Reviews (page 4 of 9)
One of my favorite bands growing up. Saw them at MSG on NYE in high school. They are an excellent live band, but also have some solid albums. Their version of blues rock was never as raw as this debut. Chris Robinson’s vocals are so crisp and soulful, like a reinvention of the best blues singers of old. The songs are tight and well written, it’s hard to pick a favorite, but the beautiful use of harmonics on She Talks to Angels gets me every time. Their revivalist blues is certainly not original, but they execute so well you forget this has all been done before.
In 1990 there were not any new radio friendly southern blues rock bands. The Black Crowes filled this void nicely, and they could be heard on radio stations, bars and backyard BBQs. Is this original or genre defining, hell no, just straight up rock n roll at time when we needed it.
I had never listened to this record completely before. And you couldn’t get away from the hits back when it came out. While I wasn’t really looking forward to it, I ended up enjoying it quite a lot. They would probably be an amazing band to see in a bar or small venue.
Maybe it's just nostalgia. I had a really good time listening to this record. Jealous Again and Hard to Handle are great tracks
Had never listened to this whole album and I liked it enough. It's good music you'd hear playing at a bar, and that's not a bad thing in my book.
Absolutely nothing revolutionary happens on this album. This is bar rock, music for people who usually listen to like, Jimmy Buffett but are trying to get wasted and yell along to something. If you approach the album from that angle… it does what it’s trying to do. 3.5 rounded up to 4.
Great rock and roll with blues sound
Good album! Impressive that this was their first album how many classic late 80’s rock songs came from it. Twice as Hard, Hard to Handle, Jealous Again, Seeing, and She Talks to Angels are all great tracks. 4/5!
A little loud, but very listenable.
Pretty solid rock album. It didn’t really have a ton of stuff that makes it stand out amongst the crowd, but a good listen nonetheless, it’s got some good songs. Low 4.
You will know most of the songs!
Solidly enjoyable rock album!
4.75
One great song (Angels), the best cover of a blues standard (Hard) ever done for that song, a couple other better than average southern rock songs and a couple ho-hums.
At the end of the day, it's not that bad! It rocks pretty good.
7 / 10 Rock Sureño Noventero.
this album slaps!
I’ve owned this album since it was current (1990). I really liked it when it came out, and still enjoy / appreciate it. It really throws back to the blues-rock of the late 70’s, which I grew up on. Maybe reminiscent of Bad Company meets Grand Funk, with a big hat tip to the 70’s Stones and a few hints of Zeppelin. This got a lot of play on Mainstream Rock radio, that would’ve been how I discovered it. I was in my early 30’s, with a wife and 2 young kids and my job that had me on the road a lot; this was like comfort food for me. 33 years later it still gets played, but I wouldn’t call it essential. The high points are very high: Twice as Hard, Jealous Again, Hard To Handle (great Otis Redding cover), She Talks To Angels (one of the saddest songs of its time), Stare It Cold…. The rest is very solid. There’s nothing too dramatic here, just good old fashioned straight ahead rock and roll. And there ain’t nothing wrong with that. 4/5
This was good! My first time listening to them.
Iznenadujuce odlicno ide uz ucenje ekologije!
Vjerojatno ga neću opet slušat ali dobar rock!!!!
Classic blues rock
Finally something with some pace! I'm really enjoying this one!
I had never heard of the band before, although I had certainly heard (and even played) hard to handle enough times! Overall very pleasant, well and and enjoyable. Solid 4/5.
Solid rocker from end-to-end. The album has a great early Stones' quality to it, like a basement jam session.
Usually not my genre, but this is an excellent blues/root rock album. Straightforward and honest. "Seeing Things" best track for me.
Fantastic album. Hard to believe it was from the 1990's. It has a strong 1970's vibe to me.
Yeahhhh goooood.4/5
4/5 that was a nice one!
This album walked so that others after it could run. It was the right album at the right time, and picked up what bands like the Rolling Stones had dropped a decade before. It's not perfect, but it has the sound that is consistent (good or bad) and it's a fun listen while not trying to be anything more than what it is.
Elska blúsrokk. Þetta er kannski ekki það besta en ég fíla þetta samt ágætlega. Hef aldrei heyrt um þessa hljómsveit áður þótt ég hafi dillað mér við eitt af lögunum þeirra í gegnum tíðina. Eðalstöff.
Very good blues rock
Pretty solid, it was nice
I am FLOORED. How much the Black Crowes sound like classic rock (Led Zeppelin, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and many others) while creating their own sound. How this album came out in 1990, well past the seventies pure rock heyday, but sounding like it belongs in the seventies. How GOOD this album is!! These songs are fun and enjoyable! The black crowes are just having a good time and creating absolute bangers. Their lead vocalist Chris Robinson is absolute killing the vocals. He's singing his heart out every song. His vocals aren't a cookie cutter copy of other classic rock band but still have that slight imperfection to give the songs more personality.
When I think more modern blues rock, sooo many of the songs on this album come to mind. Half this album was successful singles that have played on the radio over the years. And yes, in that vein, they're also overplayed bar songs, but they're also just genuinely good, catchy, and fun to listen to. This was an underrepresented genre of music during this time, and I think The Black Crowes did a great job of capturing that market. Blues rock, in my opinion, can really lull quite a bit as an album drones on, but this just slaps from start to finish.
