By 1994, The Black Crowes were one of the hottest bands in America. Their first two records, Shake Your Money Maker & The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion, reached the No. 4 and No. 1 spots. The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion was also the first record since Tom Petty’s 1989 record, Full Moon Fever, to feature four album rock number-one hits. By the time the band got off the road supporting their latest record, the world was their oyster. This month’s edition of the ‘Do You Remember’ series celebrates the band’s fourth and newest box set release.
For starters, everyone remembers the iconic and controversial album cover. For the purpose of publication, we used an alternate version of the cover that appeared in stores upon the album’s 1994 release. But the bombastic record kicks off with “Gone.” The song kicks off with maracas and percussion before the guitar lead-in. “Gone” is a great song to kick off the album with. The original mixing and producing perfectly capture the entire band. The tune is layered well in that Rich Robinson and Marc Ford don’t overpower Chris Robinson’s voice. The chorus on this tune is heavy and the guitar solo is lightning and melodic.
The heavy tunes continue with “A Conspiracy.” I like how Ford’s guitar goes down a different path than the rest of the band at the start. Bassist Johnny Colt adds much-needed heft to Rich Robinson’s guitar, which is padded nicely by Steve Gorman on drums. Throughout the song – and entire record – Gorman finds magical ways to round out sound and make sure that there’s a full wall of sound smacking listeners in the face. Like “Gone,” the tune is heavy at its core before, like a flower during spring, opening up to a beautiful and catchy chorus.
Songs three and four have gone on to become deep cuts and favorites. “High Head Blues” and “Cursed Diamond” bring poetic melodies to southern rock and roll. But the real hidden gem is tune five, “Nonfiction.” The acoustic tune is a nice step back in pace for the band. “Nonfiction” is an easy listen and is bass player’s favorite as Colt anchors this tune with his notes. This track is the first time that the spotlight shines on Eddie Harsch on piano. Harsh’s piano complements Chris Robinson and the female background singers on this song. The pacing of Ford’s guitar solo is faster than the beat, but it doesn’t make the rest of the band rush behind him.
“P. 25 London” kicks off a rougher side of the band. Chris Robinson breaks out the harmonica and plays alongside his brother Rich and Ford, creating a uniquely punk sound. “P. 25 London” has a headbanging quality that can only be compared to “No Speak No Slave” on The Black Crowes’ The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion album. Throughout the tune, Rich Robinson and Ford trade guitar riffs, which can be distinctly heard while listening through headphones. I love Ford’s guitar solo on this tune; it pairs great with Gorman smashing the high-hats on his drums. This song comes to a screeching halt after the musical breakdown and makes listeners feel like they just smashed through a wall.
The band stacked two ballads on top of each other again with “Ballad In Urgency” and “Wiser Time.” In live performances, the mini jam at the end of “Ballad In Urgency” leads into “Wiser Time.” So, listening to the full record makes it appear that the two tunes bleed into each other. “Wiser Time” is summed up perfectly as “a road trip,” as stated by Chris Robinson on the band’s 2023 live record. Listening to this tune evokes a warm feeling in the listeners. From the harmonizing of the Robinson brothers to the Gormans’ chugging, travelman beat, this is one of the band’s best songs. On this track, Rich Robinson starts the solo, lets Harsh jump in, before Ford closes out the section with a blistering solo of his own. Ford does a great job at wrapping his solo and flowing into the final portion of the tune.
“Downtown Money Waster” is a fun and country-like tune. It’s a tune that not many fans will bring up in a conversation of “most underrated song from the band.” But it’s a fun and jumpy song that eventually grows on listeners the more they listen to it. A great and unique version of this song appears on the band’s 2010 record, Croweology.
The band ends on another ballad, “Descending.” This song is a unique way to end the record. Typically, bands add another hard-rocking and heavy tune to end the record. While “Descending” has its moments of hardness, it’s more powerful than typical hard or classic rock. The tune opens the same way it ends, with a melodic rendition from Harsch before closing out the tune. Between the four “ballads” on the album, “Descending,” “Ballad In Urgency,” “Cursed Diamonds” and “Wiser Time,” it’s impossible to pick which is the best/favorite – they’re all spectacular.
When looking back on amorica. it easily stands up against any of the band’s records. There are so many extraordinary songs that appear on this album. When pairing amorica. to The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion, you can hear that a lot of songs on the latter record shaped and influenced what was added on amorica. At this point, it was one of the last albums before the band’s relationship with each other began to sour. But there is an unmistakable magic that is in these 54 minutes. It is worth listening to this record in full as well as listening to the band’s albums in order to see their progression over their early years, to see just how high The Crowes soared.
Rating: 9/10
Tracklisting:
1. Gone
2. A Conspiracy
3. High Head Blues
4. Cursed Diamond
5. Nonfiction
6. She Gave Good Sunflower
7. P. 25 London
8. Ballad In Urgency
9. Wiser Time
10. Downtown Money Waster
11. Descending
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My love for live music started with my first concert ever, Guns N’ Roses back in 2016. Since then, I’ve been able to capture photos of some amazing artists like Alice Cooper, Judas Priest, Ace Frehley, and Post Malone. I am based in the Boston, Massachusetts area. I am always looking for the next concert to attend.