Rich Robinson Set To Release New Album

Guitarist and songwriter Rich Robinson is scheduled to release his upcoming solo album, The Ceaseless Sight on June 3 via The End Records.

Check out the first single, “One Road Hill”, below.  The single will be released on April 8.

“I've always approached writing songs for an album as part of a larger work,” says Robinson. “This album as a whole is one piece and how it fits into my whole body of work is the other. My new record follows the path of my musical journey I've been on for 25 years. I feel a strong connection to where I've been musically, but more importantly where I'm going."

Track List

• I Know You
• Down The Road
• One Road Hill
• The Giving Key
• This Unfortunate Show
• In Comes The Night
• Inside
• I Have a Feeling
• I Remember
• In You
• Trial and Faith
• Obscure The Day

Year End Review: The Black Crowes – Croweology

In August, The Black Crowes released their latest effort, Croweology. The Paul Stacey produced, double disc, acoustic work was released on the band’s own Silver Arrow label. Croweology commemorates the 20th anniversary of the band’s debut classic Shake Your Moneymaker reworking hits, fan favorites and other songs from their career.

When I first sat down to listen to the record, my first thought was, this is what the Crowes brief appearance on Unplugged back in the day should have sounded like. Then I listened again and thought, perhaps not. The Black Crowes that did that were wild, raw and hungry. There was a loose cannon edge to them. I wouldn’t trade that period in Crowes history for the world. Croweology is what years of seasoning and maturity sounds like. Does it make me feel like the guitar and vocals are going to take me over the edge into some unknown territory? No, it doesn’t. Twenty years ago, they made me feel as if they were saying “take my hand, the ride could get intense and scary but it’ll always be alright.” Twenty years later they make me feel like they’re saying “come by for Sunday dinner, we’ll eat and shoot the breeze.” That’s not saying it’s boring. That’s saying we’re grown up; we’re all twenty years older. This is us with lines around our eyes and twenty years of rock ‘n’ roll coursing through our veins. There’s a certain level of visiting an old friend type of comfort in listening to this record.

A friend of mine wasn’t so keen on getting this record because she’s a purist, and why mess with something that wasn’t broken. I think if it were any other band I’d probably feel the same way. But, one of the things I always loved about the Crowes was their desire and ability to change things up a bit live and that’s what this record feels like to me, an acoustic, structured, jam session. Yeah, I know, structured and jam session don’t belong in the same sentence!

Croweology brings back a lot of memories and I’ve enjoyed listening to it. Would I trade in the original versions of the songs for the versions on this collection? No. I might trade in a few of my well worn bootleg versions for these renditions … maybe. And, I have to say, I much prefer this type of “best of” instead of the traditional re-packaging of tracks that are nothing more than exactly what you already have only in a new package. I can do that myself on my music player, it’s called a playlist. So, kudos to the band on taking the mildly alternative route with their “best of” release.

As I played the disc, someone who had to endure endless plays of their albums and probably groaned every time I came back from the mailbox with an envelope of cassettes (they knew that envelope would contain several hours of live Crowes), came into the room. Their favorite Crowes song is “She Talks To Angels” so I skipped to that track. I asked what she thought and she replied “Chris sounds sane.” Huh? I was informed that there was a period where she thought he sounded substance aided lost and crazy. Okay. Vocally, Robinson sounds great on Croweology. To be honest, it might well be the best I’ve heard him, certainly in a good long time. He sounds less nasally, more controlled and there’s a maturity in his voice that’s comforting and warm. The Black Crowes have always been a top notch band. The rest of the band does some excellent work on this record and I’m not slighting them but Robinson’s vocals are the highlight here. The band has perfectly created a stage for Robinson to sparkle and shine.

While some may disagree, I think this is a fitting record to celebrate twenty years. Since the band is going on hiatus for an unspecified amount of time, I think it’s also a fitting way to say, “thanks and see you around” to their fans. Twenty years ago, I saw The Black Crowes, Chris, Rich, Steve, Johnny & Jeff for the first time and began my journey that while altered, has never ended. I’ve come full-circle now. Chris, Rich & Steve thank you for twenty years. To those who have come and gone and those of the current incarnation, thanks as well, you've helped make the journey a memorable one.

