Full Show Friday: As The Crow Flies 4/18/18 Electric Factory Phily

We search the murky back waters of youtube to find full concerts and post them to the site weekly, come back every seven days to help us celebrate Full Show Friday's. These shows are of varying quality and may not be here for long so enjoy them while you can...As always, please support the artist every which way, but especially by seeing them live (if they are still playing)...This week...As The Crow Flies!

The Black Crowes are in a bitter divorce between the brothers Robinson. It seems the band and players past are split between Chris and Rich, touring and recording with one or the other and it will probably remain that way until the brothers reconcile...or a big enough check comes their way.

We loved later day Crowes, especially Before The Frost...Until The Freeze which RtBE would rank as the most complete album the band ever released. Seriously. That said the last few tours we caught them on with Jackie Green on guitar were underwhelming.

With both brothers going separate ways, Chris has mostly steered clear of his old bands songs while playing in Chris Robinson Brotherhood but he went back to the classics for this tour with an outfit called As The Crow Flies.   

Half cover band, half original, all of the good old songs. Marcus King is in the mix and one of RtBE's favorite Crowes members Audley Freed kicking ass like in the old days. This isn't pro shot or pro sound, but it is certainly watchable to get a sense of this tour both visually and audibly.

Taken just last month at the Electric Factory in Philly, here are As the Crow Flies. Full setlist below. Enjoy:

1. Remedy
   (The Black Crowes cover)
   Play Video
2. Sting Me
   (The Black Crowes cover)
   Play Video
3. Twice as Hard
   (The Black Crowes cover)
   Play Video
4. By Your Side
   (The Black Crowes cover)
   Play Video
5. Sister Luck
   (The Black Crowes cover)
   Play Video
6. High Head Blues
   (The Black Crowes cover)
   Play Video
7. Good Friday
   (The Black Crowes cover)
   Play Video
8. Almost Cut My Hair
   (Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young cover)
   Play Video
9. Wiser Time
   (The Black Crowes cover)
   Play Video
10. She Talks to Angels
    (The Black Crowes cover)
    Play Video
11. Thorn in My Pride
    (The Black Crowes cover)
    Play Video
12. My Morning Song
    (The Black Crowes cover)
    Play Video
13. Jealous Again
    (The Black Crowes cover)
    Play Video
14. Hard to Handle
    (Otis Redding cover) (>)
    Play Video
15. Hush
    (Joe South cover) (> "Hard to Handle" reprise)
    Play Video
16. Encore:
17. I'd Love to Change the World

Album Review- The Black Crowes Before The Frost

This review is part of the "Over Flow" Review Series. For various reasons these past reviews were not published anywhere else. I am tagging them as "Overflow Reviews" and may add some extra information before or after if needed but will keep the ratings and reviews just as I originally wrote them. Enjoy:

The Black Crowes
Before The Frost…Until the Freeze
****an1/2 out of *****

When The Black Crowes released Warpaint fans were ecstatic for a return to original form from the Southern rockers.  Ok, so with a solid album under them the old tour dogs could continue in their same tried and true vein forever right?  Well here comes Before The Frost… and it ups the ante as to just what this band is capable of going forward with new members Luther Dickinson on guitar and Adam MacDougall on keys.  Both are no longer the new guys, as they make vital contributions right from the get go.

The rollicking guitar and piano sashay of “Good Morning Captain” kicks off with lyrics sounding straight out of the 1800’s.  Chris Robinson is the consummate front-man; passionately singing the blues to lost lovers and vacant cities throughout the album, if anything his rich voice has gotten better with age.  The Crowes haven’t grown into old men yet though; their asses can still get down as is evident on the funk grooving single “I Ain’t Hiding”.  Recalling “Miss You” from The Rolling Stones, this soulful shakedown somehow manages to make disco fresh in rock and roll again, not a simple task.  The band also funks up peace-and-love-rock on “Make Glad” and gets wah-wah scratch heavy on the closing breakdown in “Been A Long Time (Waiting On Love)” which lends itself to the stage.  However this album isn’t all about late seventies funk and night club bumps. 

“Appaloosa” is a classic western lament glowing with acoustic strings and pedal steel, before the banjo laced “What Is Home” eases in like a late night jam session.  The personal pain of “Last Place That Love Lives” wraps up the album with bare bones honesty and loneliness.  Larry Campbell’s influence and recording in Levon Helms Woodstock studio before an intimate crowd infuses these tracks with a down home feel.  Old time fans not feeling the newer directions will still find some solid standard Black Crowe efforts like “Kept My Soul” and “And The Band Played On” to ease their minds. 

