The Black Crowes “Reunion” – Cash Grab or Silver Lining?

In what has already been considered by many to be the most questionable reunion in quite some time,- The Black Crowes have reunited for a 2020 Live Nation-promoted summer tour, playing their 1990 debut album Shake Your Money Maker in its entirety to 20k sheds and arenas across the states. While its a stretch to call it The Black Crowes vs simply the Robinson Brothers – as the rest of the band performing with them this summer has never performed under The Black Crowes name prior – everything seems a little bit off. 

Wasn’t it only just a few months back that lead singer Chris Robinson was on his Cosmic California musical voyage under the freak flag of The Chris Robinson Brotherhood, creating a kaleidoscope of anything goes improvisational rock in the vein of The Grateful Dead? Guitarist Rich Robinson was just starting to get the wheels spinning on The Magpie Salute featuring former Crowes Marc Ford and Sven Pipien. Having just released their second studio LP High Water II on October 11th, The Magpie was just starting to gain that momentum they’ve been aiming for. So why suddenly slam the breaks on the solo careers of both Robinson boys? Perhaps the title of the album says it best – Shake Your Money Maker. 

It’s no secret that both the Chris Robinson Brotherhood and Magpie Salute, despite their creative appetites, whether improvisational delights or powerhouse classic rock, were not what most would consider financially or commercially successful, although they each certainly have their draw compared to most bands struggling to make it these days. Both bands were slugging it out on lengthy tours in clubs and small theaters – a small cry from headlining arenas and the HORDE and FURTHUR tour in the mid to late ’90s.

Now Chris and Rich are back together – a lot of awkward, a lot of expected, and also a lot of disappointing. There is no underlying factor that each sacrificed many a dollar to carry on their own creative visions, and there’s only so much growth for 50-year-olds in new bands to venture. With that in mind and so much rocky history, it hardly seems they are simply doing this because they miss playing together. Let’s not bullshit and just state the obvious: it’s for the money. And that’s fine if it is – but just say so! Don’t lead your fans to think this is “pure.” How can going from something that was so free form and creatively defined to something so orchestrated be considered pure?  

Hearing a band do an album in its entirety note for note – “there’s no jamming” as an upcoming Rolling Stone article about the reunion tour states – makes it like seeing The Grateful Dead perform Skeletons From the Closet. In other words, no thanks. This isn’t The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway or The Wall we are talking about here – it’s Shake Your Money Maker! It’s an album whose biggest hit is a cover of Otis Redding’s “Hard to Handle” with some other strong moments and a few throwaways. In fact, Shake Your Money Maker isn’t even the best Crowes album – chalk that up to either 1992’s Southern Harmony or 1994’s Amorica. Aren’t the Crowes above the album anniversary thing? it seems so Goo Goo Dolls. Then again, we live in a time when nostalgia sells better than fresh creativity – Journey is selling more tickets than almost anybody and Steve Perry hasn’t sung a note with them in over twenty years.

While the most experienced lineup of the Crowes would be Adam MacDougall on keys, Marc Ford on guitar, Sven Pipien on bass, and Steve Gorman drums – Chris and Rich wanted to go for members outside the circle. Of course, this opens up new possibilities (read below) or creates a hired gun approach that won’t influence or interfere with the brothers’ agenda. Probably the latter. The press photo shows Chris and Rich standing back to back as if to keep all other remnants of the Black Crowes – no pun intended – out of the picture.

The band could have chosen from a who’s who of guitarists that have played a part in the history of the Crowes: Marc Ford, Jeff Cease, Luther Dickinson, Jackie Greene, Audley Freed – perhaps no other band has had a more established resume of guitar players – you’d think one of them would be good for another round?

The death of CRB guitarist Neal Casal is so recent, and sure, at some point we all must move on from tragedy, but to many The CRB was a lifestyle and a never-ending tour ensemble that mixed the gamut of glorious classic covers like The Stones “Let it Bleed” alongside the crisp sonic palette that would help form the foundation of the glorious outfit Circles Around The Sun. Chris Robinson embodied the neo-California vibe with his flowing locks, long beard, and bare feet, with a “we will play anywhere we want and whatever the fuck we want” attitude. It was a middle finger to big promoters, record labels, authority, and commercial interference. He even lambasted artists like John Mayer for jumping on the nostalgia-cash cow train that is Dead and Company. In recent photos and appearances, Chris has since trimmed his hair and shredded the t-shirts and jeans in place of something a bit more Kings of Leon. 

