transcribed from Metal Edge, June 99, by Cheryl Rosa <crowbum@mindpulse.com>  
thanks very much!!!!!!!!!



THE BLACK CROWES-FLYING HIGH AGAIN
By Paul Gargano

They've staked their claim as "The Most Rock 'n' Roll Rock 'n' Roll
Band in
the World," and with latest release BY Your Side, The Black Crowes
offer all
the evidence necessary to convince any jury.  From hard rocking opener
"Go
Faster," to the mammoth soul and swing of closer "Virtue and Vice,"
album
No. 5 for the Atlanta-based rock journeymen encompasses everything
they've
accomplished in their decade-plus career, stinging with the kick of
"HorseHead," basking in the calming reflection of "Diamond Ring," and
landing somewhere between with debut single and video "Only a Fool," a
soulful ode to once-in-a-lifetime love.  The Crowes have traversed a
lot of
musical waters with their past few releases, straying from the hard
rock-minded audience that embraced their debut in favor of the more
"liberating" scene offered by the H.O.R.D.E. and Further Fest traveling
roadshows.  But all roads from the past merged in the present, and By
Your
Side is the end-product, an effort guaranteed to satisfy fans of every
Crowes feather.  Says frontman Chris Robinson: "I think we'll
re-establish
our roots in rock 'n' roll even more now than on the last record.  The
last
one was a psychedelic record...That record is Sunday morning and this
record
is Saturday night."  Guitarist Rich Robinson had his own insights into
the
band's swaying sound and continued success, as we discussed in a recent
interview amidst their "Souled Out" tour of America.

  P:  Your core audience has shifted with the past few releases, but By
Your
Side seems to redirect the attention back on no-frills rock 'n' roll.
  R:  We changed ourselves and tried to do different things...We didn't
try
to formulate what made us successful and then try to recreate it time
and
time again.  We, as a band and as creative people, grew, tried to make
different records and write different songs, and sort of go somewhere. 
Some
of it worked and some of it didn't.  A lot of people are misconstruing
what

