75. Shake Your Money Maker - The Black Crowes

02/17/21 • 62 min

Our next artist spotlight is The Black Crowes, a band that had one of the bigger roller-coaster rides in recent rock and roll memory. It all started with Shake Your Money Maker, a dynamite set of songs in the classic 70's Stones/Free/Aerosmith mold that emanates energy and youthful vigor. A twin guitar attack, aggressive riffage, a couple of slower gems, and Chuck Leavell on keys help to set the stage for one of the more enduring debut albums in this style.

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74. Everything Now - Arcade Fire

We reach the end of our Arcade Fire examination with Everything Now, which was not greeted with the critical acclaim of its predecessors. Galen and Alex break down how this album falls short of the usual Arcade Fire standard and what it might mean for the future of the band.

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76. The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion - The Black Crowes

Is this the Crowes' magnum opus? Quite possibly yes. The band was hot after two long tours on the success of Shake Your Money Maker, and back in the recording studio with fresh musical ideas, improved playing techniques, and most importantly, two new members of the band who would steer the ship in an new, more virtuosic direction. Marc Ford on lead guitar and Eddie Harsch on keyboards immediately wove themselves into the Crowes' 70s rock and roll stew, adding incredible textures and leads across a collection of songs that reaches for the same sort of soul-influenced canvas that bands like the Faces, Free, and the mid-period Stones and Allman Brothers painted. The results are stunning, and highlight all of the best aspects of the band.