Lions (album)
Encyclopedia
Lions is the sixth studio album
by American rock
band The Black Crowes
. 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
.
The band supported Lions with two North American tours (one with Oasis
co-headlining), and a short tour of Europe and Japan in between. Soundboard recordings of several concerts were available for download to those who owned the album. Following the tour, the band went on hiatus until 2005.
as free agents, having left Columbia Records
through a loophole in their contract. The decision to leave was driven by Columbia's promotion of By Your Side. According to band member Rich Robinson, "That record was destined to fail because ... [Columbia executives] just said, 'It's not going to do well ... It's no use wasting time or money.' " The band also was frustrated by the label's request for albums sounding similar to their first, 1990's Shake Your Money Maker.
In late 1999, lead vocalist Chris Robinson began a relationship with Kate Hudson
, which would influence subtly the lyrics on Lions. The pair met at a Friday night party in Manhattan
, which led to a Saturday stroll through Central Park
and a Sunday move-in. Their wedding at the Aspen, Colorado
, ranch of Kurt Russell
and Kate's mother, Goldie Hawn
, followed on , 2000.
Before the 2000 tour with Jimmy Page
, bassist Sven Pipien
was fired after arriving late for a performance and missing the return flight. Rich said it was not enough to warrant termination, but Pipien's defensiveness when confronted about the incident was too much to handle. Greg Rzab and Andy Hess
were considered as replacements; the band chose Rzab because he had more touring experience than Hess. Rzab, however, departed before the recording of Lions.
In mid-2000, the band signed with Richard Branson
's V2 Records
. Rich explained, "The cool thing about V2, the reason that we chose them, is that they told us, 'You guys go make the record you want to make. Then give it to us and we'll sell it.' That's what we needed to hear." The freedom V2 afforded through its hands-off approach influenced not only the music, but the album title as well. According to Chris, "Lions is a symbol that stands for the fierce feeling and freedom that music allows you."
songs with Jimmy Page influenced Lions, but not on a song-by-song basis. "Led Zeppelin's music is very dramatic and very dynamic. That's something we've attempted to do with our style also. I think it definitely affected how we make our music." Funk
and R&B were bigger influences than on past albums, and "Miracle to Me" was influenced by Nick Drake
.
Chris claimed Kate Hudson's influence on his lyrics was subtle: "More so than a literal reference to her, it's the vantage point from where I'm writing. It's the reasons that I'm singing and it's the feeling. That is an influence far greater than the literal influence." He did grant, however, that "Soul Singing" and "Miracle to Me" were written with Hudson in mind, and explained that the album's track order roughly follows a path from confusion to clarity that mirrored his own. Producer Don Was
said of Chris, "I realized he was taking on something that was significant. He was writing about becoming a man ... There's a lot of old man/young man symbolism that's a self-conversation ... I don't know that anyone has actually chronicled being 33 [years old] as well as this album."
Heated discussions during the writing of Lions were rare, owing to the Robinson brothers' usual method in which Rich writes the music and Chris writes the lyrics. "Soul Singing
" was the only song to cause disagreement; "I'd written this part where although the vocals changed the music stayed the same throughout. I thought we should add something or just not finish it, but Chris thought it was already a song, and a good one. So we talked about that one for a while", Rich recalled.
The Black Crowes had previously sent Was demos to interest him in producing By Your Side, but Was believed the demos were good enough to be the album. Columbia Records disagreed with Was' assessment, however, leading to Kevin Shirley
's hiring. With complete artistic control under V2 Records, the band was free to hire Was for Lions. Recording took place in January and at Montana Rehearsal Studios and Theater 99 Recording in New York City. The recording sessions progressed as smoothly as the writing; only "Come On" caused conflict between the band and Was. Rich acknowledged, "We must have recorded 'Come On' about five times in different ways ... Then [Was] just took it away with him and came back with this different mix", which impressed the band, leading to its inclusion on the album. The band ultimately was satisfied by the recording experience, finding that Was was devoted to helping realize their vision for the album rather than imposing his own.
