The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion

by The Black Crowes

Overview

After hitting big with Shake Your Money Maker, an album that positioned the Black Crowes as a very successful cross between the good-time Faces and switchblade Stones, with some Southern comfort mixed in, their second album is bigger, badder, more powerful, and classic rock in every sense of the word. The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion blows away any complaints that the band is merely copying the past with diminishing returns; instead the album is good enough that it compares favorably to the best albums their heroes cranked out in the late '60s and early '70s. The songs are more incisive and heartfelt this time around, the production is more full-bodied, Chris Robinson's vocals somehow sound even more confident than before, and the addition of guitarist Marc Ford to the band does wonders. He and Rich Robinson's rhythm guitars mesh together like a raunchy, long-haired machine, and his solos veer between rib-crackingly ferocious and almost painfully slinky. His lead on the already intense, dramatic "Sometimes Salvation" tears the roof off the song and seemingly pushes Chris Robinson to new levels of passion and pain. It's a magical moment that encapsulates how much the stakes have been raised here and how the band plays it for keeps as they hone their previous template to a fine point and test the waters in exciting new ways. They add some off-kilter, walloping funk to "Remedy," indulge in some rollicking road rumble with "Hotel Illness," slip in some cosmic acoustic gospel on "Time Will Tell," and get Led Zep majestic on "My Morning Song," which comes complete with backing vocalists who sound very invested in the proceedings. The Black Crowes show a more nuanced approach on the ballads, too, with tracks like "Thorn in My Pride" feeling more organic and grounded thanks to the arrangements that make good use of percussion, Eddie Harsch's vintage keys, and Ford's soaring leads. Apart from the rip-roaring album opener "Sting Me," Southern Harmony's not quite the immediate punch that Money Maker was, but for fans who wanted to dig in deeper, get funky, and land as close as possible to the heart of bell-bottomed, whiskey-soaked rock & roll, it's near perfect. ~ Tim Sendra

Product Details

Release Date:	12/15/2023
Label:	American Recordings
UPC:	0602458349801
Rank:	14178

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The Black Crowes   Primary Artist
Johnny Colt   Bass
Rich Robinson   Guitar,Vocals
Steve Gorman   Drums
Marc Ford   Guitar,Soloist
Chris Trujillo   Congas
Chris Robinson   Harp,Vocals,Harmonica,Percussion
Ed Hawrysch   Organ,Piano,Keyboards,Wurlitzer,Organ (Hammond)
Chris Fruyillo   Congas

Technical Credits

The Black Crowes   Producer
Bob Marley   Composer
Don Bryant   Composer
Rita Marley   Composer
Leon Zervos   Mastering
Rich Robinson   Composer
R. Marley   Composer
Brendan O'Brien   Engineer
George Drakoulias   Producer
Kevin Shirley   Mixing
Chris Robinson   Composer,Hair Stylist,Art Direction
Pete Angelus   Personal Manager
Tag George   Assistant Engineer
R. Robinson   Composer
Janet Levinson   Design,Art Direction
Mark Seliger   Photography
Richard S. Robinson   Composer
Christopher Robinson   Composer