-For a long time I've been trying to get a tight fix on these Black Crowes, some kind of handle. I mean what the hell's going on here? Rock and roll, yes; with plenty of R and B. Along with some country and western of the Gram Parson's persuasion; and maybe even an occasional genuine soul-bite. All to be expected, of course, in a band generally though of having replaced the Rolling Stones.

But there is something else, another and different systematic riff pulsating inside their sound. It is the (almost) inimitable sound of Central Tracks/Niggertown funk. It is the sound found where the bar barbecued chicken and ribs are so hot your eyes water and your face sweats, and you try to cool out the jalapeno with a beer like Black dallas. It is the sound of Joe Leggins and the Honeydrippers, Lucky Milander, obscure bands like Andy Kirk and his louds of Joy, and singers like Jimmy Witherspoon and Willie Mayhon(rendering"My Big Ten Inch" on the Black Cat label) all artists from whom desire the later immortals: Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, Chuck Berry, James Burton.

It is the sound heard in places like the Silhoutte and the Blue Room in West Dallas or Shreveport, decrepit and rundown places where the lights are blue and there is a half-gallon of Sweet Lucy on the tables; crude shed-like structures but jumping and wailing with a kind of vibrant life whose existence is not even suspected in most quarters. -Terry Southern May,1992

Just One Verse from a Southern Place

-Just like an airliner landing on ice, ice cubes tumbling over the side of your bourbon and soda and all this time in the publicity of my own backyard not to mention any names or to remove my golden slipper out of my mouth, tornado time and the band played from a long line of good-byes, Three day highs, signals from my desert, deserting my bad luck charms, charming prince of dunces, police men, San Francisco jumping up and down, heaven and holes and some people I don't even know, hello horizons and corners and watch how we wind that clock. -Chris Robinson

-Chris Robinson talks about the Black Crowes

The Background

-The Black Crowes sold more than five million copies of "Shake Your Money Maker", which was also a Top 5 album on the Billboard charts; they copped a Grammy nomination, Two MTV Awards, and were named Best New American Band in Rolling Stones Critics and Readers Poll Plus their first tour saw them performing 350 dates in front of over five-million people: "People talk about chart positions, but what about the chorus, what about the line in the bridge that made you put your glass down and scratch your head and go "Oh, wow, you know"? What about that? People are so fascinated with figures. I dont think there can be anything more impersonal than numbers. And I dont think you should judge music on, specifically, its commercial appeal and where it is on the charts, 'cause at the end of the day, who really cares?"

The Title

-The title of the record is "The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion". Im sure theres's a meaning I think it has something to do with the fact that people have never really grasped the real sort of vibe that we have about being Southern, which was never to do, really, with Southern Rock music. It was more of just a feeling. So, I think this title represents that-I stole it from a hymn book. Im sure there's something wrapped up in the Gospel about it."

The Recording

-"The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion" was recorded in Atlanta, Georgia at a studio with lots of knobs, dials,speakers, instruments, rolling papers-all the things you need in a studio. We did it in about eight days or so, and that's about that. All the band tracks were live, but basically, we just went in and did it pretty quickly. We used analog gear, so you still get things like tape hiss and sounds that are real. I guess with our success came the leverage of getting to do things our own way. We were able to call the shots this time, and people listened. On "Shake your Money Maker" we were a bunch of kids who put together some good songs and went out and played them for people. The new record comes from more seasoned, experiences musicians who really, if anything, have become militant and less complacent. "The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion" is more aggressive, yet in the same sort of strange stance,gentler."

The Band

-I've been friends with our new guitarist, Marc Ford for awhile; Burning Tree, his former group, toured with The Crowes last year. Mark and Rich get along, which is important. Everyone in the band-our drummer Steve Gorman, and Johnny Colt on bass thinks its a pleasure to hear someone who complements Rich and who Rich complements. It's another dimension that we didn't have. Ed Harsch played keyboards on the new album-he toured with us last year. He's been on the road with us long enough-he knows where we're coming from, and he's picked up on what the band is trying to do."

The Brothers

-Rich and I can pull it together once in a blue moon. Actually we're probably better friends than we have been, but still, there's alot of, for lack of a better word, tension, and sometimes violence is the result of that. But I think passionate and emotional music has come out of that situation. During the recording, Rich would walk into the studio, put his guitar on, wing his arm, and everyone would stop -he'd just start to play and everyone would go,'Alright, guess I'd better put my smoke down and come over and jam.' Rich doesn't surprise me anymore; I've just gotton to the conclusion that whatever's unexpected is going to come from him."

The Attitude

-"The Black Crowes are always going to refuse to be neatly packaged, second guessed. I wanted to put a sticker on "The Southern Harmony" that said 'Within Contains No Apathy' because that's such a part of it all. Everyone's so jaded-they say 'I've seen it before, heard it before.' We really have chosen, and I think some of our fans have too, to step outside of that jaded thing and look at the music for what it is. And that's something very spontaneous and real and emotional, it's right here and now, it puts chills down your back."

The Contraversies

-Over a 19-month period The Black Crowes had several well publicized demonstrations of their collective integrity and rebellious nature, from a dubious encounter at a 7-11 convenience store to being kicked off a major U.S. Tour by snubbing Corporate America in the form of a national beer company, to pointing the finger at a handful of top rock groups for the infamous practice of performing with backup tapes. "I was never really outspoken or contraversial for its own sake. I only told the truth. Yes, Im an arrogant person, and that arrogance is what lets me make decisions and lets me get on stage. It's not that I sit around and want to compete with every tattooed, headband wearing, leather jacket whatever."

Overnight Success

-"The Black Crowes came out of-everyone said 'nowhere.' Well, that's because we refused the hype. The industry's mind- set is such that no hype means, I dont know, boring? Not interesting? No, where we come from, no hype means we let what the band does speak for itself."

The Tour

-You talk about schedules and things you never stop touring really. I guess we'll just get out there. If there's someplace to go play, I'm sure we'll go and keep doing it. I haven't really thought about how long we're gonna be out there, I just need to be there. We're calling the tour "High as the Moon" and the first show is in July. We'll be out there, going everywhere we can go. Even Denver will be included-I think we got a special pardon-I have to wear a muzzle of course, but...With this tour, we want to create a vibe so you'll feel like your're just hanging out at our pad for the evening. That's the whole vibe. If you want to go to the show and your're in a theatre with three thousand other people who want to see the band, well, jump up and down; take your clothes off and run around, whatever you want. We're all there to listen and to hang. The Crowes are going to create our own vibe, from the way the stage looks to the way the gig smells. It's going to smell like rock'n'roll."

The rest of the book is sheet music for the Southern Harmony album, but I cant type that. Maybe someday. Keep On Keeping On!

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