THE BLACK CROWES WHAT THE CRITICS ARE SAYING

"A worthy follow-up to 1994 amorica, The Black Crowes new album affirms that its ties to the past aren't nearly as confining as some suspected. While there‰s no mistaking the Atlanta sextet‰s affection for raunchy, defiant, guitar-driven rock-blues, the album‰s spirit and scope is too expansive to be written off as just another predictable retro-fit. The funk rhythms that occasionally fueled amorica are still evident. But the new twists include a brassy, freewheeling tribute to Sly and the Family Stone on ë(Only) Halfway To Everywhere‰ and a southern soul jam called ëBlackberry,‰ which draws on Otis Redding‰s legacy for inspiration. Complementing lead singer Chris Robinson‰s soulful thrust are elements of country, gospel and bluegrass music, and on some tracks, notably ëGirl From A Pawn Shop,‰ they all make for a seamless and stirring blend."

It may be easy to hear similarities between what The Black Crowes do now and what the Rolling Stones did 25 years ago, but it would be a mistake to suggest that the sound of THREE SNAKES AND ONE CHARM is in any way a throwback. Like the Stones, the Crowes have built their sound on a firm foundation of blues and R&B, but without necessarily drawing from the same influences. But the album‰s greatest strength isn‰t its diversity so much as it is the depth of the writing, as songs like ëUnder a Mountain‰ and ëGirl from a Pawn Shop‰ convey a grandeur and sense of scale the band‰s early output only hinted out. This one is definitely the charm.Š

Three songs are primarily acoustic–‰Bring On, Bring On,‰ ëHow Much For Your Wings?,‰ ëBetter When You‰re Not Alone‰–and several others have strong acoustic elements which include dulcimer, banjo, harmonica and chimes, as well as an unusually wide array of guitars and tunings. It‰s their best album since the first, and their best-sounding ever.Š

Chris and Rich Robinson‰s songwriting is as strong as ever, and the band is fleshing out its scruffy, soulful sound by deftly blending in a fresh array of vintage rock ingredients.Š

Amid this resurgence, the best news of all is that the Crowes are kicking serious butt again. From the Sly Stone-style funk of ë(Only) Halfway To Everywhere‰ to the righteously raunchy ëBlackberry‰–a politically incorrect sex song to which you‰ll unapologetically shake your booty–the Crowes carry an Olympic-size torch for the sort of no-frills, feel-good, fundamental rock that most bands have forgotten how to make. Combine that with some fanciful changes of pace, such as the quasi-psychedelia of ëHow Much For Your Wings?‰ and the hard-won emotional maturity of ëBetter When You‰re Not Alone,‰ and THREE SNAKES AND ONE CHARM becomes powerful musical medicine indeed.Š

The gorgeous ëBetter When You‰re Not Alone‰ shows a musical growth that is undeniably the Crowes‰ own sound. Chris Robinson stretches lyrically as well with a sense of simplicity and self-awareness he has rarely shown since ëShe Talk To Angels.‰ ëI love you in the worst way/ The only way I know,‰ he sings. ëThis life is great/And it‰s better when your not alone.‰Š

Chris and Rich Robinson and company have developed into a great, diverse rock/R&B/soul outfit…Full of interesting musical twists and turns, concise solos and Chris Robinson‰s best lyrics and singing ever, THREE weaves numerous stories of loss, hard traveling and regret into a smoky, messy, always engaging whole. From the funky hard rock of ëNebakanezer‰ to the psychedelia of ëHow Much For Your Wings?‰ to the horn-powered ëLet Me Share The Ride,‰ the Crowes consistently come up with the goods. More than almost any other act out there, these guys sound like a band, a six-headed monster whose best days are still, even after the standards they‰ve already set for themselves, ahead of them.Š

With THREE SNAKES AND ONE CHARM, the Atlanta sextet are once again aloft. The honky-tonk gospel of ëGood Friday‰ and the rhythmic strum of ëHow Much for Your Wings?‰ recapture the knock-‰em-dead sonics that made SOUTHERN HARMONY such a fine musical companion.Š

On the verge of a breakup in 1995 before rejuvenating on the summer H.O.R.D.E. tour, the Black Crowes have created a mindful masterpiece in THREE SNAKES AND ONE CHARM, a 12-track disc that captures the band‰s bold, experimental style and ingenious inventiveness. More tranquil than its three acclaimed predecessors but consistently intriguing, THREE SNAKES is a soulful journey into the Crowes‰ melting pot of musical tastes and influences. Traces of gospel, bluegrass, and country become entangled with blues and classic rock arrangements. Recorded in a rented home-turned-studio in Atlanta, THREE SNAKES has the charm of down-home, American rock ën‰ roll, the improvisation of curious veteran musicians, and the integrity of a band that prides itself on playing what it wants to play.Š