The sessions were recorded on tape and Pro-Tools simultaneously; the band ultimately chose to use the tape version, as they preferred its sound quality. Most songs were recorded live with the band members playing together in one room, and microphones set up to capture the overall sound rather than that of individual instruments. Was felt this approach best approximated the feel of a Black Crowes concert, later noting that the Lions songs debuted at a private show in "sounded exactly like the record." Most of the recordings that comprise the album were recorded during preproduction, the purpose of which was to test arrangements. "[W]e didn't think we were recording the record. And it turned out to be great" said Rich. Audley Freed played guitar on only three tracks because Rich did not want "the meat of the song, which is the riff", to get lost in a "wall of sound". Though Rich brought his entire collection of guitars and a number of amplifiers
, he mostly recorded with a 1954 Fender Esquire
through a Harry Joyce amp. To achieve a resonator
-like tone on "Soul Singing", he used a James Trussart metal-bodied electric. Since Andy Hess did not join The Black Crowes until the above private show, the band did not have a bassist
during the recording sessions; Rich thus played bass on most tracks. On "Lay It All on Me", however, Rich played piano, leaving the bass guitar duties to Don Was.
A total of twenty songs were recorded during the Lions sessions. Of the seven cut from the album, four were mixed and mastered for potential release; three ("Last Time Again", "Love Is Now" and "Sleepyheads") appeared as B-sides, and the other ("The Pretty Gurl Song") circulates on a bootleg recording
.
's "Oh Well". The band then played scattered dates in the U.S. and UK, including an appearance on Later... with Jools Holland, ahead of Lions release. During this sequence of concerts, every song from the album was performed except "Losing My Mind" and "Ozone Mama"; the remaining two would be played on the album-supporting tour.
Lions was released on , 2001, in the UK and a day later in the U.S.; it subsequently debuted at its peak position of number 20 on the Billboard 200
chart, and sold over 53,000 copies in its first week. As of , the album had sold 192,000 copies in the U.S.
Around the album's release, band members made numerous promotional appearances. Chris Robinson guested on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart the day before the album was released in the U.S., and Chris and Steve Gorman appeared on The Howard Stern Show the following day. The band performed "Soul Singing" on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on , and was inducted into Hollywood's RockWalk four days later. A second late night television
performance of "Soul Singing" took place on , this time on the Late Show with David Letterman
.
"Lickin'" was the first single from the album; it peaked at number 9 on Billboards Mainstream Rock Tracks
on . The song's promotional video
was a compilation of various takes of a static, low-angle shot
of the band performing the song on a tiny stage. Second single "Soul Singing" peaked at number 12 on the same chart on ; its promotional video featured the band playing in a grassy field as the sun rises in the sky. A third single, "Miracle to Me", was canceled, but not before a promotional video was shot of the band ostensibly recording the song in a studio. Videos also were filmed for "Come On", "Greasy Grass River" and "Cypress Tree". Despite not playing on the album, Andy Hess appears in some of these videos, all of which are available as streaming media
on the band's official website.
, compared Steve Gorman
's drumming to that of John Bonham
and found analogs to specific guitar and keyboard tones in Led Zeppelin albums. Nigel Williamson of The Times
found similarities in Chris Robinson's voice on "Come On" to that of Robert Plant
, and wrote that the song "could almost be a Led Zeppelin II cast off." Other reviewers noted similarities to Aerosmith
; Howard Cohen of The Miami Herald
called "Lickin'" "the best Aerosmith single that band hasn't recorded in years." The perceived lack of originality, though, turned off some critics. The Herald Sun
s Andrew McUtchen inferred "The Black Crowes are unaware it's no longer the '70s and after one listen to Lions ... it's clear someone should tell them." Everett True of PlayLouder
concurred, writing "It's blindingly obvious the Crowes are imitators, and always will be", though Elysa Gardner, writing for USA Today
, recognized the band "exhibit an energy and dexterity that compensate—at least somewhat—for their lack of invention."
Many reviewers praised the sound of Lions but felt the songs were weak. Writing for dotmusic
, John Mulvey highlighted the "gutsy, no-messing sound", but appreciated "Cosmic Friend" for being "as impressively mad as you'd hope, too, beginning like Beatles psychedelia, taking in massive Brazilian drumming and a touch of pedal steel, before coalescing into furious heavy rock." Stephen Thomas Erlewine
of Allmusic described Lions as a "powerful, textured hard rock record that covers a lot of ground, surging from powerful riffs to gospel choruses and funkier-than-expected riffs", though he also complained that "the songs can seem incomplete." Critics disagreed on which songs were lacking, though. "Losing My Mind" and "Young Man, Old Man" were called "highlights" by Jane Stevenson of the Toronto Sun
, though elsewhere the former was called "woeful" and the latter a "'Freddie's Dead
' vamp" that should have been skipped.
The lyrics of Lions were another target for the critics. Mark Beaumont of NME
stated that the eloquence ends at the "Come awn come awn!/Everyone!" chorus of "Come On", and Stephen Thompson of The A.V. Club
bemoaned that "hoary tropes abound".
