Black Crowes Believe in Coming On Strong

So you think you've been busy? Try the schedule of the Black Crowes, a hard-nosed 
Atlanta band strongly influenced by Aerosmith and the Rolling Stones. "We've been out 
for 11 months and I've had six days off," says singer Chris Robinson. "Some people 
think we're crazy." The Crowes have opened for Aerosmith, Robert Plant and Heart this 
year-and will join ZZ Top's tour in January. They're also squeezing in a headlining tour 
that hits the Channel tomorrow night. 
The band's work ethic is paying off. Their debut album "Shake Your Money Maker" is 
not only a welcome shot of raucous, stripped-down rock, but is No. 22 on the Billboard 
charts and features the hit singles "Jealous Again" and "Hard to Handle." The latter was 
the most requested song on rock radio recently. 
So why the punishing schedule? 
"Hey, we asked to get up at bat," says Robinson. "How many times in life do you get the 
chance? So we're going for it. Eleven months of being a gypsy is fine with me. This is 
the one thing I can do without driving people around me insane." 
Robinson, 23, started the band with his younger brother, Rich, a guitarist. "We've been 
together for four years. We played the club scene in the South, where some days I'd look 
in the mirror and feel pretty cool, but other days I'd wonder if I'd have to go back to 
college and become an English teacher. But we knew we were onto something and we 
just stuck with it." 
"The Stones' 'Exile on Main Street' and Aerosmith's first record is where I really learned 
about rock 'n roll. That's where I learned that you have to put your band above God, 
country and dental hygiene to make it." 
But Robinson isn't just some narrow-minded rock purist. He also cites such diverse 
influences as Otis Redding (who wrote "Hard to Handle"), Bob Marley, and Big Star. 
"I've always spent every extra cent I had on records," he says. "Even now, I've got 120 
CDs with me on the road. They range from Ravi Shankar and Bob Dylan to Thee 
Hypnotics and the reggae band Culture." 
The Rolling Stones, though, remain the biggest inspiration. "I just love Keith Richards. 
He may have been a slave to the needle at one point, but he still made the music that he 
wanted to make. That's quite different from some corporate types who say, 'Hey, if you 
put a hole in your jeans and wear a headband like Axl Rose, you'll sell a million more 
records.'" 
"We try to be like the Stones in spirit," Robinson adds. "So what if we come on a little 
strong. Some people say to me, 'Hey, you sound like a snot-nosed 23-year-old.' But all 
we're trying to do is be honest. That's what the Black Crowes have always been about." 
Date: 11-30-1990
c The Boston Globe, 1990 
Author: Steve Morse, Boston Globe Staff