Rich Robinson - 'Live At The Knitting Factory' [01/16/04]

Rich Robinson – Live at the Knitting Factory
01/16/2004 NYC
[VBR MP3]


Disc One:

01. Know Me
02. Enemy
03. Places
04. Leave It Alone
05. Veil
06. Begin
07. Hold You
08. Answers

Disc Two:

01. Shallow Words
02. Forgiven Song
03. Goodbye
04. When You Will
05. Green Pastures
06. Don't Do It
07. Memo From Turner

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REVIEW

The post-Black Crowes life of the Robinson brothers has been very fortuitous for fans of music. Chris Robinson immediately assembled a band (New Earth Mud), headed out on tour and released two beautiful records. His solo efforts showcased what he brought to the table for the Crowes: introspective-yet-whimsical lyrics, hints of folk and a mountain of soul. It was a nice transition for a man that had earned his place as one of rock music’s greatest front men.

The pair’s younger brother, Rich, took a little bit longer to reveal his plan for life after the Black Crowes. Although the guitarist formed the four-piece outfit Hookah Brown not long after his brother formed his band, the group quickly disbanded. Although a very energetic rock act, there was something about Hookah Brown that just didn’t fully mesh. No doubt aware of this fact, Rich Robinson laid low for a while and contemplated his next move.

Rich emerged at the dawn of 2004, proudly boasting a new hat: that of a band leader. In addition to handing the lead guitar duties, Robinson had put himself in charge of lead vocals as well. He seemed reborn and ready to shower the world of music with his latest vision. In August, he revealed his studio creation Paper on the music world, to both critical accolades and public approval. But his first release, Live at the Knitting Factory, is perhaps the more rewarding listen. Recorded live during a intimate set at one of NYC’s most renown spots for live shows, the album captures Robinson and Co. revealing some of his most well-written and melodic songs since his former band’s 1996 masterpiece, Three Snakes and One Charm.

The only trouble is that nobody knows about it. Released on the Internet-only Dynasonic label (www.dynasonic.com), Live at the Knitting Factory is one of music’s best kept secrets. The double album documents Robinson’s first full-band live show as a frontman and is available on through orders on the Dynasonic website. Relative obscurity aside, however, the album is a must-own.

The set opens with a little subdued banter from Robinson, which launched immediately into the undeniably magical “Know Me.” A setlist staple while Hookah Brown was gigging, “Know Me” went from a rocking three minute tune to a perfect example of how a good song is written. This is only the first of many example of songwriting at its best, as Robinson rolls through tune after tune of pure magic and melody. It’s also the first of many appearances of rewritten Hookah Brown tunes, which may sound lazy on the surface but shows just how much of a knack Robinson has for riffs and lyrics when left to his own devices. The first portion of the show concludes with the catchy “Veil,” a much-improved rewrite of the Hookah Brown filler “Woke Me.”

After a brief pause in the action, Robinson returns to the stage, this time with a string quartet in tow. The four-piece adds superb color to Robinson’s completely new material, rounding out the first disc with the dynamic “Answers.” There’s no better way to describe this track than a member of the crowd, who screams “totally awesome!” upon its conclusion.

As the second disc gets rolling, unknown vocalist Joy Askew joins the band for a few songs. Askew is essential to the songs she performs on, adding dazzling harmonies and a perfect contrast to Robinson’s lead vocals. The set is closed out with a pair of acoustic tunes (“When You Will,” “Green Pastures”) that are both a callback to Robinson’s days delving into the works of Nick Drake as inspiration for Black Crowes songs and a tremendous step forward.

Just for fun, Robinson rejoins his band onstage after a thunderous applause and plays two amazing covers to finish out the night. First up is “Don’t Do It,” a somewhat obscure song by The Band that Robinson does the utmost justice to. Next is the early Mick Jagger hit “Memo From Turner,” which seem as though it was written for Robinson. Robinson achieves on this track something that is the mark of a truly great musician…he makes someone else’s song his own and one-ups it in the process.

Do yourself a favor and purchase this album. While record companies are force-feeding the general public nu-metal noise and teen-pop malarkey, its refreshing to know there’s such an inventive-yet-accessible record like Rich Robinson’s out on the market. It’s records like these that still allow one to believe that rock music still has a chance for survival.