Shake Your Money Maker (album)

Background and production

Brothers Chris and Rich Robinson had formed Mr. Crowe's Garden in 1984. In 1988 George Drakoulias spotted the band during a show the band gave in New York City and got them signed to Def American in 1988; they changed their name to The Black Crowes shortly after.

The recording sessions began in the summer of 1989 in Atlanta and Los Angeles, with Drakoulias producing the album. Some tracks include retained songs from the Mr. Crowe's Garden era such as "Could I've Been So Blind" and "She Talks to Angels", whose riff had been written years ago by then-17 years old Rich Robinson and whose lyrics were inspired to Chris by a heroin-addicted girl he "kinda knew" in Atlanta. The band also chose to record a cover version of Otis Redding's "Hard to Handle", which would prove to be their breakthrough single.

Four music videos for "Twice As Hard", "Jealous Again", "Hard To Handle" and "She Talks to Angels" were filmed to promote the band and the album, and subsequently aired on MTV.

Release and reception

When the album came out in February 1990, critical reception was mostly favorable: Rolling Stone gave the album three out of five stars, and its readers and critics voted the Black Crowes 'Best New American Band' in 1990; the band appeared on the cover of the magazine's 605th issue (May 1991) following their firing from the ZZ Top tour in March that year. The issue's interview of Chris and Rich Robinson compared the band to 1970s acts, with journalist David Fricke explicitly citing Faces and The Rolling Stones and Rich Robinson mentioning Aerosmith. AllMusic gave the album four out of five stars, praising Rich Robinson's guitar playing and Chris Robinson's "appropriate vocal swagger". Robert Christgau, however, disliked the album, giving it a dud (which is the lowest grade in Christgau's rating system). Entertainment Weekly gave it a B+ and stated, "The Black Crowes are to the early Rolling Stones what Christian Slater is to the young Jack Nicholson: a self-conscious imitation, but fine enough in its own right. Authentic bluesmen these Crowes will never be, but their sheer energy earns 'em the right to trash it up."

"Hard to Handle", "Jealous Again" and "Twice As Hard" broke into the Mainstream Rock Tracks charts, respectively reaching the first, fifth and eleventh position. By the end of the year, Shake Your Money Maker had sold one million copies and eventually sold two million more, thus receiving triple platinum certification. In 1991, "She Talks to Angels" and "Seeing Things" respectively reached the first and second position of the Mainstream Rock Tracks charts.

Legacy

The album was included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

Track listing

All songs written by Chris Robinson and Rich Robinson, except where noted.

1. "Twice As Hard" – 4:09
2. "Jealous Again" – 4:35
3. "Sister Luck" – 5:13
4. "Could I've Been So Blind" – 3:44
5. "Seeing Things" – 5:18
6. "Hard to Handle" (Allen Jones, Alvertis Isbell, Otis Redding) – 3:08
7. "Thick n' Thin" – 2:44
8. "She Talks to Angels" – 5:29
9. "Struttin' Blues" – 4:09
10. "Stare It Cold" – 5:13
11. "Live Too Fast Blues/Mercy, Sweet Moan" – 1:17 (hidden track)

11. "Don't Wake Me" – 3:33 (Bonus track on 1998 Sho' Nuff Box Set version)
12. "She Talks to Angels (Acoustic)" – 6:19 (Bonus track on 1998 Sho' Nuff Box Set version)

"Live Too Fast Blues/Mercy, Sweet Moan" follows the bonus tracks.

The bonus tracks were originally part of the recording sessions at Soundscape Studios in Atlanta.

Personnel

Charting singles

Billboard charts (North America)