The Black Crowes: HOF?

[Dick Whitman]

Cursed somewhat by being contemporaries with the Seattle bands, but multiple No. albums, hit singles, and a decades long career as an under-the-radar touring band. Shared the stage with none other than Jimmy Page.

I'm post more, but "Sister Luck" just popped up on the shuffle.

 

[EStreetJoe]

I'm inclined to say "no". They are their generation's version of 70s-80s "arena rock" (Journey, REOSpeedwagon, Foreigner) in the sense they weren't influential or broke new ground. They delivered classic rock/blues numbers that rocked, but had a relatively small peak before their initial breakup/hiatus, reunited had another hit album, then broke up again.

 

[YankeeFan]

In an objective world, yes.

Under the current leadership of the Hall, it's far less likely.

 

[Rhody31]

I went on a HOF bad blind date to see the Black Crowes. Some girl at work asked me to go to the show, I went, had a good time and didn't realize until a boss asked a few weeks later about our 'date' that it was a date.
Good show tho. Susan Tedeschi opened.

 

[Riptide]

In an objective world, yes.

Under the current leadership of the Hall, it's far less likely.

It's another conspiracy, YF. And a media cover-up!!!!!!

 

[cjericho]

I'll go with no. Guess with every hall of fame, eventually people feel it gets watered down. Maybe my opinion of the Black Crowes is influenced by their early hype. Remember hearing how they were a heavily blues influenced band and comparisons were made to Led Zeppelin. Think they're similar to Boston with a very good first album and nothing after that equaled it.

 

[Starman]

My thinking is they may eventually get in, because the pickings are going to get awful slim over the next decade or so.

Plus they represent a strain of Southern 90s rock to counterbalance the Seattle domination.

 

[Mr. Sunshine]

Good God, no.

 

[John]

I hope not, given that I think you should have to be far more successful and/or influential to be in a hall of fame. And I say that as someone that listened to and enjoyed a ton of Black Crowes songs in the 1990s. I think of them as a slightly more successful Drivin n Cryin, whom I still adore and listen to regularly. I haven't listened to a Black Crowes song in probably a decade, or even really thought about them at all.

 

[Buck]

No, good but not great band.

 

[MisterCreosote]

Think they're similar to Boston with a very good first album and nothing after that equaled it.

This is blasphemy.

Southern Harmony and Three Snakes and a Charm are equal to or better than Shake Your Money Maker.

Their live albums, including the one with Jimmy Page, are legendary. Hell, most of the acoustic remixes on their Greatest Hits album are as good or better than the originals.

Arguing about the Rock and Roll HOF is almost as pointless as arguing about the Pro Wrestling HOF (the only criteria for induction is being on good terms with the boss), but the Black Crowes are unequivocally deserving.

 

[Earthman]

Their last album El Camino might have put them over the top for the HOF.

 

[MisterCreosote]

Their last album El Camino might have put them over the top for the HOF.

August and Everything After was a strong album, too. :)

 

[Mr. Sunshine]

"legendary"

 

[MisterCreosote]

"legendary"

Correct.

 

[Dick Whitman]

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.

 

[Mr. Sunshine]

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

 

[cranberry]

Not until Foghat gets in.

 

[Earthman]

August and Everything After was a strong album, too. :)

That was when Mr Jones was still playing bass for them

 

[Mr. Sunshine]

Was Kate Hudson the BC's Yoko Ono?