Posts Tagged ‘ soul rock ’

Album of the Week 11-2024: The Black Crowes – Happiness Bastards


For a while, it seemed like tensions between the Robinson brothers had risen to a point where there would never be another Black Crowes album. Despite being a big fan of the band, I was fine with that personally, especially because guitarist Rich Robinson’s The Magpie Salute was far more enjoyable to me than anything The Black Crowes did post-‘Lions’. About five years ago, the unthinkable happened and the brothers started working together again to celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of The Black Crowes’ incredible debut album ‘Shake Your Money Maker’. And today, their new album ‘Happiness Bastards’ suggests it was more than just a nostalgia-based thing.

So how does ‘Happiness Bastards’ measure up against the earlier work of The Black Crowes? Honestly: pretty well. While it does not quite capture the magic of their first two albums, I for one am extremely happy to hear that the increasingly dominant country influences of ‘Warpaint’ and ‘Before the Frost… Until the Freeze’ have largely disappeared. ‘Happiness Bastards’ is a rock album first and foremost. There are other influences here, but those are rooted in blues and soul rather than country, fortunately. While ‘Happiness Bastards’ does not sound exactly the same as early Black Crowes, it does restore their Stonesy swagger and Faces-esque songwriting chops.

Most of the songs on ‘Happiness Bastards’ are energetic and driven. That doesn’t necessarily mean we are dealing with a bunch of riff rockers though. ‘Dirty Cold Sun’ has a distinct funky feel that makes it feel like late seventies Stevie Wonder mixed with Jimmy Page riffs, which truly makes it one of the highlights of the album. ‘Cross Your Fingers’ starts out sounding like it will be the first acoustic ballad on the album, only to develop into a huge, monolithic riff that could have come right off ‘Lions’, while ‘Bleed It Dry’ is grimy southern blues. ‘Flesh Wound’ even sounds like sixties pop squeezed through a nineties rock filter.

Variation, as always, is one of The Black Crowes’ biggest strengths. What was kind of a relief to me is that it’s all different shades of rock. Only ‘Wilted Rose’ has a slight americana vibe, but it works because it’s simply a good ballad and exactly what the album needs at that point. Closer ‘Kindred Friend’ is more like the type of ballad a psychedelia band from the late sixties would record. If you primarily like the band’s Rolling Stones-inspired rock ‘n’ roll riffing, songs like ‘Wanting and Waiting’, ‘Follow the Moon’, the surprisingly aggressive ‘Rats and Clowns’ and the fantastic opener ‘Bedside Manners’ are exactly what you need.

Ultimately, my only minor criticism towards ‘Happiness Bastards’ is that I don’t think the tight, contemporary production job suits the material all that well. Apart from that, it honestly is a better comeback album than I could have wished for. Rich Robinson’s typically excellent songwriting has decided the direction for the album and that is a good thing, as that was always the best thing about The Black Crowes anyway. It seems like the songs motivated his brother Chris as well, as he ran with what he had and delivers one of his most energetic vocal performances in a long time.

Recommended tracks: ‘Dirty Cold Sun’, ‘Bedside Manners’, ‘Cross Your Fingers’

2024
03/17
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Album of the Week 46-2023: The Black Crowes – Shake Your Money Maker


Back when I discovered The Black Crowes, I was twelve or thirteen and therefore not really able to articulate this yet, but subconsciously, they immediately appealed to me because their songwriting was so much better than that of most of their peers. And although the band would later occasionally fail to find a middle ground between guitarist Rich Robinson’s fairly tight songwriting and his singing brother Chris’ hippie-inspired jam-heavy demands, their first two albums in particular are examples of some of the finest rock songwriting of all time. Many rock bands would envy a debut album as good as ‘Shake Your Money Maker’.

The Black Crowes are often clumsily categorized as a southern rock band. That is not entirely inaccurate for some of their later records, on which they sometimes went a bit overboard on the americana influences, but ‘Shake Your Money Maker’ is pretty much early seventies British rock through an American filter. The album is full of Stonesy riffs and grooves, but with a stronger emphasis on the soul influences the Robinsons grew up. In a way, The Black Crowes sounds like a transitional band Ronnie Wood would have been in on his way from Faces to the Rolling Stones.

As a result, even the hardest rocking songs on ‘Shake Your Money Maker’ have a distinct soulful feel to them. How that feel presents itself varies from song to song. ‘Thick ‘n Thin’ is built upon a fast shuffle that makes it swing remarkably well for such an uptempo song, while the much slower opener ‘Twice as Hard’ has a rhythm which drags in the best way possible. ‘Hard to Handle’ is an Otis Redding cover that the band somehow manages to make its own despite remaining fairly faithful to the original, while ‘Could I’ve Been So Blind’ has an almost gospel-like vibe in its chorus.

‘Shake Your Money Maker’ contains three ballads, which I would normally consider a bit much for a total of ten songs. They are all quite distinct, however, and two of them are really good. The exception being ‘Seeing Thing’, which drags on for far too long. ‘Sister Luck’ is probably my favorite of the ballads due to its unconventional structure and its lovely low-key chorus, but the more stripped-down ‘She Talks to Angels’ is excellent as well. ‘Jealous Again’ sort of brings together the extremes on the album by being a catchy, super-melodic song built upon a Stonesy riff that feels a bit lighter than average.

Not many bands in the early nineties managed to sound so incredibly authentic in their love of seventies British and American music without sounding like a watered-down version of their influences as The Black Crowes did. And although all their releases are quality albums, ‘Shake Your Money Maker’ and its follow-up ‘The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion’ have a focus that few of their later albums have. That focus all comes down to the excellent songwriting of the Robinsons being top priority over the performances. In fact, that may be why both albums still sound as fresh today as they did upon release.

Recommended tracks: ‘Tick n’ Thin’, ‘Jealous Again’, ‘Hard to Handle’, ‘Sister Luck’

2023
11/19
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Album of the Week 35-2022: Bywater Call – Remain


While the blues and roots scene is full of excellent musicians, good songwriters are a bit harder to come by. However, when both disciplines come together, the results can be spectacular. Such is the case for Bywater Call’s incredible sophomore album ‘Remain’. The Canadian septet combines elements of blues, soul and subtle hints of southern rock into irresistible songs with excellent vocals. ‘Remain’ sounds lively, the interaction between the musicians is fantastic, but most importantly, the songs are written and arranged really well. There is a timeless quality to ‘Remain’, which makes it the most pleasantly surprising music release of the year for me.

One of the biggest assets of ‘Remain’ is that no musician tries to play anyone else off the recordings. Sure, there is a lot of room for the powerful, slightly raspy alto of Meghan Parnell, but even she isn’t a dominant factor on the album. When the horns need to set up a melody or there needs to be some space for one of Dave Barnes’ short, often surprisingly spiky guitar solos, Parnell gladly gets out of the way. Having horns and keyboards also allows the Canadians to experiment with multiple approaches for their compositions, keeping the album fresh throughout its fifty-minute runtime.

Another thing that works in Bywater Call’s favor is that the band doesn’t consist of traditionalists. A song like ‘Let Me Be Wrong’ has its roots firmly in mid-sixties soul, but also is a tightly arranged song that could have been an Amy Winehouse hit had she still been alive today. ‘Go Alone’ is nearly a fairly beefy riff rocker, one with a cool guitar solo by Barnes to boot, but the horns and organ add a soulful flavor. And that’s how it makes complete sense that the propulsive funky rhythms of ‘Sea We Swim’, the short, riffy closer ‘Bring It Back’ and the almost poppy ‘Fortune’ are on the same album.

If I was a lazy reviewer, I would describe Bywater Call as sounding like The Black Crowes with a female lead singer. Bywater Call thankfully dwells less on country and americana, opting for soul instead. It is quite difficult to imagine the gospel leanings of ‘Locked’ on a Crowes album, while Bywater Call is far more about the songs than about the loose jam feel. Bywater Call never meanders on ‘Remain’. There is plenty of room for the songs to take on a different life on the stage, but it appears memorable hooks and other recognizable parts were the main focus of the songwriting process for ‘Remain’.

Given all the traditions roots fans value so much, it is difficult to be surprisining when playing that style. And yet, that is exactly what Bywater Call does on ‘Remain’. It is rare to find such good songwriting and such strong arrangements in a style that is known for its jams coming to life approach. And yet, ‘Remain’ has a live energy that is uncommon on composition-focused releases. As such, Bywater Call is the best of both worlds. With – and I cannot emphasize this enough – fantastic vocals. If you enjoy any of the styles mentioned in this review, do yourself a favor and give ‘Remain’ a spin.

Recommended tracks: ‘Let Me Be Wrong’, ‘Falls Away’, ‘Bring It Back’

2022
09/04
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Album of the Week 06-2020: The Allman Brothers Band – Hittin’ The Note


‘Hittin’ The Note’ was the first and only studio album The Allman Brothers Band recorded without either of their legendary founding guitarists. Duane Allman died way back in late 1971 and Dickey Betts was asked to leave the band in 2000. For a guitar-oriented band like The Allman Brothers Band, this could be disastrous. With replacements like Derek Trucks and Gov’t Mule frontman Warren Haynes, however, there was nothing to worry about. Especially with Haynes, who also acts as co-producer, tightening up the songwriting significantly. As a result, ‘Hittin’ The Note’ rivals ‘Shades Of Two Worlds’ as the band’s best post-reunion release.

Musically, ‘Hittin’ The Note’ sounds notably more focused than its meandering predecessor – by no less than nine years – ‘Where It All Begins’. Since this is The Allman Brothers Band, the music is still rather jam-heavy, but the songs feel less like mere vehicles for extended jams. Betts’ departure also means that the music is notably less country-oriented. Of course this was not Betts’ only trick, but as main songwriters, Haynes and singing keyboard player Gregg Allman are obviously more strongly inspired by blues and soul. Even the acoustically-based ‘Old Before My Time’ and ‘Old Friend’ sound folky and bluesy respectively.

At times, it can become fairly obvious that the main songwriter on the album – Haynes co-wrote all the non-covers on ‘Hittin’ The Note’ – is a member of Gov’t Mule. The dry, funky blues of opening track ‘Firing Line’, the fierce and tight ‘Maydell’, the gritty blues rock of ‘Rockin’ Horse’ and the relatively low-key, rumbling soul blues of ‘Who To Believe’ could easily have been Gov’t Mule songs had they had slightly different arrangements. Those arrangements are relevant though. At least half of the Allman Brothers’ sound is about their unique rhythm section (drummers Jaimoe and Butch Trucks and percussionist Marc Quiñones) and how well the musicians play off each other.

Nowhere is this musical interaction as obvious as on the twelve minute ‘Instrumental Illness’. The Allman Brothers Band has a history of fantastic instrumental tracks and this one is no different. Its playful, jazzy vibe conjures up memories of Betts’ masterpiece ‘In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed’, but ‘Instrumental Illness’ is more tightly composed and arranged. There are more parts, which appear to be designed to let every musician shine without diverting your attention away from the stellar playing behind the solos. ‘Desdemona’ has a middle section like that as well. It starts as a fantastic slow blues with a heartfelt vocal delivery by Allman, broken up by what almost feels like a slower take on the jam in ‘Whipping Post’.

In short, ‘Hittin’ The Note’ is exactly what one would expect from The Allman Brothers Band, just done somewhat better than usual. It is definitely one of my favorite three studio albums of the band and I think that is mainly due to the fact that the focus is on strong songwriting in which to incorporate spirited jamming rather than making the jams the center of the album. Whatever the case, anyone who is into bluesy rock music should hear this album, if only to hear that even without Duane Allman and Dickey Betts, the band was capable of some mind-blowing work.

Recommended tracks: ‘Rockin’ Horse’, ‘Instrumental Illness’, ‘Maydell’

2020
02/09
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Album of the Week 21-2018: Dana Fuchs – Love Lives On


Not unlike Beth Hart, Dana Fuchs has both the fortune and the misfortune of kind of sounding like Janis Joplin. In fact, both of them were cast to play Joplin in the musical ‘Love, Janis’. The comparison is a compliment, but also sells them short. Fuchs’ new album ‘Love Lives On’ is the ultimate proof of that. Musically, the album is much more reminiscent of the great southern soul records put out by Stax Records than any album Joplin ever was a part of. ‘Love Lives On’ is not a hollow exercise in nostalgia though; this is beautiful, timeless music.

Fuchs’ backing band on ‘Love Lives On’ features a a couple of soul veterans, among which drummer Steve Potts and organist Reverend Charles Hodges. They certainly add to the album’s authentic soul vibe, but what really makes the whole thing work is the excellent songwriting courtesy of Fuchs and her long-time guitarist Jon Diamond. While a lot of contemporary albums in this style rely heavily on the grooves and musical interaction, every song on ‘Love Lives On’ stands out and will stick to the back of your head. Fuchs’ smokey, raw-edged, yet highly melodic vocals are the icing on that delicious cake.

Another thing that makes ‘Love Lives On’ a pleasure to listen to is its nearly flawless flow. It makes you want to listen to the album all the way through. There are a couple of more americana-tinged songs grouped together near the end of the record that, while good – ‘Battle Lines’ is gorgeous – would have worked better if they were distributed more evenly across the album. The rest of the tracks vary nicely in tempo and intensity, moving pleasantly between upbeat soul tracks like opening track ‘Backstreet Baby’ and powerful ballads like the purring organ-based gospel of ‘Faithful Sinner’.

Traditional soul tracks like the horn-heavy ‘Callin’ Angels’, the euphoric ‘Same Sunlight’ and the relaxed ‘Sittin’ On’ would not have sounded out of place on one of Otis Redding’s records. Fuchs even made Redding’s ‘Nobody’s Fault But Mine’ her own completely. Standout tracks for me are ‘Sad Solution’ and ‘Sedative’, both of which are built upon an insistent, almost dangerous, yet not too propulsive groove. It is possible that the underlying sense of anger appeals to the hardrocker in me. The supreme build-up from its subdued verses to its triumphant chorus turns ‘Ready To Rise’ into a highlight as well. So does its guitar solo.

‘Love Lives On’ is slightly less “rocky” in approach than ‘Love To Beg’ and the blues influences aren’t as pronounced as on ‘Bliss Avenue’, but that should not be a turn-off. This is one of the best soul albums released in many years. It has simply everything you could wish for if you like the genre. Each song features spirited grooves, intensely passionate vocals and a musical interaction that is of complete and total service to the well-written songs. Anyone who longs for the late sixties and early seventies records of Stax and Hi Records should definitely give this excellent record a spin.

Recommended tracks: ‘Sad Solution’, ‘Ready To Rise’, ‘Sedative’

2018
05/27
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