It was released in 2001 as their first album on V2 Records following their departure from Columbia, and is their only studio album to feature guitarist Audley Freed.
Lions was recorded in New York City in January and February of that year, and was produced by Don Was.
Bass guitar duties were shared by Rich Robinson and Was, as Greg Rzab had left the band and was not replaced until the tour that followed the release of the album.
The album debuted on the Billboard 200 at its peak position of 20, selling more than 53,000 copies in its first week.
Lions received mixed reviews; although the overall sound of the album generally garnered praise, a frequent complaint was the lack of "memorable" songs.
The critics who rated Lions lowest considered it a poor imitation of the band's influences, such as Led Zeppelin.
If the Black Crowes are anything, they are survivors (and, reportedly, if Chris Robinson had his way, he'd be a genuine survivor, appearing on CBS' genius television show with his wife Kate Hudson), weathering years of popularity and disdain, before emerging at the end of the '90s as a rarity -- a real, road-weathered rock & roll band, in the classic sense.
And it wasn't just that they played classic rock -- they stayed out on the road constantly, bashing out albums when they weren't fighting record labels. By the dawn of the new millennium, there weren't many bands like that out on the market, and it was a mixed blessing -- it meant that they had an ugly breakup with their longtime label, American, but it also meant that there really wasn't anybody else for Jimmy Page to turn to when he wanted to tour in 1999.
These two events inform Lions, their first album for V2 records, and their most idiosyncratic album since 1994's neglected gem, Amorica.
Like that album, this record is instantly familiar, recalling many common and forgotten platters from the early '70s, yet twisted through a surprisingly individual voice from the Crowes.
And, like that record, this is more about the music and the texture than the songs, which is disconcerting for anybody looking for the knockout songwriting of their first two records, or even "Stop Kicking My Heart Around."
And, coming on the heels of that record, which was as tight a rock & roll album as they ever did, the diffuseness of Lions seems a bit off-kilter. Still, there's no denying that the group is stretching out and sounds terrific, and not just because Don Was is behind the boards.
The group is supple, laying into jams without seeming indulgent, and rocking like a bastard when the occasion calls for it. It's just too bad that there aren't many songs to remember here.
Some could argue that was the case with Amorica as well, but those never felt like excuses to play music, and the tone shifted dramatically from track to track.
Here, the songs can seem incomplete, as if they got the sound of the track down, but not the structure. Still, this is a powerful, textured hard rock record that covers a lot of ground, surging from powerful riffs to gospel choruses and funkier-than-expected riffs.
There are few bands of their time that could sound so versatile within the confines of hard rock, and if this doesn't really deliver memorable songs, tracks do jell on repeated plays, and the Black Crowes' kaleidoscopic vision of rock's history is reason enough to listen to this record -- even if you're left with a nagging suspicion that this could have been a knockout with some real songs in tow.
Tracklist
- "Midnight from the Inside Out" – 4:21
- "Lickin'" – 3:42
- "Come On" – 2:58
- "No Use Lying" – 4:57
- "Losing My Mind" – 4:26
- "Ozone Mama" – 3:54
- "Greasy Grass River" – 3:20
- "Soul Singing" – 3:54
- "Miracle to Me" – 4:42
- "Young Man, Old Man" – 4:14
- "Cosmic Friend" – 5:23
- "Cypress Tree" – 3:41
- "Lay It All on Me" – 5:29
- Japanese version
- "Love Is Now" – 4:22
All songs written by Rich and Chris Robinson.
The Black Crowes
- Chris Robinson – vocals, harmonica
- Rich Robinson – guitar, bass guitar, piano on "Lay It All on Me", vocals
- Steve Gorman – drums, percussion
- Ed Harsch – keyboards
- Audley Freed – guitar
- Additional musicians
- Don Was – bass guitar on "Come On" and "Lay It All on Me"
- Teese Gohl – string arrangement
- Craig Ross – lead guitar on "Greasy Grass River"
- Maxine Waters, Oren Waters, Rose Stone and Julie Waters – background vocals on "Soul Singing"
- Production
- Don Was – producer
- Pete Angelus – personal manager
- Amy Finkle – management
- Chris Ribando – recording (Montana Rehearsal Studio and Theater 99)
- Ray Martin – recording (Theater 99)
- Raeann Zschokke – recording assistant
- The Sickamore Avenue High School Mixing Squad – mixing (The Record Plant and Electric Lady Studios)
- Don Was
- Chris Ribando
- Adam Olmstead
- Steve Mandel – mixing assistant
- Chris Lord-Alge – mixing ("Come On", "Losing My Mind" and "Soul Singing")
- Derek Phelps – guitar tech
- John "Noodles" Weber – drum tech
- Jane Oppenheimer – minister of information
- Jennifer Gunderson – production coordinator
- Ron Kimball Studios – cover photograph
- Zoren Gold – photography
- Minori – retouching
- V2 Image Control – art direction
Notes
Released: May 7, 2001
Recorded: January–February 2001 at Montana Rehearsal Studios and Theater 99 Recording in New York City
Genre: Southern rock, blues rock
Length: 59:34
Label - V2 Records
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