SOUTHERN DISHARMONY
WHEN it came, the end for Mr Crowe’s Garden happened in the back of a van, somewhere on the road to Rome, Georgia. The band had formed five years previously, playing their first gig on July 13, 1985 – the same day as Live Aid. They were just kids then – lead guitarist Rich Robinson 15, singer Chris, his older brother by four years. But for the Robinsons to make the next step, it was necessary for the innocent yearnings of Mr Crowe’s Garden to be set aside in favour of something with more mature prospects. The band had finished recording their debut album, Shake Your Money Maker. All they needed now was a new name, more suited to their elevated aspirations.
“It was an hour-and-a-half drive to Rome, and when we got out the van we said, ‘Now we are The Black Crowes,’” recalls Chris Robinson. “Then we played the show. The opening band was a dad playing with his son and daughter and a cousin on drums, a sweet little family band. We then went on stage trying to be super cool, playing ‘Jealous Again’ and ‘Hard To Handle’ – the whole album we just recorded – and the only people in the crowd except the sound guy was the dad with his son and daughter, sat at a table eating a Subway while we played rock’n’roll. That was the first night of The Black Crowes. What an auspicious start!”
Improvement was fast and life-changing. Released in February 1990, was revelatory for its sense of purpose. A fresh take on vintage rock influenced by the Faces and classic soul that sounded as if it had been beamed straight in from 1972, their sound offered a third way between clean, bombastic ’80s rock and the psychedelic jangle of college rock. By the end of the summer, The Black Crowes were on their way to selling five