The countrified bonus download disk …Until the Freeze is also an extra thank you to the fans.  Stripped down simplicity on “Garden Gate” and “Roll Old Jeremiah” continue the relaxed vibe.  While the Crowes were always capable of a boogie …Until the Freeze confirms they’re just as adept at a slowed down hoedown.      

Where past efforts have linked the Crowes directly with The Stones, The Allman Brothers and Face’s, Before the Frost…Until the Freeze calls to mind The Band and The Grateful Dead.  This is no longer regional rock, but pure wide open Americana; flowing over mountains and through rivers before cutting loose and shaking booty in city nightclubs.  A mature effort that never rocks as hard as their younger selves, yet satisfies more.

More thoughts after the jump:

Album Review: The Black Crowes -Wiser For The Time

The Black Crowes

Wiser For The Time

** out of *****

Back in the late fall of 2010 The Black Crowes embarked on their Say Goodnight To The Bad Guys Tour as the band was looking at (another!) hiatus from playing live. The band was on a creative and performing high as the group and decided to make the shows 2 sets one acoustic, one electric that flex the bands musical muscles and satisfied long time fans as covers, deep cuts and favorites all were showcased.

The group has moved pretty heavy into the jamband world with each show being unique in playing and song selection. This has allowed the Crowes to work closely with nugs.net to release the majority of their live performances directly to the fan base via sound board recordings. However, after the bands elongated run at New York City's Best Buy Theater, the shows from that stand never were made available, with the rumor being an official live release would showcase those amazing nights of music. Wiser For The Time is that release and an odd one at that.

Being offered in a predominately vinyl format (also digital, but no CD's) the band made this a fan's focus rather then a widespread showcase of the nights. Also by combining the 4 night run into one release (granted a long one) the ebb/flow of a particular setlist and performance becomes altered.

This may have been the bands most diverse and strongest lineups, so the range on the album is excellent. On the first (acoustic) set of playing, "Downtown Money Waster", "Garden Gate" and "Better When Your Not Alone", all work in their own unique skins. The highlight of the first batch of tunes comes in the form of the Crowes covering "Hot Burrito #1" and "Hot Burrito #2" by The Flying Burrito Brothers.

When the band turns up the electricity the group energy bubbles up. "Tied Up and Swallowed" and "A Conspiracy" are both great, but the highlights here are the immaculate "Title Song" and "No Speak No Slave" whose intro sends chills up the spine. Closing with a cover of Little Feat's "Willin'" the band let it all hang out, but the energy doesn't seem exhausted.

There isn't a version of any song here that makes it a must own, or reinvents it in a way fans were dying for, yet all are professionally done. Quality wise things aren't crisper or alive then any of the downloads offered. The packaging also leaves a lot to be desired, which leads to the question of why this was released? 

Having seen one of the shows showcased here I can speak directly to the power the band brought to NYC and the dynamic playing Luther, Chris, Rich and the boys (and girls) displayed during this run, I just don't think that translates to this release unfortunately.
  
____________________________________
Wiser For The Time is Ok, but wouldn't it have been cooler to offer 4 shows in their entirety, even on vinyl, or keeping this special collection then just posting all the shows on Nugs.net after the fact? This mix/release cuts the overall vibe The Black Crowes achieved during this incarnation, I guess you just had to be there.  This reminded us of another release we felt the same way about.  Anyway...

Support the band here, buy the album here and peep some video from this run of shows here:     
"Title Song"

"Better When Your Not Alone"

Dylan Cover #528 The Black Crowes "Girl From The North Country" Live

In this ongoing Monday Series we will be exploring various artists versions of Bob Dylan song's. Today's artists, The Black Crowes covering "Girl From the North Country" live.

Every April (and first week of May) we have a special focus in our ongoing Monday Bob Dylan Cover Series on artists who will be playing Jazzfest in New Orleans. Today we highlight, The Black Crowes who play the best festival in America on Friday May 6th..   

Thoughts on Dylan's Original:

From the first time we tackled a cover version of this song:

A fun little number that connects Dylan with folk's past. I heard Simon and Garfunkel's "Scarborough Fair" first when I was growing up so I have always been a bit more partial to that version of this old folk tune even though Dylan changed a bunch of stuff around (obviously) with his recording that appeared on The Freewheeling Bob Dylan. His duet with Johnny Cash that highlights Nashville Skyline is something else entirely, a major sonic effort that I love. On an album that saw so many massive tunes come flowing out of the bard this one can be overshadowed yet his first version of this track is just a sweet folk ditty that has aged very, very well.

