HinweiseARTIST: The Black Crowes
TITLE: The Lost Crowes
LABEL: Rhino
GENRE: Southern Rock
BITRATE: 218kbps avg
PLAYTIME: 1h 52min total
RELEASE DATE: 2006-09-26
RIP DATE: 2006-08-28

The Lost Crowes is right -- only hardcore fans will know of the music
on this two-CD set, and even then, chances are they haven't heard it.
And it's not like this is an odds-n-sods collection of outtakes and
B-sides, either: The Lost Crowes contains two complete unreleased
albums called Tall and Band, recorded in 1993 and 1997, respectively,
but in the vaults until now. They're interesting companion pieces,
too, since they not only have different feels but were shelved for
different reasons. Tall metamorphosed into the sprawling 1994
masterpiece Amorica, with a handful of its songs popping up
elsewhere, including 1996's Three Snakes and One Charm; Band was
simply left behind as the group moved on to By Your Side. Not
surprisingly, Tall sounds like a rough draft of Amorica; a lot of the
ideas are in place, along with such Crowes classics as "A
Conspiracy," "Wiser Time," "Nonfiction," and "Cursed Diamond," but
the sound isn't as full-bodied, nor is the band as wooly. This means
Tall isn't as rich or robust as Amorica, but it's sure interesting to
hear the roots of that album, and the previously unheard songs from
these sessions -- such as the dirty funk of "Tied Up and Swallowed,"
the lazy hillbilly roll of "Thunderstorm 6:54," and the sweet
acoustic "Tornado" -- fit into the cross-stitched fabric of Amorica
quite well. There's a seed of a great album in Tall and the Crowes
found that seed and made it grow for Amorica; this may not be as good
-- and it's understandable why it was reworked -- but it's certainly
worthwhile for any fan to hear.

If Tall did indeed need some reworking before it was released to the
general public, it's a mystery why the band didn't release Band as is
in 1997. Sonically falling halfway between the ragged Amorica and the
hard-edged Three Snakes, this is a great Crowes album showcasing
their skills as songwriters and as a loose yet muscular jam band. On
the fringes of this album there is some country and the band does
stretch out to improvise, but it never feels aimless, because there
is an immediacy to the performances and because there are some
terrific songs that center the album in a way that was lacking on
Three Snakes. There is a hard-driving R&B and soul vibe here, ranging
from the churning down-home funk of "Another Roadside Tragedy" and
"Never Forget This Song" to the relaxed Faces-styled groove of "If It
Ever Stops Raining," which is complemented by the few country
flourishes, such as the mandolins on "Lifevest" or the high lonesome
fiddles of "My Heart's Killing Me." This is the Black Crowes at their
best, turning out classicist rock that flows so natural and easy it
feels like these songs have always existed. It would have been great
to have Band out in 1997, but having it arrive about ten years later
only emphasizes how classic the Crowes sound at their peak, since it
doesn't sound like a revival: it sounds like part of a tradition. And
thankfully that tradition now contains these two albums, which do
rank among the more interesting (Tall) and best (Band) records
they've ever done.