0306. Black Crowes
Shake Your Money Maker

The Black Crowes really hit it big with their debut. From being a no-name band with constant member changes to being a household name (still with a lot of member changes, they seriously went through seven people on four instruments in the nineties lone).

While some saw them as the saviors of southern rock I kinda view them as sort of a Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute band, cause they feel like more like copying than that retro-thing they were going for [fact check: the book 1001 Albums... compares this album to Exile On Main St, which leads me to once again question the authors' sanity].

But it's better than I'm making it sound right now and I guess it's cause my main impression of this group is the hit from their next album that got played to bits on MTV [insert mandatory rant about how MTV used to play videos, but now just airs pseudo-reality shows here] and radio (yeah, Remedy pretty much ruined it for me).

Back to this album though: with addition in the studio from ex-Allman Brothers Band member Chuck Leavell on the keyboards it's melodious and competent blues rock that for the most part do what it's supposed to do. Some low points do exist (the hit She Talks To Angels is a bit too sentimental) and they never quite beat the opening track (Twice As Hard), but still an okay album.

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