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Warpaint (The Black Crowes album)

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Warpaint
Studio album by
The Black Crowes
ReleasedMarch 3, 2008
RecordedJuly 2007
StudioAllaire, Shokan, New York
GenreSouthern rock, blues rock, hard rock
Length53:44
LabelMegaforce/Silver Arrow Records
ProducerPaul Stacey
The Black Crowes chronology
Lions
(2001) 		Warpaint
(2008) 		Before the Frost...Until the Freeze
(2009)
Singles from Warpaint
  1. "Goodbye Daughters of the Revolution"
    Released: February 11, 2008
  2. "Wounded Bird"
    Released: June 2, 2008
  3. "Oh Josephine"
    Released: September 8, 2008
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic(74/100) [1]
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic [2]
The A.V. ClubB [3][1]
The Austin Chronicle [4]
The Gazette [5]
The Globe and Mail [6]
Paste [7]
Robert Christgau(dud) [8]
Rolling Stone [9]
Toronto Sun [10]
Uncut [11]

Warpaint is the seventh studio album by American rock band The Black Crowes. Released on March 3, 2008, it was the band's seventh studio album and first studio album in almost seven years, and its first with new members Luther Dickinson and Adam MacDougall, as well as the first to be released on the band's own Silver Arrow Records label. Despite its predecessor, Lions, selling more copies, Warpaint debuted 15 spots higher in the United States, at number five.

Writing and production

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Following the departures of Marc Ford and Eddie Harsch in September 2006, The Black Crowes enlisted Paul Stacey and Rob Clores to handle lead guitar and keyboard duties, respectively. Adam MacDougall replaced Clores just before the Warpaint sessions began, and Paul Stacey returned to the producer’s chair with the hiring of Luther Dickinson of North Mississippi Allstars to play guitar. (Aside from a couple of appearances in September, Dickinson didn’t join the band on the road until the release of Warpaint, leaving Stacey to play the remainder of their 2007 concerts.)

Though the band had debuted new songs sporadically live since reforming in 2005, none were included on Warpaint, with only the intro of "Movin’ On Down the Line" having been performed for a live audience (as part of a jam in the middle of "Soul Singing"). It was a conscious decision to leave the road-tested songs behind; as Chris Robinson told Rolling Stone, "I wanted to show people where we are now."[12] Rich Robinson wrote the music and would send CDs to Chris, who would add the lyrics and their melodies.[13]

In July 2007, the band gathered at Allaire Studios in the Catskill Mountains of Upstate New York to record, finding that the remote setting contributed to the relative ease of recording.

"When we got into the studio, it just flowed so easily. We were on top of this mountain, and we were all living in the same place. There were no city distractions or people coming by. We were up there to work. A lot of that made it onto the record. Nature—and harmony."

— Rich Robinson[14]

According to Chris, so as not to lose "the dynamic of the group, the dynamic of music and the balance within that," the tracks were recorded live, with few overdubs.[15] Only one take was necessary to capture "Evergreen," while "Whoa, Mule" was recorded outdoors.[12] The atmosphere and the band’s approach allowed the sessions to be completed in just three weeks.[13]

Various band members have spoken about the contributions of Dickinson and MacDougall. "Sometimes when new people come in it brings so many positive changes," said Rich. "Adam came in and tried out and everyone was impressed, but when we got into the studio everyone's jaws dropped."[15]

Sven Pipien remarked, "The beauty of Luther, more than any note he's playing is the feeling behind that note. He was saying exactly what we want to say, and the same thing goes for Adam. Eddie [Harsch] is not the easiest guy to replace but Adam is his own man AND he fills those shoes really well."[15]

Maxim review controversy

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A review of Warpaint published by Maxim in its March 2008 issue prompted The Black Crowes' management to issue a press release denouncing the publication,[16] as no promotional copies of the album had been distributed, meaning only the single edit of "Goodbye Daughters of the Revolution" could have been heard before the review was written. The story was picked up by the Associated Press,[17] and preceded an exchange in which Maxim apologized to its readers[18] and The Black Crowes' management slammed the magazine's editors for not apologizing to the band.[19] Black Crowes' manager Pete Angelus then followed up with an open letter to Maxim and its editorial director, James Kaminsky.[20]

The writer of the review, David Peisner, claimed in an interview with the Los Angeles Times that he had been assigned to write a preview of the album, and that his writing had been presented by Maxim as if it were a full review.[21] With the magazine facing increased criticism over rating unheard albums,[22] including one by rapper Nas, Kaminsky promised that future previews will be labeled as such.[23]

Track listing

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

  1. "Goodbye Daughters of the Revolution" – 5:03
  2. "Walk Believer Walk" – 4:39
  3. "Oh Josephine" – 6:38
  4. "Evergreen" – 4:20
  5. "Wee Who See the Deep" – 4:50
  6. "Locust Street" – 4:14
  7. "Movin' On Down the Line" – 5:42
  8. "Wounded Bird" – 4:23
  9. "God's Got It" (Rev. Charlie Jackson) – 3:22
  10. "There's Gold in Them Hills" – 4:47
  11. "Whoa Mule" – 5:45

Bonus tracks

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  • "Here Comes Daylight" – 3:46
  • "Hole in Your Soul" (Joe South) – 3:39

The picture disc vinyl version of the album includes a bonus 7" disc with "Here Comes Daylight" and "Hole in Your Soul". These tracks are bundled with the iTunes version of the album, as well, though "Hole in Your Soul" was only available if pre-ordered.