Cover:

Thoughts on Cover Artist:

RtBE dig the Crowes.  We've seen them a bunch, reviewed them and ranked their album Before The Frost....Until The Freeze, in our top 50 of the '00 decade on Glide. We like that album even better than their debut, which they will be playing in it's entirety at Jazzfest this friday!

Thoughts on Cover:

A really solid acoustic cover from the Brother Crowes. Not a bad word to say, they nailed this jam. 

The Magpie Salute Releasing First Album & Touring

A few weeks ago we discussed the split of The Black Crowes and showcased As The Crow Flies for our Full Show Friday. Now we talk about the flip side of the Crowes Coin as The Magpie Salute announce their first release and tour dates this summer.

For those not keeping score at home, As The Crow Flies is led by Chris Robinson with past Black Crowes members and The Magpie Salute is led by Rich Robinson with different past Black Crowes members.

Coming out on August 10th will be The Magpies first release titled High Water I. You can hear the first song from the album titled "Send Me An Omen" below. Track info and tour dates are also down there as the on going divorce in Crowe country continues.



HIGH WATER I track listing: “Mary The Gypsy” “High Water” “Send Me An Omen” “For The Wind” “Sister Moon” “Color Blind” “Take It All” “Walk On Water” “Hand In Hand” “You Found Me” “Can You See” “Open Up”

Sun, July 1 Copper Mountain, CO The Village at Copper Mountain Sun,
July 8 Thunder Bay, ON, CAN Thunder Bay Blues Festival Tue,
July 10 Buffalo, NY Tralf Music Hall *Thu,
July 12 Wantagh, NY Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater *Fri,
July 13 Holmdel, NJ PNC Bank Arts Center *Sat,
July 14 Mansfield, MA Xfinity Center Mon,
July 16 Peekskill, NY Paramount Hudson Valley Wed,
July 18 Reading, PA Downtown Alive Outdoor Concert Series Thu,
July 19 Waterloo, NY Del Lago Resort & Casino – The Vine Fri,
July 20 East Greenwich, RI Greenwich Odeum Sat,
July 21 Fairfield, CT The Warehouse **Sun,
July 22 Silver Spring, MD Fillmore Silver Spring **Tue,
July 24 Columbus, OH Express Live! ^Fri,
August 17 Charlotte, NC Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre ^Sat,
August 18 Charleston, SC Volvo Cars Stadium ^Sun,
August 19 Nashville, TN The Woods Amphitheatre at Fontanel ^Tue,
August 21 Huber Heights, OH Rose Music Center at The Heights *Thu,
August 23 Noblesville, IN Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center *Fri,
August 24 Tinley Park, IL Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre *Sat,
August 25 Clarkston, MI DTE Energy Music Theatre ^Sun,
August 26 Des Moines, IA Brenton Skating Plaza ^Tue,
August 28 Mankato, MN Vetter Stone Amphitheater ^Wed,
August 29 Papillion, NE Sumtur Amphitheater Thu,
August 30 Boulder, CO Boulder Theater Fri,
August 31 Park City, UT Snow Park Outdoor Amphitheater ^Sat,
September 1 Missoula, MO Big Sky Brewery Wed,
September 5 Grand Rapids, MI 20 Monroe Live Thu,
September 6 Kent, OH Kent Stage Wed,
September 12 Fredericton, NB Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival Thu,
September 13 Portland, ME AURA Fri,
September 14 Beverly, MA Cabot Theatre Sat,
September 15 Hampton Beach, NH Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom Sun,
September 16 Burlington, VT Grand Point North Festival Tue,
September 18 Washington, D.C The Hamilton Fri,
September 21 Atlanta, GA Buckhead Theatre Sat,
September 22 Columbia, SC Glass Half Full Sun,
September 23 Louisville, KY Bourbon & Beyond
* = w/Govt. Mule and The Avett Brothers ^ = w/Govt. Mule ** = w/Blackberry Smoke

Dylan Cover #437 The Black Crowes "When The Night Comes Falling From The Sky"

In this ongoing Monday Series we will be exploring various artists versions of Bob Dylan song's. Today's tune is a cover by The Black Crowes playing "When Night Comes Falling From the Sky"

Thoughts on Original:
From the first time we tackled a cover of this tune:
In the fog and haze of 80's Dylan comes one of his most perplexing songs, "When Night Comes Falling From The Sky". The lyrics are some of his best from this period, but holy god of your choice...the production was the cheesiest of his career. Empire Burlesque had a few flops on it, and it is hard not to say this track is one of them, just check out the original video for it.

