Three Snakes And One Charm [180-Gram Viny 2LP]

The Black Crowes have come a long way from the Faces/Stones clones accusations that plagued them upon their 1989 debut. THREE SNAKES AND ONE CHARM, their fourth album, continues their love affair with different facets of American music by liberally mixing genres with a proud disregard for current music trends (and for the slings and arrows of the band's short-sighted detractors).
The Crowes' Southern heritage pops up in a variety of ways on THREE SNAKES. "Let Me Share The Ride" mixes the New Orleans horns of the Dirty Dozen with a heavy guitar tone that evokes Crazy Horse. "Good Friday" takes the gospel/country route, with a rich crew of female backing singers and a pedal steel guitar (played by ex-American Music Clubber Bruce Kaphan). And on "(Only) Halfway To Everywhere" the Dirty Dozen aid the Crowes on a trip into funky territory that is more Family Stone than Rolling Stone. On that one, singer Chris Robinson holds his own in front of the backing vocals of Parliament-Funkadelic's Gary "Mudbone" Cooper and Gary Shider.