Recorded at Levon Helm’s Woodstock studio in five nights, Before The Frost counts as The Black Crowes’ 8th album. Before The Frost captures the Crowes soaring into stellar regions with new songs recorded in front of a live audience. Musically, the Crowes remain locked in from Warpaint last year. Levon Helm’s guitarist and old Bob Dylan band mate—Larry Campbell–contributes banjo, fiddle and pedal steel to this sonic kaleidoscope of brilliant Crowes material.
“Good Morning Captain” stands as a Black Crowes classic–one of their best–utilizing soulful slide, banjo, barroom piano and a nifty melody that embodies rock and roll. Rich Robinson’s electric riff transmits an immediate swing as Luther Dickinson’s slide delivers a gritty accompaniment. “Been A Long Time”–pure funk–finds Chris Robinson singing: “Low country blushing bride/Blind to the ways of time.” This guitar outro solidifies Rich Robinson and Luther Dickinson’s incandescent six-string chemistry as they drive the song into an all-out blaze.
“Appaloosa” travels straight to the heart of country music. Dickinson’s mandolin, Campbell’s pedal steel and Rich’s 12-string weave a patchwork quilt of Appalachia behind Chris’ soulful verses. “A Train Makes a Lonely Sound” retains that classic telecaster sound Rich mastered 25 years ago. Sven Pipien’s bass-line on “I Ain’t Hidin’” conjures the Rolling Stones at their most dance-friendly, but the Crowes steer towards more of a Funkadelic groove. The jackdaw of perception sings his late night sermon:
“Rust on my pickups/Blood on the stage/Seeds in the ashtray/Coke on the blade/NYC delivers that’s a guarantee/The only thing keeps the day from me”.
Another Rich blues jewel “Kept My Soul” creates a tension while his older brother sings about “junkie jitters” and “You can see by the look in my eyes/The Devil takes his own/ You can see holes in my heart/I’ve kept my soul.” The Crowes always danced with the Devil.
For the first time, a song is written and credited to one Robinson brother. On “What Is Home?” credit goes to Rich. It’s an acoustic beauty where the mandolin, banjo and guitars sound so intimate you almost smell mountain wood smoke while the band ascends into a high-altitude jam.
“Make Glad” reminds the listener the Crowes operate as a no-nonsense rock and roll band. Drummer Steve Gorman remains the driving force of the group. “And The Band Played On” channels a psychedelic-New Orleans gumbo where Adam MacDougall’s ragtime piano streamlines Richard Manuel and Garth Hudson into one musical concoction deep in the upstate New York woods. “The Last Place That Love Lives” sounds like it could’ve been recorded on some rural back porch under a full moon.
Nine bonus tracks on Until The Freeze include eight originals and a cover of Stephen Stills’ “So Many Times”. It’s refreshing to hear the Crowes steeped in a lush, acoustic landscape. “Aimless Peacock” could fit on a Ravi Shankar album showcasing Rich’s deft sitar skills emitting a middle-eastern drone that casts a hypnotic spell. “Shady Grove” aligns as the centerpiece number on Until The Freeze. The Crowes display bluegrass chops on “Garden Gate”, a tune you might hear at a state fair on Saturday night. On “Shine Along”–an upbeat country blues ditty–Chris wails a redemptive sentiment, “Some day love is gonna take me home”.
The Black Crowes fly to new heights on Before The Frost…Until The Freeze.
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