What saves this song from the scrap heap is the balls out awesome version on the amazing Bootlegs Series 1-3 which was recorded with Steven Van Zandt and Roy Bitton from The E-Street Band. This yet again shows that Dylan could not pick out his best work when it came time to release it officially from the studio sessions. While the Bootleg version isn't perfect, the vocals in particular are recorded low but sung so strongly it is exciting, it makes the listener examine the tune without the "Disco Dylan" cheese playing in their ear. A song which is perfect for interpretation, and one that should probably get a definitive version at some point as it it is one of Dylan true hidden gems.

Cover:


Thoughts on Cover Artist:
RtBE dig on The Black Crowes. We are in the minority though as we think Before the Frost...After The Freeze was their best album and they were reaching new levels when they broke up in 2011 with the lineup we have pictured up on this post (Luther Dickinson fit the band amazingly). The brothers are back, strictly for a money grab, and even knowing that, we will catch them when they return to the road post Covid.

Thoughts on Cover:
Full on over top production smacks you in the ear when this cover starts as the Crowes complete with backing vocals come roaring out of the gate. Then the track has a stop/start blues groove to it before some ripping guitar work and very lively piano action. Chris Robinson truly digs into the vocals (while cutting out some) as drums slam powerfully. A very unique take that is pretty interesting in every aspect. 

Full Show Friday: The Black Crowes 8/2/08 Newport Folk Fest

We search the murky back waters of youtube to find full concerts and post them to the site weekly, come back every seven days to help us celebrate Full Show Friday's. These shows are of varying quality and may not be here for long so enjoy them while you can...As always, please support the artist every which way, but especially by seeing them live (if they are still playing)...This week.. The Black Crowes!

A special show that happened 7 years ago Sunday, The Black Crowes took to the stage at the Newport Folk Fest and played a unique set for them. Lots of Covers, including the opening 2 Dylan numbers are a joy. Some acoustic goodness to mix in with the electric, a joyful and easy romp for this Friday. This is actually our favorite incarnation of the Crowes, with Luther Dickinson on guitar. Pro-Shot, Pro-Sound, setlist below.

Enjoy:



Setlist:
0:00:00 - Girl From The North Country
0:04:24 - He Was A Friend Of Mine
0:09:01 - Whoa Mule
0:15:39 - Polly
0:20:47 - Delaney & Bonnie Medley: Poor Elijah/Tribute To Johnson/Things Get Better
0:28:49 - Wiser Time
0:39:33 - Movin' On Down The Line
0:46:52 - Goodbye Daughters Of The Revolution
0:51:52 - Jealous Again
0:57:28 - Oh Josephine
1:05:13 - Thorn In My Pride

Album Review: Rich Robinson- The Ceaseless Sight

Rich Robinson

The Ceaseless Sight

*** out of *****

The solo Black Crowe teamed up a few friends (some new, some old) for this individual release, his 3rd such effort.  Solo disks from establish artists can be a tricky thing, sometimes people take on alter egos to slip into something totally different marking a 180 degree turn from their bread and butter or sometimes the artist just wants to put out more music then fellow band members are ready for. The Ceaseless Sight falls squarely into the second category; it is hard to hear these songs and not think, what would this sound like as a Black Crowes record?  

Roots rock with a flourish of the blues, folk and soul appear on all the songs as Rich takes center stage. Robinson has become much more confident in his singing/lyrics and that is evident throughout, however their are times where he still pushes the music towards the forefront and lowers the vocals. Opener "I Know You" is a stuttering blues jaunt in the vein of The Rolling Stones or  The Band with various sections that don't always flow so smoothly into each other while "I Remember" does things more direct and successfully. 

The album was written with drummer Joe Magistro who Robinson has worked with before but it is the newcomers who inject some of the disk highlights. Keyboardist Marco Benevento is a joy to listen to as he shines throughout but particularly during the piano break on "One Road Hill". Amy Helm also adds beautiful harmonies to "The Giving Key" while Robinson's own six strings take over for the Allman Brother influenced "In Comes The Night".   

