Three Snakes and One Charm [Original recording remastered]

OK, so you call yourself a Crowes fan because you like "Remedy" and "Hard To Handle"? Well, dig a little deeper and start with this disc. It's got some absolutely crucial Crowes songs that are standouts in their catalog or in concert. I hate to bash other's reviews but this disc is not overly noisy, it's just a little different- in fact, it's somewhat quiet in many parts. Chris' vocals are top-notch here, and never rambling or over-bearing as he can sometimes be. Overall it's got a vibe of "understanding" to it... something they desperately tried NOT to have with the free-wheeling, bad-assness of "Amorica". Understanding is NOT a bad thing here at all folks, so enjoy the whole disc as one, as it is THE most over-looked in their catalog.

1) Under A Mountain- 10/10 Typical great lead-off song about coming to grips with love and/or sex. Smooth guitars layer a slow steady vibe. Drums rock out nicely behind it all.

2) Good Friday- 10/10 One of my fav Crowes songs of all time. Heard them play this song LIVE on the actual Good Friday in an old church, so maybe I'm partial, but this might be the coolest break-up song ever. But not a wussy break-up point of view either, which is cool.

3) Nebakenezer- 10/10 Cool riff. Great drums. Vox are money. It's LOUD! And it's a bout drugs. What more could you ask for?

4) One Mirror Too Many- 8.5/10 Another drug warning. Looks like the boys are learning from their days of growing beards and dropping out on drugs (not that that was ever too bad for them musically)

5) Blackberry- 8/10 Easy to dismiss this one since it was the single, but a cool song. Funky. Chris' raspy vocals call back to the days of "Sometimes Salvation"

6) Girl From A Pawnshop- 9.5/10 Can almost picture him in a country bar singing this one. Cool story about a girl and a letter and the reality surrounding her while reading it. Ending is stellar.

7) (Only)Halfway To Everywhere- 8/10 Funky. Weird vocal effects. Upbeat. Could have easily ended up on Amorica. Got some horns from the Dirty Dozen helping out.

8) Bring On, Bring On- 8/10 Acoutic heavy. Gospel type chorus. OK on it's own... but sets up the next song rather well, which is...

9) How Much For Your Wings 10/10 Another acoustic tune that gets interrupted monetarily by some drums/ guitar and hand-clapping. Certainly nothing for some readers to moan about. Killer guitar that somehow is uplifting even though it deals with the sadness of loss. Brother Rich helps out on the vocals trading off behind Chris's singing of the verses.

10) Let Me Share The Ride- 7.5/10 Pretty standard road song. Sort of out of place at this point in the disc.

11) Better When You're Not Alone- 9.5/10 Seems like it would have fit perfect behind "Wings". Praises the joys of love and how it makes their world better. Never corny, just honest. Good upbeat ending.

12) Evil Eye- 10/10 Wow... What to say aboiut this song. Lyrics make you re-think you're whole outlook and disposition on love, beliefs, life and the world around you. Piercing guitar on top of some awesome drumming. Lyric: "Do you have in you to even try?" That should also be said for this whole album. Do try it!

Still with their ultimate lineup (C. Robinson, R. Robinson, Marc Ford, Steve Gorman, Eddie Harsch and Johnny Colt) intact after making two masterpieces, the Black Crowes made Three Snakes. As such, the playing on the album is top notch again. The feel of the album is a little less aggressive than Amorica, but there are plenty of rockin tunes.

This seems to be the "grower" in the Crowes catalog, where it takes a while for songs to assert themselves. While that's often a more rewarding thing than the opposite (an album that feels immediately familiar, but lacks longevity), the songs do suffer slightly from a lack of strong hooks and come off a little dry at times. The ballads, such as the pretty Girl From a Pawnshop and odd How Much For Your Wings? break away from the pack easiest and all the songs become rewarding in time. This was the third and last album from the band with this lineup, and during that time noone else in rock and roll was better.

I see more copies of this Crowes album in the used CD stores than any other.

The hard core Crowes' cadre may love this album, but most people won't find this one reachable. I'll agree with the other reviewers that the album seems more subdued. If you like the hard rocking sound of the Crowes on the radio, one of the other releases will probably be a better starting place.

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