Banger album, good songs, I like it a lot, jealous again is the best song in it.
Great soft rock album! I enjoyed this one, with a good mix of upbeat and slow songs. Timeless album.
Great dive bar rock album. I hadn't ever heard of this album but in reality I knew half the songs on it. Fun.
Favorite Tracks: Hard To Handle She Talks to Angels Twice As Hard
I liked this one more than I expected to. The opener and closer and killer. They set up and end off the album perfectly. Otherwise, there’s a few bland tracks in there as well. Good! I could recommend.
Black Crowes Twice as Hard - 5/5 Jealous Again - 4/5 Sister Luck - 4/5 Could I've Been so Blind - 4/5 Seeing Things - 3/5 Hard to Handle Now - 5/5 Thick n' Thin - 4/5 She Talks to Angels - 4/5 Struttin' Blues - 4/5 Share it Cold - 4/5
Some good ol' classic rock songs. Sounds a lot like some artists I grew up on 😊 I know a song or two on here
Fun rocky wocky
This one i thought was generic at first and then it grew on me. Sometimes you just need some blues rock. Dudes rock?
Just the opening slide riffs are giving massive flashbacks to college - this album was hyuge. Saw these guys in a smallish club on this tour and they killed it - I was onboard the Black Crowes train for a time... But after a (relatively short) while it all seemed to grow stale for me - eh i was never a big Stones fan and blues-based music got a bit boring - gimme moody/emo/synthy/alt. "She Talks To Angels" getting massive airplay didn't help matters. I don't know when I've listened to this album last... ...but goddamn if hearing Twice As Hard this morning for the first time in ...? 25 years? hasn't been a fantastic trip. Sum: uncomplicated dirty Faces/Stones-esque album that while it may not be my first pick of the litter, sounds fantastic and is pretty great rock and/or roll. 8/10 4 stars (p.s. no cheating allowed but go ahead and try to pick out 2 words from any of the verses in "Struttin' Blues" - can't be done)
Shake Your Money Maker might be the great American Rock album before Grunge took over. Somehow I had never heard it start to finish but it’s bangers all the way through. Lots of energy, great guitar. 8.1/10
Crunchy guitar and sweet 90s nostalgia
Classy. Not what I expected.
Standouts: Twice As Hard, Jealous Again, Hard To Handle, She Talks To Angels. 4/5
HL: "Hard to Handle", "She Talks To Angels", "Twice as Hard", "Seeing Things" As awesome as it is non-essential It stays in one lane, & that is delightful southern rock. It has a gospel-seque singalong in "Seeing Things", and even though the song playcount suggests the album ends at "She Talks to Angels", "Stare it Cold" is a pretty triumphant closing track October 14, 2023
Cracking listen, finds a great groove early and doesn't let up.
This was pretty good. Sounds like a Rolling Stones album which swings a bit closer to rock than to blues. Nice mix of pace and energy, good they slow it down and go thoughtful every now and then, but give it a bit of oomph at other times. She Talks To Angels definitely my favourite, but it's all rather good. 4/5.
A blues rock album if I ever heard one
One for my comfort albums when I was to just sing along to the whole thing. Great rock record.
Pure and great sounding, but I missed the solos from other bands in this genre
I’m a sucker for some good bluesy rock and this is a lot of fun. Maybe a bit generic, but I’ll definitely be listening again.
Such an iconic sound. I'll continue to keep coming back to this.
Southern blues rock bangers - goes hard in the pickup truck or at the whiskey bar
Aight actually
Really liked it.
Pretty fantastic. 4/5
viba
A really enjoyable blues-rock album. Great length, never got boring. Standouts: Jealous Again; She Talks to Angels. 4/5.
A lot of favorites to this day. 4 stars for being enjoyable!
Listened Before? Y This one is one I had when I was younger. I have listened to it in its entirety several times. It's got a great vibe, and it was released at the perfect time in America. It's a solid record from front to back. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Twice as Hard
This album is right up my street surprised iv never come across it before, good old fashioned blues rock n roll from the 90’s. Added to my rotation.
Still great after many, many trips through this album.
Close to perfect rock and soul. A really fun vibe fills this album
Good 90's rock 3.5
Loved this album then, still love it now.
Great album from start to finish!
Wat een topplaat! Niks meer, niks minder
Top plaat!
Heb erover getwijfeld hoe goed ik dit vond, ik vond het namelijk best 'traditioneel'. Ik laat het echter naar de positieve kant doorslaan: ik vind het namelijk ook. Dit woord heb ik nog nooit gebruikt, maar hier past het.
When this album first came out I dismissed it as a poor man's, Faces. Clearly, Chris Robinson was channeling his best Rod Stewart impression and his brother Rich, emulating his Ron Wood/Keith Richards side-kick role. I couldn't deny, I liked the music, as I enjoy bar-band, basic rock 'n' roll. Listening now all these years later and I can hear the appeal of band as they have continued to deliver a solid rock/blues sound. I should also appreciate the fact the music at the time on the radio was moving away from the rock format to a more pop, hip-hoppy, youth targeted style I loathe so much. The Crowes had kept alive the spirit of classic 70's rock and updated it. Their debut is still their best album, filled with some good songs and is well worth re-discovering.
Hard to Handle is the little momma mess around song! She Talks To Angels + twice as hard
Good vibes, my kind of music. I enjoy it a lot.