The Black Crowes seem to go on hiatus every other year and the brothers Robinson have been notorious for their blow ups and internal band politics. While The Ceaseless Sight is a solid release it is hard to not wonder how brother Chris would attack a song like "The Unfortunate Show", with its strutting Stones-like vibe, or the funky "Inside". Even without the rest of the team Robinson has crafted a disk Crowe fans will enjoy because it is basically a Black Crowes disk minus a few parts. 
_____________________________________________________________________
Support the artist here, you can stream the album for a limited time at Rolling Stone here, buy the album here, and peep some video below:

The Black Crowes Announce Cover EP 1972

The brothers Crowe have announced a new EP as The Black Crowes release 1972 via Amazon Music. 

The cover EP focuses on songs released in the year of its title and it was recorded in January at Sunset Sound in Los Angeles. 

“The year 1972 was a watershed moment, some of the greatest rock and roll songs ever made came out of that year. To get our band back together in the studio, it had to be a celebration of rock and roll,” said The Black Crowes’ Chris Robinson. “This record is about love and devotion to something that makes us feel good. We hope that it makes fans around the world feel the same.”

The track list and album trailer are below and you can pre-order the EP now:

1972 Track List: “Rocks Off” (The Rolling Stones) “The Slider” (T-Rex) “You Wear It Well” (Rod Stewart) “Easy To Slip” (Little Feat) “Moonage Daydream” (David Bowie) “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone” (The Temptations)

Full Show Friday: The Black Crowes Pinkpop May 31, 1993

Last year we searched the murky back waters of youtube to find full concerts and posted them to the site monthly.  That was all well and good but this year RtBE is upping the ante with a show every week to celebrate Full Show Friday's.  These shows are of varying quality and may not be here for long so enjoy them while you can...As always, please support the artist every which way, but especially by seeing them live (if they are still playing)...This week...The Black Crowes!

RtBE has loved The Black Crowes recent output, especially when Luther Dickinson was in the band, but we never were massive fans back in the day; probably because we never caught a set like this. While I would argue they have become a better more diverse band as they have aged, you can't deny the rock star swagger the boys pull of at this Norwegian Festival back in 1993.

A TV stream of the show, video is great, sound top notch, after the brief intro the boys kick ass with "No Speak, No Slave" get southern fried harp from Chris Robinson before "Thorn In My Pride". There are interviews and voice overs sprinkled throughout but it is pretty watchable start to finish.

A touch of Marley after "Stare It Cold"and their big cover hit to close and you got a killer set, Enjoy:

Glide Review - The Black Crowes Live 11-5-10 Best Buy Theater, NYC

 
Got a new review up on the old Glide.

Read it Right C'Here!!!

It is of the 11-5-10 Friday Night Black Crowes show at the Best Buy Theater in Times Sq NYC.

First of all I had no idea Best Buy bought the naming rights from Nokia for the old movie theater in Times Sq that has been converted into a concert hall, kind of twisted me up...as did the show.


This was a contender for concert of the year in my book.

(Update:  Scroll to the bottom for links to free rare live recordings from the band)

 That is kind of surprising, while I do like the Crowes, and loved their last album, I am not a major fan (a bunch of songs I needed to look up titles for post show) so when I walked out into times square buzzing I was shocked.  The boys laid it all out there and I am dying to grab a copy of the night to see if really was that epic or all the magic was in the live "had to be there" moments.

Either way, the cover choices were perfect for the group, even "Fearless" from Pink Floyd, which I would not have thought this group of players could pull off.  I know it is a different band, but check out Blue Floyd's version of the tune, that is the vein in which the Corwes covered it...and look ex-Crowe Audley Freed is in the mix:


Their early acoustic working of "No Expectations" from the Rolling Stones was the first time the full band covered this tune, but Chris has been singing it for a bit. 
 Download a great crystal clear version here!
Thanks Don for that tune, I know it is one of your favorites. 

Luther Dickinson was a force of nature and makes me want to try to play slide guitar...While the group goes on break I am def going to give North Mississippi All-Stars another whirl, becuase I was underwhelmed the few times I caught them in the past, but Luther's playing alone is worth a ticket.

Gotta love the "Norwegian Wood" Tease in there...

There were a few original rarities on this night according to Crowebase, the biggest one being "Title Song", tonight's airing was only the 50th time during the bands extensive touring career that they played it live.  It was an emotional rendetion and a joy to here as it is Fatone's favorite tune and he was all smiles.

Amazingly, 2 songs later I got the one song I was hoping and wishing for, my favorite jam of theirs; "Sometimes Salvation".  I think early in his career Chris may have tried too hard to be "authentic" on certain tracks, but this one he nails so perfectly it gets me every time and live was no exception as the crowd exploded when it wailed out.

