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All Them Other Guys / Re: The Black Crowes All Summed Up
« Last post by Zzzptm on Today at 03:56:50 PM »OK, here's my ranking of their 10 studio albums:
1. Shake Your Moneymaker - 1990 release, excellent work, great intro to the band. Sharp playing all around.
2. Happiness Bastards - 2024 release, every bit as good as the first album, I just deferred to SYM because it was done first.
3. A Pound of Feathers - 2026 release, a real banger of an album. Close third to what's in front of it.
4. By Your Side - 1999 release, it's a return to form after some wandering around musically, and it's quite strong.
5. The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion - 1992 release, there are some who consider this the Crowe's finest, and I won't argue with them. But it lacks the intensity of the other top five albums, in my opinion. This is when the band started to ramble and experiment and go down the Grateful Dead road, which isn't where they're strongest. Hard rocking is what the Crowes do best, and that's what's got the top four where they are.
6. Amorica - 1994 release and that erosion of their core sound is in greater evidence here. It's still a great album, in spite of a reduced hard rock edge.
7. Warpaint - 2008 release... they're still wandering around in the ozone, but remember that they used to be a hard rock band.
8. Lions - 2001 release... this album is OK, but not outstanding.
9. Before the Frost - 2009 release and if you want folk music or bluegrass, this one has got what you're looking for. If you want hard rock, pass.
10. Three Snakes and One Charm - 1996 release and they've lost their steam at this point. Does nothing for their legacy. It's OK, but forgettable.
I'll add that those who put Southern Harmony as their favorite Crowes album also like the more experimental/rambling albums and aren't thrilled when the Crowes get back to basics as they've done in their latest reunion. But to those guys I'll say this: Happiness Bastards got a Grammy nod because the rest of the world thinks it's a damn good album.
1. Shake Your Moneymaker - 1990 release, excellent work, great intro to the band. Sharp playing all around.
2. Happiness Bastards - 2024 release, every bit as good as the first album, I just deferred to SYM because it was done first.
3. A Pound of Feathers - 2026 release, a real banger of an album. Close third to what's in front of it.
4. By Your Side - 1999 release, it's a return to form after some wandering around musically, and it's quite strong.
5. The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion - 1992 release, there are some who consider this the Crowe's finest, and I won't argue with them. But it lacks the intensity of the other top five albums, in my opinion. This is when the band started to ramble and experiment and go down the Grateful Dead road, which isn't where they're strongest. Hard rocking is what the Crowes do best, and that's what's got the top four where they are.
6. Amorica - 1994 release and that erosion of their core sound is in greater evidence here. It's still a great album, in spite of a reduced hard rock edge.
7. Warpaint - 2008 release... they're still wandering around in the ozone, but remember that they used to be a hard rock band.
8. Lions - 2001 release... this album is OK, but not outstanding.
9. Before the Frost - 2009 release and if you want folk music or bluegrass, this one has got what you're looking for. If you want hard rock, pass.
10. Three Snakes and One Charm - 1996 release and they've lost their steam at this point. Does nothing for their legacy. It's OK, but forgettable.
I'll add that those who put Southern Harmony as their favorite Crowes album also like the more experimental/rambling albums and aren't thrilled when the Crowes get back to basics as they've done in their latest reunion. But to those guys I'll say this: Happiness Bastards got a Grammy nod because the rest of the world thinks it's a damn good album.