Chris Robinson | This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von #645

Chris Robinson, a lyricist from a young age, emphasizes that the initial words of a song are critical. They must immediately capture imagination and feeling, setting the tone and direction for the entire piece. He dislikes songs that make listeners 'wait till the third verse for some good words.'

Chris Robinson states, 'The first line thing... that dictates the po the... where like okay if I if that first thing to me is something like I could in a stupid visualization open up a page and see it and then if that would be something that if I could capture something in imagination or feeling or where those two things come together in the first few words of the song.'

Robinson posits that music heard during teenage years feels uniquely impactful because adolescents are experiencing life in a profoundly new, 'alive' way, distinct from childhood. This period imprints music onto a 'fresh', 'unswollen' consciousness, making it feel like the 'best music' of one's life.

Robinson explains, 'When you're a teenager or you're an adolescent, you're so alive in a different way for the first time from the childhood alive to like this. Oh, this now my the way the world feels to me is going to be something different. And when that music comes, it's like imprinted on like this fresh... You know what I mean? There's no no one is swollen at that age.'

Despite personal struggles and a seven-year period of not speaking, Chris Robinson asserts that the fundamental 'engine' of The Black Crowes has always been the compositional partnership between him and his brother, Rich. He now sees Rich's unique talent as a guitarist with greater clarity, unclouded by past 'anger, resentment, ego.'

Robinson states, 'Rich and I's composition are the is the engine for whatever the Black Crows are. It has been that way since we before it was anything.' He adds, 'I really see my brother I see his unique and I see how special he really is in his in in that world of guitarists.'

Robinson observes a significant change in concert audiences, where widespread phone usage creates a 'wall' between the performers and the crowd. This hinders the desired reciprocal energy exchange that makes live music truly flow and creates magical moments for the artist.

Robinson notes, 'telephone people's phones put up sometimes a wall between what we want to put out and what we want y'all to pick up... instead of really feeling the music and hearing the music and seeing where that could take you.'

The Black Crowes' recent album, 'A Pound of Feathers,' was created spontaneously without pre-written songs, reflecting a commitment to artistic vibrancy over commercial success. Robinson acknowledges that the days of selling millions of records are over but emphasizes the enduring value of authentic creation and the connection it fosters.

Robinson explains, 'we went in this record, we went in the studio without any songs... we wanted to do it that way. We wanted to do something that was uh more spontaneous and on the fly.' He adds, 'we're not going to sell million records. We're not going to sell any records. But this is what it is. But for us to get in there and to know... what was authentic and real in our hearts.'