THE BLACK CROWES CABIN FEVER

Starring The Black Crowes Christopher Robinson, Richard Robinson, Steve Gorman, Sven Pipien, Luther Dickinson and Adam MacDougall with special guest Levon Helm

There is a first time for everything in rock and roll and with that being said, the Crowes set out for an attempt at something that seemed impossible to pull off in their previous 20 years and that was to combine the aspect of recording a double live album while also being filmed as a motion picture. You see folks, the bulk of all live albums have that whole hit or miss aspect to them and rarely do the bands in question decide to release any of the bad shows and nor should they. The challenge in this one one was not only to pull off a double live album but to have it be all new material and on top of that, they did it in Levon Helms (The Band) cabin in the woods in Woodstock New York with a modest few hundred people in attendance.
The songs in question consist of the odd cover and for the most part it seems the Black Crowes have continued to evolve much to the delight of Helm who is seen in one segment in a sit down with lead singer Chris Robinson as they discuss their 20 year journey as a band and Helm tells Chris how pleased he is with what they have done and what they have become. Quite the endorsement.
The performances are simple yet powerful and the harmony is remarkable given the small amount of rehearsal time involved. Switching from Southern rock to rockabilly and from slide guitar to fiddle and sitar the Black Crowes demonstrate why they have such a loyal following to this day and a reputation as one one of the best live acts today.
In between the songs we are treated lo little vignettes mostly featuring some funny stories from Chris and some behind the scenes looks at the weekend in the cabin. The banter shows how close knit the band has become and the whole atmosphere seems like a family get together over the holidays. The fans are treated like family and the brothers Robinson joke back and forth like siblings do at these types of things.
Chris remarks at one point to his brother who is about to sing that the pressure is all on him and the crowd chuckles but the laughter subsides as the full time guitarist begins to sing a Velvet Underground song and the performance is spot on and one of the best in the movie and on the album.
I have but one complaint about this endeavor and that is that there are several instances through out where the Crowes mention this being a double live album and the movie is sort of based on that notion but the problem is that when I bought the album entitled Before The Frost, there was a card inside that had a code and web address to go to to download the companion album. Don't get me wrong here, that's a nice gesture and all being free and what not but I would much rather have a tangible package that included the entire recording. But that's just me.
If you're a fan, then this is a must and if you think the Black Crowes were a one hit wonder and haven't heard from them since Hard To Handle and She Talks To Angels then just keep on walkin because us real fans know the score.

Rating 4 1/2 beards out of 6

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