Spin Again – The Black Crowes – WARPAINT
fly fishing music
As an original follower of the Black Crowes, it was difficult to overlook Chris Robinson’s obvious addictions and the toll it was taking on his voice, but with the help of others, apparently he was able to hit the airbrakes and stop the freefall into the abyss.
In the interim since the Black Crowes last release, we have seen some interesting collaborations for Chris and the various members including an interesting jam with Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin legend, “Freak ‘N’ Roll” (Live at the Fillmore), “Brothers of a Feather” (Live at the Roxy) and Chris Robinson and New Earth Mud … you get the picture – Chris and Rich haven’t been exactly resting on their laurels.
Fast forward to the new release with Chris and Rich who ARE the Black Crowes. After spinning this one a few times, all I can say is good, but not great. It feels like they have set a trap for themselves – a live trap. They seem more at home with their live recordings than in the studio. Call it a parting of the ways for fans of pop and a closing of the ranks for live fans a’la Grateful Dead, Pearl Jam, Widespread Panic, Phish and the live list goes and goes …
Don’t get me wrong, there are highlights that sound like they come right out of the Colorado Rockies such as; “There’s Gold in them Hills”, and “Whoa Mule”. They stand alone at the end of the CD as something unique and hopefully to be explored more in the future by the Crowe Brothers. But Warpaint still tugs at the southern heartstrings with lyrical mention of the “Daughters of the Revolution” – the opening track, and my Grandma’s documented lineage. “Don’t you want to see the ship go down with me?”
If you are torn between “Brothers of a Feather”, and “Warpaint”, make no mistake, Feather strips the paint right off Warpaint – FROM THE OPENING TRACK! Warpaint has hooks aplenty (“Locust Street”), but for depth and breadth and soul you will will need to look elsewhere. If you are a Crowes fan, this belongs in your collection, but if you are ambivalent in the first place, save the coinage and bum it off a friend.
Category: Culture on the Skids, Music
ok, it took a little effort to make a comment, but i just wanted to say that the site looks good.