Upon their arrival on the national music scene in 1990 with Shake Your Money Maker, The Black Crowes' Stones-ish/Faces early '70s throwback sound was far from the Pop Metal/pre-Grunge musical fashion of the day. However, no one could deny the songwriting and authentic rootsy musical craftsmanship of the brothers Chris and Rich Robinson. Their second album, The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion (so named after a Civil War-era hymnal) released in May 1992 contained the songs "Remedy", "Thorn in My Pride", "Sting Me", "Hotel Illness" and "My Morning Song" which found the album at #1 sales in its first week of release!
With the backdrop of the 1991 Rodney King beating in LA, first trial, and subsequent deadly destructive riots there, The Black Crowes recorded Southern Harmony "…and watched LA burn" recalls co-founding singer Chris Robinson to IN THE STUDIO producer and host Redbeard.
"Some of us don't hate people, and some of us understand that this government is run and fueled by one thing, and that's greed… You don't live in black or white neighborhoods, you live in poor( or affluent ) neighborhoods… This is nothing exclusive to this generation or any other, these problems have been around forever, it's called manipulation… I understand everybody being so upset and frustrated( about injustice)… I don't think looting and violence and racial hatred is anyway to tell the government, 'Hey, by the way, can you show us some compassion?'. - Chris Robinson 1992. Stream the episode here.