Customer Reviews

Three Snakes And One Charm

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

When this album came out, it was sorely dismissed as a rather bland and boring psychedelic rock album by a band who has seen their rise and peak 4 years earlier. Tis a shame, becuase I think this is the best Crowes album yet. It doesn't get more free-flowing and more beatiful than this. On this album, the Crowes get a little more versatile and a little softer than previous releases. While Amorica was loud and harsh, this album is more laid-back and easy going. Right from the get go, Under A Mountain takes a while to get under your skin, but when it does, it's quite amazing. Good Friday sets the "Sunday Afternoon" vibe with lap steel, stinging harmonica, and banjo, a bit reminescent of Harvest-era Neil Young. Of course, they haven't forgotten how to rock on this album, as it contains some of the best bluesy-based southern rock the band has ever created. Share The Ride plows on with a Bo Diddley-type groove, One Mirror Too Many and Evil Eye throw Beatles-psychedelia into their tapestry, and (Only) Halfway To Everywhere and Blackberry bring in a Sly and the Family Stone funkness to the mix. There's also some beautiful uplifting balladry, whether it's the Zeppelin-esque Bring On, Bring On or the sheer hippie beauty of How Much For Your Wings? These guys are all over the place on this album. It's a shame it got terrible reviews, as it is a real peak in the band's canon and creativity. They wouldn't shine like this for a long time (Lions comes a bit close, and Warpaint only works half the time). Get it if you're a true Crowes fan and a true believer of rock and roll.

When I first put this in my player, it slowly grew on me.Had to stop a song, play again.Stop a song, play again, etc.My toes started curling around "Girl from a pawnshop".What more can you expect from a man who has more soul than(GASP!) 1972 Mick Jagger!And the moves too! But enough of the comparisons.The Crowes stand on their OWN with this one.To me, this is way up there with 'Southern companion,Amorica,The lost crowes, and Warpaint.Their first we all know is a classic.Commercial, but classic.You reading this, well you need this.MUST OWN.

This album was yet another departure for this dynamic and innovative band. And it is awesome. Under A Mountain, Good Friday then Nebakanezer is a hugely strong start to the album.

The remaining songs are a mixed lot of different styles, some quite lo-fi with others being vivacious as ever. Three Snakes and One Charm takes a bit of getting used to at first, but once you get there, it is a brilliant outing.

On their fourth album, Three Snakes and One Charm, the Black Crowes cut back on the jamming that was a large part of Amorica and focus on a strong selection of songs within its eclectic set of styles. The female backing vocals that worked so well on The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion are back and this is definitely a plus. The first single "Good Friday" combines a laid back feel in its verses with a memorable chorus that has a gospel feel while its second single "Blackberry" has a catchy lyric and a more riveting arrangement. "Nebakanezer" has a catchy melodic guitar riff that you can hum along to while "(Only) Halfway to Everywhere" have come cool horn lines that recall Sly and the Family Stone. Other strong tracks include the joyous "One River Too Many" and "Let Me Share the Ride", the acoustic singalong "How Much for Your Wings?" and "Bring On, Bring On". The remaining songs such as "Under a Mountain" and "Better When You're Not Alone" are also good. While Three Snakes and One Charm doesn't have a lights out classic track like "She Talks To Angels" or "Remedy", it is a very good album and is certainly worth the purchase if you like their radio tracks.

By the time this album was released, the Black Crowes were a seasoned rock outfit that had created their own sound through the release of their previous offerings Amorica and The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion, respectively. Not unlike Amorica, 3 Snakes is a record that grows on you, and although it is seemingly a bit formulamatic in its overall approach and sound, this release uses the best points and strengths of the ensemble to its most likely advantage.

The opener, Under a Mountain, features an organ swell from Eddie Harsh and then the band comes crashing in with a number that is mid-paced and moody, and after repeated listens, can be sonically addictive. Good Friday is a slow somber number which builds up into a flash of muscle come chorus time and the bridge. There's elements of harmonica, acoustic/electric guitar, even a bit of banjo on offer here and does recall a bit of Neil Young's Harvest album in moments. Nebakenezer has another classic hard rock riff from the fingers of Rich Robinson and culminates in a number that is solid, mid-paced and consistently satisfying as a definitive Crowes tune. One Mirror to Many, which is one of the faster numbers offered here, has the band's engine room firing on all cylinders and proves that the band hasn't lost any of its swagger or hard rock edge.