Starts with two great songs but drops off after that. Still a really good album though.
1st - track - Zepplin guitar 2nd track - Pearl jam guitar 3rd track - Rolling stones? It may be derivative...but damn. It's basically built for my tastes. I remember liking them a lot in high school!
Was my favorite album for awhile in the early 90’s, just a great sound, very reminiscent of the great southern rock albums of the 70’s, soulful lead singing
Decent album on the whole; feels very typical of early '90s rock. Interesting that I'm quite fond of one of the number one singles, Hard to Handle, and can't stand the other, She talks to Angels.
Quite good, but a bit generic at times
I remember liking The Black Crowes ok back in college. Let's see if I still do. Yep. It rocks. It rolls. The hits still hit. I am not sorry to have dusted this one off. I would even argue this album does belong on this list, carrying the banner of bluesy guitar driven rock forward into the 90's. 3.5
Ttres bon, de bonne vibe de blues, rock, lynyrd skynyrd, etc. 4.5
She Talks to Angel's is superb and highlights a very good album here.
I can't believe I knew so many songs on here. Real good 90s blues rock.
A timeless southern rock album that scores, just like their follow-up work (but only know the first three albums) zero points for originality - say a little later band like the Drive-by Truckers for instance have a sound much more their own - whereas the Black Crowes are more operating like Lenny Kravitz. Their "Hard to Handle" cover is great.
Rock as it should be: bluesy and raspy.
Good vibes and funky!
The not-so randomizer struck again this week as I mentioned The Black Crowes in The Verve write-up yesterday. "Shake Your Money Maker" is the debut album from Atlanta, GA rock band The Black Crowes. The Black Crowes were formed and Re fronted by brothers' vocalist Chris and guitarist Rich Robinson. The album title was named after a classic blues song by Elmore James. The music style is described as southern rock, blues rock, hard rock and rock and roll. It was their best selling album and a commercial success selling over 5 million copies which was unique for the time frame given it was nestled between the declining hair metal era and the oncoming grunge scene. It received a mostly favorable reception with some comparison to Faces and The Rolling Stones.... a fair comparison. A classic Rolling Stones-esque guitar riff opens things up on "Twice As Hard." One of the first things you notice is tthat the production is pretty "tinny" and muttled. Vocalist Chris Robinson's is great though for this style of music. Breaking up twice is hard. Another classic rock guitar riff begins their first single "Jealous Again." A piano is added which makes it a little more bluesy. There is a groove thing going on here too. Nice guitar solo at the end. Chris Robinson belts it out on the ballad "Seeing Things." A soulfulness with an organ, a more prominent snare drum and backup female singers added. He's blind to seeing things. The band gets a groove going again on their breakthrough single and a Otis Redding cover in "Hard to Handle." He wants a girl who's with another guy. Chris Robinson kills it again on a slower song, "She Talks to Angels." An acoustic guitar and organ. A real life story about a girl addicted to heroin. The album ends with the band just rockin' and jammin' on "Struttin' Blues" and "Stare It Cold." I admit to being not the biggest Black Crowes' fan. I thought they're OK but not too original. Well, they're really not; some of these songs sounded like cover songs from the Stones' "Exile On Main Street." And you know, that's not entirely a bad thing. This band does rock. Chris Robinson has a great voice for this style. The band is tight and the guitar is great. I wish the album had a better production, but, overall, I have a more of appreciation of The Black Crowes today than back in 1990.
Better than expected, and surprisingly old
I’m not into Southern Rock but I rather enjoyed this album.
When you want to drive out of this lonely town with the top down in your beater, but the Stones would be too British for the grain silos in the rearview and the smokestacks on the horizon.
Very good debut
Great album. Great musicianship. I dont search for Black Crows songs but I dont turn them away when I hear them.
Solid rock album with some real bangers.
Really good album, enjoyed every song and would listen more. Great start to the week
Top 3 Songs: 1 - Hard To Handle (6) 2 - Jealous Again (2) 3 - She Talks To Angels (8)
I feel like I was a little young when it came out, so I'd never heard this (minus the obvious singles) but it definitely holds up.
My mom played this album a lot when I was growing up. I haven't heard it in a long time but I feel like I've grown a new appreciation for it is an adult.
A really great album! She Talks to Angels ❤️
Classic hard rock
Good album. Bluesy Rock and roll
This takes me back to the '70s, when there was lots of boogie. Lots of meaty riffs all driven by that gunshot snare. What's not to love.
Alright but nothing too special to recommend it further
I like it, it's a good solid rock album.
Still listening but great so far!
In high school, I was obsessed with this band. Subsequent releases cured me of that affliction, but this is an amazing album that stands up with time.
Definitely colors within the lines of southern rock, but I’ll never sneeze at some good Americana.
we all know i love some country, this is nothing too special but it’s pretty nice
Great 90s debut.
Classic
I really got into this album. Songs like “seeing things” and of course, “hard to handle” just feel like the true essence of southern rock.
I saw them at Bottlerock Festival 2022
loved this album - The lead's voice is really reminiscent of Rod Stewart which I enjoyed favourite songs: Hard to Handle and Twice has Hard
A great rock album! Cool riffs, smooth production, and the singing is raw and engaging.
Catchy, easy listening alt rock with a country/southern twang. Entertaining!
