The Black Crowes

By Your Side

What the.....?

Review Score:

(6/10)
'Shake Your Money Maker' was alright if you like commercial rock. I like 'Hard to Handle', and 'Twice as Hard though'. But mostly pointless shallow rock & roll filler songs. A one star album.

If you are a true music fan, and have any artistic appreciation whatsoever, you'd have to agree that 'Southern Harmony & Musical Companion' was a HUGE improvement over SYMM. 5 stars. It's actually listenable pretty much throughout the whole album. 'Thorn in My Pride' is definitely a gem. There are many hard driving rock tunes also, 'No Speak No Slave', etc. This was the album that got me into the Crowes, as i could truly appreciate them as no-nonsense original musicians. I get tired of people comparing them to the Stones. They sound more like the Allman Bros. to me, but they definitely still have their own style.

What is everybody's problem with 'Amorica' and 'Three Snakes...'? These are excellent (probably their best) albums!!! 'Amorica' especially. 'Gone', 'Conspiracy', 'High Head Blues' get the album off to a great start. 'Cursed Diamond', i don't care what anyone says, is great. Then we approach the gems of the album. 'Nonfiction'. 'She Gave Good Sunflower', 'P.25 London', 'Ballad in Urgency', keep the album rolling. Then Another gem, 'Wiser Time', they opened with this tune when i saw them live, and it was TOTALLY GREAT! Definitely one of their best. 'Downtown Money Waster' is cool. 'Descending' closes the album perfectly. 5 stars.

'Three Snakes and One Charm' is Crowes at their best also. I can see why some people who don't have an ear for music probably didn't like this one. That's OK, there is plenty of Judas Priest crap for them to listen to. The 'Crowes' continued to expand creativity. 'Under a Mountain', great opener. 'Good Friday' was alright. 'Nebakenezar' jams. 'One Mirror too Many' jams. 'Blackberry' is AWESOME. "Half way to Anywhere', 'Bring on Bring on',......the whole album is great. Alot of people i think just don't understand it. I just get sick of hearing people, and the critics try to shrug it off as their worst. Go listen to your Hootie and the Blowfish. TSAOC is an excellent album. 5 stars. As far as their new album, it rocks, but i was kinda disappointed. Although about half the album is good, it seems like the direction that their last three albums were heading was abrubtly changed (not necessarily for the best) on this release. I think that the drugged out rock & roll lifestyle probably caught up to them, so they decided to do something easy. I just hope they aren't answering to the man and selling out. I hope they get it together and show us something collectively better on their next album. Rock & Roll just for the sake of Rock & Roll just doesn't cut it. There has to be some deeper meaning than this. It's worth having, but i wish i could have just payed half the money for the good half of the album! Everybody has their ups and downs i guess. I'm sure we haven't heard the last of the 'good' Crowes, they still remain one of my favorite rock and roll bands.

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