The Black Crowes - Warpaint
Posted in Album Reviews, Black Crowes, Music on May 6, 2008 by rockofages
Details: 2008, Silver Arrow, CD
The more I hear this album, the more I realise I’m listening to an album that will rate highly when I compile my personal top 10 of 2008; either that or some damn fine releases are going to come along in the next six months to eclipse it.
The vehicle for Robinson brothers Chris and Rich, the Black Crowes have always been popular in the UK. Emerging from America at a time when many of their peers were seeing how big their hair could get and how little substance could be turned into record sales, The Black Crowes offered something altogether more palatable and lasting, merging 70s classic rock of the Stones, Faces, Zep and Lynyrd Skynyrd with an American upbringing encompassing gospel, blues and soul. It’s seven years since the excellent “Lions” album and the new set marks the first release on their own label… and it’s a hell of a return.
“Goodbye Daughters Of The Revolution” is a superb opening number and lead off single. It’s not just the familiarity of it being the albums promotional single that marks it the albums highlight though, all that Stonesy swagger and superbly effortless delivery mark it as something of a throwback to “Remedy” off the excellent “Southern Blues And Harmony” album and it’s also somewhat surprising one of just a handful of really up-tempo songs on the disc. “Evergreen” recalls the Faces at their best, “Wee Who See The Deep” just oozes 70’s rock power with a great guitar hook that has certain similarities to Zep’s “No Quarter” emerging from the smog, whilst the excellent “Wounded Bird” develops from a Who-like riff into another great boogie rocker that has a definite late-60s English sound to it. Of the more upbeat numbers though none ooze upbeat positivity more than “God’s Got It“. Mixing stomping blues with gospel its the kind of song you feel only the hippie throwback Robinson’s could get away with. It could of course be as easily construed as a pastiche on the over the top evangelists, I can’t make my mind up, but taken simply as a song its a blast that will be popular live.
The slower songs inevitably avoid the sweet love song theme. The band who gave us “She Talks To Angels” aren’t going to go chasing a mainstream radio hit purposely now are they? Instead “Walk Believer Walk” instead follows a Zeppelin-esq heavy, old style blues template, “Oh Josephine” proves to be a stunning gentle countrified ballad with Chris Robinson delivering a fine, raw vocal. “Locust Street” is a superb acoustic song again sounding like a cross between a country-rock classic and an early Rod Stewart solo album inclusion.
The closing song is pure American southern blues. As poignant and contemplative as “Daughters Of The Revolution” was strutting and territory reclaiming, “Whoa Mule” marks the impressive finale with harmonica drenched passages, mesmerising acoustic rhythm and memorable line of “we’re dirty but we’re dreaming”.
Significant personnel changes over the years have damaged the output from other bands but the Crowes just seem to get better. Superior to “Lions” there simply isn’t a poor track on the album. Certainly its still that classic, trend ignoring Black Crowes sound, an earthy meeting of many different styles and influences, but whereas other bands seem to regurgitate their back catalogue somewhat after nearly 20-odd years , these guys manage to sound original, reinvigorated and inspired. It’s varied, more laid back than expected but oozes class in a way few bands of today can. It’s also the best album I’ve heard so far this year; not a poor song in sight.
Highlight: Goodbye Daughters Of The Revolution
Score: 4.5/5
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Promo clip for the superb single “Goodbye Daughters Of The Revolution“….
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BL
We thought about whether to put this out in the “Listen Again” series but when you think about it, it’s not the sort of thing us armchair fans often get repeated chance to listen to is it? Plus it was bloody interesting to hear the band’s thoughts on this umpteenth live release and how they go about assembling the mammoth set lists amongst other things.
You hear very little these days about David Bowie’s 1988 solo career postponing “Tin Machine” project. Formed when Bowie became disillusion with his solo output, particularly the critical savaging handed out to the “Never Let Me Down” album and subsequent “Glass Spider” tour, Tin Machine marked a return to the rock arena for Bowie. A chance to re-explore his more experimental side lost since the 70s.
Camden Underworld, Camden Town, London
songs but an enjoyable set of straight up rockers played out to a gradually assembling audience did encourage a visit to the merchandise stand where their links to “Bitches Sin” were clearly in evidence. Suitably impressed by the live fare served up I pocketed three “Bitches Sin” discs for the princely sum of a tenner. Meanwhile a free Bitches Sin download album entitled “Your Place Or Mine 1980 - 1987” available from 
manager as Halley’s Comet - their last live appearance being 1999. Importantly though they recognised that the festival was a celebration of a time in British music and through singer Nick John’s well placed comments they certainly endeared themselves to an appreciative audience. He noted Maiden’s worldwide success, Mantis’s Japanese legacy and their own trip for a gig in Great Yarmouth. They paid homage to America’s “honorary nwobhm-sters” “Riot” with a storming version of “Warrior“, nodded once again to fellow early 80s band Trespass with a blast through their own version of the classic “One Of These Days“, unleashed their own should-have-been classics like “Steal Away The Night” and “Lazerwind“, whilst showing that the engine’s till running by including new track “Black Waters Rising“.
