Rock preview: As the Crowes fly 
 

Guitarist Audley Freed joins the band as they sound
churchier than ever.

By DAVID MENCONI, Staff Writer


     During the group's four-year run, Raleigh rock
band Cry of Love was forever being compared to the
Black Crowes. So it makes sense that, post-breakup,
Cry of Love's Audley Freed has resurfaced as the Black
Crowes' new guitarist. Freed makes his Triangle debut
with the Atlanta-based Crowes Thursday at the Ritz,
which is this month's key show. 
     For the time being, at least, Freed is more of a
hired gun than full-fledged band member. He didn't
sign on until after the Black Crowes recorded their
new album, "By Your Side"(due out the 12th onColumbia
Records). So he's a part of the live show, but not the
record. 
      
Audley Freed, third from right, has nothing but
diplomatic things to say about Black Crowes band mates
Rich Robinson, to his left, and Chris Robinson, to his
right. 
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"It's really not that clearly defined,"Freed says of
his status in the Crowes. "We do play as a band and
travel as a band, but I'm certainly not one of the
decision-makers -- nor should I be. The Black Crowes
are pretty much Chris and Rich [Robinson]'s ship, and
they've been quite successful and produced a lot of
great music. I respected them and was a fan before any
of this happened." 
     Freed begins his tenure with the Black Crowes at
an uncertain moment in the group's history. The Crowes
broke big with their first album, 1990's
quadruple-platinum "Shake Your Money Maker,"a potent
slab of deep-fried neo-Southern rock that set them up
as the latter-day ZZTop. But the group has yet to
duplicate that first album, either artistically or
commercially. 1996's "Three Snakes and One Charm" was
the first Crowes record to fall short of the
half-million mark. 
     Adding further complications, protracted record
company problems and legal difficulties plus a lineup
shuffle held up the release of "By Your Side," which
has been in the can since last summer. But the new
album, their liveliest effort since "Money Maker,"
gives the Crowes a decent shot at turning things
around. 
     Working backward from the Southern soul that was
always the basis of the Black Crowes' sound, "By Your
Side" is the churchiest they've ever sounded (one song
is called called "Go Tell the Congregation," and yes,
they seem to mean it). Gospel-style vocal harmonies
abound, meshing nicely with Rich Robinson's gutbucket
guitar riffing and slippery funk rhythms. 
     "I do think this record is really good,"Freed
says. "Although it's hard to be too objective because
I first heard it a couple songs at a time, learning
how to play them. But I think it's very positive in
its overall vibe and outlook -- and the record they
needed to make right now because they've got a
tremendous amount of positive energy. Afew years back,
they weren't quite as contented. Maybe this new
mind-set comes out of purging themselves of a lot of
bad vibes. Not to get too metaphysical about it, but
you cut the baggage loose and move on."