This was the first CD released by the Black Crowes. This is straightforward rock and roll. All songs are good to great, not really a stinker among them.
She Talks to Angels, Hard To Handle, Twice As Hard, and Jealous Again are the songs you SHOULD recognize from mainstream rock radio. The others are great as well.
If you like guitar rock, with that southern sound, then this is for you.
June 6, 2008 |  | The Black Crowes Start Off With A Bang |  |
On their debut CD, SHAKE YOUR MONEY MAKER, the Black Crowes start off with a bang. Blending the ramshackle grace of the Stones, Free, the Faces, Humble Pie, and early solo Rod Stewart into the Southern rock sound of the Allman Brothers Band, the Marshall Tucker Band, and the Outlaws, then distilling the whole thing down to the bare-bones basics, the band packs a one-two punch with the songs "Twice As Hard" and "Jealous Again" while also making room for such great ballads as "Seeing Things", a song which, with its message of "the old days weren't always good and the future's not as bad as it seems" ethos, inspired me skip my old school's Thanksgiving dinner in order to keep myself looking good for pretty actresses. Overall, this CD is a must-own for anyone who thought that Southern rock's last great moment was the Outlaws' 1980 album GHOST RIDERS.
April 14, 2008this was my introduction to the black crowes, especially hard to handle. you can hear the influences in their music - the stones, aerosmith, blues influences - and they flat out jam. good stuff.
April 10, 2008In the 90s, when some bands were all depressed and suicidal, The Black Crowes just wanted to play some rock n' roll, and that's what they did. This, their first album offers up some great, southern tinged rock, full of blues, and with classic rock and gospel influences. They did well for themselves, but corporate rock this ain't. It's soulful, melodic, and just a great listen, front to back. The album opens with a twin killing of "Twice as Hard" and "Jealous Again," both great tracks on their own, but a dynamic opening to a strong album. "Sister Luck" is a guitar and piano driven slow blues rocker, before "Could I've Been So Blind" returns to a hard rockin' tempo. "Seeing Things" is a blues and gospel inspired slow down, and it's these types of songs that I really think make a Crowes album top notch. I love the hard rock, but a killer, slow grind is always a good break in between, and this one really adds depth to the album. "Hard to Handle," which I've now learned is an Otis Redding number, is probably the album's most famous track, with a good groove and strong performance. "Thick n' Thin" is perhaps the most obviously Southern track on the album, with a great pounding piano and boogie-woogie vibe. The album ends with the trio of ballad "She Talks to Angels," driving hard rocker "Struttin' Blues," the bluesy "Stare It Cold."
Overall, this is a very strong album, and highly enjoyable. A lot of good tracks, here, and if you like bluesy rock n' roll, there's a good chance you'll like this.
February 2, 2008More reviews at Amazon.com ...
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