The Crowes second best record gets the deluxe treatment
Nov 21, 2025
The 1994 release of amorica. was a pivotal, if not the most commercial moment for The Black Crowes. Following the multi-platinum success of their first two albums, Shake Your Money Maker and The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion, the Robinson brothers and company were expected to continue churning out radio gold. Instead, they delivered a dense, psychedelic slab of Southern rock that was less interested in chart dominance and more interested in getting weird in the studio. This was their unapologetic declaration of artistic independence, a band flexing their creative muscles and saying, “We’ll do what we want, thanks,” which, of course, meant they promptly sold a fraction of their previous efforts.
To compound matters, the now-iconic cover art—a close-up from a 1976 Hustler magazine featuring a woman in an American flag bikini with some visible pubic hair—got the album banned from major chain stores like Walmart and Kmart, proving once again that a little bit of hair is far too dangerous to the American youth and we must be protected by our corporate overlords. Thanks guys [eyeroll].
For lifelong fans like me, who knew at the time that the album was a bona fide masterpiece, the new deluxe edition is essentially a treasure map to the band’s entire creative process during this period. The most exciting artifact is arguably Tallest, the name given to the “lost” studio album, Tall, that the band famously scrapped and re-recorded to create amorica. Featuring nine newly mixed songs from those original January 1994 sessions, including unreleased tracks like “Bitter, Bitter You” and “Title Song,” it’s a peek into the alternate universe where the Crowes took a slightly different path. The irony of modernity is, of course, that the “scrapped” material is now the main selling point, forcing devoted fans to shell out for the very thing the Robinsons originally decided wasn’t good enough. Go figure.
The full band that crafted amorica. (and subsequently descended into glorious, creative chaos) was a six-piece unit firing on all cylinders. At the center, as always, were the perpetually squabbling but creatively potent Robinson brothers. Chris Robinson (vocals, harmonica) cemented his role as the swaggering, soul-drenched frontman, delivering some of his most introspective and psychedelic lyrics to date. His expressive, Rod Stewart-esque vocal delivery is the album’s emotional core. His younger brother, Rich Robinson (guitar), proved himself the architectural backbone of the band. Following the contentious Tall sessions, it was largely Rich’s drive and subsequent batch of riffs and ideas that shaped the final, groove-heavy sound of amorica., showcasing his ability to write compelling, varied music that moved beyond their Stonesy reputation and into a more complex, funky territory.
Side Note: If you consider yourself a Crowes fan but have never heard Rich Robinson’s solo records you should. Immediately. They absolutely stand on their own as great records, and clearly illustrate what Rich brought to the table in the Crowes and prove that he was as critical a creative engine as his much more visible brother Chris.
The band members surrounding the brothers provided the crucial, thick sonic tapestry for this new direction. Lead guitarist Marc Ford and his wah-wah pedal were essential, weaving soaring, blues-tinged solos through the dense arrangements. Listen to “High Head Blues” and “She Gave Good Sunflower,” where his interplay with Rich’s rhythm work creates the kind of twin-guitar hypnosis that only a band deeply committed to the jam can achieve. Ford, who had been with the group since Southern Harmony, was arguably at his creative peak here, lending a fiery, loose-limbed dexterity that gave the record its raw edge.
Another side note: At the very beginning of the first track “Gone,” shortly after Rich starts his rhythm guitar part (at about :19 in), you can audibly hear the noise gate open to allow Marc Ford’s lead guitar swell to be heard if you’re wearing headphones.
The noise gate’s primary function is to eliminate unwanted low-level sounds—like amp hum, hiss from equipment, or background room noise—when the main signal (e.g., a vocal, guitar, or drum) isn’t playing. Think of it as a physical gate which closes and blocks all audio when the signal level drops below a specific threshold (the “floor”), and then automatically opens to allow the sound through only when the desired signal is loud enough to exceed that threshold.
I’ve always found it super-cool that the gate opening was audible on this record letting the listener in to how the sausage was made (so to speak).
Holding down the groove were the essential rhythm section of Johnny Colt on bass and Steve Gorman on drums. Colt’s bass lines are not merely supportive; they are thumping, melodic anchors that drive the slow, greasy funk of tracks like “Nonfiction.” Drummer Steve Gorman is, and has always been, the group’s secret weapon. His uncanny ability to drive songs, providing the energy needed to propel the songs forward while simultaneously playing slightly behind the beat to create the laid back feel for this band is his super-power—from the heavy, propulsive beat of “Gone” and “A Conspiracy” to the subtle percussive touches that fill the spaces in the more experimental tracks. Finally, the newly minted “official” keyboardist, Eddie Harsch, was a critical part of striking the right balance, adding the vital layer of Hammond organ and piano lines needed to establish the melodic platform that allowed the guitars to stretch out into space.
amorica., and Crowes music generally, was truly at its best with this full, six-piece collaborative energy—and was to my ear the GOAT lineup for the Crowes. A fact made obviously apparent when listening to more recent iterations of the band without any of these specific players.
“Descend” down memory lane below... It will be worth it.
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Hard to find good videos of the band from this era with video standards from 30 years ago not being what they are today. That said, Here’s a live performance in France from 1994 (with a bonus song you may recogonize):
This was the most compelling video I could find related to this record with insights from the band:
