The Black Crowes Albums Ranked From Worst to Best
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- Опубликовано: 23 авг 2024
- Were they a good ol' fashioned rock and roll band keepin' the flame alive for the next generation, or were they an unoriginal rehashing of the past? Maybe a bit of both. Today we're ranking the eight studio albums of The Black Crowes.
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The Black Crowes are an American rock band formed in Marietta, Georgia, in 1984. Their discography includes eight studio albums, four live albums and several charting singles. The band was signed to Def American Recordings in 1989 by producer George Drakoulias and released their debut album, Shake Your Money Maker, the following year. Their follow-up, The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion, reached the top of the Billboard 200 in 1992. The albums Amorica (1994), Three Snakes and One Charm (1996), By Your Side (1999), and Lions (2001) followed, with each showing moderate popularity but failing to capture the chart successes of the band's first two albums. After a hiatus from 2002 to 2005, the band regrouped and toured for several years before releasing Warpaint in 2008, which reached number 5 on the Billboard chart.
Following the release of their greatest hits/acoustic double album Croweology in August 2010, the band started a 20th anniversary tour that was followed by a second hiatus. After touring in 2013, the band announced another breakup in 2015, reforming in late 2019 to announce a 2020 tour in support of the 30th anniversary of Shake Your Money Maker. By this point the band had none of its original line-up left except for Chris and Rich Robinson, the only two constant members of the band over its entire history.
The Black Crowes have sold more than 30 million albums, and are listed at number 92 on VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock. They were labeled by Melody Maker as "The Most Rock 'n' Roll Rock 'n' Roll Band in the World" and the readers of Rolling Stone voted them 'Best New American Band' in 1990.
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Let us know what you think of The Black Crowes, how you rank their albums, and what you think of our lists by dropping a comment below. Thanks for watching!
Next week: Talk Talk
After that: ELO, George Harrison, Faith No More
#TheBlackCrowes #AlbumsRanked #WorsttoBest
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If you don't like Lions, I question your taste in music. Amorica will always be my favorite though.
Yeeeeeah..no. It sucks.
The Black Crowes are the last rock band that played in the pocket. The had the groove and the feel of what they used to call "black music."
LIONS grows with time, it's got layers,pretty psychedelic
I was fortunate to see them live around 95. They were much better than I expected. I only bought the first three.
yah i saw them in 93 they were good. they opened for robert plant
I don't think you can beat the first four songs of Southern Harmony with Sting Me, Remedy, Thorn in My Pride, and Bad Luck Blue Eyes Goodbye. Unreal.
yep....agree...love hotel illness too
Southern Harmony is on my great ALBUMS list, period, no matter the artist. ie: An album/CD you can put on and just let it play all the way through. No skipping anything. Not many like that for me.
Really excited for Talk Talk next week. Spirit of Eden is one of my favorite records with I Believe In You being a top 10 song of all time for me.
I get the feeling they are going to get trashed, by at least one of the guys.
The anticipation is palpable. - Joe
#8- Money Maker
#7- By Your Side
#6- Warpaint
#5- Lions
#4- Frosty Freeze
#3- Snakes
#2- Southern Harmony
#1- Amorica
I liked the Black Crowes quite a bit when they first hit the scene. I started getting into playing guitar around the time Shake Your Money Maker came out and I think I probably learned every song on the album at one point. It really got me thinking about alternate tunings and got me to explore a lot of 70s rock -- Stones, Faces, Stewart -- that I really hadn't at that point.
I think the first two albums are great, and there's probably a pretty significant drop after that. I think I probably like Three Snakes more than most and dislike Amorica more than most.
1. Shake Your Money Maker
2. Southern Harmony & Musical Companion
3. Three Snakes and One Charm
4. By Your Side
5. Amorica
6. Warpaint
7. Before the Frost
8. Lions
08) Three Snakes and One Charm (3 stars)
06&7) (TIE) Lions -/- Warpaint (3.75)
05) Shake Your Money Maker (4 stars)
04) Amorica (4 stars)
03) The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion (4.5 stars)
02) Before the Frost...Until the Freeze (4.5 stars)
01) By Your Side (5 stars)
0 stars - irredeemably terrible/ offensively bad/ the worst
.5 stars - terrible
1 star - bad
1.5 stars - between bad and fair
2 stars - fair
2.5 stars - meh
3 stars - OK
3.25 stars - pretty good
3.5 stars - good
4 stars - very good
4.5 stars - excellent
5 stars - Santa's scrotum
notes:
* Great rock n' roll band! I only rated four songs from these albums less than good.
* I had a CD copy of The Southern Harmony which I listened to quite a bit back in the day. Later I had By Your Side which I didn't listen to as much for whatever reason (probably just into other things).
* I also had a copy of Amorica which I could not get into. It's not a very hooky album but it turned out to be a grower. I think that's true of a lot of the Crowes' music actually and I imagine I would rate quite a bit of it higher the more time I spent with it.
* I almost rated The Southern Harmony 5 stars - I have an attachment to it and most of it is first rate. But I'm not crazy about "Sting Me" and "Hotel Illness," the opening songs on each side of the album. They're still good songs though. "My Morning Song" sounds sooo good coming after "No Speak No Slave."
* Three Snakes gets a bit weird at times, with mixed results. "One Mirror Too Many" is unusual and "How Much for Your Wings" has a really weird middle 8.