Croweology is a tidy package that brings things full-circle. And that my friends, is just what the quirky chick needed.

Track List

Disc 1

• Jealous Again
• Share The Ride
• Remedy
• Non-Fiction
• Hotel Illness
• Soul Singin'
• Ballad In Urgency
• Wiser Time
• Cold Boy Smile
• Under A Mountain

Disc 2

• She Talks To Angels
• Morning Song
• Downtown Money Waster
• Good Friday
• Thorn In My Pride
• Welcome To The Good Times
• Girl From A Pawnshop
• Sister Luck
• She
• Bad Luck Blue Eyes Goodbye

The Black Crowes To Release Acoustic Double Album

The Black Crowes will be releasing Croweology, their acoustic double album, on August 3. Okay, while I wasn't overly thrilled with their last record, I'm still looking forward to this one. I've always like acoustic Crowes ... going back to the days of Unplugged and the stuff from Ronnie Scott's ... y'all remember that? Anyway, I have a plethora of acoustic Crowes, most not "official" so I'll be happy to have my hands on this.

Croweology is 20 songs that span their two decade career. We're talking new arrangements of some of their best loved songs. The record was produced by Paul Stacey. To support the record and say thanks to fans before going on indefinite hiatus, the band, Chris Robinson (vocals/guitar), Rich Robinson (guitar), Steve Gorman (drums), Sven Pipien (bass), Luther Dickinson (guitar) and Adam McDougall (keyboards), will go on tour. The Say Goodnight To The Bad Guys tour will kick-off on August 13. New York, we've long been a city that gets multi-night shows from The Crowes and we for this tour as well. They'll be at Nokia Theatre Times Square on October 31 (that's Halloween y'all ... two words, Jellied Donut), November 2, 4, 5 and 6.

If that isn't enough Crowes for you happy little heads, they'll be on the Tonight Show w/Jay Leno on August 3 and Jimmy Kimmel Live August 4 ... check local listings and set your DVR's. And, in the mist of all of this, The Black Crowes will be inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame on September 11 at the 32nd Annual Georgia Music Hall of Fame Awards Show. Congratulations gentleman. Tickets for the Georgia Music Hall of Fame Awards go on sale July 1 and can be purchased at CobbEnergyCentre.com, Ticketmaster, livepage.apple.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000.

CROWEOLOGY spans THE BLACK CROWES' revered catalog with acoustic renditions of 20 songs from their two decades of cosmic rock 'n' roll. Commemorating the 20th anniversary of their landmark multi-platinum debut, 1990's SHAKE YOUR MONEYMAKER, CROWEOLOGY gives listeners an intimate retrospective, stripping away these fan and band favorites like "Jealous Again," "Remedy," "She Talks To Angels" and "Wiser Time" to their very essence through brand new recordings, captured in 2009 at Sunset Sound Studios in Los Angeles. Given its scope and bright approach, the Paul Stacey-produced CROWEOLOGY is worth studying for both longtime fans and newcomers alike.

In order to thank fans for 20 years of support, CROWEOLOGY will be priced at the cost of a single album. In addition, it will be available on vinyl and as an iTunes LP. Listeners will get their first taste of CROWEOLOGY when "Jealous Again" and "Morning Song" hit radio this week.

blackcrowes.com

Year End Review: The Black Crowes - Before The Frost...Until The Freeze

Back at the beginning of September, The Black Crowes released their latest record, Before The Frost...Until The Freeze. Prior to the records release, I'd heard "I Ain't Hiding" and got a bit excited. My first thought was, glory be, they're going to get back to the more funky and just outright rockin' stuff. While that song wasn't up there with some of their classic songs of yore, it made me look forward to the upcoming release.