this record is.  A lot of people are saying "Oh, it sounds like the
first
record."  I mean, they're wrong.  Songwriting wise, it's a mixture of
Amorica and Three Snakes, but in more concise and "rock" sort of songs.
That's what they're missing.  I think it might have that similar energy
that
the first two records had because we were getting it together, excited,
and
have a new bass player.  Recording in New York, making the whole thing
live
with Kevin Shirley, and things like that.  It was a different record
than
we've made compared to Three Snakes and Amorica...It took a year to
make
Amorica and six months for Three Snakes, and we sat down, got studio
sounds
and spent tons of time making studio albums.  This record was
definitely
more of a rock sort of live record.  That's the difference.
  P:  It's got the groove of the last couple records, and the spirit of
the
first album.
  R:  Exactly.  That's what I think people are confused about.  Getting
rid
of Marc Ford [who was replaced by guitarist Audley Freed] and Johnny
[Colt,
bassist] quitting makes you look at what we've been doing for the last
10
years.  "Hey this is what we're doing, what do we want to do, and where
we
want to go.  What did we like over the last 10 years?  What didn't we
like,
and what do we want to do about it?"  It made us look back and reflect
over
the last 10 years and it also made us look forward to the next 10
years.  So
I think there are obviously tons of reasons for us changing our thing.
  P:  By headlining the H.O.R.D.E. Fest, you exposed a lot of your fans
to a
new field of music.  Was that intended, or was it more for your own
musical
gratification?
  R:  That was part of the reason.  Doing the H.O.R.D.E. Festival, and
Further last year--which was more of a Dead fest--was something
different.
It is fun for us to get up there, jam, play, and do different things. 
We've
always changed out sets.  We've always expanded our songs a bit here
and
there.  I think we did it a lot on Amorica and way more on Three
Snakes.  It
was something that we tried to do.  Then, in the middle of the Further
Festival, we came to the realization of what we are, which is a rock
band.
Sometimes you push things too far and then you step back a bit and dig
in
again.  That's what I think we did.  That's what this record is.
  P:  What led to that? You think you pushed things too far?
  R:  Well, not pushed them too far, but with the jamming and all that
shit
I think sometimes you forget some of the other aspects and what we're
good
at.  I think that we're a rock band.  Personally, I never liked the
Dead.  I
mean, I liked Jerry [Garcia's] songs, but that was about it.  The Dead
for
me was just...I could of given a shit.  And most of that whole
scene...I was
just like "Yeah, whatever."  It was something that Chris, Ed [Harsch,
keyboards], Marc Ford and everyone were into and I just wasn't.  So, I
think
it took being in the middle of it for us to look at ourselves.  We'd be
playing a song like "Sting Me" or something, and we'd be playing it and
it
would be so easy for us and we would have fun and then the people in
the
crowd would have fun and then we would be like, "Well, this is what we
do."
  P: The music felt good for everybody, the band and the fans.
  R:  And that's something that you don't neccessarily see everyday.
  P:  So this album was very natural for The Black Crowes? It wasn't a
situation where you sat down and looked at each other and said, "You
know
what? It's time to shake peoples' money makers again."
  R:  It wasn't that.  Like I said, we looked at the Further Festival,
and
things like that, and just said, "We are a rock band."  It made us look
at
what strives I think we've made as songwriters, Chris and I, and taking
those and putting them into a more concise and focused song instead of
making a big studio record with tons of different instruments and
making
this wall of sound sort of thing.  Just definitely making more focused
and
concise songs which are more understandable for most people.  That's
what it
was.  Our philosophy was definitely never going back to Shake Your
Money
Maker.  Just making a rock record, but trying to make it where it has
layers
and has a lot of cool shit going on.
  P:  Do you think it's possible to take all of your fans--you've
appealed
to a whole new audience by doing H.O.R.D.E. and Further, while a lot of
earlier fans may have drifted way--and unite them under one album, like
By
Your Side?
  R:  I don't know.  There's lots of people who like records for
different
things. There are people that like us that aren't hippies, and there
are
hippies who might like this record.  I've seen hippies, people who I've
seen
on tour before, that like and come see this show.  They follow us
around and
still come see a lot of shows.  I think that's cool.  I also see a lot
more
people who I probably haven't seen in five or six years who are
definitely
more just rock fans.  So I don't know.
  P:  Do you take it personally when people say "If you liked Shake
Your
Money Maker, you'll love By Your Side?"
  R:  Well, it's the shortest way for people to buy [the album]. That's
what
the record companies want.  They want to create different labels so
you'll
run out and buy it.  "Shake Your Money Maker was really successful, so
let's
tell them it sounded like that."  Then people hear one thing and it
sticks
in their head and that's all they know.  It sort of a cycle that we, as
a
society, tend to go through.
  P:  Regardless, have you been pleased with the response so far?
  R:  Yeah, definitely.  I think the record is great.  We spent a lot
of
time on it.  We took a year writing it.  I had 36 songs when we went
in, and
we cut it down to these 11.  We had a lot of fun working with Kevin
[Shirley, producer], working in New York, being on a different label,
and a
lot of that shit.  It's been great.
  P:  This album seems like the perfect capsule of your career.  Does
that
make this live set more cohesive?  Was it hard choosing material to
play in
front of a more defined H.O.R.D.E. Or Further crowd, having to
integrate
earlier material?
  R:  No not at all.  Cause that's what we've always done.  We would
take
those songs somewhere a little bit different.  That's what we are, and
we've
never really been the type to ignore what we are and what we do.  That
was
part of what we've done for a long time, and now jamming is part of
what we
did.
  P:  Really generally speaking, it seems like bands from the South are
more
apt to jam midsong.  Does that have anything to do with it for you?
  R:  No, not at all.  We're just taking the songs somewhere. 
Listening to
bands like the Allman Brothers growing up and where they would take
music.
And obviously, Chris getting into the Dead.  Even bands like
Zeppelin...We
have old Zeppelin and Stones bootlegs where they would f.cking take
their
songs somewhere and make them really cool.  That's what music is pre
the
30-second attention span that people have nowadays.  I mean, people
used to
like it.  So, just growing up listening to music and listening to
everyone
go into that.  That's what musicians do.  If you compare it to some
sort of
sports analogy, musicians do have a talent.  People pay to go see these
bands do something.  You go to applaud someone who plays guitar well,
or
sings well, or plays as a band really well together.  We're just
stretching
ourselves, showing off, whatever you want to call it.  We're saying,
"Hey,
this is what we do."  I think we do it well, but there's also a time
and
place for it, and sometimes it gets to be too much for people.  There
are
also a lot of people who want to hear just the songs.  So there's a
balance.
  P:  You've survived a decade, which a lot of bands haven't done.  Is
it
strange for you to be playing alongside bands who are here today and
gone
tomorrow, with no longevity?
  R:  They're not developed and it's probably because they suck,
realistically.  I don't think they're given the chance to develop,
which if
there is a valid artist, then that sucks.  But most bands nowadays,
talking
to some of these young bands, they just want to make cash.  They want
to
make money for a couple of years and then go do something else.  That's
what
they want to do.  I talked to some guy, and I won't mention the band,
but he
goes, "I just want to make two million dollars, man, and if I make two
million after taxes then I'm going to retire and go live with my wife."
That's what he said.  Well, then you're just a f.cking idiot, aren't
you?
What about music?  Another key thing: You see a lot of these
people--it's
especially prevalent in the girl sort of bands--who want to be
actressses
too.  So, basically, they're just show biz.  They'll just do anything
to be
famous, instead of just focusing on writing music or being a good
musician.
You know what?  It always shows.  It shows in their music.
  P:  So you've seen a change from the musician's perspective?
  R:  It's, "Hey this is a vehicle for me to become famous or rich,"
and
that's what they want.  They don't care if it's them doing f.cking
commercials or doing movies or being in a band.  It's all the same
thing.
It's just about them being famous and rich.  That's all they give a
shit
about.  That's obviously a generalization, and there are some bands out
there who really care, some bands who are talented and might be really
cool
and great.  Hopefully, that'll be the case one day.  But I think
there's a
lot of fingers to be pointed.  I think you have to blame the f.cking
music
industry, you have to blame the record labels, you have to blame the
f.cking
radio stations, you have to blame the f.cking TV stations, you have to
blame
the media and a lot of the bands.  The bands have gotten away with it
forever.  These bands want to just make money; so why do this?  They
don't
deserve another chance.  I think they're selling music short and the
rest of
the music industry is selling music short.  I think there's a lot of
blame
to be placed everywhere.
  P:  There's something of a "scene" in Atlanta now--albeit heavier
than The
Black Crowes--did you find the city a fertile environment to develop
in?
  R:  We were never really part of the Atlanta music scene.  When we
were
playing there, there were four bands that we were in the same realm
with.
They were trying to be like Jane's Addiction or R.E.M.--R.E.M. was a
big
influence on those bands in Atlanta at the time.  So we were sort of
this
band who never really did what the scene did and we never gave a shit.
Three months after we recorded Shake Your Money Maker, and two months
before
it came out, we did a free show showcase for managers who flew in to
see us.
We did a show where we gave away free drinks and admission was free and
12
people showed up.  So no one gave a shit about us or supported us in
Atlanta.  Then we went off to sell all these records and, because we
never
really were part of the music scene, there was a lot of resentment,
especially from the local media and things like that.  But, it's cool.
  P:  What was the down time like for you guys between Three Snakes and
now?
A lot of time spent writing?
  R:  Yeah.  That was basically it.  We got Sven [Pipien, bassist] in
the
band, then tried out a couple of guitar players, but put that on hold
until
after the record.
  P:  How did you end up with Audley?
  R:  Some guy from Columbia sent me a CD of his: "This guy is great;
you
should check him out."
  P:  How is he fitting into the live picture?
  R:  Oh, he's great.  He loves music; he knows a lot.
  P:  Between albums you released the Sho Nuff box set...
  R:  All the original albums were re-mastered and sound a lot better.
There's a lot more bass...For whatever reason, it's just mastered
better.  I
think Shake Your Money Maker, especially, turned out really good.  I
think
we got the right guy, Bob Ludwig, to master Three Snakes and Amorica;
so I
don't think there's as much improvement on those two, but there are all
of
the bonus tracks and all that shit, and that's good.  Plus, there's the
live
CD we recorded at the Beacon in New York.
  P:  Were the bonus tracks B-sides?
  R:  No, most of them were never released.
  P:  Did you have any misgivings about doing a box set?  Why now?
  R:  Well, first of all, we have a 10 year career.  Most people don't
have
10 year careers.  Secondly, it was something that Columbia was
interested in
because they have our catalog.  They wanted to re-release our catalog
and do
this limited edition--not really a box set, it doesn't have a booklet
in
there explaining--it's a presentation of our records that they wanted
to
sell in a limited number just to let people know this is it.  It's cool
actually.
  P:  What are your plans as far as touring go?
  R:  We started this tour in Milwaukee, and are doing theaters.  We
have
our own production.  It's the same tour we do every year as far as same
type
venues and things like that.
  P:  Do you prefer multiple nights in the smaller venues?
  R:  Yeah, it's fun.  I also like doing sheds; sheds are cool.  And so
are
arenas; I like playing arenas.
  P:  Do you plan on coming back to larger venues over the summer?
  R:  We're coming back...We're co-headlining a tour with Lenny Kravitz
in
sheds.  Everlast is also on the bill.
  P:  Are you taking the mindset of a traveling festival type deals on
the
road with you guys.
  R:  We're just basically doing our own package tour instead of doing
a big
festival.  It'll be four bands, so you don't have f.cking ten hours of
a
full day with all the shit.  It's just a show.

