July 2024 – Scott Coates
This Album Influenced That Album – The Rolling Stones Influenced The Black Crowes
The next four episodes will feature two album picks as we explore one album that influenced another album. Darren Scott started this round off with the Foo Fighters’ self-titled debut album and Bad Brains’ Rock for Light. Now it’s my turn!
Released in May 1992, The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion is The Black Crowes’ second album and expectations were beyond high after the huge success of their first release, Shake Your Money Maker. And it did not disappoint.
The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion set a record for an album to feature four album rock number-one hits (previously set by Tom Petty in 1989, with three). The album itself reached the top spot of the Billboard 200 album chart, propelled by the success of these singles. It was produced by George Drakoulias and The Black Crowes and rocks.
It’s one of my top 10 albums I’d say. I really love the rock, blues, seemingly southern black soul/rock sound and it has always reminded me of the early Rolling Stones stuff, who were one of the first bands to play covers of songs by black American artists. There’s a similar vibe, groove, feel. Tough for me to define it more than that and I’ve never dug into why there might be those links, but this month I will do just that. Listen carefully, read up, dive in and see if beyond musical sounds there is a connection with Exile on Main St. influencing The Black Crowes and The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion.
Exile on Main St. is The Rolling Stones’ 10th UK album and 12th in the US. It’s known for its murky, inconsistent sound due to more disjointed musicianship and production, along with a party-like atmosphere heard in several tracks. It was released in May 1972, 17-years before The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion. It was their first double-album and contains a wider range of influences in blues, rock and roll, swing, country and gospel than some of their earlier releases. I’ve loved this album for quite a long time too.
I’ll leave it at that. Let’s dig in and see if one did influence that.
Links
The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion – Wikipedia
The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion on Apple Music
The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion – Spotify
Exile on Main St. – Apple Music
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