The record came out. I opened up the package and the first thing I notice is, it's a mini replica of a vinyl LP. The casing looks and maneuvers like album covers from back in the day. The CD even comes in a paper sleeve and the disc itself looks like a vinyl record. Nice. It got me feeling all nostalgic and remembering the delightful Three Snakes vinyl 45 singles box set. Y'all remember that box? It also made me sad thinking about the flooded basement destruction of that box set and about 95% of my other Crowes collectibles but, I digress. Anyway, the record is broken into two parts. Before The Frost... and the bonus download ...Until The Freeze.

I popped the disc in. It opens with "Good Morning Captain" which I enjoyed but immediately thought, well, that's not a rocker! "Been A Long Time (Waiting On Love)" the second track comes on and is my favorite song on the disc. Nope, that's not a rocker either. As things go on, I begin to wonder how the hell "I Ain't Hiding" fits. Well, it doesn't, not really. I suppose it fits in, in the sense that The Crowes are diverse musicians and aren't hindered by genre labels which is something I always loved about them, especially live. I guess it also fits in the sense that it reminds me of Rod Stewart's "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" and some of their earlier stuff reminds me of Stewart ... "Charming Mess" springs to mind. To this day, I still expect to hear Stewart's voice instead of Chris Robinson's when I hear that song. Did I digress again?

"Make Glad" comes the closest to the classic, funky, rockin' Crowes of days gone by. It comes in a close second to being my favorite track on the album. Brace yourselves, I'm going to have one of my questionable comparison moments right now. "And The Band Played On" sounds like some bizarre cross of Little Feat, Led Zeppelin and ELO. Honestly, I can't even tell you how I feel about that song. Before The Frost... ends with "The Last Place That Love Lives" which doesn't do much for me but it's the perfect song to lead you into the bonus ...Until The Freeze portion of the record. That portion of the record kicks off with "Aimless Peacock" which sounds like Uncle Jed went to India to record a record. Were their hookah's involved in the creation of that song? Okay, perhaps that's a bit harsh. My favorite song on that portion of the disc is, "Greenhorn" ... lovin' the guitar work on that one. "Garden Gate" does a nice job of reminding me of Flatt & Scruggs. But honestly, I'd rather slap on the brilliant At Carnegie Hall! instead of hearing The Crowes remind me of them. Maybe down the line I'll toss it on and will feel differently, but right now, I ain't really feelin' the second portion of the record.

The Black Crowes are still a stellar band. Overall, Before The Frost...Until The Freeze is a good record. I without a doubt like it better than Warpaint which I'm still not feeling any love for. But, I prefer them to rock, roll and burn with all of their funky, bluesy, rockin' might.

Track Listing
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

www.blackcrowes.com

The Black Crowes Set To Release New CD

The Black Crowes are scheduled to release a new CD Before The Frost... on September 1. The fan friendly band is also releasing an exclusive second record, ...Until The Freeze, via download code which will be included in Before The Frost... as a thank you to fans for two decades of continued support.

Both records were recorded over five nights in upstate NY. While they're both studio recordings they were recorded in front of a small audience of fans making them a part of the intimate studio experience.

Before The Frost... features eleven new and previously unreleased tracks including "I Ain't Hiding" which can be found HERE. ...Until The Freeze features eight originals and a cover of Stephen Stills "So Many Times."

If you're a vinyl fan, you can pick up the limited edition version of Before The Frost...Until The Freeze on September 1 too. I haven't seen the packaging for the vinyl but I'm sure it'll be fun. I still adore my Three Snakes singles box set and a few other unique packages I acquired over the years.

After being somewhat disappointed by Warpaint, I'm looking forward to this release based on "I Ain't Hiding." If the rest of the record sounds like this, I'll be a truly happy camper. I can't believe it's been nearly twenty years since I fell in love with Shake your Moneymaker. It seems so long ago since I had the Crowes on constant repeat ... so long ago that I used to travel around to see them play.

Speaking of seeing them play, they're on tour. The Black Crowes will be making a stop in NYC the day after their record release. They'll be at Rumsey Playfield in Central Park Wednesday, September 2.

Track Listing

Before The Frost…

• 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

www.blackcrowes.com
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