  P:  Are you going overseas at all with that?
  R:  We're going on tour to Europe with Aerosmith, doing festivals
over
there for six weeks, and then coming back here and seeing what's going
on.
We'll be going to Japan, Australia, New Zealand, South America, maybe
more
spots on the Pacific Rim.
  P:  How is the fanbase down there?
  R:  We haven't been to Australia since '92.  There's a two or three
thousand seater in Tokyo that we'll do three or four nights in, then
we'll
do a couple more theaters in Japan.  The last time we played Australia
we
played the Sydney Pavilion which is about 6,000 seats and played every
major
city in Australia, but Perth really.  And South America we did stadiums
with
Page/Plant.  So, we're basically at the same level all over the world.
  P:  So you plan on working this record pretty extensively?
  R:  Yeah.  We also have a career--10 years, 13 million records
later--and
I think Columbia sees we're still around and there is a lot of interest
from
press and fans and the shows are doing well.  Our web
site--www.taller.com--is getting half a million hits a week and it's
clogging up the whole system.  There's a lot of interest.  We did a
promotional tour in Europe right before Christmas, and Japan in January
and
the response over there has been great.  We released By Your Side over
there;
its in heavy rotation on MTV Europe and it's getting a lot of play.  We
basically debuted in the Top 30 worldwide.  In America we were No. 26,
France was No. 14, and Japan was No. 9, so it's a great parallel, we're
the
same all over the world.
  P:  So you've been happy with the response up to this point?
  R:  All the shows have been great, all the fans have been really
cool, and
it's just been really cool...

THE END