Rich Robinson interview- Rock Reporter Dec. 1996 The Rock Reporter Dec 1996 Pittsburgh, PA . The Pied Pipers of Rock Interview with Rich Robinson of THE BLACK CROWES by: E.K. Taking over as the minstrels of rock, The Crowes have fans lining up, lighting up and dancing everywhere they play. Their fans are as devoted as any Dead head. They show up at the gigs and await their leaders...The Black Crowes. Why, you ask? The Crowes are one of the only bands left from the old school of music... you know, the one playing music from the heart and not the flavor of the month. Not many bands are willing to ditch the hits and concentrate on unrehearsed jam sessions or spontaneous outbursts of musical magic, never again to be repeated. This is what makes every show special. Helping keep the spirit alive is lead guitarist and songwriter Rich Robinson. He's the quiet one. He lets his guitar and his brother, Chris, do the talking. In a rare opportunity, we had a chance to talk to Rich and find out what's it like being the quiet one. Three Snakes And A Charm This record leans back to Southern Harmony days, more so than Amorica, with songs like' 'Blackberry'' and "Halfway To Everywhere." There's a Sly & The Family Stone groove on those. Were they an influence on the band? Everybody and everything you listen to is an influence of sorts. "Blackberry" is just a little quirky tune and "Halfway To Everywhere" sounds like Sly & The Family Stone doing "Remedy" (laughs). Influences are just that. We feel we do what we do and not what people feel we got our shit from. I think this record is more out there than Amorica. It's more us than any other record we've done. We went different places on this one. What does Three Snakes And A Charm stand for? Three records and this one, (laughs) just a counting system. I hate when bands call their records 1, 2, 3 or 4. We try to be a little creative (laughs). It also leaves room for your own interpretation. I never thought it was that important, what we thought a song is about, but more what people get out of it. What do you hope they get from the music? I hope they get something out of it (laughs). I have been worried a little about people lately. I hope they like it and it moves them like my favorite record used to. Your dad (Stan) was a singer and had a hit "Boom-a-dip-dip." Is that what started you in music? No, not really. I was always into music-- all types. It did give us an appreciation for it. Dad didn't really push us in any direction. Music just happens, you can't really push it. Is it tough being a Black Crowe? I wouldn't say so, I don't know if anyone else on earth could be one (laughs). For me, it's natural. Darlings Of The Underground Press The Black Crowes have always been very outspoken in the past on commercialism. Are your feelings the same? We still don't take sponsorships. There's so much corporate bullshit dealing with your label. Why would you want to do it twice? It isn't just money, but taking your music out of content. It's like poking fun of your music. I write from my feelings. Your brother, Chris, has been pretty clear where he stands on the issue of pot smoking. Do you feel the same? Yeah...in the sense of he's sort of been misquoted. The band doesn't really want everybody on earth to go and get stoned. It's more like I don't think people should be punished so hard for it. I don't think, logically speaking, a kid who smokes pot should go to jail for three years. You have to weigh what's worse for him... being in jail for three years as a convicted felon and not being able to get a job or being a social outcast... he's a felon, ooooh. Having that stigma stuck to you the rest of your life for smoking a joint, c'mon. Kids are going to make decisions. People have been doing it for years. Who is the government to punish us like that. People make mistakes. They treat Americans more and more like idiots. We are supposed to be free thinking, but really you're not allowed to do that. What are your thoughts on getting stoned and writing music. Some of the best music has been recorded while artists were in their "drug days." I think a lot of people use it as an angle because it's controversial. I've written most of my songs sober (laughs). I don't think it enhances what you do. It may give a different angle for awhile. You don't need it to write a better song. Chris might tell you something different (laughs). Speaking of Chris, in the past your battles have been publicized as problems that were going to break up The Crowes. Are you older and wiser or do you think people blew up the fact that two brothers always fight? We definitely are older and wiser, but the fact is, we are brothers. You're supposed to fight (laughs). We are getting along better now than ever. You have to go through rough times to get tighter. One Mirror Too Many Chris has been a fashion statement in the past. Do you think what you wear on stage is important to the statement your music makes? Not anymore (laughs). We used to be for a brief second. That's something we have tried to get away from. We don't want to be a fashion statement or a fashionable band. We want to be a good or great band. It's important that people like you for who you are, not what you wear. Do you feel responsible for the statement your music makes? Yeah, I think so. I don't know if I feel responsible, but I do know people need to know where music came from, it's history. I do really think that. What do you think of the 90's music and where do you see it going? It started out all right (laughs), but I think we are in a huge lull right now. I'm not sure where it's going. The music industry is so tight right now. The music is that bit tempo, boring, meaningless shit, for the most part. It's sorta like being in the 80's again (laughs). MTV has made it hard to have more than one record. No one's allowed to grow. That's why we try to charge up the shows every night. Our fans are dedicated and follow us, so if you keep it fresh you will survive. You have to stay true to your heart when it comes to music. Don't get wrapped up in all of the bullshit out there today. How Much For Your Wings Has life changed much for you from the early days to now. I know you have a son. Is it tough being a father in a band? It's all right, he comes out and visits me once in awhile. It's weird, but cool at the same time. As for the band today, everyone right now is the happiest they have ever been. Everyone is into the shows, us, the fans. Headlining your own tour, you get a great feeling...the fans are yours. That's one of the biggest differences. I think we found our place in music and it feels great. People don't come to see Chris or what he is wearing or hear ''Hard To Handle'' or ''Remedy.'' They are there to hear the band and celebrate. That's what's cool about our shows. No stage diving bullshit, where people get kicked in the head. We don't want violence at our shows. It's for everyone. Not for someone who thinks it's cool, because they saw Eddie Vedder jump into the crowd. The people that come out are still into the band. The most they do is get up and dance. That's one thing that hasn't changed from the early days. It's just gotten bigger and better. The Crowes were featured on VH1's storytellers series. It was a great unplugged set. Can we expect an acoustic record in the future? No, at least not now. The VH1 thing was cool. It was different. You sorta explained each song before you did it. That's why we wanted to do it. We had a chance to explain why we wrote some of the songs. It let our fans help understand our music better. Although, I'm sure in typical Crowes fashion, you will find it in your bootleg section at your favorite "cool" record store. Will we ever see a live record from the Crowes ? We let our fans record any of our shows (laughs). We have been recording some of the shows, but it's been hard picking the right songs. Every show we do the songs different. We love them all. Maybe we could do a box set of live shit, that would be a first. Better yet we could collect copies of the shows from our fans (laughs). A true fans collection! For now, you will have to come to the shows and enjoy. ROCK N ROLL Reporter & copy; 1992-1996 by D.J.C. Co. All rights reserved Pittsburgh, PA