, with opening band Spacehog
, embarked on a co-headlining tour of North American theaters and amphitheaters. The Black Crowes had previously met Liam
and Noel Gallagher
and hit it off; "... so we called them and asked them if they were interested [in touring together]. And so they were like, 'Yeah, we'd love to!'" said Rich. The Black Crowes performed last each night, and their seventy-five minute set always included numerous songs from Lions. Members of Oasis typically would join them for an encore cover such as "Lucifer Sam
", "Can't You Hear Me Knocking
" or "Road Runner
".
The Black Crowes followed the tour with one-off dates and festivals across Europe and Japan, including shows opening for Neil Young
. Most of these shows, as well as most of the dates with Oasis, were made available by V2 Records as soundboard recordings. With Lions loaded in a CD-ROM
drive, one could stream each show, as well as download one live track per week and one show in its entirety.
Following a month-long break, the group returned to the road in late August for their Listen Massive Tour, with Beachwood Sparks
as the opening band. The tour was billed as a return to two-hour shows featuring a rotating set list. The show at the Greek Theatre
in Los Angeles
was canceled, but the band performed the next evening in Tucson, Arizona
, as scheduled. All profits and merchandise sales from the following week's three shows at the Beacon Theatre in New York City were donated to the New York State World Trade Center Relief Fund and the New York City Public/Private Initiative. While in New York City, Chris and Rich performed "By Your Side
" on Late Night with Conan O'Brien
. The Listen Massive Tour concluded with a 140-minute show at the Orpheum Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts, on . This would be Andy Hess and Audley Freed's last show as band members, as The Black Crowes went on hiatus shortly thereafter.
and Chris Robinson.
Japanese version
Additional musicians
Production
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by American rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band The Black Crowes
The Black Crowes
The Black Crowes are an American rock band formed in 1989. Their discography includes nine studio albums, four live albums and several charting singles. The band was signed to Def American Recordings in 1989 by producer George Drakoulias and released their debut album, Shake Your Money Maker, the...
. It was released in 2001 as their first album on V2 Records
V2 Records
V2 Records is a record label that is owned by Universal Music Group as of October 2007. The label was founded in 1996 by Richard Branson, five years after he sold Virgin Records to EMI....
following their departure from Columbia
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
, and is their only studio album to feature guitarist Audley Freed
Audley Freed
thumb|250px|Audley Freed playing with [[New Earth Mud]] on June 28, 2004 at [[Irving Plaza]], [[New York]]Audley Freed is a guitarist. He started his professional career on the Southeastern club and fraternity circuit. He then formed the band Cry of Love, which was signed to Columbia Records and...
. Lions was recorded in New York City in January and February of that year, and was produced by Don Was
Don Was
Don Was is an American musician, bassist and record producer.-Life and career:Was was born in Detroit, Michigan. He graduated from Oak Park High School in the Detroit suburb of Oak Park, then attended the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor but dropped out after the first year...
. Bass guitar duties were shared by Rich Robinson
Rich Robinson
Rich Robinson is an American musician and founding member of the rock and roll band The Black Crowes. Along with older brother Chris Robinson, Rich formed the band in 1984 while the two were in high school...
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
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
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
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
.
The band supported Lions with two North American tours (one with Oasis
Oasis (band)
Oasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
co-headlining), and a short tour of Europe and Japan in between. Soundboard recordings of several concerts were available for download to those who owned the album. Following the tour, the band went on hiatus until 2005.
Background
The Black Crowes began writing songs for the follow-up to their 1999 album By Your SideBy Your Side (Black Crowes album)
By Your Side is the fifth studio album by American rock band The Black Crowes. It was released in early 1999 on Columbia Records, following the band's move from American Recordings. Second guitarist Marc Ford and bassist Johnny Colt had left The Black Crowes in 1997...
as free agents, having left Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
through a loophole in their contract. The decision to leave was driven by Columbia's promotion of By Your Side. According to band member Rich Robinson, "That record was destined to fail because ... [Columbia executives] just said, 'It's not going to do well ... It's no use wasting time or money.' " The band also was frustrated by the label's request for albums sounding similar to their first, 1990's Shake Your Money Maker.
In late 1999, lead vocalist Chris Robinson began a relationship with Kate Hudson
Kate Hudson
Kate Garry Hudson is an American actress. She came to prominence in 2001 after winning a Golden Globe and receiving several nominations, including a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, for her role in Almost Famous. She then starred in the hit film How to Lose a Guy in 10...