A perfect encore with 2 fantastic covers of The Band and Little Feat were cherry's on the cupcake of rock and roll this night.  The whole show brought smiles and tons of sing-a-longs from a devoted crowd of older biker looking peeps.  With the devoted fan-base and creative peak they seem to be hitting it is sickening that they are "taking a hiatus".  This kind of magic  doesn't come along too often and it would be a shame if/when they return things weren't the same. Here's hoping they are back, in tact, and on the road again soon. 

Update:
After I posted this, I found a great collection of rare live Black Crowe recordings that I wanted to share titled Tall As Can Be.  Click here for Vol 1 and here for Vol 2, thanks to thefrontloader for making these available.

Live Review: The Black Crowes 10-26-13 Terminal 5, NYC

Hey All, Got a new review up on Glide.

Read it Right C'here!!!

 

It is of the recent Black Crowes and Blind Boys of Alabama Show from Terminal 5 a few weeks ago in NYC.

We were excited to catch the Blind Boys of Alabama for the first time and were very glad we did as they were the highlight on this night. The group sounded glorious and strong, and their choice of covers was just sensational. They didn't do much (if anything) from their new album but that didn't matter, the performance was great.

Not so much for the Crowes. They just seemed a bit tired and to be going through the motions as their most recent hiatus looms. I don't think Jackie Greene is a great fit for the band, when Rich Robinson started playing lead the songs seemed to just work better, "Thorn In My Pride" being the best example.

I will have more from both of these bands in the next couple of days, so stay tuned. Peep some video in the meantime:

 

Best American "Rock" Bands Part 2

Before last weekend, I pointed out a list that Gibson Guitars created to get people fired up while the company showcased their version of the "50 Greatest American Rock Bands".  The full list is now reveled and you can see it here. 

I can argue with their list, but I can't argue with their guitars...

I don't want to re-hash my issues from the last post, I just want to take a moment to go over a few snubs that I am not surprised this company missed.  In thinking about this you need to take into account influence, longevity, popularity and a bunch of other stuff, but in the end it comes down to personal preference. Their list isn't horrible, it's also not great.   I decided to focus this post on 5 bands who I think need to be in the conversation, and two that were ranked waaay to low for my tastes.  Here are the 5 who should have been on the list or at least in the conversation, in no particular order:   

Album Review: The Black Crowes - Happiness Bastards

Hey all, got a review up @glidemag which you can read Right C'here:

It is of The Black Crowes newest release, Happiness Bastards. 

RtBE are fans of the Crowes having seen them a ton and reviewed them a bunch. To these ears, 

Before the Frost...Until the Freeze was the best from the band, yes, even better than their first two albums. It opened them up to a range of new tunes while they still could rock. 

This record feels safe and a touch dull. Not awful, but not memorable or very exciting either. 

That said, support the artists, buy the album, read the review and peep some video below:

Album Review: The Black Crowes - A Pound of Feathers

Hey all, got a review up @glidemag which you can read Right C'here.

It is of  The Black Crowes - A Pound of Feathers. 

Year In Review 2009 - Top 10 Albums Part 3

In retrospect this year produced some killer music and a few really great full length offerings.  Lots of established artists and virgins newbies put out valiant efforts, so like everyone and their grandmother I came up with a Top Ten List from the past 12 months.  No live albums, box-sets or re-releases were harmed, or even considered for this list, Feel free to voice your opinions vigorously.

A lot of these albums I have already reviewed for Glide or other sites, so when that is the case I will link to my full review and try to say something else about the album here, because over the course of the year feelings can/do change on things.  Oh and give the groups some love by grabbing their albums, or even better, get up off your ass and see them live when they come around.

5-1 After the Jump

Year In Review 2024 - Favorite Albums Part 1 (Honorable Mentions & Let Downs)

Another year is finishing up and @RockBodElec wouldn't be a proper music site if we didn't end the year with a "Best Of" list, so RtBE presents 2024's Favorite Albums Part 1 (Honorable Mentions and Let Downs):

In the instance that RtBE has reviewed the album, either on this site or elsewhere, we will link to that review and just give a quick summation; click on the name/title and you can read our full opinion. RtBE also worked with the Glide Team to give input on their Top 20 so you can expect some overlap if you already have seen that list.

Again the focus here is on full albums, not singles, but long playing releases you can slap on and listen all the way through. We know these are a dying breed, but it still is the way we consume music, no shuffle, Spotify, AI curated playlists, or streaming for us.

