The Black Crowes lead singer Chris Robinson says he can now put his own "descent into madness" during the making of the Atlanta band's last album, 1996's Three Snakes And One Charm, and subsequent tour, into perspective.

"I managed to squeeze in a good time here and there," said Chris, 32, yesterday as he sat on a hotel penthouse suite couch while the city's latest snowstorm swirled outside.

"But it's hard sometimes to wake up and you're in a cliche."

Make that a rock and roll cliche.

"I see pictures of myself from just a couple of years ago, and I'm like, 'Who was that?' I looked like I was 60 years old," continued Chris. "I tend to see these things as I have all the right in the world to lose my mind on a piece of CD because I'm an artist and some of my favourite records are those periods of blue. Now I can look back and go, 'Well, I enjoyed psychedelics but I don't have to be tripping all day, every day, for months on end,' which I found myself doing. Eventually, you wake up and you're like, 'Wow, I need to stop hallucinating today.' "

Now the Black Crowes, who formed in 1988 with a retro, southern rock sound reminiscent of '70s-era Stones and Faces, appear healthier and happier.

First of all, there's this week's release of the band's latest album, By Your Side, which also included a scheduled performance last night for contest winners at the Phoenix. The group expect to be back in town by March to play either Massey Hall or The Warehouse.

Unfortunately, getting to this more upbeat place took its toll.

In addition to Chris's own drug use and divorce from his wife of a year, there were the combined problems of guitarist Marc Ford and bassist Johnny Colt, who have since left the band.

"By the time the Three Snakes tour was winding up, we knew it was not fun," said Chris. "I think writing those songs was a big part of shedding the skin and moving on and then the tour was the first time where I really had to wake up and go, 'We had some sh---y shows.'"

Rich Robinson, the BlackCrowes' guitarist and 29-year-old brother of Chris, speaks much more bluntly: "We lost two members of the band because one of them was a f---in' junkie and we fired him after four years of dealing with his s--t, and the other one didn't want to be there anymore. Johnny just didn't want to be there. He didn't play on Three Snakes, I played all the bass. He wasn't in the frame of mind to really get around a record. And Marc, we had a lot of s--t going on. Everyone in the band was unhappy. We all hated each other. We were fighting. It was just stupid. I had my own bus. I just couldn't travel with Chris anymore. We fought a lot."

Add to all of that the fact that the Black Crowes also left their old record company and were sued by an old friend who claimed he was owed money as a road manager.

Frankly, it's a miracle the band didn't implode.

"The last four albums are the end of part one," said Chris. "This is the beginning of part two and it's a great feeling."

Maybe so, but the Robinson brothers still insist on being interviewed separately. In this case, in two penthouse suites across the hall from each other.

"We love each other," said Chris. "We just don't always like each other."

Added Rich: "It's not like we fight all the time. It's blown out of proportion, sort of used as an angle. We're older now. We don't have fistfights every five minutes."