, which would influence subtly the lyrics on Lions. The pair met at a Friday night party in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, which led to a Saturday stroll through Central Park
Central Park
Central Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
and a Sunday move-in. Their wedding at the Aspen, Colorado
Aspen, Colorado
The City of Aspen is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Pitkin County, Colorado, United States. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the city population was 5,804 in 2005...
, ranch of Kurt Russell
Kurt Russell
Kurt Vogel Russell is an American television and film actor. His first acting roles were as a child in television series, including a lead role in the Western series The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters...
and Kate's mother, Goldie Hawn
Goldie Hawn
Goldie Jeanne Hawn is an American actress, film director, producer, and occasional singer. Hawn is known for her roles in Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, Private Benjamin, Foul Play, Overboard, Bird on a Wire, Death Becomes Her, The First Wives Club, and Cactus Flower, for which she won the 1969...
, followed on , 2000.
Before the 2000 tour with Jimmy Page
Jimmy Page
James Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...
, bassist Sven Pipien
Sven Pipien
Sven Pipien is a musician best known as the bassist of the hard rock band The Black Crowes. He had previously played bass with Atlanta-based Mary My Hope, who released one album on Silvertone Records....
was fired after arriving late for a performance and missing the return flight. Rich said it was not enough to warrant termination, but Pipien's defensiveness when confronted about the incident was too much to handle. Greg Rzab and Andy Hess
Andy Hess
Andy Hess is an American bassist and former member of Gov't Mule, having joined the band in 2003. Previously, he was The Black Crowes' bassist from February 2001 until their hiatus early the following year...
were considered as replacements; the band chose Rzab because he had more touring experience than Hess. Rzab, however, departed before the recording of Lions.
In mid-2000, the band signed with Richard Branson
Richard Branson
Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson is an English business magnate, best known for his Virgin Group of more than 400 companies....
's V2 Records
V2 Records
V2 Records is a record label that is owned by Universal Music Group as of October 2007. The label was founded in 1996 by Richard Branson, five years after he sold Virgin Records to EMI....
. Rich explained, "The cool thing about V2, the reason that we chose them, is that they told us, 'You guys go make the record you want to make. Then give it to us and we'll sell it.' That's what we needed to hear." The freedom V2 afforded through its hands-off approach influenced not only the music, but the album title as well. According to Chris, "Lions is a symbol that stands for the fierce feeling and freedom that music allows you."
Writing and production
Chris Robinson granted that the experience of playing Led ZeppelinLed Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
songs with Jimmy Page influenced Lions, but not on a song-by-song basis. "Led Zeppelin's music is very dramatic and very dynamic. That's something we've attempted to do with our style also. I think it definitely affected how we make our music." Funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
and R&B were bigger influences than on past albums, and "Miracle to Me" was influenced by Nick Drake
Nick Drake
Nicholas Rodney "Nick" Drake was an English singer-songwriter and musician. Though he is best known for his sombre guitar based songs, Drake was also proficient at piano, clarinet and saxophone...
.
Chris claimed Kate Hudson's influence on his lyrics was subtle: "More so than a literal reference to her, it's the vantage point from where I'm writing. It's the reasons that I'm singing and it's the feeling. That is an influence far greater than the literal influence." He did grant, however, that "Soul Singing" and "Miracle to Me" were written with Hudson in mind, and explained that the album's track order roughly follows a path from confusion to clarity that mirrored his own. Producer Don Was
Don Was
Don Was is an American musician, bassist and record producer.-Life and career:Was was born in Detroit, Michigan. He graduated from Oak Park High School in the Detroit suburb of Oak Park, then attended the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor but dropped out after the first year...
said of Chris, "I realized he was taking on something that was significant. He was writing about becoming a man ... There's a lot of old man/young man symbolism that's a self-conversation ... I don't know that anyone has actually chronicled being 33 [years old] as well as this album."
Heated discussions during the writing of Lions were rare, owing to the Robinson brothers' usual method in which Rich writes the music and Chris writes the lyrics. "Soul Singing
Soul Singing
"Soul Singing" is a song by the American rock band The Black Crowes, released on July 23, 2001, as the second single from the group's sixth studio album Lions.-Writing and production:...
" was the only song to cause disagreement; "I'd written this part where although the vocals changed the music stayed the same throughout. I thought we should add something or just not finish it, but Chris thought it was already a song, and a good one. So we talked about that one for a while", Rich recalled.
