The Black Crowes' Chris Robinson Discusses Band's 'New Era'
By Tina Johnson
Allstar News
May 29, 1998

 

Now that the Black Crowes have withstood the departures of two veteran members, are completing a new album with their altered lineup, and preparing for a summer tour, frontman Chris Robinson seems optimistic -- or at least happy. 

"Well, it's the last day in the studio and everyone's punch drunk," says Robinson gleefully as he winds down the recording portion of the album in New York's Avatar Studios. The new record, By Your Side, is expected to contain 10 tracks and is due out in September on new label Columbia Records.

It's the first since Shake Your Money Maker without guitarist Marc Ford (allstar, Aug. 7) and bassist Johnny Colt (allstar, Oct. 22). For the last six months, they've been working with new bassist Sven Pipien (allstar, Dec. 29), who came to the band from Mary My Hope, the Atlanta group that also spawned Black Crowes drummer Steve Gorman before he joined an early incarnation of the Crowes -- called Mr. Crowe's Garden -- 11 years ago. (Chris' brother, guitarist Rich Robinson, and keyboardist Eddie Harsch round out the group as it is known today.)
                            
"Symbolically, it's like beginning our next decade right now, 'cause we'll be on tour for the next couple of years for this album," says Robinson. "We actually started writing and working in November, so this is the most focused and the hardest we've worked. And [with] the changes with band members and our personal lives, it was a perfect place to be. I can't honestly say that about the last few years, which have been weird for lots of different reasons. It's nice to [have] everybody in the same space -- focused and positive.  That vibe comes through on the record. It has a lot more energy than the last record, I think." The new album only took two months to record -- a much sorter span than their past efforts -- and is
more streamlined than the last, according to Robinson.

Plus, the music has changed sonically, just as the band has changed. "It's a lot of heavier guitars," says Robinson. "It's uptempo, not as depressing.  Lyrically, if I dare say it, there may be some optimistic moments in there. I hear a lot of soul in it. The last record was definitely a headspace record, and this is more of a heart and soul record."

As for working with Pipien, Robinson says it hasn't been too difficult. "It's like any relationship. The breakup is hard, but then when you're done with it or you find someone else, you don't want to repeat the same mistakes. Sven plays a Rickenbacker, which is a different- sounding instrument --Johnny never played one -- and the way he approaches his instrument is completely different. Changes are for the best -- in this situation, at least."  Those changes left fans wondering what really happened.

"Marc was asked to leave so he could get his life straight and get it together and do what he needs to do, and Johnny just quit," says Robinson candidly.  "I don't think he could take it. The last 10 years have been sort of nuts. I never really spoke to him about it. He just called one day and said, 'I'm quitting,' and I said, 'Alright. See ya later.'

"It's like, I can't quit," he continues. "This is my life.  Everyone has to make their decisions and choices in life, and I wish them the best. I honestly mean that. I just want Marc to be healthy and play music, and whatever Johnny wants to do... I hope they're happy."

As for the remaining Crowes, they will be heading back to Atlanta to start
rehearsing for their intimate warm-up tour, dubbed Sho' Nuff, as previously
reported in allstar. The tour kicks off on June 19 at Toad's Place in New Haven, Connecticut and runs through August.  Robinson says the group will then take about a week off before heading out to Europe in September, followed by dates in the U.S. and various other countries as part of an official full- scale world tour.

"It's a lot more streamlined," says Black Crowes singer Chris Robinson of the group's upcoming album By Your Side (allstar, May 29) than on the last record. The last one was a psychedelic record...that record is Sunday morning and this record is Saturday night."

Part of the reason for the back-to-basics feel is the simplicity of having only one guitarist, after the departures of guitarist Marc Ford (allstar, Aug. 7) and bassist Johnny Colt (allstar, Oct. 22), who both left the band this past year, while bassist Sven Pipien (allstar, Dec. 29) was later brought on board.

Evidently, less is more.  "Rich [Robinson] is playing all of the guitars, so being a five-piece adds more room on the keyboards," says Robinson, "and I think people will be very surprised. People know Rich as a songwriter, but I don't think they realize what kind of guitar player he is, and now that it's just him playing all of the guitars, I think it comes across tenfold.  I think they'll go, 'Man, holy shit! That fuckin' kid can play.' I think he's done that on other records, but Marc Ford was more the guy in the lead guitar.  Unless you were really into the band live, you didn't really see that, and now I think it's obvious. So that tightens up the sound, and makes it more streamlined, and helps us knock it out."

That's why the band is reluctant to hire a replacement for Ford. "We might hire someone to go on the road," says Robinson, "'cause some of the older songs are so two guitar- oriented, but if we do, I don't know what their role would be yet." The possible touring guitarist, who hasn't been decided upon yet, would not be a full- fledged member, according to Robinson, who jokes, "Not ready to get married again." In order to bolster their new approach sonically, the group also enlisted the help of Aerosmith producer Kevin Shirley (allstar, May 12). "I went to see Aerosmith," Robinson relates, "and Joe Perry said [of Shirley], 'For fuck's sake, the guy's name is Caveman, go make a record with him.' Then I was like, 'Okay, that makes a lot of sense.'"

The band ended up tracking the majority of the songs in New York, where
Shirley is based. "Making a record in New York is way different," says
Robinson. "I mean, we've made records in Atlanta and records in Los Angeles,
and the energy that New York provides us as a backdrop for these songs is
totally different." Robinson adds that changing labels also gave them a
fresher attitude. After years with American Recordings (previously known
as Def American), the band is now signed to Columbia Records. "It's weird --
we never had an experience in the record business," says Robinson,
"because when we were on Def American it was like two employees in a two-
room office, and then with our success, the label grew into this huge thing.

"But now we're on a real label and I've learned all of these things about
the music business that I never knew, like A&R people, product managers,
all of this... 'What do you do?' 'Oh, people really have jobs in the music
industry.' 'Ah, I see.'" Because they've been through such unstable times
recently, the Crowes felt that they should issue a message to their fans
about how these changes are actually good ones. "By Your Side," the title
track of their upcoming album, serves that purpose. "That's a statement about
us, and about our fans, and about our friends, and the whole thing," says
Robinson. "Who's there through the bad times and who's there through the
good times...  who can you really count on.  It's a statement about our
musical roots, which have always remained the same."

As previously reported in allstar, By Your Side is due out in September.
The Black Crowes will be kicking off a warm-up tour in support of the
album on June 19 in New Haven, Connecticut at Toad's Place.