenty of good shows in the Luther years, but I wouldn't really start there.  If you do, try the Fillmore run in 2008, especially 12-18-08 and 12-19-08 for the Tall rarities Exit, Bewildered and Title Song.  Those first two had not been played in quite a few years and they really nailed them. The acoustic shows at Town Hall, NYC in Nov 2008 were pretty fantastic, too.

[Mr. Heartbreak]

Check earlier in this thread for comments about the 94-97 era Crowes,  Bob Lamonta knows what he's talking about.  Many hard core Crowes fans feel the era you mentioned is best particularly the Winter tour (Jan and Feb) of Europe in 1997.  I prefer 2005 because of more covers, more setlist variety and I think Ford's guitar playing got even better when he came back, but others feel Chris' voice peaked in the mid 90s. 

 

Bob turned me on to shows from 2005 (thanks, Bob!), but I think I still prefer the 90s period. The mid-2000 period certainly rocks, but I find some of the long jams (like the "Thorn Jam") to be fatiguing after a while. One thing for sure, if you go back and check out different eras of their career, there is a pleasantly surprising amount of variety. People thought they were kind of a one-dimensional band when SYMM came out, but not so.

[choo-choo-charlie]

Thanks for the recommendations, everyone. I'll do some poking around.

 

Bob turned me on to shows from 2005 (thanks, Bob!), but I think I still prefer the 90s period. The mid-2000 period certainly rocks, but I find some of the long jams (like the "Thorn Jam") to be fatiguing after a while. One thing for sure, if you go back and check out different eras of their career, there is a pleasantly surprising amount of variety. People thought they were kind of a one-dimensional band when SYMM came out, but not so.

 

I have to admit I was the same way until about a month ago. I was only familiar with the hits from SYMM, plus Remedy, all of which were played to death on the radio. I made a trade with a buddy of mine: the Wilco catalog for the Black Crowes catalog. Both of us had been curious about each other's favorite bands and were not well-versed at all in the range of their material.

 

It has turned out to be one of the best music swaps I've done in a long time. Amorica/Tall/Band is some of the best rock 'n roll I've ever heard. I want to support the band now and grab some live shows.

[nodep5]

95 percent of people I know, even some music listening buddies, have no sense of the black Crowes beyond Shake your money maker and most are dismissive. If you look at their first four records , especially during the time period when they came out, man what a freaking kick ass band

[Shug]

If one just looked a list of cover songs the Crowes have played live over the years, it quickly becomes clear they have an encyclopedic-like knowledge of good music.  They peaked as the Dead were declining and in my view, they took the hand-off and became the torch-bearers for how a rock band can take a wide scope of great influences, put their own spin on it and simultaneously pay tribute to the long historical legacy of the musical traditions that inspire them.  I agree, the Crowes are under-appreciated and not well understood, even by people who would probably like them a lot if they got an idea of what they are all about, as charlie and heartbreak mentioned.  Glad to see folks getting turned on to them.  Luckily there is a huge amount of live show recordings that can be purchased.

 

Try the Search The Songlist function here: http://crowesbase.com

[John Smith]

By no means am I a Crowes expert, but I do enjoy their shows with Jimmy Page. I have four or five I think.

 

Studio wise I really like Amorica but I love Tall. A much more raw unprocessed version of the album.

[Moss]

95 percent of people I know, even some music listening buddies, have no sense of the black Crowes beyond Shake your money maker and most are dismissive. If you look at their first four records , especially during the time period when they came out, man what a freaking kick ass band

Yeah, that about sums it up. 

[Analogman]

For those who want to hear the cover songs (from the 1990s) - there is a multi-volume (fan made) live compilation out there called Cover Me With a Good Dream.