The Black Crowes had previously sent Was demos to interest him in producing By Your Side, but Was believed the demos were good enough to be the album. Columbia Records disagreed with Was' assessment, however, leading to Kevin Shirley
Kevin Shirley
Kevin Shirley is a music producer and mixer for many artists, such as the bands Journey, Iron Maiden, Rush, Led Zeppelin, Joe Bonamassa, Marya Roxx, Dream Theater, Tyler Bryant, Mr. Big, and Europe.-Biography:...
's hiring. With complete artistic control under V2 Records, the band was free to hire Was for Lions. Recording took place in January and at Montana Rehearsal Studios and Theater 99 Recording in New York City. The recording sessions progressed as smoothly as the writing; only "Come On" caused conflict between the band and Was. Rich acknowledged, "We must have recorded 'Come On' about five times in different ways ... Then [Was] just took it away with him and came back with this different mix", which impressed the band, leading to its inclusion on the album. The band ultimately was satisfied by the recording experience, finding that Was was devoted to helping realize their vision for the album rather than imposing his own.
The sessions were recorded on tape and Pro-Tools simultaneously; the band ultimately chose to use the tape version, as they preferred its sound quality. Most songs were recorded live with the band members playing together in one room, and microphones set up to capture the overall sound rather than that of individual instruments. Was felt this approach best approximated the feel of a Black Crowes concert, later noting that the Lions songs debuted at a private show in "sounded exactly like the record." Most of the recordings that comprise the album were recorded during preproduction, the purpose of which was to test arrangements. "[W]e didn't think we were recording the record. And it turned out to be great" said Rich. Audley Freed played guitar on only three tracks because Rich did not want "the meat of the song, which is the riff", to get lost in a "wall of sound". Though Rich brought his entire collection of guitars and a number of amplifiers
Guitar amplifier
A guitar amplifier is an electronic amplifier designed to make the signal of an electric or acoustic guitar louder so that it will produce sound through a loudspeaker...
, he mostly recorded with a 1954 Fender Esquire
Fender Esquire
The Fender Esquire is a solid body electric guitar manufactured by Fender, and was the first guitar sold by Fender in 1950. Shortly after its introduction a two-pickup version named the Broadcaster was introduced while the single pickup version retained the Esquire name...
through a Harry Joyce amp. To achieve a resonator
Resonator guitar
A resonator guitar or resophonic guitar is an acoustic guitar whose sound is produced by one or more spun metal cones instead of the wooden sound board . Resonator guitars were originally designed to be louder than conventional acoustic guitars which were overwhelmed by horns and percussion...
-like tone on "Soul Singing", he used a James Trussart metal-bodied electric. Since Andy Hess did not join The Black Crowes until the above private show, the band did not have a bassist
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
during the recording sessions; Rich thus played bass on most tracks. On "Lay It All on Me", however, Rich played piano, leaving the bass guitar duties to Don Was.
A total of twenty songs were recorded during the Lions sessions. Of the seven cut from the album, four were mixed and mastered for potential release; three ("Last Time Again", "Love Is Now" and "Sleepyheads") appeared as B-sides, and the other ("The Pretty Gurl Song") circulates on a bootleg recording
Bootleg recording
A bootleg recording is an audio or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority. The process of making and distributing such recordings is known as bootlegging...
.
Promotion and release
Soon after the Lions sessions, V2 Records threw a "completion party" at The Bank in New York City, at which The Black Crowes performed four songs from the new album, five songs from their catalog and a cover of Fleetwood MacFleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac are a British–American rock band formed in 1967 in London.The only original member present in the band is its eponymous drummer, Mick Fleetwood...
's "Oh Well". The band then played scattered dates in the U.S. and UK, including an appearance on Later... with Jools Holland, ahead of Lions release. During this sequence of concerts, every song from the album was performed except "Losing My Mind" and "Ozone Mama"; the remaining two would be played on the album-supporting tour.
Lions was released on , 2001, in the UK and a day later in the U.S.; it subsequently debuted at its peak position of number 20 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
chart, and sold over 53,000 copies in its first week. As of , the album had sold 192,000 copies in the U.S.
Around the album's release, band members made numerous promotional appearances. Chris Robinson guested on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart the day before the album was released in the U.S., and Chris and Steve Gorman appeared on The Howard Stern Show the following day. The band performed "Soul Singing" on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on , and was inducted into Hollywood's RockWalk four days later. A second late night television
Late night television
Late night television in the United States is the block of television programming airing after 11:00 pm and usually through 2:00 am. Traditionally, this type of programming airs after the late local news and is most notable for being the daypart used for a particular genre of programming that falls...
performance of "Soul Singing" took place on , this time on the Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman is a U.S. late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and is produced by Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated. The show's music director and band-leader of the house band, the CBS Orchestra, is...
