The Black Crowes' debut album,
Shake Your Money Maker, may borrow heavily from the bluesy hard rock grooves of
the Rolling Stones and
Faces (plus a bit of classic soul), but the band gets away with it due to sharp songwriting and an ear for strong riffs and chorus melodies, not to mention the gritty, muscular rhythm guitar of
Rich Robinson and brother
Chris' appropriate vocal swagger. Unlike their later records,
the Crowes don't really stretch out and jam that much on
Money Maker, but that helps distill their virtues into a handful of memorable singles ("Jealous Again," "She Talks to Angels," a cover of
Otis Redding's "Hard to Handle"), and most of the album tracks maintain an equally high standard.
Shake Your Money Maker may not be stunningly original, but it doesn't need to be; it's the most concise demonstration of the fact that the Black Crowes are a great, classic rock & roll band. ~ Steve Huey