The Black Crowes: HOF?

August and Everything After was a strong album, too.

 

"legendary"

 

Correct.

 

I think that there are some posters here who are really understating or misremembering how damn good they were/are (though they appear to be done now). This isn't a band that dressed in '70s clothing, covered an Otis Redding song and then called it a day, although the way Pearl Jam and Nirvana dominate '90s cultural discussions, it starts to feel that must have been the case (for the record: I love those two bands, as well). Other than albums put out by the aforementioned two bands, I would argue that there was not a better rock album in the decade than "The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion." Listen to it. Seriously, just listen to it. Coming off the huge success of "Shake Your Money Maker," it starts with a bang with the two singles, "Sting Me" and "Remedy," which is pretty much their signature song and on the short list of most rock 'n' roll rock 'n' roll songs ever recorded. They slow down the tempo for a couple of tracks, free wheeling a little bit to basically set us up for one of the most blistering Side 2's in LP/cassette history: "Hotel Illness," "Black Moon Creeping," "No Speak, No Slave," and "My Morning Song."

They've had six No. 1 singles on the mainstream rock charts and a slew of top 5s and top 10s. I will concede that after "Amorica" and arguably "Three Snakes," the songwriting wasn't as consistently great, partly because they wanted to grow and experiment as a band. But there are gems on even the lesser albums: "Virtue and Vice" ("By Your Side.") "Cypress Tree" ("Lions.") "Another Roadside Tragedy" and "Tornado" ("The Lost Crowes.")

This is a great, great band that made great, great albums, wrote great, great rock 'n' roll songs, and put on great, great, great live shows. In no way, shape, or form do they fall short due to quality or commercial success. They have both in spades. The Achilles' heel is influence, though it's interesting to think about a world where Nirvana doesn't break, and the Black Crowes, instead, usher in the end of hair band nonsense.

 

As Southern rock bands go, they're no DBT.

 

Not until Foghat gets in.

 

That was when Mr Jones was still playing bass for them

 

Was Kate Hudson the BC's Yoko Ono?

 

Saw them play in Richmond, Va., back in the early 90s. Great live show. "Jealous Again" is a terrific, underplayed rock song. They burned bright for a few years but I don't think they're hall worthy. I also hope to never hear "She talks to Angels" again in my life.

 

Creosote's Top 10 Black Crowes Songs:

10. Could I Have Been So Blind
9. Ballad in Urgency/Wiser Time
8. Miracle to Me
7. Twice As Hard
6. (Only) Halfway to Everywhere
5.Sister Luck
4. Girl From a Pawnshop
3. Remedy
2. My Morning Song
1. Bad Luck Blue Eyes Goodbye

 

Agree completely on Southern Harmony. I've been wearing that album out for 20 years. Sting Me > Remedy > Thorn in My Pride is one of the best 1-2-3 openings I can think of.

And you left off the hidden Bob Marley cover. Maybe by design, but I dig it.

 

SH was one of a handful of cassettes (Get off my lawn!) I took with me on a bus trip to Chicago when I went to live on my own after high school. Great album. But as Dick alluded to, BC suffered from the rise of Grunge. Within a year, I had completely forgotten about them and was fully immersed in the Nirvana hysteria, which led me to AIC and so on and so on. Haven't listened to the BC since I saw them open for ZZ Top when I was 19.