.
"Lickin'" was the first single from the album; it peaked at number 9 on Billboards Mainstream Rock Tracks
Mainstream Rock Tracks
Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music. Modern rock tracks are counted in the Alternative Songs chart.This chart began with the March 21, 1981, issue...
on . The song's promotional video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
was a compilation of various takes of a static, low-angle shot
Low-angle shot
In cinematography, a low-angle shot, is a shot from a camera positioned low on the vertical axis, anywhere below the eyeline, looking up.-Famous examples:...
of the band performing the song on a tiny stage. Second single "Soul Singing" peaked at number 12 on the same chart on ; its promotional video featured the band playing in a grassy field as the sun rises in the sky. A third single, "Miracle to Me", was canceled, but not before a promotional video was shot of the band ostensibly recording the song in a studio. Videos also were filmed for "Come On", "Greasy Grass River" and "Cypress Tree". Despite not playing on the album, Andy Hess appears in some of these videos, all of which are available as streaming media
Streaming media
Streaming media is multimedia that is constantly received by and presented to an end-user while being delivered by a streaming provider.The term "presented" is used in this article in a general sense that includes audio or video playback. The name refers to the delivery method of the medium rather...
on the band's official website.
Critical reception
Media reviews of Lions were mixed. Numerous writers detected a Led Zeppelin influence (which was praised by some, but panned by others) and attributed it to The Black Crowes' recent tour with Jimmy Page. Dave McKenna, writing for The Washington PostThe Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
, compared Steve Gorman
Steve Gorman
Steve Gorman is a musician best known as the drummer of the American hard rock band The Black Crowes. He also spent some time as the drummer for British rock band Stereophonics.- Early career :...
's drumming to that of John Bonham
John Bonham
John Henry Bonham was an English musician and songwriter, best known as the drummer of Led Zeppelin. Bonham was esteemed for his speed, power, fast right foot, distinctive sound, and "feel" for the groove...
and found analogs to specific guitar and keyboard tones in Led Zeppelin albums. Nigel Williamson of The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
found similarities in Chris Robinson's voice on "Come On" to that of Robert Plant
Robert Plant
Robert Anthony Plant, CBE is an English singer and songwriter best known as the vocalist and lyricist of the iconic rock band Led Zeppelin. He has also had a successful solo career...
, and wrote that the song "could almost be a Led Zeppelin II cast off." Other reviewers noted similarities to Aerosmith
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
; Howard Cohen of The Miami Herald
The Miami Herald
The Miami Herald is a daily newspaper owned by The McClatchy Company headquartered on Biscayne Bay in the Omni district of Downtown Miami, Florida, United States...
called "Lickin'" "the best Aerosmith single that band hasn't recorded in years." The perceived lack of originality, though, turned off some critics. The Herald Sun
Herald Sun
The Herald Sun is a morning tabloid newspaper based in Melbourne, Australia. It is published by The Herald and Weekly Times, a subsidiary of News Limited, itself a subsidiary of News Corporation. It is available for purchase throughout Melbourne, Regional Victoria, Tasmania, the Australian Capital...
s Andrew McUtchen inferred "The Black Crowes are unaware it's no longer the '70s and after one listen to Lions ... it's clear someone should tell them." Everett True of PlayLouder
PlayLouder
Playlouder is a digital music and media company. It is a music site which provides news, reviews, and other related content. It also claims to be the world's first Music Service Provider or MSP — a broadband, Internet Service Provider that bundles access to music content with broadband...
concurred, writing "It's blindingly obvious the Crowes are imitators, and always will be", though Elysa Gardner, writing for USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
, recognized the band "exhibit an energy and dexterity that compensate—at least somewhat—for their lack of invention."
Many reviewers praised the sound of Lions but felt the songs were weak. Writing for dotmusic
Dotmusic
Dotmusic was a music website that existed as a standalone website from June 1995 to December 2003. Initially intended as the web complement to the UK music industry trade magazine Music Week, the site was relaunched in December 1998 as a website for music fans.In addition to music news, reviews,...