According to Crowesbase.com, the band's official archives website, four other songs were recorded, and they were titled, "Movin' On" (different from "Movin' On Down the Line"), "Ready For Rain," "Natural Born Turn It On" and "Share My Blanket."

Personnel

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The Black Crowes

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Additional musicians

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Technical personnel

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  • Paul Stacey – producer, engineer, mixing
  • Justin Kessler – Pro Tools operator, second engineer (studio)
  • Matt Howe, Justin Lawson – Pro Tools operator, second engineer (mix)
  • Pete Angelus – manager (Angelus Entertainment)
  • Amy Finkle – manager (Angelus Entertainment, East Coast)
  • Joshua Marc Levy – illustrations
  • Matthew Mendenhall – photography
  • Chris Robinson – collage

Charts

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Chart (2008) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[25] 70
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[26] 78
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[27] 71
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[28] 24
French Albums (SNEP)[29] 96
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[30] 74
Scottish Albums (OCC)[31] 40
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[32] 50
UK Albums (OCC)[33] 52
US Billboard 200[34] 5

Notes

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  1. ^ a b "Critic Reviews for Warpaint". Metacritic. Retrieved 27 January 2013.
  2. ^ Warpaint at AllMusic
  3. ^ Hyden, Steven (17 March 2008). "The Black Crowes: Warpaint". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on October 25, 2012. Retrieved 27 January 2013.
  4. ^ Hoffberger, Chase (28 March 2008). "The Black Crowes: Warpaint". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved 27 January 2013.
  5. ^ Zivitz, Jordan (5 March 2008). "Capsule CD reviews (The Black Crowes: Warpaint)". The Gazette. Archived from the original on 9 March 2008. Retrieved 20 August 2011.
  6. ^ Wheeler, Brad (2008-03-25). "The Globe Review; New Releases; Rock". The Globe and Mail. pp. R3.
  7. ^ Labate, Steve (29 February 2008). "The Black Crowes: A Guide to the Studio Recordings :: Music :: Features". Paste. Retrieved 20 August 2011.
  8. ^ Christgau, Robert. "CG: The Black Crowes". RobertChristgau.com. Retrieved 27 January 2013.
  9. ^ Light, Alan (6 March 2008). "Warpaint". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 20 August 2011.
  10. ^ Sterdan, Darryl (2008-03-04). "Black Crowes' comeback worth a listen". Toronto Sun. p. 47.
  11. ^ Mueller, Andrew. "The Black Crowes - Warpaint". Uncut. Archived from the original on 11 October 2008. Retrieved 20 August 2011.
  12. ^ a b Fricke, David (2008-01-10). "In the Studio: The Black Crowes". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on January 12, 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-02.
  13. ^ a b Cook, Dennis (January–February 2008). "The Black Crowes: Movin' on Down the Line". State of Mind (26). Burlington, VT: State of Mind Music, LLC: 22–25. Archived from the original on 2008-03-03. Retrieved 2008-03-02.
  14. ^ DeCurtis, Anthony (February–March 2008). "Redemption Songs". Relix. New York, NY: Relix LLC: 54–61, 89.
  15. ^ a b c Cook, Dennis (2008-02-21). "The Black Crowes: Join The Jubilee". JamBase. Retrieved 2008-03-02.
  16. ^ "Magazine Reviews Album Without Hearing It". Archived from the original on 2008-02-25. Retrieved 2008-02-23.
  17. ^ "The Black Crowes Attack Maxim Mag Review". The Associated Press. 2008-02-22. Archived from the original on February 26, 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-29.
  18. ^ "Maxim Apologizes for Black Crowes Review". The Associated Press. 2008-02-26. Retrieved 2008-02-29.[dead link]
  19. ^ "For Immediate Release". Archived from the original on 2008-03-01. Retrieved 2008-03-01.
  20. ^ "An Open Letter to Maxim and Kaminsky". Archived from the original on 2008-03-08. Retrieved 2008-03-01.
  21. ^ Brown, August (2008-02-28). "Exclusive! Maxim's David Peisner speaks". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 2008-03-02. Retrieved 2008-03-18.
  22. ^ Iwasaki, Scott (2008-02-29). "Reviewer must listen to CD before critiquing". Deseret Morning News. Archived from the original on March 11, 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-29.
  23. ^ "Maxim: Whole reviewing mess a 'mistake'". The Associated Press. 2008-02-28. Archived from the original on 2008-03-03. Retrieved 2008-02-29.
  24. ^ a b Leslie, Jimmy (July 2008). "Retro Rejuvenation". Guitar Player. 42 (7). ISSN 0017-5463. OCLC 1751642. Archived from the original on 2009-01-14. Retrieved 2008-07-30.
  25. ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 31.
  26. ^ "Ultratop.be – The Black Crowes – Warpaint" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2021-11-20.
  27. ^ "Ultratop.be – The Black Crowes – Warpaint" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2021-11-20.
  28. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – The Black Crowes – Warpaint" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2021-11-20.
  29. ^ "Lescharts.com – The Black Crowes – Warpaint". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2021-11-20.
  30. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – The Black Crowes – Warpaint" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 2021-11-20.
  31. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2021-11-20.
  32. ^ "The Official Swedish Charts — Albums - 13.03.2008". Grammofon Leverantörernas Förening. 2008-03-13. Retrieved 2008-03-13.
  33. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2021-11-20.
  34. ^ Hasty, Katie (2008-03-12). "Alan Jackson Bests Janet To Top Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved 2008-03-12.

References

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