ÿþ<HTML> <HEAD> <META NAME="keywords" CONTENT="the black crowes - before the frost... until the freeze cd review, songs, ballads, tunes, music, tony bonyata"> <META NAME="description" CONTENT="TThe Black Crowes - Before the Frost... Until the Freeze CD review"> <META NAME="author" CONTENT="Phil and Tony Bonyata"> <TITLE> The Black Crowes - Before the Frost... Until the Freeze CD review</TITLE> <LINK REL="SHORTCUT ICON" HREF="hand1.jpg"> <STYLE TYPE='text/css'> a:link { color: white; text-decoration: none } a:active { color: red; text-decoration: none } a:visited { color: white; text-decoration: none } a:hover { color: red; text-decoration: none } </STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY BGCOLOR=#000000 TEXT=#ffffff LINK=#99ccff VLINK=#339900> <P ALIGN=CENTER> <IMG SRC="gifs/redlight.gif" WIDTH="426" HEIGHT="70" ALT="red lights"> </P> <CENTER> <TABLE ALIGN=CENTER BORDER="0" BGCOLOR=#000000 WIDTH=40%> <TR> <TD COLSPAN="6"> <A HREF="livewire.htm"><IMG SRC="gifs/logobanner.gif" BORDER="0" WIDTH="604" HEIGHT="102" ALT="Concert Livewire"></A> </TD> </TR> <TR> <TD ALIGN=CENTER> <A HREF="http://www.concertlivewire.com/basementtapes/catalog/"><B>basement tapes</B></A></TD> <TD ALIGN=CENTER><A HREF="reviews.htm"><B>concert reviews</B> </A></TD> <TD ALIGN=CENTER><A HREF="cd.htm"><B>cd reviews</B> </A></FONT></TD> <TD ALIGN=CENTER><A HREF="interview.htm"><B>interviews</B></A></TD><TD ALIGN=CENTER><A HREF="swap.htm"><B>ticket swap</B></A></TD> <TD ALIGN=CENTER><A HREF="dailydish.htm"><B>music news</B></A></TD> </TR> </TABLE> </CENTER><BR><BR> <CENTER> <TABLE WIDTH=60%> <TR> <TD> <H1> <CENTER> The Black Crowes offer up <BR>a double helping of Americana </H1><A NAME='TOP'> <B> <FONT COLOR=#ff0000>The Black Crowes - <I>Before the Frost... Until the Freeze</I> </FONT><BR> <FONT COLOR=#ffffff> (Silver Arrow Records)<BR> 3 1/2 stars (out of 5 stars)<BR> <I>Reviewed: Sept. 29, 2009</I></B></FONT> </TD> <TD> <IMG SRC="jpegs/cd/crowescd.jpg" BORDER="1" WIDTH="250" HEIGHT="249" ALT="The Black Crowes"> </B> </TD> </TR> </TABLE> </CENTER> <CENTER> <TABLE WIDTH=60%> <TR> <TD> <P> <FONT SIZE="2"><I>Review by Tony Bonyata</I> </P> <FONT SIZE="4"> Somewhere between their early '90s albums and their eighth and latest studio album,<I> Before The Frost... </I>The Black Crowes have gone from sounding like The Rolling Stones, circa <I>Exile On Main Street</I>, to the more rich and fertile Americana sounds produced by The Band at the height of their career. Of course considering that this was recorded in front of a small, intimate group of fans at Levon Helm's barn/studio in Woodstock, NY it's little wonder that some of The Band's spirit would rub off on them (Helm was the drummer and vocalist for The Band throughout their entire career).<BR><BR> The physical package only contains one CD, titled <I>Before The Frost... </I>, but, as a 'thank you' to their fans for two decades of continued support, they've also included a card with a unique code to download a second full album -<I> ... Until The Freeze</I>. While both compliment each other nicely, they also sound very different from one another. <I>Before The Frost... </I> features more of the stomping, ornery Southern-fried rock & roll the band is known for. The album kicks off with the rocking swagger of "Good Morning Captain" before a heavy metal-meets-funk guitar riff tears through the fiery "Been A Long Time (Waiting On Love)." "Kept My Soul" is a slice of greasy country funk and, despite their clashing differences in the past, brothers Chris (vocals) and Rich Robinson (guitars), mesh perfectly on numbers such as the lovely and spirited "A Train Still Makes A Lonely Sound" and the cock-proud strut of "Make Glad."