Rich Robinson Creates Moods On Black Crowes Live Album

Wednesday July 17, 2002 @ 05:30 PM
By: ChartAttack.com Staff

from the Crowes' Nest (http://qfg.info/crowesnest.html)



Since The Black Crowes are now on "hiatus" after drummer Steve Gorman officially 
left and hip-hugger lovin' frontman Chris Robinson (or Mr. Kate Hudson to 
others) went in search of other ventures, Rich, the other half of the Robinson 
clan and lead guitarist in the band actually took it upon himself to produce 
another Crowes record all on his own. You can thank Rich Robinson for the double 
CD, The Black Crowes Live, in stores August 20 through V2 Records. 

"It was just sort of on a whim," he explains about his decision to fully produce 
the project. "And I thought we were just playing so well together as a band [on 
the last tour]. I was just like 'Let's record these last couple of shows just 
for fun.' We've never released [a live record] before, except for the Jimmy Page 
one [Live At The Greek], but that really doesn't count. But I guess it was just 
my idea. I just wanted to record the last two shows and Chris wasn't really 
interested anymore. He just wanted to go and do his own thing and that's about 
it."

When speaking about his other band members' involvement in the live project 
since the temporary, and some rumours say permanent, parting of ways, Rich can 
only repeat his previous statement about his brother with a tone that belies a 
bit of disappointment and resignation:

"Chris decided he just wanted to go and make a solo record. And that was just 
sort of his thing."

Right. I get the point. Back to the task at hand - the live record. 

"Basically, what Chris and I want is what happens because it's our band and it's 
our vision and that's what we want to let people in on," he explains. "I went 
through a ton of [the tapes]. First of all, I think we play great live and there 
are songs that are pivotal points in our set, you know what I mean? Like 'Thorn 
In My Pride' and 'Remedy.' So I wanted to sort of cover the gamut. I looked at 
it like I was creating a new set. To me, I like the way songs move into others. 
I sort of like creating this sort of long. mood. Like, Amorica and Lions, how 
one song kind of went into another. We kind of want to take people on this 
journey."

So what's left for Rich Robinson? Other than maybe trying his hand at more 
producing and film scoring, he's also getting together a band and recording some 
demos ("That is what I DO," he laughs). But there's something else you might not 
expect from Rich Robinson: He's going the way of Metallica - working with the 
Los Angeles Philharmonic! 

"I pitched it to this woman at the L.A. Philharmonic and she really liked it. I 
have this idea for a world music orchestra. I just wanted to hear classical 
western music. Bach, Mozart. And I wanted to hear it played by people who 
weren't brought up on classical music. People who come from Africa and India and 
Japan, basically playing more folk instruments, but approaching it from their 
world."

-Debbie Bento

from the Crowes' Nest (http://qfg.info/crowesnest.html)