Chris & Rich Robinson - Brothers of a Feather: Live at the Roxy Review

I think I was the only Black Crowes fan who was not disappointed that the Brothers of a Feather mini tour did not come to Boston.  Brothers of a Feather was simply Chris & Rich Robinson on stage with a pair of guitars, and in spots, a pair of backup singers.  The songs promised to be stripped down to their bare essence.  Say goodbye to swampy jams and big loud rock and roll.  But while I like it when my favorite bands strip their songs down, I also like it in short spurts.  A two hour show?  No thanks.

But come on, even I knew I'd have to give a listen to the CD from the resulting tour.  Brothers of a Feather: Live at the Roxy features 14 tracks recorded over the course of a three night stand at the Roxy in LA.  Most of the songs are simply Chris and Rich, some with just Rich on guitar, some with both Rich and Chris on guitar.  They pull songs from the Black Crowes songbook, covers from their favorite artists, songs from their own solo projects, and a pair of new Black Crowes tunes.

Since most people might be most interested in the new tunes, I'll give a quick rundown.  The first is called Magic Rooster Blues.  It's a very catchy number, showing a lot of potential.  Speaking as someone who has heard the full band version, this version as a duo is a nice appetizer, but it lacks the loose, more rocking feel that the full band gives it. 

Cold Boy Smile, on the other hand, should only be played in this format.  It's a gorgeous song about heartbreak and loss and personal reflection, and it's sung beautifully by Chris.  His voice really shines throughout this disc since he's not competing with the loud bombast of the Crowes, but on this track he sounds absolutely stunning. 

Casual fans might be disappointed in the tracklisting, as there's maybe two songs (at most) they would know.  The closing Thorn in My Pride is as close to the loose jam band as you'll find here, with Rich showing off some ridiculous skill throughout the 12 minute plus track.  The only other song they might know is Cursed Diamond, which is presented near flawlessly.

The cover selections are obscure for most.  But tracks like Over the Hill (a John Martyn song) and especially Roll Um Easy (Little Feat) show that just because a song is relatively obscure doesn't mean it's not worthy. 

Yes, I think some songs are hurt by the lack of a full band, most notably the opening Horsehead, but also, as I said before Magic Rooster Blues.  I find both of Rich's solo songs to be rather boring while also showing his limitations as a lead vocalist.  Meanwhile, the one Chris solo track, Someday Past the Sunset, while having the requisite swagger, lacks something, though exactly what I can't put my thumb on.

I also wish there was more banter between Chris and the crowd.  When he says Magic Rooster Blues is about "the occult in poultry," it's the kind of comment that has had audiences laughing at Chris' odd sense of humor for almost 20 years.  The lack of this banter also takes something away from the "intimate" setting these shows were seemingly destined to create.

This isn't a bad disc.  Chris sounds magnificent, but I think the act wears thin after 14 songs, especially given the lack of consistency throughout.  Maybe the whole acoustic duo thing just isn't my thing, but I'd recommend this to diehard Crowes fans only.