 

 

 

DISC ONE:
01. Mr. Spaceman (The Byrds) 10-31-96
02. Ooh Las Vegas (Gram Parsons) 05-01-95
03. One Hundred Years From Now (Gram Parsons) 11-27-96
04. Hot Burrito #1 (Gram Parsons) 12-07-96
05. Hot Burrito #2 (Gram Parsons) 12-07-96
06. Nobody But You (Little Walter) 03-25-95
07. Cash On The Barrelhead (Ira & Charlie Louvin) 07-23-96
08. She (Gram Parsons) 3-22-95
09. Meet Me In The Morning (Bob Dylan) 07-07-95
10. Oh Sister (Bob Dylan) 02-15-97
11. He Was A Friend Of Mine (The Byrds) 12-03-96
12. Girl From The North Country (Bob Dylan) 12-15-96
13. Boomer's Story (Ry Cooder) 11-26-96
14. Willin' (Little Feat) 07-23-96

DISC TWO:
01. One Way Out (Elmore James/Sonny Boy Williamson) 11-01-94
02. Statesboro Blues (Blind Willie McTell) 08-18-95
03. Dreams (Allman Brothers Band) 03-29-95
04. Stand Back (Allman Brothers Band) 05-21-93
05. Leaving Trunk (Sleepy John Estes) 08-17-95
06. Sloppy Drunk (Sonny Boy Williamson) 10-30-96
07. Shake Your Moneymaker (Elmore James) 11-15-96
08. Woke Up This Morning (B.B. King) 04-13-95
09. Champagne & Reefer (Muddy Waters) 05-01-95
10. Blues Power (Eric Clapton/ Leon Russell) 04-23-95
11. Crow Black Chicken (Ry Cooder) 02-19-97
12. Nasty Boogie Woogie (Champion Jack Dupree) 02-19-97
13. Come On Baby (D. Whitten) 02-19-97
14. It's A Sin (Jimmy Reed) 08-24-90

DISC THREE:
01. Space Captain (Joe Cocker) 08-03-92
02. Honky Tonk Women (Rolling Stones) 08-24-90
03. Silver Train (Rolling Stones) 12-15-96
04. Happy (Rolling Stones) 12-15-96
05. Torn & Frayed (Rolling Stones) 12-15-96
06. Don't Let Me Down (The Beatles) 10-18-96
07. Big Time (Neil Young) 12-03-96
08. Feelin' Alright (Joe Cocker) 03-29-95
09. Three Little Birds (Bob Marley) 06-02-93
10. Talking Blues (C. Barrett) 04-16-93
11. Kinky Reggae (Bob Marley) 09-21-00
12. Long Time Gone (David Crosby) 11-01-94
13. Music Is Love (David Crosby) 11-28-92
14. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down (The Band) 12-15-96
15. The Weight (The Band) 10-30-96

DISC FOUR:
01. CC Rider (Elvis) 10-31-96
02. Teddy Bear (Elvis) 10-31-96
03. Jailhouse Rock (Elvis) 10-31-96
04. Down In The Street (Iggy Pop) 10-18-96
05. 1969 (Iggy Pop) 02-19-99
06. Whole Lotta Love (Led Zeppelin) 09-30-91
07. Jealous Guy (John Lennon) 08-24-90
08. Shake 'Em On Down (T. McClennan) 06-15-91
09. Get Back (The Beatles) 06-15-91
10. Thank You (Sly Stone) 06-15-91
11. I Just Want Jesus To Walk With Me (Fred McDowell) 06-15-91
12. Black Eyed Dog (Nick Drake) 07-22-97
13. Oh Well (Peter Green) 06-29-99
14. It's Your Thing (Isley Brothers) 07-21-99
15. I Want To Take You Higher (Sly Stone) 09-05-90
16. 30 Days In The Hole (Humble Pie) 06-05-90
17. Miss Judy's Farm (Faces) 10-11-96
18. Black Coffee (Ike Turner) 04-10-99
19. Three Button Hand Me Down (Faces) 12-05-90
20. Let Love Rule (Lenny Kravitz) 11-05-90
21. Stay With Me (Faces) 11-05-90
22. Bad Moon Rising (CCR) 11-05-90

