Pros Kickin' My Heart Around, By Your Side, others...
Cons Some boring, bland, and repetitive songs. Lacking emotion.
The Bottom Line Not the worst album out there by far, but probably my least favorite Black Crowes album (not including Lions which I have yet to fall prey to).
Full Review
Throughout the years, I’ve gotten a great deal of pleasure from Southern Rock gurus The Black Crowes. Their jam-oriented rock infused with soul and blues and catchy lyrics appeal to me on every emotional level.
My first exposure to the Georgia band was soon following the release of 1990’s exquisite Shake Your Moneymaker. Chris Robinson’s vocals paired with his brother Rich’s guitar, Johnny Colt’s bass, Jeff Cease’s guitar and Steve Gorman’s drums proved a rowdy combination. The songs written almost exclusively by the Robinson brothers were raucous and upbeat…a timeless formula for musical success. But the fact that tracks like She Talks To Angels, Jealous Again, and Twice As Hard are to this day classic tracks speaks to the quality of the band and the songs on the whole.
As the Black Crowes spread their wings, they gave the world the equally good if not superior The Southern Harmony & Musical Companion. Again, I found myself enraptured by the songs and lyrics. Tracks like Remedy, Thorn In My Pride, and Sting Me are fresh and rebellious. These songs, these albums rank among the most important of rock and roll in the 1990’s.
More albums hit shelves, though none equaled the greatness of the first two. Amorica (1994) had some positive points, but overall it was a bit of a disappointment. Three Snakes & One Charm (1996) is slightly underrated as I consider Blackberry and Good Friday to be some of the best tracks from the Black Crowes.
But it was with 1999’s By Your Side that I really began to lose faith in the exceptionally talented (though internally unhappy) band. Eleven tracks in length, the American release is probably the most mediocre of the Black Crowes’ otherwise pretty impressive discography. I’ve found it difficult to connect to the majority of the tracks despite the fact that they are in all pretty similarly done to earlier efforts. The problem is in the emotion…little is expressed and therefore little can be felt. It pains me to admit to not enjoying a Black Crowes album completely.
By Your Side is not a great album. It does not pretend to be a great album, nor does it feel like the band had any intentions of making a worthwhile album.
With that said, not everything about By Your Side is a failure. It’s not a horrible album, just not a good one either. Two offerings rank among the best of the Black Crowes song library. I can’t help buy love (yes love!) both Kickin’ My Heart Around and By Your Side. A few others including Go Faster, Diamond Ring, and Only A Fool also are decent enough to mention in passing (though most definitely not in detail). There’s nothing truly horrible about By Your Side. Rather, it’s just boring and somewhat monotonous…definitely not qualities I’m used to from Black Crowes.
Kickin’ My Heart Around is without question my favorite available track. It feels stark, acoustic…as though the band were standing on a dimly lit, smoky stage in some bar in Georgia. Energetic, driving, completely riveting, the track proves to be a groovy jam that bridges the gap between country, folk, rock, and blues (all characteristic of the Black Crowes on each of their albums). Anyway, Kickin’ My Heart Around is a veritable masterpiece.
In the beginning
There was no wrong you could do
Now in this ending
I can't stand looking at you
The title track, By Your Side, is my second vote for most favorite of this album. Funkier, freer, and reminiscent of the most perfect songs culled from Southern Harmony…, this song is emotional and grounded. But, the thing that most screams “perfect” to me is the gospel choir and rock and roll piano. It truly is a great song and a worthy listen.
And just as there are good and decent tracks, there are some rather blah ones. Among these are Go Tell the Congregation with the lackluster, repetitive, and overpowering guitars. The She Said My Name is also polluted by overpowering guitars and a rather annoying organ. It’s a rather pushy song that really bothers me despite the fact that I do enjoy the vocal line. Final “bad song” of note is the final of the album…Virtue and Vice. It seems to be an attempt to feel like a version of an earlier Black Crowes. song, yet it feels purposeless and bleak.
By Your Side is an average song of overall rather mediocre songs. As I already mentioned, there are a few good ones, a few okay ones, and a few nasty ones. My suggestion would be to check out the other Black Crowes albums in full before picking this one up. Though. Let me be frank. After this experience, I’ve sworn off any further releases and even the most recent studio album Lions.
Rating: 3/5 stars
Track Listing:
01. Go Faster
02. Kickin’ My Heart Around
03. By Your Side
04. Horsehead
05. Only a Fool
06. Heavy
07. Welcome to the Goodtimes
08. Go Tell the Congregation
09. Diamond Ring
10. Then She Said My Name
11. Virtue and Vice
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