The Black Crowes

1984年，Robinson兄弟組成了Mr. Growe's Garden樂隊，隊名據說來源于某部童話。隨后就開始在各個俱樂部演出，這個名字沒持續多久，當年底Chris Robinson從大學退學之后，就改成了The Black Crowes，有人認為這個名字來源于愛倫·坡，但是從樂隊自己的定位來看，似乎還是來源于一個美國南部的童話。不過，在短暫的Mr. Growe's Garden時期，他們的成名作《Shake Your Money Maker》已經寫成，這之后的6年之中，樂隊始終不穩定，人員進進出出，Chris Robinson結了婚。而Rich Robinson則每天忙于練琴，這種經歷看做是厚積薄發也可以，不過這樣的經歷使他們避免了和當時大多數硬搖滾樂隊一樣追隨Guns N' Roses樂隊的發展。南部的拗勁和深深的自尊使得他們對Guns N' Roses嗤之以鼻，他們始終在嘗試在硬搖滾之中加入更多性感活潑的南部風味，沒想到的是，這種想法使得他們成了美國南部搖滾的先鋒。 1990年，The Black Crowes形成了固定陣容，除了Robinson兄弟和他們的死黨鼓手Steve Gorman之外，還有貝司手Johnny Colt，吉他手Jeff Cease。這一年，The Black Crowes推出了他們第一張專輯《Shake Your Money Maker》。這張專輯推出后獲得了巨大的成功，光在美國就售出了超過三百萬張，并在Billboard專輯榜前十名中停留了18個星期。單曲She Talks to Angles和翻唱Otis Reading的單曲Hard to Handle也在排行榜中取得了驕人的成績。一夜之間，他們幾近成名，他們那時髦的金屬黨裝扮卻又酷似Rolling Stones和Lynryd Skynyrd的蒼白臉龐再嫁接上南方熱情奔放又不失美國風味的布魯斯音樂當然還有Chris Robinson慵懶的70年代打扮和羅圈腿，這樣一個折中的產物馬上被樂迷所接受被當年的《滾石》雜志評為“年度最佳新人樂隊”，這個名稱在日后被英國著名的音樂雜志《Melody Maker》所發揚光大，該雜志稱他們為“世界上最搖滾的搖滾樂隊”，這樣的稱號雖然過譽，但是也說明了一點事情。 1992年，他們的專輯《The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion》出版并迅速達到排行榜第一。這張專輯中有兩首流行單曲Remedy和Thorn in My Pride。這時，吉他手Jeff Cease離開了樂隊，替代他的是原Ex-Burning Tree樂隊的吉他手Marc Ford和來自加拿大的鍵盤手Eddie Harsch。雙吉他這個標志性的東西算是保住了。 而兩年后的1994年，Chris Robinson的一個想法又給樂隊帶來了麻煩，當出版新專輯《Amorica》的時候，Chris Robinson建議把封面做成一個穿比基尼露著陰毛的模特形象，這種想法遭到了保守的南方教會的攻擊，Chris Robinson乾脆加上了一筆，用美國國旗做成了模特身上的遮羞布，這種惡作劇遭到了很多人的反對，Chris Robinson感到很委屈，他說“我想這是我們愿意生活的地方，我們熱愛美國，這就是我們專輯的靈感來源，但是，你知道，這是南方……”好在之后美國高等法院廢除了國旗法，不然樂隊還真有可能遭到牢獄之災，不過，即使如此，他們還是受到了南方教會高規格的待遇，他們的專輯和許多著名樂隊的專輯一樣被當眾焚毀，不知道是不是一種榮幸呢？ 但是這一切已經擋不住樂隊前進的步伐了，1996年夏天，樂隊發行第四張專輯《Three Snakes and One Charm》，名列排行榜十五位。1997年8月，Marc Ford在擔任了五年的主音吉他手之后被樂隊解雇。1998年，樂隊改與Columbia唱片公司簽約，秋天，他們開始為期六周稱為“Sho' Nuff ”的巡回演出，并發行了有5張CD的同名套裝專輯，包括經數字化處理的前四張專輯和一張附加的EP。并在1999年推出他們第五張專輯《By Your Side》。 by Stephen Thomas Erlewine At the time of their 1990 debut, the kind of rock & roll the Black Crowes specialize in was out of style. Only Guns N Roses came close to approximating a vintage Stones-style raunch, but they were too angry and jagged to pull it off completely. The Black Crowes replicated that Stonesy swagger and Faces boogie perfectly. Vocalist Chris Robinson appropriated the sound and style of vintage Rod Stewart while guitarist Rich Robinson fused Keith Richards lean attack with Ron Woods messy rhythmic sense. At their best, the Black Crowes echo classic rock without slavishly imitating their influences. The Robinson brothers originally formed the Black Crowes in Georgia in 1984. By the time of their 1990 debut, Shake Your Money Maker, the group comprised Chris Robinson (vocals), Rich Robinson (guitar), Johnny Colt (bass), Jeff Cease (guitar), and Steve Gorman (drums). Jealous Again, the first single from Shake Your Money Maker, was a moderate hit but it was the bands cover of Otis Reddings Hard to Handle that made the group a multi-platinum success. Hard to Handle climbed its way into the Top 40, propelling the album into the Top Ten. The acoustic ballad She Talks to Angels became the bands second Top 40 hit in the spring of 1991. Shake Your Money Maker would eventually sell over three million copies. The Black Crowes delivered their second album, The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion, in the spring of 1992. It entered the charts at number one, but it didnt have as many hit singles as the debut; none of the singles cracked the Top 40 and only Remedy and Thorn in My Pride made the Top 100. Nevertheless, the band established itself as a popular concert attraction that summer, selling out theaters across America. During 1992, the band added keyboardist Eddie Harsch as a permanent member. The Black Crowes third album, Amorica, arrived in late 1994. Amorica debuted in the Top Ten, but none of the singles from the album made the charts; even though the record went gold, it slipped off the charts in early 1995. Three Snakes and One Charm, the groups fourth album, was released in July 1996. The album entered the charts at number 15, but it quickly slipped out of the Top 50. Nevertheless, the album received the best reviews of any Crowes album since The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion. Guitarist Marc Ford was fired from the Black Crowes in August 1997; two years later, the group returned with By Your Side. In mid-2000, the band collaborated with Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page on the double-disc Live at the Greek, an eclectic mix of newly recorded Zeppelin covers and additional classic blues cuts. Greatest Hits 1990-1999: A Tribute to a Work in Progress, a 16-track best-of compilation, was also released in mid-2000. The Don Was-produced Lions appeared in spring 2001, and a summer tour with Oasis — the Tour of Brotherly Love — followed in June. But all was apparently not well with the group, and in January 2002, the band announced that it was on hiatus. Drummer Steve Gorman was fired, and Chris Robinson announced his intentions for a solo career. In 2005, however, the group got back together for a show at San Franciscos Fillmore, a concert that was released in both CD and DVD form in 2006 as Freak N Roll... Into the Fog. That same year, The Lost Crowes, which contained two previously unreleased albums, 1993s Tall, parts of which were seen in Amorica and other places, and the 1997 never-before-heard Band, came out. 更多>>