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CD REVIEWS |
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WRITING
REVIEWS
SILVER
BELLS WEDDING
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I’ve always believed there are two groups of Black Crowes fans. There are fans of the band’s early Shake Your Money Maker days that only care about a handful of songs such as Hard to Handle and She Talks to Angels. The second group usually looks at these people with distaste. This group still enjoys the popular Crowes songs but will also follow the band anywhere the brothers Robinson lead them. When I saw the Black Crowes in concert in May 2008 there were unfortunately more of the first group of fans than the second. The biggest complaint I heard as people left the show was they came to hear Shake Your Money Maker songs and were angry with the band for ignoring a majority of their greatest hits while playing the new Warpaint album in its entirety. As a music-fan who prefers bands remain current for their concerts, I vehemently disagree with these people’s complaints. It is these types of fans that cause older bands to simply play greatest hits compilations at their concerts while becoming irrelevant when it comes to these live shows. These fans will probably skip the Black Crowes latest live album, which includes live performances of the entire Warpaint album. For the fans that follow the band through thick and thin, this is a goldmine. Warpaint Live is the fourth live album by the Black Crowes and the first since 2006. The entire performance contained on the set was recorded on March 20, 2008 at the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles, CA. The album contains the entire Warpaint album on one disc and bonus songs on a second disc. This review will only look at the first disc of the set.
The Songs
The Black Crowes are a band that thrives on a live stage. The songs played here are a mixture of gospel and blues with the twinge of the southern rock that made them popular to begin with. Warpaint was a good album but did not last long in my player and was quickly replaced with the next new album that passed my way. Warpaint Live has a better chance to remain on my playlist because the energy and enthusiasm of the band playing live takes the already good songs and gives them an energy the studio effort partially stripped away. The album opens with Goodbye Daughters of the Revolution and is most similar to early Crowes, with a rock and blues mixture that is a great kick start to get fans pumped up. Chris Robinson’s vocals are sharp and the entire band gets into a strong groove early on paving the way for the second song, a very bluesy Walk Believer Walk. It is an inspired performance that proves how great Chris can sound while being complimented greatly by Rich Robinson’s slide guitar and the incredible organ rising and swelling throughout. The song had a strong gospel feel on the original album, but the sound here is stronger than the studio effort could ever hope to achieve. Oh, Josephine bears the strongest resemblance in sound to the classic She Talks to Angels and is lyrically one of the most personal songs from Warpaint. The song is stretched out in the live version with the guitar work playing out the last section of the song with great aplomb. Wee Who See the Deep is very familiar to a Rolling Stones song, a band the Crowes have often been compared to. Chris stretches his vocals and the duel guitar work makes the song an epic experience, ranging from the highs to lows for an amazing live experience. Chris Robinson continues to remind me of Mick Jagger as his opening of Locust Street brings back distinct memories of the riff of the Stone’s Wild Horses. What makes the Crowes so unique is that, while they remind me of the Stones at moments, they always bring something new and unique to the table. This song is a slight bridge into the eight-minute Movin’ on Down the Line. This song is like nothing else on the album with Chris on top form while Charity White and Mona Lisa Young back him up on vocals. The song is a slow burn that never feels as long as it is, gritty and funky at times with a great Chris harmonica interlude at the five minute mark. The song is a highlight of both the album and the full concert performance in general. Most bands would use a performance like this to end their shows on a high note, but the Crowes have different plans. The next track is the upbeat Wounded Bird, a southern rock ditty that rocks from start to finish. God’s Got It channels Chris’ southern gospel vocal tendencies and he preaches the song like only the greatest evangelist could. Rich’s slide guitar compliments his brother perfectly and it is a pitch perfect rendition of the Rev. Charlie Jackson song. God’s Got It is a gospel experience that is ambitious and perfect for the style of the Crowes. The album slows down with There’s Gold in Them Hills, a wonderfully written ballad with Chris soulfully singing another song that excels over the original studio track. The album concludes with Whoa Mule, a song that proves the Crowes understand that it is sometimes better to end a performance with a unique, fun song rather than the most enthusiastic one. With Chris’ harmonica interludes and the fun acoustic guitar providing the background, Chris energetically sings some of the best lyrics he has ever written. It is a fine end to a great concert performance. The Black Crowes Warpaint Live is an album that takes a good album and makes it great. I believe the live album can easily replace the original album in your collection because the songs are more powerful performed live then they ever sounded originally. The songs range from the anthem like rock of Movin’ on Down the Line to the enthusiastic gospel tones of God’s Got It to the final soulful rendering of Whoa Mule and never once does Chris Robinson and the boys lose their way. Fans who only care about the early days of the Crowes should embrace the present because The Black Crowes are better than ever.
9.5/10.0 |
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