The Silver Lining

You gotta start somewhere. As much as many a band has to reunite and play the cards for the next chapter in their history – perhaps there is another Amorica or maybe even another Lions in the cards here. Although it’s hard to imagine new music coming out of this. Just ask Ween. If this Live Nation promoted tour is the start of a more setlist and improvisationally focused 2021 and beyond for The Black Crowes where the prior magic even reappears – then  we’ll look back on all this as the ill at ease gift that led its way to gold

The three players augmenting the band are of course no slouches – Joel Rabinow is the founding member of acclaimed indie prog ensemble Once & Future Band, and has the chops to play with almost anyone – jam, prog and roots – same with drummer Raj Ojha. Heck does anyone remember short-lived Crowes drummer Bill Dobrow? Tim Lefebvre was a member of The Tedeschi Trucks Band and was the bassist on David Bowie’s Blackstar – enough said. Isiah Mitchell is a monster guitarist as the leader of San Diego’s Earthless – playing Shake Your Money Maker seems below his skill level but let’s hope something new ruminates from the rattle.

The brothers let some of the goods spill on Howard Stern this week and it seemed there were no clear answers as to why and how this all began – but former Crowes drummer and original member Steve Gorman recently explained it all best to Ultimate Classic Rock.

There was never an understanding of the true strength and power of the band. And the Robinson brothers are showing that very clearly. They have every right to do this. When I quit the band in 2001, I relinquished my right to the name. I never thought I’d be back to begin with. And I never was cut back in on that side of things as far as a third of the partnership in terms of who owns the name the Black Crowes. And that’s fine. The truth is, when Chris blew the band up in 2014, the last thing I wanted was to be involved in a continuing string of emails from lawyers and accountants trying to get everybody to agree on something. It’s been much nicer to know that this is all in the rearview. And again, they wouldn’t ever think of approaching me, but it’s going to be a pretty tough thing to make sense of, six years after Chris said, “I need all of the money or I’m never doing this again” and then suddenly saying, “Okay, I’m ready to do it again.” I mean, it just speaks for what’s going on. They painted themselves into a corner and they need to go out as the Black Crowes, and I don’t think, frankly, they give two flying fucks who is in the band onstage with them.

They’re going to go do what they have to do. And I don’t begrudge anybody who can make a living playing music in their 50s on principle. It’s like, Good for you. But the way this will be spun, and the way that everything has been spun for years, [it is] a pretty dubious suggestion that this is anything about a reunion or an anniversary.

If Gorman is indeed the truth keeper behind the wings of the Crowes, we’ll soon find out if this is another crash course or Black Crowes 4.0 takes a life of its own

Since his book was released, Gorman has maintained that this tour would happen exactly as it has so far. The one thing that no one can deny having read his book is that the one thing the Robinsons cared more about than their constant bickering was their separate and shared need to control the legacy of “The Black Crowes,” especially financially. It was no surprise to hear Chris and Rich announce on Howard Stern that “they are the Black Crowes.”

Both Robinsons admitted in Rolling Stone to having read Gorman’s book, or at least are aware of the stories in it. Gorman mentioned one of his biggest issues (besides Rich not accepting Jimmy Page’s offer to help on an album) with the brothers was Chris’ decision not to play Howard’s birthday party years ago without being paid. Choosing Stern’s show to announce this “reunion” seems like a deliberate attempt to reclaim the narrative from Gorman. Ironically, it may just prove his point. They simply cannot handle anyone interfering with their opinion or vision. Gorman’s regret that the 2015 proposed 25th Anniversary “Shake Your Money Maker” tour, with original members and deep setlists, has been replaced (intentionally it seems) with the Robinsons’ version of those concerts, just like the band itself.

Rich recanted (without giving credit) an anecdote about bandmates being concerned when the brothers actually got along. “No one could stop them,” Rich recalled. Gorman’s point was that they would abuse their power in the rare moments they weren’t turning on each other. Rich seemed to be suggesting that if there were no other bandmates in the way, the two of them could really reach their fullest potential. If the Bowery Ballroom show that took place on Monday night is any indication, they will deliver their pledged product of straight-ahead non-jammy rock n’ roll. Now Rich and Chris have the Black Crowes all to themselves. The only ones who can take the credit or blame is each other. Maybe that’s the only way it could ever be.

Photo by Josh Cheuse