The Black Crowes

By Your Side

It rocks, but it's sterile and soulless.

Review Score:

(6/10)
If you're looking for a good party album to just put on and rock out to, BYS is your CD. However, if you're looking for any substance whatsoever, you're better off with amorica., The Southern Harmony, Three Snakes, or Lions.

This record is Columbia Records' attempt to sell CDs by making the Crowes sound like their popular debut album, Shake Your Money Maker. And it does sound like it, only more sparkly and squeaky-clean, thanks to a classic job of over-production by Kevin "Caveman" Shirley. Don't blame the Crowes' for this one either, folks; they were promised artistic freedom on this one and were denied it, as Shirley pretty much dictated how the album would sound. Chris Robinson has even *apologized* for this CD to his fans.

Don't get me wrong, the album rocks, with several high-energy, make-you-wanna-dance rockers such as "Go Faster" and "Kickin' My Heart Around." However, the music and lyrics are horribly cliched, lacking substance, and just plain boring when it comes to any usage other than background music.

The CD *does* have some high points; "Horsehead" is a wonderfully heavy tune that heavily attracted the attention of Jimmy Page, who called it a "must" to play when he toured with them, and "Virtue and Vice" is an amazing closer, with, for BYS, very poignant lyrics. However, BYS is simply filled with too much fluff.

BYS rocks, but it won't touch your soul like amorica.

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