Greatest Hits 1990-1999: A Tribute to a Work in Progress
Like the Black Crowes themselves, the greatest hits collectionWork in Progresshearkens back to the good old days of best-of collections: you get a bunch of songs you've probably heard on the radio a million times and that's it. Thesearearguably the group's best songs, but there are no unreleased outtakes or remixes to force rabid collectors to purchase the disc for the sake of two songs. This straightforward document of a straightforward band is also the best entryway to the group's fabulous, swaggering, ballsy, bluesy rock & roll--that is, next to their 1992 breakthrough,Southern Harmony & Musical Companion. While arranged chronologically, what one hears here is the Atlanta-based group playing great, unpretentiousStones-,Faces-, andZep-influenced rock. This music was made for pure, visceral enjoyment, so play it really loud and dance around.--Mike McGonigal