78. The Lost Mid-90s - The Black Crowes

03/22/21 • 74 min

Alex, Galen, and special guest Ron McFall are back to talk about the unreleased music from what was probably the band's most fertile time period --- the mid 1990s. Chris is in Los Angeles, Rich is in Georgia, but the music continues to come unabated, and there's a lot of magical stuff that didn't make official release from the various projects that were underway. We talk in depth about the Sweet Pickle Salad sessions (which only included Chris and Marc Ford) and the remarkable range and depth of those songs. We also take a listen to several songs recorded at various points between 1993 and 1995, including some cuts that were on the aborted "Tall" album as well as some songs that never got quite that far. Unreleased Crowes tracks can be pretty interesting and compelling, so if you're looking for some new ideas or directions on the music, this is a great place to start.

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77. Amorica - The Black Crowes

Amorica comes right in the middle of perhaps the greatest creative stretch in the Black Crowes career --- but also in the midst of the personnel conflicts that would ultimately tear the band apart. With Chris Robinson stationed in LA and Rich Robinson still in Georgia, the writing and recording process was not quite the same as it had been on the first two albums. The ideas are there, but the execution isn't as smooth as it was before. That said, Amorica knocks it out of the park by pulling the best ideas out, mixing in some new approaches (particularly involving ballads), and creating an impressive and unique hybrid of 70s rock sensibility and 90s rock reality.
We are joined by our good friend Ron McFall on this episode, as we go track-by-track through Amorica.

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79. Three Snakes and One Charm - The Black Crowes

1996's Three Snakes and One Charm has all the hallmarks of a transitional album, yet it wasn't really viewed as such at the time. The last official album with what most would identify as the "classic lineup" for the band, it captures a group struggling at times to live up to the blistering pace their first three albums set. The songwriting is still quite good, the riffs are still memorable, the performances are professional and skilled, and yet it also feels like something is missing from the proceedings - a sense of direction, perhaps? Despite not being as good as its preceding two albums, TSOC is still a very enjoyable album with some memorable moments, and we go track-by-track to chat about every second of it.