The Black Crowes fly free

       The Black Crowes may be "the most unlikely group of career-minded people ever", as singer Chris Robinson puts it, but that hasn't kept the band from outlasting any number of others along the way.
       The Georgia-bred group's debut,Shake Your Money Maker (1990), introduced the classic-rock-influenced band with a pair of No. 1 rock singles,She Talks to Angels and a stomping rendition of Otis Redding's Hard to Handle , and logged worldwide sales of more than eight million copies.
       It was a heady launch for a career that has since produced seven more studio albums, including the new Before the Frost ... Until the Freeze and a collaboration with Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page, as well as acknowledged feuds between Robinson and his younger brother, guitarist-co-writer Rich Robinson, and even a three-year hiatus.
       "You just look at it and think about how lucky we are to still be here, at the level we are," the 42-year-old Robinson says."Far more talented people than us didn't get a chance to make as many records as we did, for whatever reason,so I'm very grateful."
       Even declining sales since Shake Your Money Maker and occasional reviews that dismiss the Crowes as outdated "this archaic band", one critic called them- haven't dulled their enthusiasm or sense of purpose.
       "I think we're happy with our cult status," Robinson says in the front lounge of the Crowes' tour bus, relaxing before a performance at the Rothbury Festival in western Michigan."I think it would be the silliest thing in the world if we tried to be something that we're not.We'd done a lot of different cycles and we've gone through a lot, and it's always been a hassle, in a way, because we're a real counterculture band. We're against the system on a number of levels, whether it's our liberal politics or the way we approach the music business.
       "But you know what? I think it's more fun than it's ever been," the singer says."The pace is better, and it's more fulfilling,too."
       His brother echoes that sentiment."I'm more than happy with the way things are," Rich Robinson says."With the newer guys we have [guitarist Luther Dickinson and keyboardist Adam MacDougall], for the first time in a long time it feels like,'This is our band, this is where we're headed.' It's very positive."
       Currently the Black Crowes, who also include founding drummer Steve Gorman and long-time bassist Sven Pipien, record for their own label, Silver Arrow Records. That gives the group a level of independence to pursue any musical course it wants.
       "There's an energy we can still have to be creative," Chris Robinson says."Our creative potential is always in what's happening now. I don't know how far this band could go just ... living on what was. Our greatest hits, I mean. You can do it, a lot of bands do it, but that's not how we ever saw ourselves.
       "To me it's all about,'What can we do that we haven't done?"'
       Before the Frost ... Until the Freeze is a greater expression of that creative freedom than even Warpaint (2008), the Crowes'"comeback" album, which was the band's first in seven years and its first for Silver Arrow.
       "The thing about Warpaint that made me the most excited is that we definitely dug into our roots vibe in a lot of the songs," Robinson says,"and added more folk and country elements, which has always been a big part. But I think sometimes we would get to the threshold and then we would back off and maybe make something a little more down-themiddle.
       "This time we followed our instincts more."
       For the new album Robinson wanted to follow those instincts even further.His idea, inspired by the Grateful Dead's Europe '72 concert album, was to record all-new material in front of a live audience.
       "You listen to [Europe '72 ] and they play a lot of music that became iconic for them," the singer says."Even He's Gone , that's the first time they ever played it. I was like,'That's balls. We've got balls. We should do that!"'
       Another piece of the puzzle fell into place while Robinson was holidaying in Woodstock, New York, with his girlfriend and Ryder, his son with ex-wife Kate Hudson. The three attended a "Midnight Ramble", a community-style jam session hosted by The Band's Levon Helm at his nearby barn-recording studio.
       "We went over there and it was so much fun and the music was so great,"Robinson recalls.
       "Here you are in Woodstock in a barn that's set up as a studio and a live venue,and it's ... perfect. We had been talking about logistics for [the album]- how do we do it? where do we do it?- and I'm sitting behind the console at Levon's place listening to what they're doing and I was like,'It's right here!"'
       "It's independent in its spirit and the vibe of how committed everyone is to the music is important there," he says."The next day we all went over to see Levon."
       Before the Frost ... Until the Freeze
       was recorded during five shows at Helm's barn in February and March.