DISC FIVE:
01. Hard To Handle (Otis Redding) 03-25-95
02. Chevrolet (Lonnie Young) 11-15-96
03. I Dig Love (George Harrison) 05-20-01
04. Can't You Hear Me Knocking/Sway (Rolling Stones) 92-93 Soundcheck
05. Somebody's On Your Case (Randle/Peebles) 07-11-97
06. Pimper's Paradise (Bob Marley) 07-09-97
07. Time Will Tell (Bob Marley) 10-24-01
08. Rebel Rebel (David Bowie) 05-22-01
09. Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere (Neil Young) 05-19-01
10. To Love Somebody (The Bee Gees) 05-14-01
11. Roadrunner (McDaniel) 06-03-01
12. Lucifer Sam (Pink Floyd) 10-24-01
13. Rainy Day Women #'s 12 & 35 (Bob Dylan) '91
14. Communication Breakdown (Led Zeppelin) 09-03-01
15. Mellow Down Easy (Willie Dixon) 05-10-95
16. 99 lbs. (Randle) '92

[Lammycat]

Wow, would like to get that. Always liked how they did Silver Train....

[John Smith]

They also released a series of live show on ITunes a few years ago that were packed with covers. I think each show had a theme, one show the covers were Beatles, one was the Stones, one the Band etc...

[choo-choo-charlie]

I saw those shows in the ITunes store -- a run at the Fillmore, I believe. They're $11.99 each. 

[Mr. Heartbreak]

Interesting review of the 2nd CRB release, comparing them (favorably) to the Dead.

 

http://marqueemag.com/2012/09/01/chris-robinson%E2%80%88brotherhood-the-magic-door/

[skradiate]

I was lucky enough to attend one of the Cabin Fever shows at Levon's studio in February 2009 which yielded the deep and rootsy Before the Frost...Until the Freeze records.   Even after seeing many, many Crowes shows through the 90s &00s this session was a mind shifter for me.  I loved Warpaint when Luther joined the band but the live gigs after BTF...UTF really started to get very tight.  The "final" tour after they released Croweology (highly recommneded as well) with the acoustic and electric sets were some of the most satisfying Black Crowes I ever did see (and there were a lot of great nights with Marc & Eddie in the band).  Loved it so much that we flew to Amsterdam to catch the real last shows with Luther the summer after the *almost* last shows at the Fillmore in SF.

 

FWIW - Rich Robinson's last release "Through A Crooked Sun" and the subsequent tour which brought him & band to Schubas was one of my favorite releases of 2012.  Looking forward to his next release this spring....along with more CRB.

 

Freak n roll brothers & sisters!

sk

[Analogman]

I've seem some FB posts the past few days about Rich making a video.

[choo-choo-charlie]

Think I'm starting to come around on some CRB material. Those records are just so dense with all the long tracks. I don't like some of the keyboard sounds, but the guitar playing is pretty spot-on.

[Analogman]

There is also New Earth Mud and This Magnificent Distance.

[Lammycat]

Think I'm starting to come around on some CRB material. Those records are just so dense with all the long tracks. I don't like some of the keyboard sounds, but the guitar playing is pretty spot-on.

That's Neal Casal on lead. I like his playing a bunch, too. He also plays lead in Todd Snider's new band Hard Working Americans (w/ Dave Schools on bass, etc.). 

[dagwave]

this is what I listened to on commute home from work:

 

Steve Gorman Sports!

A lifelong sports fan, in March 2010, Gorman hooked up with his friends Mitch Blum and Brandon Gnetz to create a sports, music and pop culture podcast and website called Steve Gorman Sports! On the show Gorman tells tales of life on the road and riffs on current sports, music and pop culture events. Gorman's show was broadcast on a Nashville radio station but he left the station in the summer of 2013. On January 2, 2014, it was announced that Gorman would join Fox Sports Radio as the host of a daily three-hour show from 3pm to 6pm Eastern, broadcast immediately following Jay Mohr's show. Gorman's stint with Fox Sports Radio will begin on January 27, 2014. ^[1]

[Lammycat]

That sounds really interesting. Wonder if I can get it here in Denver....

[Analogman]

I use to listen to his show where he talked about music and told stories. I recall reading recently that he was going national.

[choo-choo-charlie]

That's Neal Casal on lead. I like his playing a bunch, too. He also plays lead in Todd Snider's new band Hard Working Americans (w/ Dave Schools on bass, etc.). 

 

Yeah, I really like his playing. I've heard of Hard Working Americans...never listened. Guess I have some more stuff to look into.

[Analogman]

A new song from Chris: Shore Power

A new song from Rich:  One Road Hill