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11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not Much Flight Left in These Old Birds, September 1, 2002
This double live set is a useful addition to any long-time fan's collection of Black Crowes releases, but you can clearly tell that things ain't like they used to be. During the 2001 tour recorded here, the Crowes really sound tired and past their prime. Apparently the frequent personnel changes (they never really recovered from the loss of Marc Ford back in '97) and the general deceleration of the Crowes party were beginning to take their toll. I try not to dwell on the past, but I saw the Crowes three times prior to 1995 and they were far better than this. In fact, even in 2000 they still had the fire, as you can clearly see on the Jimmy Page/Black Crowes collaboration *Live at the Greek*. But here, normally rock-solid drummer Steve Gorman sounds sluggish and unenthusiastic. Rich Robinson is soldiering on admirably, but recently added second guitarist Audley Freed, while a great player, sounds hesitant and afraid to step up into the spotlight. Worst of all, Chris Robinson sounds absolutely exhausted (not just on stage but with the whole business), only occasionally showing traces of the passion and energy that were once effortless. His good-ole-homeboy banter with the audience sounds forced and perfunctory, as if he said the exact same thing every night. One good aspect of this live collection is that it covers all periods of the band's career equally, and the inclusion of several ballads give a good representation of an actual Crowes show. Unfortunately, the ballads mostly fall flat into dreariness, except for "Girl From a Pawnshop" and maybe "Cursed Diamond." Other than that, there are some great energetic moments here like "High Head Blues," "Hard to Handle," and "Remedy," but they can't quite save this album. As a long-time fan, this release is more than a little disappointing. If recent events hold true, this may very well be the last Black Crowes release. If so, it's not an entirely flattering conclusion to their catalog.
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Could have been better, December 8, 2002
By A Customer
I love the Crowes and have always anxiously anticipated their albums. But this one left me with a somewhat lukewarm feeling. Several of the performances are terrific. The album has the best version of "Pawnshop" I've ever heard, "Cursed Diamond" is great, and so is "Remedy" closing it out. Each is very high energy, which is always what you get at the shows. But I would disagree somewhat with what one of the other posters here says and suggest that the album should have been more of a "best of" live album, and not just taken from the last tour as is. It really could have had much better song selection. The fact is, live albums are for the fans, not for the average listener who doesn't follow the band and only knows a couple of songs. And I don't think real Crowes fans, if they could chose the line-up for a Crowes live album would pick six songs off of "Lions". At least certainly not if a vastly superior album like "Southern Harmony" only gets four slots. Clearly "Lions" should be represented, but a double-live Crowes album should have been culled heavily from "Southern Harmony" and "Amorica"--in my opinion, the albums that marked the band's creative high point. And please, regardless of the mix, spare us "Hard to Handle" and "Twice as Hard". They are two more songs that I don't think most serious Crowes fans really care about hearing again and it's high time they were retired. These discs should have dropped five of the six "Lions" tracks, "Hard to Handle", and "Twice as Hard". And in their places should have been added "Virtue and Vice" and maybe "Kicking my Heart Around" from "By Your Side" (which is not represented at all in this set), and "No Speak No Slave", "My Morning Song", "Thorn in My Pride", "Ballad in Urgency", and "Descending". And maybe a 20th track of "Conspiracy" or the rocking version of "Nonfiction" they play in shows sometimes. The only thing about the selection that pleases me is that a "best of" live collection I think would have hinted more strongly that the "hiatus" they are currently on is permanent. That they put out a collection that is more tour album than coda leaves me encouraged that we may hear from them again. Their last three studio albums suggest that their best music is now well behind them, but they are still a great band and it would be unfortunate to not have the chance to see them again.
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Crowes Were Always Best Live, August 21, 2002
It's a real shame that The Black Crowes were always so underappreciated throughout their ten year plus career; they were one of the only real rock n' roll bands left to carry on in the tradition of the Stones and Zep, and this live CD captures the grit and sonic power of their live show pretty well. The dual guitars of Audley Freed and Rich Robinson lend many of these songs, such as "Cursed Diamond" and "Miracle to Me", a new dimension that the studio versions lacked. The standout here is Chris Robinson, though; his voice sounds clearer and more powerful than it has in years, and his stunning vocals elevate this record to the front ranks of live recordings (along with "Live at the Greek", the Crowes/Page album). The "Lions" songs actually sound much better and fuller here than they do on the studio disc, while the previously unreleased "Title Song" is a nice bonus for fans. The only minus here is the somewhat muddy mix, but then again that actually kind of adds to the bloozy atmosphere the Crowes always conjured up in my mind. I hope that one day the Crowes will fly again, but until then this is a nice reminder of why they were (and could still be) the saviors of real rock and roll.
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by The Black Crowes 
