It's pretty simple, really -- The Black Crowes play solid and lasting rock 'n' roll.
That's because, for the Crowes, who play Salt Lake City's The Depot on Tuesday, it has always been about the feeling, rather than the sound.
"That is what separated us from the other bands in Atlanta, even at the beginning," said drummer Steve Gorman, calling from Chicago. "We had a vibe in mind, rather than a sound in mind. We were looking at the end zone, whereas everyone else was looking at the first down."
It has been 20 years since the band released its first album, "Shake Your Moneymaker." Led by Georgia brothers Chris and Rich Robinson, the band made a career of playing truly classic remakes of songs like Otis Redding's "Too Hot to Handle," as well as originals like "She Talks to Angels" and "Remedy." It took the music world -- then overloaded with hair-band metal pop -- righteously by storm.
The Black Crowes have often been compared to the Rolling Stones in their prime, and it is not an invalid comparison. The two bands had a lot in common in their early days -- a great sense of what is at the root of blues and rock, and an equal amount of swagger and attitude.
"We never talked about the last gig back then, but what would happen next," said Gorman. "But being cocky and brash and arrogant is good at 21. Not so good now -- thank heavens that has been replaced by competence and patience and skill. When the bizarre feature of humility comes in, and balance -- good lord, that is when it gets sweet."
Crowing
Their new record, "Croweology," is a career retrospective done acoustic style. For much of the Crowes' upcoming tour, they will do two sets -- one all-acoustic, and one plugged in. As The Depot is a smaller venue, making it difficult to change out gear twice in a night, they'll do one long set instead, featuring a bit of both styles.
"Actually, our songs begin on acoustic guitar," said Gorman. "If you are writing a song on full volume with an amp, that is not likely a song that will last. If it is a real song, you can sit with an acoustic guitar and play it and it'll sound good."
Gorman said the idea behind this project is to celebrate 20 years as a band, and where their music and lives have gone.
"The vibes are different, and I think it is the most cohesive unit ever. We've never been so completely aligned -- and maybe that is the kind of thing that only we are aware of -- but we are very aware, and don't take it for granted. It didn't make sense to just assemble the old versions again."
For the most part, the band just went in and played in-studio, seeing where it led them.
"We are not a band that has a whole lot of linear conversations about this stuff," Gorman said. "We just work it. If it does not work, we move on to the next song. Actually, we recorded maybe 26 songs, and picked the best 20 out of that. We went in with a lot of ideas."
Working together toward a fine end is the trick, said Gorman.
"For us, a big part of the quality is the spirit, like a team sport. If you can throw a football 120 yards, that is great, but the field is only 100 yards long and no one will catch it. It does not matter what you can do alone. My drumming is pointless without the context of The Black Crowes. My bass player and rhythm guitarist play off me. We do it together."
Keeping trails blazed
Gorman believes that one of the things that keeps this band appealing to fans is that they work in a classic mode, without being dated.
"For as much as the word 'roots' gets thrown around, it does come down to roots," he said. "Someone said to me recently, 'You guys don't seem to blaze new trails,' and I said, 'If you want to look at it like that, at least we are keeping the old trails passable.'
"The problem with so much culture and art in general is they go blazing a new trail, and then let the weeds grow right where they just walked. And what happens? You end up with Lady Gaga! I mean, what is that, anyway?"
Like others have before him, Gorman turns to a Stones analogy to sum it up.
"Look at Keith Richards -- he has made a 50-year career of the buzz he gets playing off Charlie Watts. We once toured with Jimmy Page and the only thing he ever said to us was, 'That's the spirit, guys!'
"It is a special thing -- your hair stands up, and you can't overthink it. You hold on for dear life, rather than try to shape it. That is something we have learned. You have to trust in the sixth sense of what music is."
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