Rating:
Genre:
Rock
Release Date: 11/13/2007
The Black Crowes' debut album,
Shake Your Money Maker, might borrow heavily from the bluesy
hard rock grooves of
the Rolling Stones and
Faces (plus a bit of classic
soul), but the band gets away with it due to sharp songwriting and an ear for strong riffs and chorus melodies, not to mention the gritty, muscular rhythm guitar of
Rich Robinson and brother
Chris' appropriate vocal swagger. Unlike their later records,
the Crowes don't really stretch out and jam that much on
Money Maker, but that helps distill their virtues into a handful of memorable singles (
"Jealous Again," "She Talks to Angels," a cover of
Otis Redding's
"Hard to Handle"), and most of the album tracks maintain an equally high standard.
Shake Your Money Maker might not be stunningly original, but it doesn't need to be; it's the most concise demonstration of the fact that
the Black Crowes are a great, classic
rock & roll band. [The 1998 reissue offers
"Don't Wake Me," "Mercy, Sweet Moan," and an acoustic version of
"She Talks to Angels" as bonus tracks.]
~Steve Huey, All Music Guide
;)
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