When most people hear "the blues", the first image that probably pops into their mind is a middle aged African American man plucking away at his acoustic guitar on a porch somewhere in Louisiana. While many of the genre's forefathers may have fit that mold, it is a restrictive and inaccurate view of a diverse and rich form of music that is the root for almost all modern music. Those that maintain this stereotypical view of the blues and assume it is "grandpa music" are missing out on a lot.

Since the electrification of the guitar shot it to the forefront of three and four piece bands, music entered an evolutionary time warp not unlike that the quantum leaps in science and technology occurring at the same time.

Some of the pioneers during the 50's were B.B. King, Albert King, Muddy Waters and Robert Johnson. Chuck Berry was among the first to take the blues and kick it up a notch, speeding up the tempo and creating many rock riffs and techniques that are standard vocabulary today.

By the 60's and 70's, the blues had traveled across the pond to Britain. Bands like Cream, the Who, the Rolling Stones, and Led Zeppelin all traced their roots back to the blues forefathers. Even Angus Young of AC/DC, considered metal by many(the band always maintains that they are a rock band, not metal) has a very bluesy style of playing.

By the 80's, "Blues-Rock" had become indistinguishable from "Hard Rock". It wasn't until artists like Stevie Ray Vaughan came along and took blues back to it's roots.

Some modern bands that have bluesy overtones include the Black Keys and the White Stripes.

Friday, April 15, 2011

The Black Crowes

The Black Crowes were formed in 1989 and are dedicated to the 70's era blues rock. Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, the Band's core has centered around Chris and Rich Robinson, and Steve Gorman on vocals, guitar, and drums, respectively. However, a high turnover rate has trailed the band throughout their history, with a hiatus from 2002 to 2005. The band has been heavily influenced by The Rolling Stones, Faces, Buddy Guy, Otis Redding, and Humble Pie.







While entering the ballgame relatively late compared to some of the other bands that have mentioned, The Black Crowes have stayed true to the blues rock tone that they sought to emulate. Many of their songs, such as "She Talks to Angles", "Jealous Again", and "Twice as Hard", made their first album a success, even in a period when hair bands were fading and grunge was taking root in the music scene. The Black Crowes have a very "Southern" sound that is truly their own. They may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I think they are an important milestone in the blues rock genre.
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