This was a great album, rocking blues. Hard to handle and she talks to angels were the best tracks. Everything else on the album was really good, tons of energy, great blues links. It reminded me of some great 70s acts, definitely taking influence from Led Zeppelin.
Ces gars-là m'ont bien plu malgré une reprise de With a Little Help From My Friends qui ne dit pas son nom. Un vrai coup dur pour Mathieu de la Nouvelle Star 11 qui avait pourtant beaucoup travaillé et obtenu un bleu de la part de Sinclair.
More than a four
Straight up good rock I like it
I had never heard this in full before and while. I think it was very good, I think it falls just short of the 5 star tier. It was fun, but it was really just an updated Exile on Main Street or Sticky Fingers. It's kind of funny to hear American music refracted back through the Rolling Stones but it really sounds like they were a huge influence on this albums. I was really wowed by "Sister Luck" and think they'd put on a good concert.
Have never been a huge Black Crowes fan, but I've always enjoyed this album.
Nice, very "Rolling stones" A bit dated now but still listenable
Nice energy, good riffs
Rock and roll bb
From a decade when the dominant music genres were hair metal, grunge and britpop, a Led Zeppelin-esque blues rock album (although with some hints of alternative rock, more typical of that era) was definitely a surprise, but a welcome one!
4/5 bester Song: Thick N'Thin oder Seeing Things aber der ist auch geklaut es sind ca. 3 Trash Songs drauf der Rest ist strong sie lernen über das Album zusammen zu arbeiten Song 1: Wannabe jimmy Paige leicht nervige Vocals (sehr ertragbar) SCHEIß DRUMS blues solos popRock Coldplay vibes 5 Mitglieder 5 Genres zusammengeworfen die Intros sind immer geil und dann stürzt es ab seeing things ist ja einfach with a little help from my friends (Eher joe Cocker Version) auf wish ab Song 5 ist es geiler BluesRock
classic rock n roll sounds like it was released in 1970, not 1990
Very good rock album from the 90s that sounds like right out of the 70s. There isn't really a bad track here; songs, production, playing, singing are all equally good. 4/5
solid rock album, although I seem to have heard it before
that was actually pretty good not exactly my genre but still enjoyable 7/10
A southern classic.
First time line listening to this band and I dug it. However it does have that aspect of rock that I've kinda noticed has plagued many bands since the 70s that I just can't put my finger on but it just sounds off in places. Nonetheless, I enjoy many of the tracks and will definitely be checking out more. 4.5/5
good rock album
Sue me, I enjoyed it more than I expected
Blues rock elegante. Un 4.
I’ve never herd of or seen this act/ album before and aren’t all crows black?… I love the slow bluesy guitars at the start of the album’s opener twice as hard but those guitars were a trick and the song builds to this all powerful speedy tempo, this kinda reminds me of the white stripes meets stadium rock like Boston. So essentially amazing live music! Jealous again sounds like truckers music, good truckers music but still just the kinda thing that people will blast at max volume deafening anyone else on the motorway. But in the grand scheme of things jealous again seems like light album filler as the slow jam sister luck picks up the quality of before this is a great slow down in pace for the album with amazing guitars and also showing the listener that this band is more than large stadium songs. Could I’ve ever been so blind isn’t that special or unique but good and listenable none the less. Side one ends with seeing things it’s a romantic slow track with an exploding/ angelic chorus, this song works perfectly for what it’s meant to do and I like it, it works perfectly for the songs purpose yet knowing what I have herd through ( and even outside) the generator it’s not cracking my top songs of all time. Hard to handle is a solid banger to start off this half of the album again not a favourite but if it was someone’s favourite song of all time I honestly couldn’t argue. I mean thick n thin works well and it’s nice to see a piano involved but it’s just not too special. The final single off the album is she talks to angels a beautiful little acoustic track sad, brittle and painful. With class instrumentation all the way! Putting strutting blues ( a rather soulless rock and roll tune) right after she talks to angels was a wrong move, a very poor sequencing choice but I guess it’s not a bad song just uninteresting. The album closes with stare it cold the song isn’t necessary a great choice for closer status but still one of the better songs on the album. It’s got ( Mostly) powerful singles and a good few other decent tracks but it feels too generic to gander it a 5 even if there are some bangers.
strong start to finish late 80s early 90s rock with just a bit of country mixed in
This was enjoyable and more in line with my taste. I hadn’t listened to much Black Crowes so it was good to expand beyond Hard to Handle.
Excellent album.
A roll the windows down album of Southern rock that owes a lot to bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd and Aerosmith but The Black Crowes do it just as good! It’s got big riffs, great energy and soul. I love the bluesy piano too. This would be an excellent album even without “Hard to Handle” and “She Talks to Angels.” But with them it pushes toward classic territory. “Cause mama, I’m sure hard to handle now” - I’ve heard that line 1000 times but never knew what he was actually saying 😂 Also, I just learned that that song is a cover of an Otis Redding song!
It's fuggin rock and roll. When I was listening to this band as a boy I would get them confused with "Counting Crows" (because I was probably like 8). I think this band does deserve a place on this list. This album is a solid rock and roll album. I will admit that I listened to it in full background-mode and I think that is where this band shines. The singer has such a great rock and roll voice and some of these songs are bangers but I'm personally biased because I've heard them so much that they are ingrained as backing track music. "Hard to Handle" is one of the best post-1980s rock and roll songs ever. "She Talks to Angels" is as pure as a rock and roll ballad can ever get. I bet these dudes wear a ton of fringe.
My initial reaction was ugh, Black Crowes, then listening to the album and realizing how many tracks I recall, almost verbatim, hard to deny this album was played pretty much everywhere when it came out and some tracks stand the test of time it seems
As far as retro blues rock throwbacks go, you can’t top the Crowes imo. You can really hear the passion behind their performances every time. This is a pretty smooth, digestible album. B
This album fucks. The Crowes embody everything I love about that bluesy classic rock sound and GOT DAMN could these dudes write a hook. 4.5
Decent
A very solid 70s aerosmith-esque classic rock revival from the 90s. Favourites: "Twice As Hard", "Hard To Handle", "Stare It Cold"
Super albumpje, bekende nummers erop
I like it 4
Decent rock album nothing special in my opinion
Wantlist
Classic rock is *gulp* classic. Damn, I feel some grey hairs coming on.
Album cover: What We Do in the Shadows Album contents: Crown-pleasing 90's rock
Am I listening to a 70's heavy metal? Or maybe a true hard rock band from the '80s? Maybe, it sounds a little bit like an English indie rock from the 2000s? I'm not sure if I liked the whole album because it's a little bit longer than I normally like, however, it's impossible to not say that it looks like a real trip in rock history and a well-done trip.
Rockin
This album was better than I remembered. I feel like I should have been more into this when it was released!
De forma cíclica, hi ha moments en què el rock sempre torna. D'alguna manera, sempre hi és, però des dels seus moments de glòria als '50 i '70, sembla que queda soterrat pels géneres més populars del moment fins que un disc esclata i el fa tornar amb tota la seva força. El 2018 va ser Greta Van Fleet, començaments de mil.leni es va viure amb tota la seva intensitat amb The Strokes, The White Stripes i tot el que va venir després. El 1990 va ser el debut de The Black Crowes que va posar tot del revés. En plena eclosió de hair metal i mentre alguns a Seattle es començaven a deixar sentir, un rock d'arrels, pantanós i honest ens va agafar a tots per sorpresa. El disc, a més, tenia un bon grapat de bons moments; grans cançons envoltades d'una veu increïble i una actitud i carisma que els va portar a ser una de les millors bandes de la década que començava
Great stuff. This kind of bluesy rock is really fun to listen to when it is done well, and this is done really well.
If the Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, and Lynyrd Skynyrd had a menage a trois, The Black Crows would be the result of their coupling (well, actually, tripling.) I’ll let you assign gender roles, and which will be actually carrying the child. My vote for the mom is, of course, the Stones, because they already have proven to be more than comfortable wearing women’s clothing and makeup. Lynyrd Skynyrd not so much, being pretty much all men, and southern ones to boot. Stephen Tyler? Anyone’s guess. Opening with a simply nasty, crunchy guitar, that sustains throughout 'Shake Your Money Maker' (curiously, a song not included, although performed often by The Black Crows), and soon to be joined by the rest of the flock, this is all 'Sticky Fingers' and 'Exile On Main Street,' paired with any and all of Aerosmith’s first four albums, and with a dash of southern flavor, including slide guitar, that would fit in easily on any Lynyrd Skynyrd recording. But the Stones cast the largest shadow here, with riffs from guitarist Rich Robinson and Jeff Cease imitating (albeit not as good) Keith Richards on virtually every song on the first side except the opener, and most on the second. The bluesy ‘Sister Luck’ sounds like right off of 'Exile,' and you tell me if ‘Seeing Things’ wouldn’t fit perfectly on 'Sticky Fingers,' a sibling to its brother, ‘Sway.’ What’s not to like here: joyfully nasty rock n’ roll guitars, crisp drums, howling vocals. Speaking of, I do have one critique for vocalist Chris Robinson: it would benefit the final moments of your songs to just let the band play out, minus your voice. Less is more, my friend. Even Mick Jagger showed a little of this restraint with his band, an action seldom used to describe the lead singer. What did work, and work well, was background singer Laura Creamer’s harmonious contributions, particularly on ‘Seeing Things.’ Here’s the special sauce, though, and an incredible coincidence further highlighting the similarities between The Crows and The Stones: keyboardist Chuck Leavell who, while not a member of the band, flaps his wings all over this LP, and without whom 'Shake Your Money Maker' would still fly, but not soar. Remember a fellow named Ian Stewart? Probably not. Even the demure Charlie Watts, drumming away behind the larger than life personalities of Jagger and Richards was more recognized than pianist Stewart, often even playing off stage! (It was simply a marketing decision- Stu’s countenance was not as cool as the rest.) Stewart, like Leavell, was never technically a band member, but what would ‘Sympathy for the Devil’ or ‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want,’ or dozens of other Stones’ songs sound like without his piano? On 'Shake Your Money Maker,' Leavell boogie woogies the ivories on ‘Could Have Been So Blind,’ strokes the organ to climax on ‘Struttin’ Blue,’ and does double duty on both during ‘Seeing Things.’ Man, this guy can play the kind of blues that would bring a smile to Greg Allman’s face. And he can rock n’ roll on the piano like Little Richard. Shame on you both, Stones and Crows, for not making your keyboard players official band members. Well, shame has no place in rock n’ roll, does it? Even ‘a crime in the wink of an eye,’ as Chris Robinson sings on the opener, ‘Twice As Hard.’ While he may be singing about the double pain of losing a love to drugs in life, and then ultimately in death, my own interpretation concerns the omission of Chuck Leavell as a full-feathered Black Crow. ‘Cause I’m seeing (and hearing) things for the first time…’
Great album!!!
Somebody get that damn piano part an MVP award for carrying the rest of the album.
Great guitar, great voice, great tunes
Real cool - sound like an old classic old southern rock group. I would say while being modern, but this is also classic now too at over 30 years old hahaha. Great vibe and attitude, killer album.
3.5, on the side of 4 maybe?
Derivative, clichéd, rip off, yet absolutely great.
The Black Crowes have a logo with a couple of cartoon crows on it. They remind me of the crows from Dumbo, except these look stoned or drunk or something. The Dumbo crows were racist caricatures. But I don't have any evidence that the Black Crowes crows are racist. Or that the Black Crowes themselves are racist. But it's an unfortunate connection I can't help but draw. I do have evidence that they are a pretty decent band. On this rollicking bluesy album at least. Then what happened to them? "Shake Your Money Maker" was a pretty big hit. But they never found that level of success again. "Remedy" is the only other Black Crowes song I recognize. I think I want to give this album a 4, but that kind of implies that I'd be interested in seeking out more from their catalog. And while I like it, I'm not quite moved to that level.
8/10. Who'd've thunk it? Two days in a row of 90's albums I actually enjoyed. Though I don't think I've ever really taken that much issue with the Blues Rock of the 90's.
The first album I've not listened to and liked.
Blues rock elegante.
4.5/5 Fantastic album! Especially the first half of the album. I will for sure come back to this one. Favourite songs: - Twice as hard - Sister luck - She talks to angels
Rock sureño muy bien elaborado. Excelente voz y guitarras rítmicas
Fun album, brings back a lot of memories
Never listened to them before, love it Will definitely relisten
Solid album, lot of good tracks, but the excitement starts to fade out towards the end.
While the musicianship is undeniable, Robinson's voice wears me out after about song 3. Something about his constant, slightly off key, fake blues Man wailing just ... wears me out. That said, it's still a good record and a good representation of rock at the peak of its game in the '90s (including all of the dated production techniques of the time).
Pretty Good! I did really enjoy listening to what I consider to be actual rock music so that was fun
An old favourite, not their best, but better than I remembered - starred at least one track I'd forgotten
“Angels” is actually one of the weaker songs on here; the least of the ballads, anyway.
This album was so good, and really a breath of fresh air when it came out. Music was so bloated in 1990, and these guys strut in like they own the place with just some great, classic bluesy rock and roll. It's laid back, no frills, and completely engaging. This is probably as close as anyone ever got to fully catching the Stones' vibe. What I like about the Crowes is how they move really effortlessly between rockers like "Hard to Handle" and the slower, more thoughtful songs like "Seeing Things" without missing a step. That gives such a nice flow to these songs that a lot of artists can't really capture. The hits get played a lot on the radio, with good reason. They've aged really well. Fave Songs: Jealous Again, Twice as Hard, Hard to Handle, She Talks to Angels, Seeing Things
A lot more fun than I was expecting, a rip roaring party of an album.
Los Black Crowes eran normalmente una banda que veía como rock sureño decente pero que no llegaba a lo que se había hecho en los 70s y se sentía como un revival de medio pelo. Ahora justamente que tocó rock sureño en esta lista con Lynyrd Skynyrd de casualidad me seguí y escuche un cacho de ellos y justamente este disco lo escuche entero. Mi opinión sobre ellos ha mejorado notablemente en este par de meses. En realidad no se oyen tan copia al carbon como recordaba, sí proponen algo un poco más moderno sin perder la esencia del género y curiosamente notable que sus canciones son bastante más frescas en cuanto a tener una temática bastante más variada alejada de las canciones de macho sureño toma cerveza de todos los grupos originales. Sorpresa bastante agradable que creo tiene justificado un lugar aquí para mostrar que el género da más allá de los estereotipos con los que se le relaciona normalmente.
Neat bluesy stuff
Muy bueno, muy agradable
I like it 4 stars
Really liked this album every song was awesome will be adding it to my general rotation of albums
Really enjoyable throughout
great album.
Great album
A good album. I like the stripped down, raw sound.
Awesome blend of Blues & Rock!
actually rather like this one. 'hard to handle' appears to be the most popular song, but felt that one was only ok. 'she talks to angels' is great, heard that one before. lots of good guitar. generic voice
Great grooves and heartfelt vocals. Keepin' the faith in good ol' rock 'n' roll.
Många bangers! Bästa låtar: Hard to Handle Twice As Hard Jealous Again
Very good album
Solid rock album - Lynyrd Skynrd vibes
Loved it. Sought out more of their music afterwards. I’m now a fan.
Not my cup of tea but they sound great!
Fun one
Didn’t realize so many familiar songs were on a relatively unknown album. Quality listen.
Killer album. Half of it consists of absolute classics but another case of the hits overshadowing the rest of the album. Still a great listen for some throwback rock and blues.
I had heard this before - solid southern rock sound.
Really enjoyed listening but didnt fully grab me - nice surprise though
catchier than i thought. Like a more down-to-earth inspiration of the decemberists.
4.0
brings me back to high school. lots of energy.
Really enjoyed this. Think they were an under rated band. ****
Really like the rock vibe, grungy guitars and power. Would definitely run with this album!
Great, fun rock album
When no one was making this sort of music, the black crowes released this absolute banger. High octane rock n roll from start to finish. lovely stuff. Not sure its quite strong enough throughout to give it a 5 but certainly a solid 4/5
Hard to handle is such a great track
Blues-y guitar-driven rock, very full sound, driving
Okay, Schwanzmusik schon, aber ich mochte und mag das gern. Fand ich damals schon eine gelungene Wiederkehr dessen, was ich mir so unter musikalischer 70ies-Rock-Ästhetik für Anfänger zurechtsimuliert hatte. Von 3.6 aufgerundet "I'm never afraid of losing faith in you" ist außerdem eine ziemlich gute Zeile.
Nice
Very clean vocal sound. More blues / garage rock than I remember.
One of my fav groups. 4.5 because I know what will come from this album.
Tres bon objectivement, mais pas non plus mon kif
Quality tunes.
Surprised I hadn't really heard of them before - and surprised by how much I liked it! Maybe just nostalgic for 90s Georgia summers
90’s rock is always good
Really solid classic rock. Good road trip stuff
ENJOYED
This album still holds up, but it might be the amount of memories I have with this playing in the car on road trips.
Toe tapping good time. loved the big southern rock guitars. Great melodies and singing.
What a lame album title, but it pleasantly surprised me! I really wasn't expecting to enjoy it based off the genre- but it was really solid! "Struttin' Blues", "Hand to Handle", "Twice as Hard" were pretty solid imo!!
Slaps
A pretty great rock album! Surprised it wasn't in my rotation before
Aside from the popular songs on this album I never really gave them a good listen, but this album was decent. Definitely have to listen to some more of their work.
Liked it a lot!
Good ood school sounding rock
false
Solid classic album
Without a doubt, the Crowes BEST WORK. SEEING THINGS and SHE TALK'S TO ANGELS are powerful. I listen to these two practically every day for my sing along songs. Several more really good tracks on here. Twice As Hard, Jealous Again, Hard To Handle are a pleasure to hear, but I just Can't Get Enough of SEEING THINGS!
Didn't like them back in the day - still don't care for their cover of "Hard To Handle", but they have grown on me. A descent southern rock album.
Solid
Um bom álbum de rock mas sem nenhuma favorita. Semelhante a muitos da época.
Solid album. Good flow overall and not too long. I preferred the slower blues tracks personally. "She Talks to Angels" as always been a favorite, but I think "Seeing Things" surpassed it.
One time I was on Steve Gorman‘s radio show, but my segment got cut before it aired. My teenage self was so proud of me, I wore this record out when I was young. But then my teenage self was disappointed that we never made it to air. Also, too bad the brothers can’t get it together, still team Gorman all the way.
chill. catchy. classic.
Bluesy. Fun and easy, all the songs felt kind of instantly familiar and a little the same although this band and record were both new to me. Almost felt like a (very skillful) cover band, weirdly? Would listen again in the right setting though.
This album sounds like the soundtrack to talking shit with my cousins while drinking cheap beer at a family reunion. three stars
It's 3.5
It's fine. There's a few radio hits on here.
The definition of fine
6/10
solid 90's rock album. no complaints. would occasionally listen to it.
Singer is not good. Repetitious songs Okay album but not great. Hard to handle: best song
If it wasn’t for ‘Hard To Handle’ and ‘Thick ‘n Thin’ I would have forgotten I was listening to this, most of it is just background. It’s not bad, it just slips past without making an impression
Solid rock album with some better tunes in the later half of the album when it became more soulful. Still, nothing I needed to listen to.
I remember when they came out and was not that impressed with their style of music. It's good but not great, like what i feel a lot of albums on here are guilty of and just being kind of mid.
The beginning of the album was better.
Perfectly solid southern jam rock. Nothing that will blow your mind, but more than decent to listen to. Upbeat and fun, if otherwise unremarkable. Stronger in the 2nd half. Top tracks: Seeing Things, She Talks to Angels, Stare It Cold
probably wont return to this much
285 You know how in American teen dramas from the late 90s and into the 00s (Buffy, Dawsons Creek etc) one of the female characters would always end up dating an impossibly handsome clean cut man in a local band and there would always be a scene at the end of the episode where the band is playing a local bar or a prom and all the main characters dance along with big smiles on their faces as the end credits began to roll? This is an album full of the exact songs they would be singing. Highlights Jealous Again Seeing things Hard to Handle.
Talks to angels, you say...
Decent bluesy rock album. Not particularly original, but enjoyed listening to it. Especially Hard to Handle.
Bom, mas não ouvirei novamente.
90’s Rock ⭐️Seeing Things
Ça rock, bien, pas très original pour autant. 3+/5
5/10
I should appreciate their effort to make a southern rock album without too much machismo, but the writing was just too bad on this album to really enjoy. That drops it to a 2.5 rounded ... up because the piano is good on this album
I mean I get why people would’ve really enjoyed this at the time but I agree with others here that it begins to sound a bit like generic bar rock after enough songs. Not bad but it doesn’t stand out to me.
Bastante bien, al principio pensé que era un disco genérico de rock como los 20000 que hay en esta página, pero está bastante bastante bien.
Pretty good!