* Occasionally, Chris sings without that raspy quality in his voice which suggests it is an affectation. Or maybe that's his brother Rich singing? Whatever the case, I think he's got a great singing voice (so does Rich actually).
* By Your Side is their most rock n' roll record. Tremendous energy! Their best.
* Some of their music sounds...familiar. I feel that way about "Welcome to the Good Times" from By Your Side. "Make Glad" on Before the Frost... sounds like it took inspiration from Zep's "Candy Store Rock." A few others sound like the Stones or something from the 60s. None of which I have a problem with.
* The opening track on Lions is almost ruined because the background vocals are distractingly way too low in the mix. "Cosmic Friend" gets weird while "Lickin'" gets my vote for best song on the album.
* Warpaint has good diversity (as do all their albums actually).
*I was surprised to find that Before the Frost... turned out to have a lot of country rock on it since none of the critics I read even mentioned it. The ...Until the Freeze side is even more country and could rightly be called a country rock album - lots of fiddle and pedal steel. Anything country never used to be my thing but I'm much more open to it these days. I think this is a great album and I'm tempted to give it 5 stars. Recorded before a live audience in Levon Helm's studio The Barn.
* The 5-star rating is just another rating to me, so I think I give it out quite a bit more often than a lot of you guys (see - Built to Spill) who tend to reserve it for albums that are personal favorites.
I also love the top-to-bottom energy on By Your Side. I couldn't get past 4 stars on it, though, because I'm not sure any of the songs get beyond being "great" and reach the level of "classic."
my dad's a fan of the Black Crowes so that's been my only exposure to them... they're not bad but i'd rather just listen to Led Zeppelin or the Stones, i have a feeling the Black Crowes are more interesting to see live than they are on record
That's how I feel. I did see them play with Jimmy Page and play 50/50 Crowes/Zeppelin songs and they were great.
Good post. I get it. There are only so many hours in the day.
Great episode guys! I haven't listened to them in a while *(outside of a spin of Shake you Money Maker a few months back, but not as memorable as i remembered) BUT, this episode makes me want to go back, interestingly for me i was going through a big Black Crows binge for the 1st time during the Warpaint/Before the Frost era..... i was late to the party (outside of the hits of course)
I loved their early sound and own their first 3 albums which to me are all at least 4 stars (if I did stars). Saw them live in 1991.
1. Southern harmony and musical companion. Their masterpiece, definitely one of my favourite 500 albums of all time.
2. Amorica. Got to this album a lot later than the others, which I got when they came out.
3. Shake your money maker. Agree with the production comments, although song by song maybe the best of the 3, just slightly less of it. Seein' things is one of the highlights imho,
Great show again guys , I have just got tickets for the black crowes over here in England next year I have only heard southern harmony and shake your money but I will be giving Before the Frost a listening too 👏👏
Amorica is a must listen.
"The Southern Harmony and the Infinite Sadness"..... that cracked me up !!!!!!!!!!!!
I’ve only heard their debut album, definitely a band I have to check out more!
My favourite band of all time you have to
Talk Talk
, ELO, George Harrison, Faith No More WOW this is like a dream to me
Tall are wrong about lions...it is great
No, Tim! - Joe
As a big Keith Richards fan, I immediately took to The Black Crowes. Chris's vocals was the the ingredient that sealed it for me. Yeah, sure, not all songs are great, but their best ones make one one hell of a playlist. I haven't heard all of their albums, so I can only attempt to rank what I've heard...
1. Southern Harmony
2. Shake Your Money Maker
3. By Your Side
4. Amorica
5. Three snakes
6. Lions
I'll be checking out the others too...
One of the best album reviews from any channel!!!!!........and a great channel theme song......
At least two of you made the right call on their number 1. Southern harmony is such a top tier record, just phenomenal.
1. The Southern Harmony & Musical Companion (1992) 4.5/5
2. Shake Your Money Maker (1990) 4/5
3. Amorica (1994) 4/5
4. By Your Side (1999) 4/5
5. Warpaint (2008) 3/5
6. Before The Frost... Until The Freeze (2009) 3/5
7. Three Snakes & One Charm (1996) 2/5
8. Lions (2001) 1.5/5
CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER:
4.0 Shake Your Money Maker (1990)
4.5 The Southern Harmony & Musical Companion (1992)
3.5 Amorica (1994)
2.0 Three Snakes & One Charm (1996)
4.0 By Your Side (1999)
1.5 Lions (2001)
3.0 Warpaint (2008)
3.0 Before The Frost... Until The Freeze (2009)
The Black Crowes- a band I was already familiar with except for their last 3 LPs. I'm fond of the hits on Shake Your Money Maker, although parts of that record are a bit too derivative. Their sophomore effort, The Southern Harmony & Musical Companion, is a step up from the debut and is easily their best overall, imo. It sheds the strict imitation of the first album and stands on its own thanks to some well-crafted, soulful tunes. Amorica is a bit patchy on side 2 but still reaches 4 stars . Three Snakes sounds like a band that's floundering but I think they recovered nicely on By Your Side (which I'd nominate as their most underrated album.) Lions is the pits... the less said about that album the better. Warpaint is a definite improvement and even has a bit of rustic charm. Before The Frost continues a trend of albums I loved when I first listened to them for the "Album of the Year" series but wasn't as impressed with upon revisitation. The Crowes are not a very original band- they're basically Stones clones (with a healthy dose of Zeppelin thrown in for good measure.) Nonetheless, I think they managed to craft their share of memorable tunes.
MY RATING SYSTEM:
5.0 = major classic
4.5 = minor classic
4.0 = great
3.5 = very good
3.0 = good
2.5 = fair
2.0 = poor
1.5 = awful
1.0 = historically awful
I don't go below 1 star because once I'm in the realm of the truly terrible I don't care to differentiate anymore. Anything I rate 3.5 stars or higher is an album I'm enthusiastic about and would likely revisit at some point.
Did you mean for Money Maker to be 3 out of 5?
I feel bad about this list because I’ve never listened to Black Crowes before. In terms of animal band names they’d probably fall quite high up the pecking order.
Ha. I did like songs from Money Maker and I'm sure Southern Harmony is good but only know the first few songs. They are just a good animal-theme band not to go ape over too much imo.
Most everyone on here listens to so many more albums than I do but I have listened to the same songs more. I like great songs that I will listen over time a long time. Passion for the best but sure I wish I had more tolerance for the okay bands. Black Crowes would make my top 150 perhaps. They know good music and seem like a great live act.
Animal band names? Sounds like a possible side 3 video. i will pick The Beatles, Adam and the Ants, Crocodiles, Wolf Parade, The Monkees and, of course, The Animals. And The Yardbirds. Probably missing a few.
The best animal-theme bands are The Yardbirds, Dinosaur Jr, Crazy Horse, The Animals , Beatles, Buffalo Springfield, T Rex, The Buzzcocks, The Coral, The Byrds, Buddy Holly and the Crickets, Counting crows, Buffalo Killers (best song: everyone knows it's you)
@@oppothumbs1 Good ones. I'd add T Rex for sure. Also Angelfish - even though they only had one album.
I was a Junior in college at the University of Delaware when "Southern Harmony" came out on May 12 1992. I bought the disc that day at Rainbow Records. Huge fan back then. "Southern Harmony is my favorite album with the debut a close 2nd.
I think "Kings of Leon" is probably the last greatest Rock and Roll band.
Would love to see guys rank their 8 albums at some point.
Three snakes is my favorite album, the horns and how dark it is makes it stand out from the other albums.
I actually thought this would result in some varying lists. Oh Jason... Before the Frost... last?! Ha. Love it. Don't know if you guys watch my favorite albums videos, but I talk about how The Black Crowes were a huge band for me with their first two albums coming out when I was 12-14 years-old. They were responsible for actually pointing me towards classic rock that I never grew up on as an even younger kid. The Faces are their biggest influence for sure. But as a 12-14 year-old I heard Led Zeppelin and The Allman Brothers in their sound then, too. The less jammy side of The Allmans, that is. Joe! My boy! You nailed Lions. HORRIBLE. Atrocious. Terrible. Just absolute stink. I only give it 1.5 stars because "Soul Singing" was a decent song.
8. Lions - 1.5 ⭐
7. Warpaint - 2.5 ⭐
6. Three Snakes and One Charm - 2.5⭐
5. By Your Side - 3.5⭐
4. Shake Your Moneymaker - 4⭐
3. Before the Frost... Until the Freeze - 4 ⭐ (Agreed with Joe, it's a bit too much material. And "So Many Times" is an okay cover, but it did expose me to the Manassas tune which I had never heard before)
2. Amorica - 4 ⭐ (Yes. Lyrically so bad. "And if we had a child, I'd like a son not a daughter. Cuz she'd be just like you. You know that would not do." What?! Try and unpack the psychology behind that lyric)
1. The Southern Harmony & Musical Companion - 5⭐ (Thorn In My Pride, Bad Luck Blue Eyes Goodbye, Sometime Salvation - Wow. Talk about vocal chops. Agreed on the solo for No Speak No Slave. Marc Ford was a badass on this album.)
Thanks for this trip down memory lane. Cheers ✌
Totally agree w/you on Lions. I like "Soul Singing," which is the only thing that kept it from being a 1 star album.
@@AbbeyRoadkill1 One of the biggest letdowns when released that I’ve ever had.
Lions sucks club members. No Jasons and Kramzers allowed. - Joe
@@TheDigitalGramophone I also thought a few of their tunes sounded like The Allman Brothers. I was even hearing a little bit of The Band on 'Before the Frost...'- especially the opening track.
The Black Crowes definitely showed "growth" on the Amorica front cover...
The return of the giant hogweed
Which is a member of the carrot family, apparently
@@roxannewalsh haha love the genesis reference
Best Bush Album
Apparently Hole supported Bush back in the day. They blew them offstage. Bush went on for a bit, their set could've done with a trim.
1) Southern Harmony & Musical Companion - 5*
2) Shake Your Money Maker - 4.5*
3) By Your Side - 4.5*
4) Before the Frost.. Until the Freeze - 4*
5) Lions - 4*
6) Warpaint - 3.5*
7) Amorica - 3*
8) Three Snakes and One Charm - 2*
The only reason this band became known at all is that they were about the only competitors in the genre in the US at the time of their arrival. Which of course directly calls for a comparison to the ones they mimic. Which means the ones to compare them to are some third tier 70s bands treading water (Humble Pie's lesser albums, Faces' First Step, Little Feat post-Lowell George, later day Blackfoot, Aerosmith)...with a lot of good will, that is. Most of the time they recall the Grease Band. Or Redbone, if you are American.
A band like this may just work far better live than on studio records though.
PS - For all those who want to listen to the real hard rocking southern rock experience, check Georgia Satellites and Blackfoot, Ricky Medlocke's band (but probably you know them already...), maybe even Molly Hatchet.
Normally I list albums bottom to top, today I do the opposite to talk about the steep decline of a band that rose at least some expectation with their debut.
1. Shake Your Money Maker 4,0 (The good thing is that the classic Elmore James song from the album title does not appear. Classic rock that does not sound like an imitation. It is all attitude and sound, as the songs are not that great - but many Faces songs were neither. This makes Hard to Handle the best song but most of the rest is still pretty enjoyable, at least since they still keep it tight on the debut most of the time. Beware when they go over 4 1/2 minutes! The last 3 tracks - 8-10 on the original release - are pure trash and drag the album down significantly, but at least they are all together at the end and easy to avoid.)
2. The Southern Harmony And Musical Companion 3,5 (The issue becomes apparent by the first glance on the song list...no song under 4 minutes and some over 6, a warning sign for all who enjoyed the debut. Musically slightly richer than before but that voice is too annoying on an over-long album. The lack of song writing becomes a problem as well, the only memorable one is by Bob Marley.)
3. By Your Side 3,0 (More Aerosmith than Stones, which may not be bad as good Aerosmith begins where minor Stones attempts end...Again an album that starts with good songs but falls apart after three of them. Songs like Horsehead or Only a Fool are just terrible.)
4. Amorica 3,0 (Again the songs got longer than on previous albums and this time they got even deeper into Humble Pie territory, sadly they picked that band's Thunderbox era.)
5. Three Snakes and One Charm 3,0 (Starts promising with the first three songs but then everything sounds like filler. The last four songs are exceptionally bad and their attempt at Little Feat is pathetic despite the outside help.)
6. Warpaint 2,5 (The difference between these guys and West, Bruce & Laing is that they need double the man power to get half the result. Which puts them on a level with Three Man Army.)
7. Lions 2,0 (What do you expect from titles like Lickin' or Come On? Trash? Exactly. These are sound experiments but no songs - and...those are only experiments for THIS band because others have already made real songs with these sounds. Reference this time is Redbone.)
8. Before the Frost 1,5 (Out of 20 tracks there is only one to get your full attention - the disco era Rod Stewart track...but Rod sometimes had those small gems as well on his post Atlantic Crossing albums. Then there is this one moment of truth: And the Band Played On - it sums up this mess.)
Overly harsh, of course, but surprising you gave as high ratings as you did for a band such as this. - Joe
Nailed it!
Great review, not that I know the band well, as they were there at the right time and place and faced less competition and got the Love. I don't like much by Humble Pie but the Faces were good though uneven. Little Feat yuck.
@@TastesLikeMusic Overly harsh? Seems very fair to me. If you want overly harsh how about this - Little Feat is not a bad band but the song Dixie Chicken seems to be a bad influence on the Black Crowes and some bad record of Boz Scaggs. If this song didn't exist then the Crowes would be better. I just know it (kidding) Dixie Chicken is the last song I would want to hear on a desert island.
i hate the right place at the right time argument people are making , so silly !!
Thanks for doing the Crowes, guys! My favourite band.....ever.
Kramzer, I totally agree with you on their last album. When I listen to Before the Frost... I think, "Could this be my favourite Black Crowes album?" It keeps creeping up my list year after year and I have it at number 3 right now. But whenever I put it on, I shake my head at how good it is and think that this COULD be their most complete album. What a way to go out on top!
Joe, good call on Chuck Leavell. He is the X factor on their first record. He, along with Chris' vocals, makes it sound Southern. Eddie Harsch carried this sound even further on later records.
Speaking of X Factors, I think Luther Dickinson's guitar sound and mandolin was a big part of what makes their last 2 albums sound so strong. Instead of trying to rock out, his presence allowed the band to deliver songs that were more organic.
8. Shake Your Money Maker: It’s not a bad debut, but it’s far too derivative of their influences. I love “Sister Luck,” but it’s pretty close to The Rolling Stones’ “Sway,” and “Seeing Things” is a re-write of “I Got the Blues.” It only gets better from here.
7. Lions: This is probably most people’s bottom album, but I do appreciate it more than Money Maker. It takes some big swings, and while they don’t all hit, there are some home runs on here like “Miracle to Me,” “Lay it All On Me,” and “Losing My Mind.” In addition, “Soul Singing” is one of the most uplifting songs ever recorded.
6. Amorica: Here’s where I’m going to lose half of Crowes’ fans. There are some great tracks on here, with the piano intro to “Descending” being one of the most beautiful intros of all time. However, the lesser songs run together here, with very few having memorable tunes, and the angst outweighs the musicianship.
5. The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion: And here’s where I lose the other half. I love this album, and it used to be my #2. It features brilliant guitar work from Marc Ford, and “Thorn in My Pride” and “Hotel Illness” are some of my favorite Crowes’ tracks. I just find the next four albums more unique and interesting, while there’s a bit of a sameness to this one.
4. By Your Side: I used to write this off as another attempt at the Money Maker sound, but it’s really grown on me. There are some memorable, Stax-inspired numbers here, with great horn sections, soulful vocals by Chris Robinson, and some great background vocals. Anyone who says a musician needs to be sad to write good music is proven wrong here.
3. Warpaint: A unique and layered album with all kinds of interesting sounds. From the hook-driven rocker “Goodbye Daughters of the Revolution” to the folk/country of “Whoa Mule” and the all-out rock and roll of “Movin’ On Down the Line,” it’s all great.
2. Before the Frost… Until the Freeze: This is almost #1, because this features some of my favorite lyrics ever written, on songs like “Fork in the River” and “Appaloosa.” The Gram Parsons-inspired stuff is absolutely brilliant, but there are just a few songs that could have been cut.
1. Three Snakes and One Charm: The definitive Crowes album, from the funky “Blackberry” to the haunting “Good Friday” and the beautiful “Girl from a Pawnshop.” I’ve heard this is Chris Robinson’s favorite Crowes album as well, and it’s easy to see why.
I think Three Snakes and One Charm is definitely underrated. "Girl From a Pawnshop" is a Top 5 Black Crowes song for me. "Blackberry" is really cool too.
I've listened to two albums and I don't really want to relisten to those, let alone hear the rest. The scores aren't bad for those two albums, I'm just not into them and never seek out their songs like EVER.
1) Shake Your Money Maker - 4 stars
2) The Southern Harmony & Musical Companion - 3.5 stars
This is pretty much my sentiment as well.
I'd like to share my opinion before watching the video.
I think they have a great sound but they aren't great songwriters.
I prefer to listen to the bands that inspire them, which are far more talented, Rollling Stones, Faces... but they don't bother me and can enjoy them if I hear them on the radio or anyone plays them.
In my view, they had more success that they deserve because their albums were released at a time where there weren't many new acts with a classic rock sound, but there is definitely far more interesting music from the 90s.
The songwriting is the main problem because why listen to a 90s band trying to sound like 70s icons when you can have the originals or other bands from that classic era that often were far better than the Crowes. The reason would be great songs...which are missing.
The only argument could be that you may have seen them live which obviously you could not anymore with the older bands.
Agree 100% Roxanne
I like this band “ a good bit” and don’t care that ,to their critics ,they sound “samey” or derivative.. what they do ,they do well ..that mix of groove , blues and heavy guitars has ( mostly ) always worked for me.
My ranking of their discography is based purely on the albums with the most good songs, winning. So applying that groundbreaking theory , totally agree with Joe that “Lions” is by far their worst album , “ By Your Side” is quite underrated and in my opinion one of their best records. Also agree with Joe and Kramzer that “ Before the Frost etc” is an excellent collection of songs and a doorway to something interesting “musical direction “wise.( although too late for the band to expand on it)
1. Southern Harmony and Musical Companion
2. Shake Your Money Maker
3. By Your Side
4. Before the frost..until the freeze
5. Amorica
6. Three Snakes and one charm
7 . Warpaint
8. Lions
I'm also not bothered too much by music that's derivative (as long as it's not to the extreme.) I mean, *everything* is derivative of *something* ... It's like that old joke, "If you're singing and playing guitar how original can you be?"
Oh snap congrats on 7k dudes
I’m gonna go with
8) 3 snakes (way too much coke was consumed during this haha)
7) Warpaint
6) Before the Frost
5) By Your Side
4) Shake your Money Maker
3) Amorica
2) Southern Harmony
1) Lions (I really love this record, I think they do a fantastic job of transitioning between songs)
Lions at number 1??? Talk about too much coke being consumed during something… - Joe
Shake Your Money Maker at 5 is a shocker, but then again.... Jason always has at least one "shocker" in his lists. lol!
Wait…WHAT? Jason has Before the Frost at #8? This is the biggest shock I’ve gotten from the channel since Jason put Magical Mystery Tour ahead of Sgt Pepper-in his FIRST VIDEO. I literally spent the entire week imagining that Jason would have it as his #1, and wondering what he would say to convince a dismayed Kramzer and Joe as to why it’s better than their original 3-album run. I bought it the day it came out, and have treasured it ever since. Glad it got some redemption from Kramzer.
8) Three Snakes and One Charm 3/5
7) Lions 3/5
6) By Your Side 3.5/5
5) Warpaint 3.5/5
4) Amorica 4/5
3) Southern Harmony 4/5
2) Shake Your Money Maker 4.5/5
1) Before the Frost 4.5/5
I hear what jason is saying about chris's voice in lions, to me it sounds deeper than the other albums, and like he's singing in a ceiling fan, still good singing though.
My rankings
8. Warpaint.
7. Before the frost...Until the freeze.
6. By Your Side.
5. Shake Your Money Maker.
4. Lions.
3. Southern Harmony.
2. Amorica.
1. Three Snakes.
My list:
8) Three Snakes and One Charm
7) Lions
6) By your side
5) Warpaint
4) Amorica
3) Shake your money maker
2) Before the frost... Until the Freeze
1) The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion
here goes
8 three snakes a charm 3 stars
7 by your side 3.5 stars
6 lions 3.5 stars
5 before the frost,until the freeze 4 stars
4 warpaint 4 stars [ and live warpaint is awesome ]
3 shake your moneymaker 4.5 stars
2 amorica 5 stars
1 the southern harmony and musical companion 5 stars [ i remember rolling stone mag creaming sting me for sounding like the stones , and i was hooked on the album immediatly!!
love it...you guys really are hitting some underappreciated bands...to make a big impact pre grunge(by a year lol) and then to grow on it through grunge and beyond ...with a classic rock sound...pretty cool band...those first 3 albums are still awesome...agree the albums tailed off after Amorica...Id love to see you tackle mccartney solo/wings ....as far as the crowes go...in the beginning the dichotomy of the Robinson bros was conducive to their creativity....eventually it led to the downfall in addition to losing some original members
Anybody who doesnt think that My Morning Song isnt one of the Crowes best songs (if not their best) shouldnt be critiquing anything by this band.
Funny when you talk about production not being good on these records. Shake Your Money Maker was 34 years ago, in context in 1990, that would have been 1956!! I'm sure the production on late 50s records wouldnt compare to 90s :)
8. Warpaint
7. Before/Until
6. SYMM
5. BYS
4. Lions
3. Amorica
2. TSHAMC
1. TSAOC
Both Lions and By Your Side, are both underrated,
1. The Southern Harmony And Musical Companion (5 stars)
2. Shake Your Money Maker ( 4.5 stars)
3. By Your Side ( 4 stars)
4. Three Snakes and One Charm( 3.5 stars)
5. Amorica ( 3.5 stars)
6. Before the Frost ..Until the Freeze ( 3.5 stars)
7. Warpaint ( 3 stars)
8. Lions ( 2.5 stars)
listening to Joe rip Lions.... reminded me I have been meaning to ask: are the guys gonna do march badness next year?
Probably some form of it, but not sure if it will be albums again. Maybe songs or artists. Who knows...we haven't really discussed it yet. -Jason
@@TastesLikeMusiccool ! thanks for the heads up ...
I’ve never liked this style of rock and roll (blues-based white guy “sex, drugs & rock n roll”-type rock music), so I always ripped on them and Lenny Kravitz for carrying that torch. I’m with Joe, some good sounds here and there, but they’re not essential.
8. Amorica
7. Before the Frost, Until the Freeze
6. Three Snakes & One Charm
5. Lions
4. Warpaint
3. By Your Side
2. Shake Your Money Maker
1. The Southern Harmony & Musical Companion
You need to take the plugs out of your ears.
@@afmartin2734 Amorica was disrespected.
Personal Ranking
1. SHAMC (1992) DUH
2. Amorica (1994) While Gone and Downtown Money Waster are not everyone’s cup of tea, Descending is a top 3 Crowe’s song.
3. Lions. (2001) This is my FAVORITE album. It is so underrated, although Ozone mama is “different”. The tracks on that album feel connected and feel very real and raw.
4. Warpaint (2008) This album has really grown in me, partly due to nostalgia. The release was exciting and the tracks are really solid. Movin on Down the Line is the best track off the album.
5. By Your Side (1999) This album feels very similar to SYMM, but better. The band had progressed further, and when forced to make something akin to their first record, they improved greatly.
6. SYMM (1990) The debut album of their career, a album that I love very much. There isn’t really anything bad with it, the other albums are just better.
7. TSAOC (1996) This album just doesn’t do it for me. Better When You’re Not Alone is the best track off the album, along with about half of the album I enjoy. The other songs really aren’t something I listen to as much.
8. Before The Frost… Until the Freeze… This album has many great tracks that really hit, however, their is some filler that isn’t really what I like.
I don't listen to them anymore. Gave up after Warpaint.
With that,
7. Warranty - seems like they were trying way too hard.
6. Lions - half of the album, I love - Midnite, Soul Singing, Cosmic Friend etc.
5. Shake Your Money Maker - derivative, but inspired
4. Three Snakes - a field recording of a fucked-up band. Half of the Songs are among my fav BC tunes. Sounds like they were listening to Soundgarden and Alice in Chains in spots.
3. By Your Side - great return to form.
2. Southern Harmony - excellent, inspired, and a huge step forward
1. America - they really expanded on this one. Their most dynamic album.
Auto-incorrect, in effect.
@@t.josephcravens4272lol cudda sworn it said warpaint the first time I read it lol
I remember Silvertide!!! Totally remember hearing a couple of songs from them on the radio back in the day!
8 Lions
7 Warpaint
6 By Your Side
5 Before The Frost...Until The Freeze
4 Three Snakes And One Charm
3 Amorica
2/1 Tie - Shake Your Money Maker
1/2 Tie - The Southern Harmony And Musical Companion
Joes always on the ball with the number #1 picks, Shake Your Money Maker has great hits and great deep cuts, not a single skip!
By Your Side is my favorite while Warpaint is the worst. I also bought it when it came out, and yikes. Black Crowes are good, but don't really have a whole album that is 100 percent rocking.
The before the frost mini doc is so vibey gives a little context to the album.
hells yeah,when I saw Tom petty the first time he had Steve winwood open for him.The second time there was no opener but Stevie came out and did a few songs with him.
The Black Crowes are totally Bitchin. I have seen them live around 155 times. From 92-the end 2013. This new era is kinda more just The Brothers, but I’m waiting on this new record before I shit or hit this new era
8. By your side
7. Before the Frost
6. Lions
5. Warpaint
4. Three Snakes
3. Shake your Money Maker
2. Amorica
1. Southern Harmony (By a huge margin...To me this is almost a perfect album)...Everything else is a significant drop off...all good stuff but Southern Harmony was lightning in a bottle .....almost. The tour on this album was absolutely killer. I've seen them 13 times and 3 of the shows were on the Southern Harmony tour....the band were just on fire. Drugs hadn't taken hold of Marc Ford (yet) and he brought a new fire into this band that was a lot like what Mick Taylor did during his short run in the Rolling Stones.
Dirty Honey who toured with the Black Crowes is the closet thing to a modern Crows but I think they sound more like 70s Aerosmith. Maybe a combination of both. I dont know about The Struts, they have songs that are more poppy to me like the song they did with Kesha. Blackberry Smoke straddle the line between country and southern rock.
Making a note of how Jason doesn't like 'low energy' records, for future reference!
Joe is on point in this episode. Agree fully with the view that the more they try to do the worse they are. The debut gave a bit of a drink to those of us that were thirsty for that sound again. It was a revelation. 5 stars. Southern Harmony dirtied it up with some Southern fried funk and was still great. 4.5 stars.
They lost their way for me after that. There is still some really good stuff interspersed throughout the catalog, but nothing that compels me to listen all the way through.
Saw them at the Bronco Bowl in Dallas in 1992. A long gone great venue, and they were at the height of their powers. They were tremendous live.
I know their big singles but I don't think I've listened to a whole album. It's not that I ever thought they were bad or anything, I was just never compelled to look into them further. But I was always more alternative leaning, especially when I was a teen, which would have been when I would say I heard their music the most. After watching this video I am really intrigued to check out Before the Frost, sounds like something I could like.
I really enjoyed their first 3 albums, but after that I felt they had nowhere to go. They were a great band, but too much of a throwback to the 70's (Stones, Faces, etc). Which is a shame because I think Chris Robinson is a great performer/singer. Also, they should have kept Marc Ford.
love marc ford but they couldnt keep him he was a mess!!
My guitar player just loves this band...I can't say that I do.. gotta admit...I only listened to a few albums....you guys have basically fed my feeling...I can listen to the stones or the faces to get what I want for that.. or zz top...I need hooks...they were always a bit short on hooks...maybe the true guitarists like it more...I'm a vocalist who plays guitar...so...I don't know...they are just...ok...never have I run out to buy their material...even in the salad days....
No lie, my former boss' brother was the drummer in the band. I didn't like my former boss. Skewed my whole view of the band.
My top three are Amorica, The Southern Harmony...and Shake Your Money Maker. Worst one would probably be Lions.
Wow, of you 3 I NEVER agree with Kramzer, but I can't believe how completely correct he is on this one. I have the same opinion for "Lickin" (I hate this song, no, I think I actually like it). Nice review of Before the Frost.
I agree with every single word that Kramzer uttered during this episode. Spot on!
Top Five
1 Exile On Main St
2 Let It Bleed
3 Sticky Fingers
4 Beggars Banquet
5 Some Girls
(Get it?)
8. Lions (2001) ★★
7. Warpaint (2008) ★★½
6. Before the Frost... ...Until the Freeze (2009) ★★★
5. Three Snakes and One Charm (1996) ★★★
4. Amorica (1994) ★★★½
3. By Your Side (1999) ★★★½
2. Shake Your Money Maker (1990) ★★★½
1. The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion (1992) ★★★★
★★★★★ - Masterpiece
★★★★½ - Really great
★★★★ - Great
★★★½ - Really good
★★★ - Good
★★½ - OK
★★ - Bad
★½ - Really bad
★ - Awful
½ - The worst
I definitely enjoyed this more than I thought I would. They're not original for sure, but when they're at their best they do play really good rock 'n' roll, and that's fine with me.
I don’t think I saw as eye to eye with Jason on any band then the Black Crowes. I have the exact same ranking
LIONS is an album with flaws, but it's not so bad as described. It grows with time. One of the most underrated is BY YOUR SIDE. The best one is SOUTHERN HARMONY, of course. AMORICA was a big disapointment for me,but,as years passed by, i started to love it (it was blocked in my friends car player)
Lol, Kramz’ reaction kills me at Jason’s #8…
Anyway….
Got a weird relationship with this band.
All I ever really owned were the first two albums and the Work In Progress compilation, all of which I really love a lot. Also love By Your Side, which a friend of mine had.
But I never checked out the other albums for some reason, so I can’t make a list.
I have never listened to the Black Crowes before, but that's why I love Listography! They can steer me in the right direction, .......except for maybe about Before The Frost, where there seems to be considerable disagreement. Start with the early albums seems to be the general consensus.
un abrazo desde Chile,,,
1.Shake Your Money Maker (1990)
2.The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion (1992)
3.By Your Side (1999)
4.Amorica (1994)
5.Lions (2001)
6.Three Snakes and One Charm (1996)
7.Warpaint (2008)
8.Before the Frost...Until the Freeze (2009)
i dont get commentors below, the hate for before the frost at all and i dont like the right place at the right time argument , to me its silly!!
this episode was hilarious to see your disagreements but thats what it's all about seeing the various opinions all flood
Keys on Southern are killer, "Bad Luck Blue Eyes Goodbye" classic, Did you mention the drummer's book? Best READ of 2020
I saw them live for Shake Your Money Maker and Southern Companion when I was a kid. Great live band! The first time I saw them was actually with Aerosmith and Metallica. And this was pre-Black Album Metallica! Anyway, am I the only one that thinks Sister Luck sounds like Sway by the Stones?
1. The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion
2. Warpaint
3. By Your Side
4. Three Snakes and One Charm
5. Shake Your Money Maker
6. Lions
7. Amorica
8. Before the Frost...Until the Freeze
My Ranking:
1. Amorica (8,5/10)
2. The Southern Harmony (8/10)
3. Shake Your Money Maker (7,5/10)
4. By your Side (7,5/10)
5. Three Snakes (6,5/10)
6. Before The Frost (5,5/10)
7. Warpaint (5/10)
8. Lions (3,5/10)
Greetings From canary Islands.
Maybe if you want rock and roll today you have to take a little more roll and a touch less rock, and look to Black artists. Gary Clark Jr., Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears, Black Pumas, Brittany Howard all feel like they got a touch (or more) of blues-based rock in their work. Unfortunately, if it's a Black artist they usually get classified in the R&B section if they aren't hip hop, even if their music would appeal to a classic rock audience. I agree though, bands with this classic rock sound are hard to find these days.
You can Ayron Jones to that list. Hes actually charting in the top 10 on the rock charts but rock is more niche now so is a bit under the radar.
Read (or listen) the book by ex-Crowes drummer Steve Gorman 'Hard To Handle' and you guys would know why most of these records weren't that great, plus what happened with them collaborating with Jimmy Page is jaw dropping. Recommended.
'Lions' is awesome ... ridiculous review Joe.
I couldn't care less about the small audience we hear on Before the Frost...lucky bastards!
Southern Harmony is their best album. Although the debut has better songs it's more inconsistent. I think Steve Gorman summed it up best in his autobiography in comparing the Crowes to Oasis when he said, "We were a GREAT band with GOOD songs, they were a GOOD band with GREAT songs." That sums up the Crowes for me, the songs just didn't match the playing consistently enough. "Girl From a Pawnshop" is the best song on Three Snakes. Killer live band, however, especially in the early days.
this guy on the bottom here is OUT OF HIS MIND. The second half of S.H.M.C. is the Crowes at their absolute 100% best.
My only opinion is that Sometimes Salvation on Southern Harmony is hands down their best song and one of the best rock songs of all time
That song just kills. I'm not going to put it at number one, but it's up there. I would definitely say it's the best song on Southern Harmony.
Actually, might put it at #1. Still deciding my top 10 running order.
It is not in my top 10. - Joe
Listening again, it no longer has the impact it once had for me. Still great though. Doing this listography, the top By Your Side songs just him me harder.
1. Southern Harmony
2. Before the Frost
3. War paint
4. Amorica
5. By Your Side
6. Three Snakes
7. Shake your Moneymaker
8. Lions
Anyone who has Warpaint or Before the Frost outside the top four, I just don't understand. They were such inspired records.
Shake your Moneymaker is so derivative. Even the Black Crowes don't like it.
I agree with Jason except maybe switch before the frost and warpaint. I think warpaint, except for the first song, just sounds like the only person who wants to be there is the new guys in the band and Chris. However Before the Frost is too damn long. Lions is a mess but I think that's what makes it cool. Three snakes in my opinion has a lot of depth, the best lyrics, lots of influences and replay value. By your side is kind of a remake of SYMM but maybe a little harder rocking, I pretty much have SYMM and BYS as a tie. The 3 Marc Ford albums are their best albums I think, they evolved and felt like an actual band.
Another bird band! Can't wait to rank them once again!
Agree with K the weaker tracks on the first album are really bad and the production doesn’t do any favors.
I just never liked them enough to keep going but like the first four albums. I think Snakes /Charm is erratic but some awesome stuff. That second album … I thought them and Alice In Chains were set up to be dynasties and then both went down in flames so quickly. At least AIC did resurrect to good effect (for me). I never heard anything from Black Crowes later that reeled me back in. Sounds like the Frost thing is worth trying.
By the way...stevie wonder discography would be cool one to do...if I haven't missed it already...Joe might enjoy it as well...I'd like to see your takes on his stuff
We haven’t done it yet. But we willll
WTF??? Jason, I thought you liked country rock.
I do...when it's done well. -Jason
Three snakes one charm is in my top 3, i love it
My opinion, shake southern and by your side are decent albums. Amorica, 3 snakes , and Lions had a few tunes each but not great albums as a whole. But...after those, I'm out
Jason's list is the closest to correct, Joe's would be better if 3 Snakes was higher and SYMM was lower, Kram having 3 Snakes and Amorica so low makes me wince. But yeah, its just opinion / taste.
C’mon bands like Black Crowes and Cranberries are weak; I guarantee if you do a ranking list of forgotten( but huge) bands like: Bread, Seals and Croft, and America, ya’ll would triple the views. Nevertheless, I enjoy your shows and keep em coming!!
People that listen to those bands don't know how to use the internet.
Cranberries > Black Crowes
True, but songs like Tecalote and Fancy Dancer(Bread) are as hard as Black Sabbath while Unborn Child(Seals and Croft) and Sandman(America) are as moving as a Tchaikovsky symphony
There's absolutely no way bread is going to get triple the views.
I just want to say I really love your album rankings. I even really enjoy you covering the catalogs from musicians and bands I'm not a fan of. It is that fun to watch. I hope you guys are planning on ranking the albums of Tom Petty one day. He's my all time favorite.
Thanks!