Big Moon Ritual

Chris Robinson, Chris Robinson Brotherhood | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 5, 2012)
• Original Release Date: 2012
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: RED GENERAL CATALOG
• ASIN: B007Q1VUFA
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #14,695 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

In 2011, after more than 20 years of intense gigging and recording, Chris Robinson set off to shape something
new, a fresh rock mythology, a breathing kaleidoscopic thing stuffed with chooglin soul, bedrock boogie and shuffling wisdom birthed in intimate clubs and amongst the tall trees of the Golden State and eventually taken nationwide as the Chris Robinson Brotherhood evolved.

What began as an experiment without expectations turned into a 118-show journey for Robinson (lead vocals, guitar), Neal Casal (guitar, vocals), Adam MacDougall (keys, vocals), George Sluppick (drums) and Mark Dutton (bass, vocals) that surprised these seasoned pros as music of unshakeable solidity and exuberant reach poured out of them, a New Cosmic California sound with tendrils reaching to the original Fillmore West, Topanga Canyon
and outwards towards far horizons.
The music of the Chris Robinson Brotherhood finds its fruition on their studio debut album Big Moon Ritual
due out June 5 via Silver Arrow/Megaforce Records, to be followed by companion album The Magic Door in September.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 18 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Chris Robinson solo album yet June 5, 2012

By D. G. Devin

Format:Audio CD

My wife and I had the pleasure of seeing the Chris Robinson Brotherhood several times last year, and those shows were among the most enjoyable we've seen in years. Since we'd already heard many of the songs on this album at those live shows this album didn't come as a surprise, we'd already formed an attachment to those songs--though it's odd to hear songs live first and on an album later. But they sound just as good on this recording as they did live, I suppose they got to fine tune the songs onstage long before they went into the recording studio.

CR's abilities as a songwriter just get stronger and stronger as the years go by. He's matured into a writer who can tackle rock or soul or roots/Americana as he pleases, with an ability to turn just the right lyrical phrase matched by strong melodies and finally crafted solo instrumentation. Sometimes an album with songs that touch so many bases sounds unfocused, like they didn't know what they wanted to sound like. But with CRB the effect is one of confidence and huge competence; this band isn't experimenting to find out what they're good at, they handle every style with ease. This is an album that Black Crowes fans will enjoy, but so will folks into alt.country or jam-band psychedelia, Big Moon Ritual draws from so many musical sources that almost anyone will hear something they respond to.

Big Moon Ritual is his best solo recording so far, and that's saying a lot considering how good New Earth Mud and This Magnificent Distance were. So I'm torn--on the one hand I look forward to more from Chris Robinson Brotherhood, the music is just too good not to want more. But I'm also desperately hoping the Black Crowes reform soon as I've loved their music for two decades. Either way Chris Robinson will continue to deliver some of the best music being made today.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Spacey and sweet sounding tunes August 3, 2012

By Robert Marchese

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

This album is very different from Robinson's previous two solo albums, both of which were outstanding. Big Moon Ritual finds Robinson having fun playing with new people. Clearly he is (and has been) influenced by the sonic adventurousness of the Grateful Dead; this is evident throughout BMR. The tunes are loose and jammy; and though certain Black Crowes albums can be described in similar fashion--Amorica comes to mind--it's a different kind of loose and a different kind of jammy. The songs are long and run through many different moods within them. It's a conversation of sorts: the lyrics tell their story, then the guitars answer back, then the keyboards praise the whole blessed affair. Standouts include "Tulsa Yesterday," "Rosalee," and "One Hundred Days of Rain."

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Joshua Trees, Cold Beer and CRB = Pappy & Harriets high desert magic August 8, 2012

By Samuel J. Martin

Format:MP3 Music|Amazon Verified Purchase

LEGIT!!! Sounds just as good as the live show!! Chris and the boys really stretch it out and jam. Killer tunes.