Shake Your Money Maker is a studio debut album by American rock band The Black Crowes, released in February 1990 on Def American Recordings. This is the only album by the band to feature guitarist Jeff Cease. The album is named after a classic blues song written by Elmore James. The Black Crowes have played the song several times over the years, but it is not included in this album.
Shake Your Money Maker peaked at No. 4 on Billboards 200, and two singles, "Hard to Handle" and "She Talks to Angels", reached No. 1. 1 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. "Jealous Again", "Twice As Hard" and "Seeing Things" also featured singles in the US. Shake Your Money Maker is Black Crowes's best selling album, selling over 5 million copies.
Video Shake Your Money Maker (album)
Background and production
Brother Chris and Rich Robinson have formed Mr. Crowe Garden in 1984. In 1988 George Drakoulias saw the band during the band's performances in New York City and made them sign a contract with Def American in 1988; they changed their name to The Black Crowes shortly thereafter.
Recording sessions began in the summer of 1989 in Atlanta and Los Angeles, with Drakoulias producing the album. Some songs include songs retained from Mr. era Crowe Garden such as "Could Been Been So Blind" and "She Talks to Angels", whose riff was written many years ago by Rich Robinson who was then 17 years old and whose lyrics were inspired by Chris by a girl of heroin addicts who " he knows "in Atlanta. The band also chose to record the cover version of Otis Redding's "Hard to Handle", which will prove to be their breakthrough single.
Four music videos for "Twice As Hard", "Jealous Again", "Hard To Handle" and "She Talks to Angels" were filmed to promote the band and album, and then aired on MTV.
Maps Shake Your Money Maker (album)
Release and acceptance
When the album came out in February 1990, critical reception was largely favorable: Rolling Stone gave the album three out of five stars, and its readers and critics chose Black Crowes 'Best New American Band' in 1990; the band appeared on the cover of the 605 edition magazine (May 1991) after their dismissal from the ZZ Top tour in March of that year. Chris and Rich Robinson interviewed the band in the 1970s, with journalist David Fricke explicitly quoting Face and The Rolling Stones and Rich Robinson mentioning Aerosmith. AllMusic gave the album four out of five stars, praising Rich Robinson's guitar and Chris Robinson's "vocal vocals". However, Robert Christgau did not like the album, making it unattractive (which is the lowest score in the Christgau rating system). Entertainment Weekly rated it B and stated, "The Black Crowes is for the Rolling Stones beginning what Christian Slater is for the younger Jack Nicholson: self-conscious imitation, but good enough in itself.For Bluesmen, this Crowes will never exist, but their energies generate the right to destroy it. "
"Hard to Handle", "Jealous Again" and "Twice As Hard" go to the Mainstream Rock Tracks charts, each reaching first, fifth and eleventh. By the end of the year, Shake Your Money Maker had sold a million copies and eventually sold two million more, thus receiving triple platinum certification. In 1991, "She Talks to Angels" and "Seeing Things" each reached the first and second positions of the Mainstream Rock Tracks charts.
Legacy
This album is included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die .
Track list
All songs written by Chris Robinson and Rich Robinson, except where recorded.
- "Twice Difficult" - 4:09
- "Jealousy Again" - 4:35
- "Sister Luck" Ã, - 5:13
- "Could I Have Been Blind" - 3:44
- "Seeing Things" Ã, - 5:18
- "Difficult to Handle" (Allen Jones, Alvertis Isbell, Otis Redding) Ã, - 3:08
- "Thickness n 'Thin" Ã, - 2:44
- "He Speaks to the Angels" Ã, - 5:29
- "Struttin 'Blues" Ã, - 4:09
- "Staring It Cold" Ã, - 5:13
- "Live Too Fast Blues/Mercy, Sweet Moan" Ã, - 1:17 (hidden tracks)
- Bonus track
- "Do not Wake Me" Ã, - 3:33 (bonus track on 1998 Sho 'Nuff Box Set version)
- "He Speaks to Angel (Acoustic)" Ã, - 6:19 (Bonus Song 1998 Sho 'Nuff Box Set version)
- Chris RobinsonÃ, - vocals
- Robinson Rich - guitar
- Jeff Stop - guitar
- Johnny ColtÃ, - bass guitar
- Steve GormanÃ, - drum
- Additional personnel
- Chuck LeavellÃ, - piano, organ
- Brendan O'BrienÃ, - "anthology of the instrument"
- Laura CreamerÃ, - backing vocals
- Production
- George Drakoulias - producer
- Brendan O'BrienÃ, - engineer, mixing
- Lee Manning - assistant engineer, mixing, mixing engineer
- Rick Rubin - executive producer (credited in the arm only after the album becomes successful)
- Michael LavineÃ, - photography
- Ruth LeitmanÃ, - photography, cover photo
- Greg Fulginiti and Leon ZervosÃ, - master
- Pete AngelusÃ, - personal manager
- Alan Forbes - artwork, art direction, design
- Tag GeorgeÃ, - assistant engineer
"Live Too Blues/Mercy, Sweet Moan" follows in the footsteps of the bonus.
The bonus track was originally part of a recording session at Soundscape Studios in Atlanta.
Personnel
Charting single
Billboard charts (North America)
References
Source of the article : Wikipedia