A Look Back: The Black Crowes — Shake Your Money Maker (1990)
The brothers Robinson are gettin’ the band back together to celebrate 30 years of Shake Your Money Maker.
The brothers Robinson are gettin’ the band back together to celebrate 30 years of Shake Your Money Maker.
Like a good pair of jeans, good rock and roll will never go out of style.
The Black Crowes, led by brothers Chris and Rich Robinson, released their debut album, Shake Your Money Maker, produced by George Drakoulias, on Rick Rubin’s Def American label (soon to become American Recordings) in 1990.
This album is a good pair of jeans.
1990 was an interesting year in music. College rock bands like R.E.M. and The Replacements had been co-opted by multi-national record labels, MTV launched Unplugged — which would go on to become a genre unto itself — the last decent rock and roll band, Guns-n-Roses, were knee-deep in drugs and the forthcoming tsunami of Grunge had begun to rear its head in August with Alice in Chains debut album Facelift.
Referring to the Billboard charts, in 1990, as anything other than subjective would be misleading.
Considering that it made sense that some of the top Billboard albums that year represented an amalgam of music:
Janet Jackson
Michael Bolton
Tom Petty
Milli Vanilli
New Kids on the Block
Trying to find a home on the Billboard chart, or even radio, especially for an upstart label like Def American and a rookie band like The Black Crowes, in 1990 was a Sisyphean task.
But, the minute any rock and roll, or music, fan heard the muddy opening of the first track inviting you in — like only a hospitable southerner could — you heard something different…yet the same.
That first track, “Twice as Hard” sounds like something from the early 1970s. In particular, peak-era Rolling Stones or The Faces. But this wasn’t either of those bands, or any other classic rock band, it was a group of 20-somethings from Atlanta shooting a healthy and much-needed dose of rock and roll B-12 into popular music.
The fact that it sounded like classic rock worked to the bands’ advantage.
“Jealous Again” was the second song and first single. That’s the one that opened the door. If you’ve seen the video or the band live, you know Chris Robinson has that “thing” that every lead singer needs. I don’t know exactly what “it” is, but he has it…and we all saw it for the first time in the video for “Jealous Again.”
Their cover of Otis Redding’s “Hard to Handle” pushed the album into the mainstream and then it was “She Talks to Angels” that put the album and the band over the top. It’s these three songs that made The Black Crowes stars and pushed Shake Your Money Maker into multi-platinum status.
Those were the hits, but far from the best songs on the album.
“Could I’ve Been So Blind” is a battle cry of determination built upon frustration and anger. Of the three ballads “Seein’ Things” is the stronger but holds less mass appeal. I’ve never quite understood the car crash as an intro to “Thick and Thin” but this song just kills.
The album closes out as a good rock album should, with two foot-stomping songs loaded with bravado and chutzpah, “Struttin Blues” and “Stare it Cold.” The album finishes so strongly it’s impossible NOT to go back for an immediate second listen.
If songs are appetizers, then albums are the meal…and you can’t live off appetizers alone.
In a modern era that celebrates songs and not albums, re-listening to Shake Your Money Maker reminds you of a different time when albums mattered just as much as songs.
The Black Crowes stomp, grove and pound their way around this album, dare I say they do in fact shake their money maker. But it’s Rich Robinson’s muddy guitar playing that’s the strongest part. It’s not that Robinson is a brilliant guitar player, it’s just that he plays brilliantly. It’s the reason the album sounds as good as it does 30 years later.
Chris Robinson is a dynamic and engaging lead singer, without a doubt. But when paired with his brothers’ guitar playing, it’s the very definition of the sum being better than the parts (as his Chris Robinson Brotherhood has proven).
After the success of Shake Your Money Maker, the Robinson brothers fell into the rock and roll brother thing (see any other brother combo in rock for reference). That coincided with a revolving door of musicians that saw only the two battling brothers being the mainstays. All of this contributed to The Black Crowes never quite fulfilling the potential that the initial album showed.
Their second album, The Southern Musical and Harmony Companion, was a decent sophomore album but after that their popularity declined.
Part of that wasn’t entirely their fault. While they had morphed into some sort of cloudy jam band by their third album, rock and roll had been aggressively usurped by the “grunge” movement. Much to the band’s credit, they didn’t attempt to chase that dragon and just stayed doing their thing…until they didn’t….and did again…and didn’t again…and did…and didn’t.
So, here we are 30 years on and The Black Crowes are hyping a big summer tour next year to celebrate Shake Your Money Maker. But it’s only the brothers Robinson, no other original members are participating. Arguably, they are The Black Crowes but it always bums me out when bands do this. Unless the other members are dead (or insufferable junkies) why not get the original band together?
In any event, they’ve booked loads of outdoor sheds for the summer tour which seems rather bold. The Black Crowes were never a headlining arena band and Shake Your Money Maker, while popular, isn’t that popular. Furthermore, the ticket prices are a little much.
Where I am, a seat in the shed is anywhere from 125 dollars up and lawn seats are about 50–60 dollars (both without fees, so add another 20–30%).
I can afford 125 dollars, but for an outdoor venue? I don’t know. And a lawn seat? GTFO.
Would I pay 125 dollars to see The Black Crowes at the Beacon Theater in New York City? Hell yes!!
If ANY band should replace The Allman Brother Bands annual Beacon Theater shows, it’s The Black Crowes!
By way of comparison, Hootie and the Blowfish are out celebrating 25 years of Cracked Rear View, which is a considerably more successful album (by sales). They recently did two shows at Madison Square Garden where the price for a ticket was in the 60–90 dollar range (sans fees).
I think The Black Crowes may be overestimating their popularity and the popularity of this album…and I’m saying this as a guy who loves this album!
Nonetheless, in the pantheon of debut rock albums, The Black Crowes Shake Your Money Maker sits up there with Guns-n-Roses Appetite for Destruction and the self-titled debut albums of Boston, Van Halen, Black Sabbath, et. al.
A Look Back: Hootie & the Blowfish — Cracked Rear View
South Carolina quartet celebrates 25 years since the release of their debut album.medium.com
A Look Back: Van Halen — Van Halen (1978)
The first Van Halen album from 1978. Does it hold up? A retro-review.medium.com