Kudos too must go to Lyadrive for being the only act to have vinyl product on sale on the day, and new vinyl product at that! Through German label “
It’s worth noting too that Lyadrive don’t seem content to rest on their laurels as a CD wrapping up their recordings since the début album “Post Millenium Blues” also premièred at the festival, details of which can be found on 
Elixir took the stage next and continued the celebration. I’d already taken the chance to pick up a copy (the last copy I think!) of classic début album “The Son Of Odin” at the merchandise stall, and familiar with this album to some extent was happy that it was well represented. Pacey, classic British metal with galloping riffs similar to the mighty Iron Maiden, they encouraged a big reaction and once again took the chance to 
promote more recent material too. 2006’s “Mindcreeper” also being the source for a few tracks with singer Paul Taylor proving the archetypal British metal front-man. Actual song titles once again elude my memory with the exception of “Children Of Tomorrow”, but the overall impression was extremely positive and this is a band I wouldn’t hesitate to see live again if the opportunity arises.
Praying Mantis were, as expected perhaps, something of an enigma to me. Their perfect, four person harmonies absolutely stunning yet the overall sound seeming on occasion a little too AOR-centric for me initially, especially after classic new-wave metal sounds of Lyadrive and Elixir. On reflection though isn’t this a perfect example of how bands of an often very different 
sound were lumped together under a generic banner? Mantis, Maiden, Saxon, Venom, Shy, Heavy Pettin’ etc are all included in the nwobhm banner yet are all very different in sound. Additionally there is little doubt that Praying Mantis were roundly welcomed on the day, drawing the biggest crowd and the loudest applause. Compilation essential “Captured City” got the biggest response of a hugely popular set, and rightly so.
delight the hardy survivors at the front of the stage. I’ve got to be honest, it had been a long day for me and after five or six songs I was ready to begin the long journey home. It wasn’t easy following what was clearly a successful show for Praying Mantis who perhaps should have been on last but from the little I saw they were making a good fist of it and a decent audience had remained to witness their performance.
Reykjavik. How does it compare to England?
Your second album “Wicked” appears to me to be a hybrid of many styles such as metal, grunge and punk, where do you think your main influences have come from?
Details: 1974 (2008 reissue), CD, 7T’s
Broadcast on Wednesday (23rd April 08) night’s GTFM Rock Show, Andy Fox finds the legendary Whitesnake figure head David Coverdale on sterling form upon the release of “Good To Be Bad”.
Even though Bill and myself are often present at the same gigs and festivals we sometimes choose to watch different acts to each other as our tastes, whilst in the main are similar, do differ. Such was the case with John Otway at last years Cambridge Festival, I can’t remember who it was that I preferred to check out but for the next couple of days I felt pangs of regret every time I heard him sing Otway’s praises. Now I too can bear witness that this man is probably the most hilarious ‘rock ‘n’ roll artist’ on the planet!
Props were minimal but effective, like the oversized spoon used during Delilah. Boasting pre-song that during the 1979 ad campaign for Weetabix, in which they used a version of Otway’s Delilah cover, raised their sales by 2%, he then proceeded to murder the Tom Jones classic and quite possibly do long term damage to his microphone with the battering he dished up with the spoon. A humble wire coat hanger fashioned ‘Blue Peter’ style into a mic holder, enabled him to prance around the stage “like Madonna.” Mocking his own speech impediment, real or manufactured, in his inability to pronounce the letter ‘R’ he declared We Rock was “easy for the Japanese to say.” He humorously introduced the excellent Eddie & The Hot Rods hit Do Anything You Want To Do as the song guitarist Richard Holgarth “stole from them when they stole him for their band and taught him to play it - but they can’t play his hit, Bunsen Burner”, which along with a cover of Bachman Turner Overdrives’ You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet, included because “the guitarist likes a bit of metal” were actually musical highlights of the set for me, even allowing for the onstage distractions during the latter. Richard
Holgarth climbing onto of a pair of handy step-ladders for the guitar solo during the BTO classic was enough of an eye-opener but once Otway scaled them, dived off and into a forward roll, eyes were certainly popping at the sprightly 55 year olds antics. A side-splitting performance of his favourite Osmond’s song, Crazy Horses provided the opportunity to exhibit his proficiency on the theramin, an instrument learned in 2 minutes instead of the years it takes other musicians to learn their trade. Like a manic Dr Phibes, he stroked, teased and caressed an almost note perfect sound from it, well a noise at least. Their take on the traditional call and response with the audience during House Of The Rising Sun, which was originally recorded as a B-side using 1000 fans as backing singers, is something special, Otway himself as ever the butt of the joke, the majority of those present in on the joke and more than happy to participate. Don’t get me wrong, there was plenty of his own songs on offer, it’s just the element of fun was more often used more spectacularly on the covers, set closer a storming rendition of Rolf Harris’s Two Little Boys was no exception.