, John Mulvey highlighted the "gutsy, no-messing sound", but appreciated "Cosmic Friend" for being "as impressively mad as you'd hope, too, beginning like Beatles psychedelia, taking in massive Brazilian drumming and a touch of pedal steel, before coalescing into furious heavy rock." Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine is a senior editor for Allmusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for Allmusic, as well as a freelance writer, occasionally contributing liner notes. He is also frontman and guitarist for the Ann Arbor-based band Who Dat?Erlewine is the nephew...
of Allmusic described Lions as a "powerful, textured hard rock record that covers a lot of ground, surging from powerful riffs to gospel choruses and funkier-than-expected riffs", though he also complained that "the songs can seem incomplete." Critics disagreed on which songs were lacking, though. "Losing My Mind" and "Young Man, Old Man" were called "highlights" by Jane Stevenson of the Toronto Sun
Toronto Sun
The Toronto Sun is an English-language daily tabloid newspaper published in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is known for its daily Sunshine Girl feature and for what it sees as a populist conservative editorial stance.-History:...
, though elsewhere the former was called "woeful" and the latter a "'Freddie's Dead
Freddie's Dead
"Freddie's Dead" is a song by Curtis Mayfield. It was the first single from his 1972 soundtrack album for the film Super Fly. The single was released before the Super Fly album, and in fact before the film itself was in theaters. The song peaked at #4 on the U.S...
' vamp" that should have been skipped.
The lyrics of Lions were another target for the critics. Mark Beaumont of NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
stated that the eloquence ends at the "Come awn come awn!/Everyone!" chorus of "Come On", and Stephen Thompson of The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
bemoaned that "hoary tropes abound".
Concert tours
Shortly after the release of Lions, The Black Crowes and OasisOasis (band)
Oasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
, with opening band Spacehog
Spacehog
Spacehog is an English rock band formed in 1994. Their music is heavily influenced by David Bowie, Queen, and T.Rex.-Members:* Royston Langdon a.k.a. "Ray Sprinkles" – bass and vocals...
, embarked on a co-headlining tour of North American theaters and amphitheaters. The Black Crowes had previously met Liam
Liam Gallagher
William John Paul "Liam" Gallagher is an English musician and singer-songwriter, the former frontman of the English rock band Oasis and currently of the band Beady Eye. Gallagher's erratic behaviour, distinctive singing style, and abrasive attitude have been the subject of commentary in the press...
and Noel Gallagher
Noel Gallagher
Noel Thomas David Gallagher is an English musician and singer-songwriter, formerly the lead guitarist, backing vocalist and principal songwriter of the English rock band Oasis. He is currently fronting his solo project, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds.Raised in Burnage, Manchester with his...
and hit it off; "... so we called them and asked them if they were interested [in touring together]. And so they were like, 'Yeah, we'd love to!'" said Rich. The Black Crowes performed last each night, and their seventy-five minute set always included numerous songs from Lions. Members of Oasis typically would join them for an encore cover such as "Lucifer Sam
Lucifer Sam
"Lucifer Sam" is a song by British psychedelic rock band Pink Floyd, featured on the debut album The Piper at the Gates of Dawn .-Music and lyrics:...
", "Can't You Hear Me Knocking
Can't You Hear Me Knocking
"Can't You Hear Me Knocking" is a song by English rock and roll band The Rolling Stones from their 1971 album Sticky Fingers.-Details:The song is over seven minutes long, and begins with a signature Keith Richards open-G tuned guitar intro...
" or "Road Runner
Road Runner (Bo Diddley song)
"Road Runner" is a song written and performed by American rock and roll performer Bo Diddley, originally released as a single by Checker Records in January 1960, and later released on the LP record Bo Diddley in the Spotlight. The song reached #20 on Billboard magazine's Hot R&B Sides chart, and...
".
The Black Crowes followed the tour with one-off dates and festivals across Europe and Japan, including shows opening for Neil Young
Neil Young
Neil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...
. Most of these shows, as well as most of the dates with Oasis, were made available by V2 Records as soundboard recordings. With Lions loaded in a CD-ROM
CD-ROM
A CD-ROM is a pre-pressed compact disc that contains data accessible to, but not writable by, a computer for data storage and music playback. The 1985 “Yellow Book” standard developed by Sony and Philips adapted the format to hold any form of binary data....
drive, one could stream each show, as well as download one live track per week and one show in its entirety.