<BR><BR> While <I>Before The Frost... </I> also contains a couple of more restrained numbers such as the acoustic-kissed "What Is Home" and "The Last Place That Love Lives," it's the bonus album <I>... Until The Freeze </I> that really digs in deep to the soul of Americana music. Timeless country and folk songs such as "Aimless Peacock," "Garden Gate" and "Lady Of Avenue A" all sound as they were carted down from the Appalachian mountains on the broadside of a pack mule during the Great Depression. And on the gritty blues growler "Shine Along 128" you can envision the band hopping a boxcar from Clarksdale, MS to the Carolinas with little more than their well-worn instruments and jug of white lightning. The album closes appropriately with the introspective southern gospel number "Fork in the River," where Chris croons, "A fork in the river is where we begin"; perhaps realizing that in order for The Black Crowes to build on the future, they must keep the circle unbroken by looking to America's rich musical past.<BR><BR> Fans of the Allman Brothers, Little Feat, The Band and even The Grateful Dead (and I'm not even one of the latter) will love this terrific double set from one of America's best. </TD> </TR> </TABLE> </CENTER><BR> <CENTER> <H3><FONT COLOR=#ff0000>Related articles:</FONT></h3> <A HREF="dmbpix.htm">Dave Matthews Band / The Black Crowes - Photo Gallery - East Troy, WI - July 2007</A><BR> <A HREF="voodoo07pix.htm">The Black Crowes - Voodoo Music Experience - New Orleans, LA - Oct. 2007</A><BR> <A HREF="crowes2.htm">The Black Crowes - Concert review - Milwaukee, WI - July 2007</A><BR> <A HREF="crowes1.htm">The Black Crowes / Robert Randolph and The Family Band - Concert review - Milwaukee, WI - Aug. 2006</A><BR> <A HREF="10kphoto.htm">10,000 Lakes Festival - Detroit Lakes, MN - July 2005</A><BR> <A HREF="petty4.htm">Tom Petty / The Black Crowes - Concert review - Milwaukee, WI - July 2005</A><BR> <A HREF="interviews/chris1.htm">Exclusive Chris Robinson Interview - Feb. 2003</A><BR> <A HREF="chris.htm">Chris Robinson and New Earth Mud - Concert review - Milwaukee, WI - Feb. 2003</A><BR> <A HREF="crowes.htm">The Black Crowes - Concert review - Milwaukee, WI - Oct. 2001</A><BR></FONT> </CENTER><BR><BR> <CENTER> <object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/U2c9ciPYlCE"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/U2c9ciPYlCE" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object> </CENTER> <CENTER> <form action='http://www.genevaonline.com/cgi-bin/formmail2.pl' method='post'> <input name='recipient' type='hidden' value='xrayx@concertlivewire.com'> <TABLE CELLSPACING='10' CELLPADDING='9'> <H2><FONT COLOR=#ff0000>What Do You Think?</FONT></H2> <TR> <TD ALIGN=CENTER> <FONT SIZE='4'><FONT COLOR=#ff0000>Name:<BR><INPUT TYPE=TEXT' NAME='guest' SIZE='18'></FONT><BR> </TD> <TD ALIGN=CENTER> <FONT SIZE='4'><FONT COLOR=#ff0000>Artist:<BR><INPUT TYPE=TEXT' NAME='artist' SIZE='18'></FONT><BR> </TD> </TR> <TR> <TD ALIGN=CENTER> <FONT SIZE='4'><FONT COLOR=#ff0000>City & State:<BR><INPUT TYPE=TEXT' NAME='City & State' SIZE='18'></FONT><BR> </TD> <TD ALIGN=CENTER> <FONT SIZE='4'><FONT COLOR=#ff0000>e mail:<BR><INPUT TYPE=TEXT' NAME='email' SIZE='18'></FONT><BR> </TD> </TR> </TABLE> </CENTER> <CENTER> <H3><FONT COLOR=#ff0000>Here's Your Chance to.... 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