All during and after his time with the Black Crowes, guitarist Rich Robinson has given us a lot of music. As he prepares to release more music in 2016 and fill in for Mick Ralphs on Bad Company’s summer tour, Eagle Rock is reissuing his solo back catalog. The plan is to release expanded versions of 2004’s Paper and 2011’s Llama Blues on February 26 (already out at press time), followed by 2011’s Through A Crooked Sun, and 2014’s Woodstock Sessions on April 15. Each release includes previously unreleased tracks and penned essays from Robinson himself. LP versions are to be issued as colored vinyl: Paper in red, Llama Blues in blue, Through A Crooked Sun in white, and Woodstock Sessions in brown.
The reissue of Paper, Robinson’s debut solo release, presents a unique listen. When he went back to retrieve the master tapes for the album (stored in New Jersey), he found they had been damaged in Hurricane Sandy. Having to redo the vocals, the Black Crowes guitarist decided to rewrite some of the album’s original lyrics, as well rearrange the original order of the songs, and even add three unreleased tracks.
“Know Me,” which kicks Paper off, takes off with its quick slinky electric cuts, slide guitar and heavy beat. Robinson reimagined this CD with a great opener. It’s even got a catchy chorus. “Stand Up” is a Black-Crowes-meets-Lenny-Kravitz stomper with a driving, popping bass, snapping snare, and some real attention to harmony vocals in the chorus. It is during the instrumental break where Rich Robinson manages solid and studied wailing moments illuminating what a really good lead player he really is.
Piano, slide, a sluicing organ and toms inform the brilliant ballad “Words Of The Chosen,” another tune not completed in time for the original release of Paper. The way this almost-instrumental (technically there are “wha wha” vocalizing here, though the version of this tune played during Rich Robinson’s 2004 tour did include vocals) floats into expressive guitar playing over the piano bed is brilliant. With its high-flying slide moments, this rich tune is certainly the centerpiece and makes this reissue of Paper worth having for sure.
“Forgiven Song” presents another stellar moment amongst these 17. Fiddle and harmonies are at the core of this heartfelt, down-in-the-dumps ballad. The mid-tempo acoustic guitar love song “When You Will” and “Baby,” with its slide and honky-tonk piano, reveal how much in love Robinson must have been at the time. The lyrics are similar in how much Robinson needs and adores whomever it is he is singing to and about. The loud power chord drive of “Goodbye” ends Paper. It’s takes about a minute to get into the hesitant snare beat and flicking chord playing, but the harmony vocals (strong once again) move the verses along to a solid rock end.
Early on one realizes-as to be expected-that Paper presents quite a commercial more nuanced alternative to Llama Blues, which comprises four songs recorded in a small room with one vintage RCA ribbon microphone, Robinson certainly gives us an old time dirty blues feel here. The noisy piano and harmonica on “By The Light Of The Sunset Moon” thrusts the listener right in with the distorted vocals and in-your-face mix. “Look Through My Window” works better with its laid back snare snap, spiky electric pull-off rhythm and sloppy slide. The chorus is supported by a good harmony vocal chant that lifts the song to a solid height of fervor.
“Broken Stick Crown” is even slower, a slinky snake of a tune with tinkling piano and Robinson’s guitar following the melody he sings. He goes from low down slow verses (where we can really hear that piano) to nasty and noisy honky-tonk choruses, with the requisite lead slide, even though it’s the piano that catches your ear most. “Run Run” is a plodding blues, with a mourning low trying-to-bubble-forth organ in the background of Robinson’s slide and distorted growl. The slide, while expertly played as it is everywhere else, is just too loud, too spiky, overpowering everything else. Interestingly though, what vocals manage to battle through the guitar noise are probably Robinson’s most distinctive on the EP.
Llama Blues was limited to a thousand CDs when it was first released in 2011, and it became a prized commodity for Rich Robinson and Black Crowes fans. Now more people get to hear this four-song EP of Rich Robinson’s electric blues playing and simple songwriting. You can certainly get a good overview of Rich Robinson’s solo output spinning Paper and Llama Blues. As 2016 unfolds with a new studio album, touring and working with Bad Company, it looks to be a good and productive year for Rich Robinson.
~ Ralph Greco, Jr.