These are the albums that just missed out on being included in our top ten favorite for the year (coming soon). After some very excellent albums, we have a few releases from artists we dig, which we were let down by. 

Like all of our lists or 'best of'', these are meant to start conversations, not end them...

Friday Funday - Live Music Discussion with Mike

Hey all, had a interesting discussion with a good friend of mine, Mike, who I have blogged about before, concerning live music in it's current state, and I thought it would be fun to post and grab some peoples ideas on the topic.

Baseball not a live show...def my choice.

Little background, Mike and I have been going to shows together for over a decade now.  We've seen numerous bands all over the country from Vegas to New Orleans, from Florida to Albany and safe to say we've had a rock solid time at most.  Sure there have been some let downs, but there have also been magical moments neither of us will forget.  So when I had an extra ticket for tonight's Black Crowes show I offered it to Mike and it sparked this exchange....

Rock The Body Electric:
 I am pumped for the Crowes tonight...really surprised none of you guys want to come.

Mike: 
 Its more that I don't think I ever really want to see live music anymore,
 barring a Wilco show here and there.


And not to get too esoteric but I think our world live music experience
 as a whole is in need of a serious overhaul. All the music sounds like
 shit, even the "good" sounding stuff sounds like shit still considering
 advancements in technology. And video can be integrated much better in
 larger venues. I think you can make a graph on the increase in ticket
 prices over the last 25 years, the increase in audio/video technology,
 and the ratio in which that's been passed onto the concert goer and show
 how screwed all of are really getting here. And that's not to mention the
 venue side which doesn't allow you to do anything you used to be able to
 do (drink/smoke/do drugs) and forces you to stand there in a room with
 little comfort and drink watered down drinks out of a Dixie cup.

RTBE:
 You could be right about everything you said but as a counterpoint; I
 don't think I believe in god, but I am pretty sure I have seen him/her at
 some live shows lately.

Mike:
No doubt. But the parallel may be similar to that of the people who prey in
basement chapels vs the Catholics with the big beautiful churches with
stained glass and giant pipe organs. You still find god either way, but one
makes it a little easier to get your family dressed up and drive across
town and wait for god to show up.

RTBE:
Agreed.   The moment of glory can be found anywhere which is why I still go to as many as I can.

Bowling alley's, dirty bars, the Garden.

I love the Crowes lineup and sound now...can't miss this one if it is the last time this lineup tours.


Mike:
Of course, no doubt.

RTBE:
By the way you would see The Raconteurs for any amount of money...don't forget them.

Mike:
Right. Them too, of course. If they ever toured.

RTBE:
I do think that the rise of the ticket cost has certainly not been consistent with the overall concert going experience you get.  Hard to say things are that much better now then they were 10 years ago, let alone 30 when the crowd at the Last Waltz bitched that ticket prices were too high, and they were served full turkey dinners before one of the best nights in rock and roll history!!

But I digress, Corporations, parking, security, insurance, taxes, fees, have blown up ticket prices insanely.   Even bands that are notoriously kind to their fans seem to have huge ticket prices today and it does seem hard to justify.  Getting a free copy of the show (digital or CD) afterward seems to be a sweet compromise, but shows that do that charge even more...so it doesn't really add up.

I am not sure, the live music experience is the reason I love music.  It still irks me that bands I like can't pull off the magic live, Hold Steady were a recent example.  Cd's, LP's, Downloads are all well and good, but I look for those frozen holy moments that make everything just stop in my brain allowing me to say "Wow", thankfully that keeps happening at all sorts of shows and a lot where I would never expect it...see the recent Screaming Females set I took in.

The nice thing currently is, I don't care how much that costs....but sure, cheaper would be better, at least then I could tip my bartenders more.

Mike:
But this isn't an argument for lower ticket prices, this is a plea for a quality sonic and/or visual experience that follows a similar trajectory as the ticket price.  How can I sit at home and have an experience that's worlds away from where it was 20 years ago, but not receive that same privilege in the live arena? Current music culture prevents the artist from making as high of a percentage on ticket sales and has basically given the listener the same quality that was available to us in the 70s. 

U2 seems to be the best (that I know of) in the rock genre to at least attempt it, but to me it's not such a beautiful day.

From what looks like the last row of the old Giants Stadium.