Following a month-long break, the group returned to the road in late August for their Listen Massive Tour, with Beachwood Sparks
Beachwood Sparks
Beachwood Sparks are an American alternative country band from Los Angeles. A Daily Telegraph article on America's underground psychedelic pop scene described Beachwood Sparks as "country through a kaleidoscope".-Biography:...
as the opening band. The tour was billed as a return to two-hour shows featuring a rotating set list. The show at the Greek Theatre
Greek Theatre (Los Angeles)
The Greek Theatre is a 5,700-seat amphitheater, located at Griffith Park, in Los Angeles, California. It was built in 1929, opening on September 29 of that year...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
was canceled, but the band performed the next evening in Tucson, Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
, as scheduled. All profits and merchandise sales from the following week's three shows at the Beacon Theatre in New York City were donated to the New York State World Trade Center Relief Fund and the New York City Public/Private Initiative. While in New York City, Chris and Rich performed "By Your Side
By Your Side (The Black Crowes song)
By Your Side is a Blues-rock song by American band The Black Crowes. Written and recorded in 1998, it is featured on their 1999 album of the same name.-Track listing:# "By Your Side" – 4:28# "Grows a Rose" – 3:16# "Peace Anyway" – 3:45...
" on Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien that aired 2,725 episodes on NBC between 1993 and 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and musical and comedy performances. Late Night aired weeknights at 12:37 am...
. The Listen Massive Tour concluded with a 140-minute show at the Orpheum Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts, on . This would be Andy Hess and Audley Freed's last show as band members, as The Black Crowes went on hiatus shortly thereafter.
Track listing
All songs written by RichRich Robinson
Rich Robinson is an American musician and founding member of the rock and roll band The Black Crowes. Along with older brother Chris Robinson, Rich formed the band in 1984 while the two were in high school...
and Chris Robinson.
- "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 SingingSoul Singing"Soul Singing" is a song by the American rock band The Black Crowes, released on July 23, 2001, as the second single from the group's sixth studio album Lions.-Writing and production:...
" – 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
Personnel
The Black Crowes- Chris Robinson – vocals, harmonicaHarmonicaThe harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
- Rich RobinsonRich RobinsonRich Robinson is an American musician and founding member of the rock and roll band The Black Crowes. Along with older brother Chris Robinson, Rich formed the band in 1984 while the two were in high school...
– guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
on "Lay It All on Me", vocals - Steve GormanSteve GormanSteve Gorman is a musician best known as the drummer of the American hard rock band The Black Crowes. He also spent some time as the drummer for British rock band Stereophonics.- Early career :...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussion - Ed HarschEddie HarschEddie Harsch is a Canadian-American keyboardist and current member of Detroit-based jam band Bulldog. Previously, he was The Black Crowes' keyboardist from 1991 to 2006. Harsch first joined Bulldog during The Black Crowes' hiatus, which lasted from early 2002 to early 2005...
– keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments... - Audley FreedAudley Freedthumb|250px|Audley Freed playing with [[New Earth Mud]] on June 28, 2004 at [[Irving Plaza]], [[New York]]Audley Freed is a guitarist. He started his professional career on the Southeastern club and fraternity circuit. He then formed the band Cry of Love, which was signed to Columbia Records and...
– guitar
Additional musicians
- Don WasDon WasDon Was is an American musician, bassist and record producer.-Life and career:Was was born in Detroit, Michigan. He graduated from Oak Park High School in the Detroit suburb of Oak Park, then attended the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor but dropped out after the first year...
– bass guitar on "Come On" and "Lay It All on Me" - Teese Gohl – string arrangement
- Craig RossCraig RossCraig David Ross is an American guitarist best known for performing and recording with Lenny Kravitz.-Biography:Ross was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. Craig Ross picked up the guitar at age 8, following a path that he hasn't deviated from since...
– lead guitar on "Greasy Grass River" - Maxine Waters, Oren Waters, Rose StoneRose StoneRose Stone is an African-American singer and keyboardist. She is best known as one of the lead singers in Sly & the Family Stone, a popular psychedelic soul/funk band founded by her brothers, Sly Stone and Freddie 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 StudiosElectric Lady StudiosElectric Lady Studios, at 52 West 8th Street, in New York City's Greenwich Village, is a recording studio originally built by Jimi Hendrix and designed by John Storyk in 1970...
)- Don Was
- Chris Ribando
- Adam Olmstead
- Steve Mandel – mixing assistant
- Chris Lord-AlgeChris Lord-AlgeChris Lord-Alge is a mixer who has worked on various albums. He is the brother of Tom Lord-Alge, another audio engineer. Chris Lord-Alge is known for his extreme use of dynamic range compression in both hardware and software plug-in versions....
– 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
Album
| Chart (2001) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
20 |
| U.S. Billboard Top Internet Albums | 8 |
| Canada Billboard Top Canadian Albums | 20 |
| France Album Chart | 141 |
| Germany Album Chart | 66 |
| Sweden Album Chart | 51 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
37 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | "Lickin'" | U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks | 9 |
| 2001 | "Soul Singing" | U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks | 12 |