Blackberry is an obvious choice for the leadoff single, and it recalls a bit of Aerosmith in spots; its actually a bit contrived and slightly commercially pedestrian. Girl from a Pawnshop was actually first conceived around the sessions for Southern Harmony and is another barroom bluesy type of ballad that is solid, yet can teeter on the edge of boredom, depending upon one's mood. Halfway to Everywhere recalls a bit of Sly and the Family Stone with the horn arrangements(courtesy of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band) and the back-up vocals of ex-Parliament/Funkadelic members Gary Shider and Robert "Mudbone" Cooper, giving this number a touch of authenticity within its groove. Bring On, Bring On is yet another beautiful track that has an earthy build and a simplisitc melody as only the Crowes can provide and is a number that has stood the test of time. How Much for Your Wings continues the earthy vibe with the brothers Robinson trading vocals and the arrangement has a touch of psychedelic folk wrapped within the construction of this powerful number. Share the Ride is an old-fashioned boogie blues that once again is enhanced by a horn arrangement and makes for a good-time rockin track. Better When You're Not Alone is a bit bland, somewhat like Girl from a Pawnshop and can be enjoyable at times, once again, depending upon the listener's mood. The psychedelic vibe returns again on the record's closer Evil Eye and consolidates the mid-paced vibe that has permeated throughout the duration of the material presented here.

As a diehard fan of this era of the band, I feel 3 Snakes mirrors(or echoes) alot of the previous efforts' successful moments and is a solid, consistent addition within the Crowes' discography. It is certainly the last consistent release ever from this band and thus it remains, a sometimes overlooked, hidden gem. 4 solid stars

This is one of BC's most under rated efforts...The songwriting & musicianship reflects the band's expansion into broader fields of influence, and shows their willingness to chart a new course. Since BC are aways being compared to The Rolling Stones, this is the type of album the Stones should have made after Some Girls !!!...Long Live Chris & Rich and may come back very soon !!!!!

The Black Crowes . . . what can I say about this band without sounding like I'm kissing behind and yet still convey just how talented this band of musicians are. If you are a fan of the Blues, Old Style R&B, even a type of Alt Country / Americana Folk, then you can get your fix by listening to the Crowes. The music just pulls you in close while Chris Robinsons vocals evoke a kind of truth about life, love, desires, vices and drama that is every human beings life to one extent or another.
It rarely gets any better (musically speaking) than the Black Crowes give it. And give it freely and whole heartedly they most certainly do. You can hear it in every note and every word. My collection of Black Crowes music is everything in their catalog thus far and I can listen to every album from front to back. Back to Back and back again.
Give them a try . . .what are you afraid of?

Before anything, let me say this is not the best Black Crowes album. Before any other thought, let me make it clear that it isn't bad either. Far from it actually and if there were half stars this would probably be a three and a halfer, which means solid but not epic.

What you do get from Three Snakes and One Charm is more of the blues driven southern rock you've come to expect from Black Crowes. If you're a completionist or just really love the Crowes, you won't be dissapointed, if you want the best from them, you should pick Shake your Money Maker, Southern Harmony and Musical Companion or the recent Warpaint and Before the Frost Until The Freeze which all feel like much better albums than this one.

I got this on cassette when it first came out. I had to buy it on CD cause of the clarity. Awesome album. Hard to rate it better than southern harmony, but I think its a little better. I have all their albums and think they are one of the few good bands around today.

You should own it if you like the Black Crowes. It's a good record. Marc Ford seems to be further into the mix and less flashy this time around and the production begins a more compressed sound continued on 'By Your Side' which sounds a little too glossy for the Crowes - compared to the organic sound of much of 'Southern Harmony'. Still, it has some interesting moments and good songs.