RTBE:
I know what you mean but to me visuals are just a nice added bonus that I could care less about.  Sure when you get a lights guy like Kuroda for Phish it adds to the live experience, but so few bands have that.  The last band whose visuals really impressed me was Dr. Dog, before that was probably the 40 foot high flamethrowers at The Rolling Stones show I saw back in 05.   If the sound sucks though then it is worthless, thankfully that hasn't happened to me in a very long time as I usually hunker down in the back or near the soundboard and care less about getting up front...then again I am getting old.  Thankfully most NYC clubs/big venue's sound systems are top notch.

Guess we should see U2 next tour, huh?  Would be the first time for me...OK done, but you get the tickets.

Mike:
All NYC live sound still sucks and the ones that don't aren't made for rock, and I'll stand behind that claim. The Edge annoys me, especially after watching It Might Get Loud.

Think of the possibilities. 

I was talking about this with Jen Cole, who was at the time repping B&W speakers, who make a $40k home speaker. I was asking why cant they have like a 250k rig in a venue like, lets say the old CBGB (which opens another can of worms, I know) and blow the $hit out of people's minds? There's no venue that lets say Robb Report or Pro Sound Mag or any of this geek mags stand up and say, "You wanna hear what today's speaker/PA technology sounds like? Go to XXX venue" It's pathetic. And according to her the high end speaker companies would love a showpiece, they just cant justify having a whole venue just to show their products, they're not in the business, they just make monitors. 

I wont even get into the fact that movie lovers get to see 3D surround sound, but us lowly music guys still have to listen in stereo. Imagine a venue that mixed a show like it was mixed as though you were standing in the middle of the band, the possibilities are endless. But, again, I wont even get into that. One thing at a time.

 Thoughts?  Add to the conversation?  Feel free to pipe up in the comments...and enjoy your Friday.

Glide Top 50 Albums of the 00's

Hey there ramblers, so I recently had the pleasure of working with Shane over at Glide and we came up with the list that was posted this morning.  I will be posting my personal list, but there will be a lot of crossover with this one as we spent a good amount of time on it and we both agreed on the majority of things.

So check it out right here!!!!!

(Full List minus descriptions after the jump)

Album Review: Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit - Georgia Blue

Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit

Georgia Blue

***and1/2 out of *****

Most of the time, PR for an album is all fluff, but for Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit's most recent offering, Isbell himself wrote about the process, the inspiration and the limitations in a clear and illuminating way: 

Georgia Blue is a labor of love. On election day 2020, when I saw that there was a good chance the state of Georgia might go blue, I came up with an idea: to record an album of Georgia-related songs as a thank you to the state and donate the money to a Georgia based non-profit organization.

I will admit my motivations were a bit selfish. For years, I’ve been looking for an excuse to record these songs with my band and some friends. The songs on this album are some of my favorite Georgia-related songs, but the tracklist is not meant to be comprehensive. I would love to cover Outkast and 2 Chainz, but I don’t think the finished product would be very good. We’re a rock band, so we covered rock songs. We have roots in blues and R&B, so we enlisted some brilliant artists to help us pull off songs by Precious Bryant, James Brown, and Gladys Knight.

This cover album allows the band to try new things all for a great cause. They open up with REM's "Night Swimming" Bela Fleck's banjo picking, strumming guitars and strings make for deep layers of sound while "The Truth" by Precious Bryant bounces along with a country jaunt led by Adia Victoria. The acoustic strums and eerie vocal harmonies float along with Brandi Carlile and Julien Baker helping out on The Indigo Girls "Kid Fears" while Cat Power's "Cross Bones Style" puts a modern spin on those strings, digitizing them up with the help of Amanda Shires. 

The big rock sound enters the fray with the sweet sounding "Honeysuckle Blue" with 400 Unit guitar man Sadler Vaden leading the way while "Driver 8" finds a smooth version of the REM track book ending things while "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed" fits the outfit like a glove. The best Black Crowes song also gets a stirring cover complete with Steve Gorman helping out on drums as "Sometimes Salvation" blares out power, riffs and passionate vocals as the band slays the song on all fronts.  

The band also does a sweet job with their R&B covers as Brittney Spencer gives it her all on "It's A Man's Man's Man's World" supported by horns along with Isbell's weeping guitar in the distance and "Midnight Train To Georgia" which finds John Paul White supporting the polished effort. Isbell himself delivers his powerful vocals on the iconic "I've Been Loving You Too Long", putting in a top notch performance. 

A unique album worth hearing from a band on top of their game just playing some of their favorite songs with friends, for a State they love and giving the funds to very worthy causes. Nothing negative to say about any of that. 

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Support the artists, buy the album and peep some video below: