My version of Southern Harmony

When I was in High School there was a band that hit me like a ton of bricks. I saw them on MTV covering Otis Redding so well, that I thought he was still alive. I even bought the album and went crazy hearing a band channel Rolling Stones, The Faces and Humble Pie and every part of good ole rock and roll. I even went to this club in New Britain CT to see them and they literally took me to another place. The place was classic rock that was funky and sludgy and most of all fun.

They took me over like nothing before. I liked them so much I went to see them again that same tour about 3 times. What was so great about The Black Crowes was the fact they revived the Hammond Organ and the use of piano and slide guitar. I really though that this would never happen again. Most of all the song they played, their own sounded fresh and right to the heart of rock and roll music. The music sounded like it was here to save the world. It had a sense of place that no other band.



Every time I listened to Shake Your Money Maker I just knew it was going to be a classic. Then the world ended when their second album came out. This was the classic that I meant. Even the title of the album suggest the sea is going to part and they will walk down the middle and make the world notice. I love The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion, and I will say it out loud for all to share. It made so much notice to me that I still play the album once or twice a year just to remind me how wonderful they did. You hear this album and you say these words "Classic Rock Lives." I remember the day I bought it on tape and CD. I put the tape in the car and knew It had to be cranked up.

From the first guitar riff in the right ear sounding like it's live in the studio and then hearing the Wurlitzer on the other ear and then the rest of the band kicks in you know you have something special. The guitar solos by Rich Robinson and Marc Ford are amazing and raw and can I tell you the female back up singers sound like you just stepped back in 1971. Every song sounds so warm and gentle when you listen to it. It is so incredible that this album did come out in 1992.



Upon the first listen so many ideas come across your mind on how and why this album is so good. It has a live in the studio feel which is great and each song leads into the next so well that it even seems it was all done in one take. I am going to bounce around on the songs I like, but it should be warned that the whole album should be listened to start to finish and then played again.

The first song I totally love is "Sometimes Salvation." This song rocked the first time I heard it. The voice of Chris Robinson is sharp and the guitar parts are amazing and the whole band is one unit on this one. The solos by Marc or Chris do duty to this song. The song moves at the pace that all good rock songs should. This song shows how well The Black Crowes are good at their craft.

Another favorite song of mine on this album is a song called "No Speak No Slave." The guitar parts that echo through your headsets is not fluke and well done. The percussion at the beginning too is way cool. The bass line from Johnny Colt is pretty damn perfect. The song builds steam quite well and the lyrics are amazing. I think what is more fun is the fact the middle guitar solo passage. I never heard anything like that before. It starts about the 2:17 mark and goes for a while, It even sounds like this could have been a jam at one point and it should have too. The song is one the best The Black Crowes have ever done.



What is great about this album it does not let up not does it lose your attention. The first song sounds like it would open any song on any great album the song wonderful title "Sting Me" does just that it stings you and makes sure it has your attention. With all this listening and digestion it begs to be heard all the time, it makes you feel great when you listen to it. I will tell you this, when I saw this tour I knew I was in trouble. They were amazing and fun and these songs easily turned into jams that should have been on the album.

This album is a classic!! It might not fit in some music fans worlds, but it gave Rock new life when there was Grunge and really bad Rap. It stands out like no other album did for rock albums. Hearing the wonderful organ and percussion and great guitar parts, make you feel the organic of this album. So step back in time in 1992 and then go back even further to the year 1971 and hear how much fun rock and roll was when it was sloppy and greasy and saturated with Rolling Stones and Faces and Humble Pie and add some Black Crowes too. This is the true musical companion.