[rating=4.50]
With their long hair, beards and edgy blues sound, The Black Crowes have epitomized what a rock-n-roll band sounds and looks like. With a pending indefinite hiatus looming, the band recently decided to record a double album’s worth of acoustic rearrangements from their catalog. Croweology is an exquisite slice of Americana complete with acoustic bottleneck slide, mandolin, and fiddles all done Crowe-style that never loses its swagger.
Compositions like the feel good rock of "Jealous Again" and bluesy tent revival of" My Morning Song" get a rootsy makeover that rivals the original recordings, while mid-tempo rockers like "Wiser Time" and "Thorn In My Pride" become a jam vehicle for the band to unleash their instrumental prowess. Luther Dickinson gets a chance to flex his acoustic slide skills by adding his Hill Country style to Crowes numbers like the clap-along "Share the Rid"e and the country blues of "Good Friday." Chris Robinson’s soulful vocals sound best on country tinged numbers like Gram Parsons’ "She" and the twang-infused classic "She Talks to Angels." The Black Crowes’ Croweology captures the band in a more laid back acoustic retrospective that gives the listener a chance to peel away the loud guitars and Robinson brother drama to focus on what they are……..a talented rock-n-roll band who write great songs.