Enjoyed this, though it had a tendency to fade into the background. Enjoyable but not impactful/memorable. 7/10 Quite Likeable
rock n roll
🤘🏻
Rock vibes. Some interesting songs.
3.5
nice highlights: beetlebum 3/5
Fiiliksenä tästä jäi vähän valju tosi perus rokkilevy, yks tuttu ilmeisesti tän levyn/tän bändin suosioon pompsauttama coveri Hard to Handlesta - muuten ei oikein mitään sanottavaa.
Standard rock album didn’t do much for me
I’d love to have a discussion with the editors about their decision to include so many debut albums on this list. With respect to music history, I guess it is interesting to hear what finally “broke through” for different artists. However, sometimes it is more interesting and a better listening experience to see where the artists go after they have obtained enough commercial success to garner more creative freedom. The second Crowe’s album is far superior to this record because it is more creative. It is still a homage to the blues-rock greats, but it seems fresher. Shake you Money Maker sounds like a lot of major artists from 70s because this is the sound their producer encouraged them to explore. He saw that people were tired of the electronic 80s and were ready for some rock roots. After signing the band, he pulled them into listening sessions of classics from bands like the Stones and Clapton and they reworked their original tunes to have a similar (too similar?) vibe. Nobody is going to be wowed by new sounds introduced on this record. Despite this, there is no denying that this album features some tight blues-rock. They are obviously fantastic musicians. It is a fun album if you just accept it for what it is. To my mind, an album doesn’t need to be especially unique to be enjoyable, but it does need to be unique to be profound. This was a perfectly acceptable record. Not bad, not great.
Fun felt maybe a little derivative
Straight forward southern blues rock album. Nothing bad, but nothing earthshaking either.
Music wankers.
A solid rock album.
Spiritually Aussie Pub Rock (this version of Hard to Handle is one of my all time faves and if you had asked me who sang it, I would’ve said Dragon or The Choirboys or something of the kind). In my heart this is a 4, for Hard to Handle but it’s really a 3.
This was southern rock that was alright, I’ve heard a few of the songs from this album on the radio and the other songs sounded similar. It was a fine album, but nothing that I feel I need to listen up on repeat or anything like that.
Good old fashioned rock record. Nothing fancy but the energy is greatand it definitely punches above its weight.
Actually a lot of fun
I think this album needs to be played in the sunshine, it sounds sunshiney, and I remember buying it and playing it loudly in the summer. It's grey and rainy today and it really doesn't hit the same at all.
Relentless dad rock
jesse at the co-op told me i "wasn't missing much" by forgetting to listen to this album until weeks later. and you know what...yeah
Sure
This album is fine. The guitars sound cool and the guy can sing. A consistent thing that seems to be developing is the way that the makers of list seem to have different idea of essential than I do. The mode they seem to be operating in is that albums are essential if they were interesting or impactful when they released. Put simply, if they are the sort of the receive anniversary editions down the line. I think that essential albums are those that are influential on everything that came afterwards, or whose quality is simply so high they have to be expierenced to marvel at the fact that they exist. This album sort of profoundly highlights that divide. This albums doesn't have monumental influence becuase, to be blunt, it sounds too much like its influences. It's album by a bunch of guy who grew listening to the Rolling Stones and decided to write their own Rollings Stones Songs. That said, it came out near the height of hair metal and right before grunge and punk broke more into the mainstream. The meanest thing I can say about it is probably that this is the sort of thing that the guy from the chorus of In Bloom would have loved. The Hard to Handle cover is really good though. I can't hate on that at all.
liked it, but found the ballads annoying
2.5 Not bad just nothing new here. Some guys making music some other guys already made 30 years ago... like it's the 90s, think of something else
I’ve always known about the Black Crowes and heard the odd song here or there over the years but always assumed I wouldn’t care for their deep cuts and it turns out I was right. The album is totally fine for what it is. They do flirt with butt rock pretty hard here but didn’t fully delve into the crack. There is enough here that it’s a fine rock album, Angels is a really good rock ballad, the kind of rock ballad that only works with top tier vocals, which Robinson has. There was also a good amount of forgettable filler and lame lyrics holding this back as well. 3 stars
glaubs zwei mal glosed, nie bewertet, und es isch mer au nüd blibe. Bim chli inelose aber au gar ned so schlecht. 3 shaketi schnägge
Aso zimli basic alte guitare rock sound. Meh als 3 chani nöd geh und magi au nöd beschriebe
Sounds like the most respectable bar band you know. They practice three times a week and are never late to load in. They respect the sound guy and warmly nod if you tip them. They even play a juiced up classic R&B cover. It’s fine. I can kind of dig it. Mixed and engineered really well, although the vocals get a little buried sometimes.
Safe, toothless and overall pretty bland. Not bad, but just... meh.
Pretty decent bluesy rock.
This album was ok. some of the songs did feel like generic rock, although I did like Had To Handle. Didn't realise it was them that did that song, I hear it a lot on the radio. Not much to say about this band though.
Kinda generic
A good album, I liked Could I've Been So Blind the most.
A little better than expected, I could easily have written this off after a couple of tracks but it grew into its sound a little and I found that I started to like the vocal delivery more after a while. It wasn’t particularly exciting however and there is little that’s novel about this. I’d also like to add ‘hard to handle’ from this to the pile of cover songs heard during this process so far that significantly diminishes the quality of the original.
A fine album, passed me by without much notice though. Nothing stood out
It was fine