This blog has, somewhat sporadically at times I’ll admit, been in service now for close to seven and a half years.

In that time I’ve mentioned The Black Crowes three times and only one of those was accompanied with an actual song. Shocking considering I really dig this band. I should say ‘dug’ really because despite reuniting in 2006, after a five year hiatus, to critical acclaim the band are listed as ‘were an American rock band’…  With a turbulent history and many a lineup change, in 2015 guitarist Rich Robinson issued a statement: “I love my brother and respect his talent, but his present demand that I must give up my equal share of the band and that our drummer for 28 years and original partner, Steve Gorman, relinquish 100 percent of his share, reducing him to a salaried employee, is not something I could agree to.”

Looked like curtains…. until now. 30 years on from their debut it looks like a reunion is on the cards with show posters for 2020 announcing that Shake Your Money Maker will be played in its entirety “plus all the hits”.

For me this is great news – whether it’s the lure of moolah or simply having settled differences, it’s good to think that the band are a going concern again. They were one of the first bands I saw live – supporting Aerosmith while they (the Crowes) toured their fifth album By Your Side at Wembley Stadium- and they were fucking awesome live. Singer Chris Robinson played the festival out behind my house this summer, on a weekend afternoon…. I heard part of it as I walked past and hearing ‘Remedy’ played as a tag on an another song as part of an 8 song set in a tent in a field in Kent….. the band needed to get back together.

So, here are five from The Black Crowes that I really enjoy and hope feature on future setlists:

Thick N’ Thin

Man… Shake Your Money Maker is a slab of great from start to finish. ‘Hard To Handle’ got em on MTV but ‘She Talks To Angels’, ‘Jealous Again’, ‘Twice as Hard’… this guys were here to blow the bloody roof off with riffs and bluesy swagger to spare. ‘Thick N’ Thin’ is the shortest track on the album and is just a real fun blast.

Remedy

Second album The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion upped the blues and soul at the same time… new guitarist Marc Ford and keyboard player Eddie Harsch rounding out the sound as it leaned in a more bluesy, mature direction… and topped the charts too.

Wiser Time

The one with the pubes… I really liked Amorica. Rolling Stones’ review (pilfered from Wikipedia)  sums it up nicely “”The Crowes haven’t ceased their cocky pillaging of the universal jukebox – echoes of the Stones and Led Zep abound.” I love ‘Wiser Time’… from the opening riff and hook to the breakdown that starts about minute three, takes in some guitar soloing, some soulful keys and then a real ripper of another guitar lead…

Kickin’ My Heart Around

By Your Side was the first Black Crowes album I bought. While not as consistent or rich as Southern Harmony… or Amorica it’s a step up from Three Snakes And One Charm (which seemed like, in reaction to the disgust at that album’s pubes – which meant some stores refused to stock it – they made the same album again without the tunes). It’s closer to Shake Your Money Maker and is still worth a listen.

She Talks To Angels

Speaking of the debut… here’s another standout from that, taking a breather from the blues rock attack and proving they could handle a ballad just as well.

I haven’t spent much time with the two albums the band put out between their 2006 reunion and 2013 return to hiatus – and demise… perhaps now is as good a time as any.