The Black Crowes
Shake Your Money Maker

THE REVIEW

(This is my very first review that I wrote, which I had already developed way back on October 2, 2011. So, for pure correctness, I am reporting the review as I had finished it, as a beginner and "bimbominkiosa", without making any changes. I hope you like it)

Before diving into the analysis of the album, let's take a short step back in time.

It was January of 1990, United States. The hair/glam metal movement was on the verge of collapse, enjoying its last moments of glory thanks to bands like Whitesnake, Skid Row, Slaughter, Cinderella, Poison, etc. This musical movement would soon be superseded by the explosion of the grunge phenomenon (as journalists called it), represented by bands of the caliber of Nirvana, Soundgarden, Alice In Chains, Stone Temple Pilots, and Pearl Jam.

In the midst of these two phenomena, however, there was another musical genre that wasn't faring as well. In fact, since the early 80s, southern rock, or as I like to call it in translation, southern rock, was experiencing a marked decline in both quality and popularity. Lynyrd Skynyrd had disbanded in 1977 (due to the death of Ronnie Van Zant and part of the band in a plane crash), the same fate befell the Eagles and the Allman Brothers Band. Despite this, bands like ZZ Top, Molly Hatchet, .38 Special, and Grateful Dead managed to survive, thanks to modifications they made to their sound to adapt to the trends of the time and still manage to sell something. For some, this change proved to be an optimal choice, both for critical success and musical and artistic quality ("Eliminator" by ZZ Top is the clearest example).

In this context, the Black Crowes from Atlanta, led by brothers Chris and Rich Robinson, stepped into the scene, accepting the challenge of reviving southern rock, the TRUE southern rock, and revitalizing the ancient and boisterous spirit of rock 'n' roll, drawing inspiration from their childhood heroes: Rolling Stones, Buddy Guy, Otis Redding, and Humble Pie.

What the Black Crowes offer with their debut album, which is also their biggest success, Shake Your Money Maker, is an essential rock, raw, hard, yet easy to listen to for everyone. But above all, it is impactful, it gets into your head and doesn’t get out that easily. The decent opening track Twice as Hard immediately makes the listener understand what they are facing, and this album couldn't open any better. Continuing to listen, we come across various rocky and blues-infused pieces like Jealous Again, Stare It Cold, and the soul cover by Otis Redding Hard to Handle, here performed with an almost Lynyrd Skynyrd-like style with a very pleasing result even to ears accustomed to completely different genres. It is precisely this cover that will bring abundant fame to the Black Crowes, being considered one of the best rock bands of the first half of the '90s. Going forward, we can enjoy real southern blues tracks, such as Sister Luck and She Talks To Angels, the latter being another anthem in the band's concerts and discography. To complete an already more than excellent album, the cheerful and rhythmic rock 'n' roll of Thick N' Thin, and the harsh and raw Struttin' Blues, with a guitar riff immediately reminiscent of the legendary Australian masters of dirty hard rock AC/DC, intervene.

In conclusion, there are few music albums, rock or otherwise, that manage to enter not just my brain but also my heart. Shake Your Money Maker is one of them. This album truly marks the rebirth of a genre that was born with Free Bird and Sweet Home Alabama by Lynyrd and seemed dead and buried with Van Zant's departure. An album to highly recommend to all rock lovers, and even to the more metallic listeners, hoping they are not the usual "trvE".

RATING = 95 / 100