Can’t Live With It, Can’t Live Without It: The Black Crowes

Again, we look deep into the mirror and ask the question about an artist’s back catalogue, “If you had to reject one, which would it be, and which one would you fight to keep?”. Choosing The Black Crowes, there was plenty of music to revisit, including some classic tracks. With the plethora of new music around at the moment, looking back doesn’t always happen, so writing a column like this causes enthusiasm, mixed with slight panic, and a wish that all my compact discs had been filed in alphabetical order instead of randomly thrown in canvas boxes.

The Black Crowes were formed in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1984 and created by brothers Chris and Rich Robinson. They were initially called Mr Crowe’s Garden, changing the name shortly after landing a record deal. They exploded with a swagger onto the scene after signing to Def American and releasing their debut album “Shake Your Money Maker” to critical acclaim in 1990. The NME may not have cared for it, but with a solid 5/5 from Kerrang! magazine and a four-star review from Q, there were no arguments about its pedigree as they were voted “Best New American Band” by readers of Rolling Stone.

The Robinson brothers would be the only constant members throughout the years. With ten studio albums, there are some serious considerations to be undertaken before choosing one to be consigned to the back of the cupboard and another to take pride of place out front. After the release of “Lions” on the V2 label in 2001, the band split, and we all thought that would be the end of it. This was to be temporary as the Crowes would be back.

There have been notable live excursions and, in particular, the collaboration with Jimmy Page, recorded live at The Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, where the band mainly played Led Zeppelin covers and some old blues standards such as Elmore Jame’s ‘Shake Your Money Maker’, Peter Green’s ‘Oh, Well’ and the Willie Dixon song ‘Mellow Down Easy’. Initially, a stunning double album, recently expanded and remastered, and released in March 2025 on Orchard Records, spanning three discs. Well worth tracking down. The Crowes do Zeppelin so well.

Can’t Live With It: “By Your Side” (1998)

This is where things become very strange. Following the release of the 1996 “Three Snakes And One Charm” record, the band went into seclusion and began work on a new album, titled simply “Band”. Their then record label rejected the initial output from the sessions, looking for something more mainstream. Stifling creative juices, possibly; however, it was the last thing the group would submit to American Recordings. Guitarist Mac Ford was, let’s put it politely, asked to leave the band due to drug issues. He was wasted at times during live shows, playing a different song to everyone else. Bass player Johnny Colt, who felt he hadn’t been able to contribute much to the “Three Snakes” project, also left, and Audley Freed was brought in on guitar with Sven Pipien on bass.

The strangeness and shenanigans didn’t stop there; the Crowes signed for Columbia, which had recently acquired American Recordings. “By Your Side” was to be the only set of songs released on Columbia; however, as they owned the American Recordings, they had the rights to previous material.

This meant a three-year gap between albums. Many of the songs and ideas from the rejected album were reworked and rewritten. Some of them appeared on “By Your Side” in some format or other, whereas others were rewritten and used on Rich Robinson’s debut solo project.

Rich Robinson played all guitars on the new set, with Freed only there for the tour. Producer Kevin Shirley was brought in. His previous pedigree of working with Aerosmith, Iron Maiden, and Led Zeppelin spoke for itself.

With all this going on, and with a producer who wanted to generate a simple rock record, showing a band having fun, was the interesting work of the preceding three albums going to melt away into oblivion? Was this an attempt to get back to their roots and produce another “Shake Your Money Maker”? Even if that wasn’t the case, then that is what “By Your Side” feels like. Where “Shake Your Money Maker” was fresh and exciting, this felt like a band playing some loud rock music, having a good time but not pushing any boundaries. Not moving forward, but set in reverse.

Spoiler alert: We will come to “The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion” in a moment. However, re-visiting “By Your Side” for this feature (and blowing the dust off the CD), I still find it hard to connect with it. “Three Snakes And One Charm” included the fantastic ‘Good Friday’, the sublime ‘Nebakanezer’, and the fabulous ‘Girl From The Pawnshop’. Lyrically engaging as were the choice cuts from 1994’s “Amorica”. ‘High Head Blues’ leading into ‘Cursed Diamond’, with its sensitive piano over the plaintive guitar at the close, is stunning.

The Black Crowes no doubt enjoyed recording “By Your Side”. The rewriting and writing on the hoof (some of the tracks were formed in the studio) means everything is a little too simple. Like most albums in the “Can Live Without” section, they are not bad. We have to consign one to music room 101, and for me, this is it. Some good songs are trying to get out. ‘Diamond Ring’ works well, and the exuberance of one of the first tracks laid down during the session, ‘ Kickin’ My Heart Around’, is a musical riot, just too much Stones and not enough Zeppelin. The critics quite liked it anyway, and it charted well.

Can’t Live Without It: “The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion” (1992)

Using the phrase and Sum41 album title “All Killers, No Fillers” might evoke a cringe or two, but “The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion” is that album. A well-balanced collection that effortlessly goes from one track to another with an ebb and flow in tempo that is perfect. It is the third album that is always classed as difficult. The second one, you can get away with something akin to the first; however, with this, the band cruised into town with ten golden nuggets and didn’t rest on any first album laurels.

Their second outing on American Recordings, packaged beautifully with some interesting voodoo-like imagery and live band photos, and except for a Bob Marley cover, the Robinson brothers wrote all the songs. As with “Shake Your Money Maker”, it was produced by George Drakoulias; however, this time the credit was shared with The Black Crowes. Drakoulias was one of Rick Rubin’s first hires at Def Jam, following him to Los Angeles, where they launched Def American, which became American Recordings. Drakoulias also worked with the Jayhawks, producing the critically acclaimed album “Hollywood Town Hall” and the excellent “Tomorrow the Green Grass.”

Mac Ford joined on guitar, replacing Jeff Cease and the keyboardist Eddie Harsch was brought in to add a further musical layer. You can’t play “Southern Harmony” without keyboards.

The original “Southern Harmony and Musical Companion” was something completely different. Compiled by American Baptist composer William Walker in 1835, it was a hymnal of sacred songs. Of course, we wouldn’t want to compare the two and claim The Black Crowes to be bigger than a higher deity; someone made that analogy once before, and it didn’t go well, but this is the Crowes album I definitely can’t live without.

Sparking into life with the bluesy ‘Sting Me’ rolling seamlessly into ‘Remedy’ complete with gospel choir background vocals from Barbara Mitchell and Taj Harmon. Harsch on keyboards gets his first real run and does an excellent job driving the song forward. There is enough light and shade in the song, with the instruments dropping out to give Chris Robinson room to showcase his vocals.

The change of pace comes with track three and more church like keyboards on ‘Thorn In My Pride’. Listen out for Robinson’s “shush” in the intro as the music drops slightly in volume; it’s magical in its simplicity.

‘Bad Luck Blue Eyes Goodbye’ is another slower number that builds, and like the previous tune, it includes the holy choir again in the chorus. “You got your do’s, your don’ts / Because and why / I don’t trust no one who don’t / Take their own advice.” Robinson’s vocals are pleading at the end, but in the end, it’s goodbye.

The fabulous ‘Hotel Illness’ follows, with a driving beat, magnificent harmonica and slide guitar. The wonderful lyric “I got a head full of sermons and a mouth full of spiders” is pure genius. That moment when you have so much to say but can’t get it out, you have checked into ‘Hotel Illness’. Listen to the acoustic version on the album “Croweology”, which incidentally I can’t live without either, for a different and no less enjoyable experience.

The whole hymnal ends with Bob Marley’s ‘Time Will Tell’ from his “Kaya” collection. It’s faithful to the original version and works well as a chill-out after all the excitement. Robinson sings as if lost in a religious fervour with the holy choir in the background.

“Southern Harmony” opened the door for the following two albums and set the course for the next few years. It is a moment in time when the Crowes were flying (sorry). They would hit heights again after breaks and solo projects. The 2008 “Warpaint” album is definitely worth checking out, and no Black Crowes album totally disappointed. They consistently produced some of the best southern rock, and who knows, I may even reach under the sofa for that long-lost “By Your Side” again, as it has been a lot of fun listening to it again for this feature, maybe I can live with it after all.