I think the reason why I was never able to get into the Grateful Dead is because none of those guys could really sing. The band always suffered from not having someone like Gregg Allman anchoring the music with a deeply soulful voice.

It's because of this same philosophy I've always been drawn to The Black Crowes, who's lead vocalist, Chris Robinson, is one of the only guys around who has as much soul as Gregg Allman. With his rail-thin, drug-addled body and his recent marriage to starlet Kate Hudson he is carrying on the hallowed tradition of decadence that Allman perfected in the 70's with his notorious cocaine-orgies and relationships with Cher and the porn star Savannah.

At center of all this rock stardom is music and this band delivered two of the best rock albums of the 90's, back to back, with The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion and Amorica. The former was particularly memorable: recorded mostly live in eight days after the band had rehearsed the material only a few times, it is a document of some inspired musicians creating spontaneously beautiful and true songs.

Unfortunately the band then fired their fine guitarist, Marc Ford, for heavy drug use and produced a few less inspired albums. These albums, Three Snakes and One Charm and By Your Side, had a few hot tracks but mostly suffered from a schlocky, b-side feel that had little of the inspiration of their previous efforts.

With the new album Lions the band attempts to climb out of that hole and hoist the sagging banner of rock and roll up the flagpole. The powerfully psychedelic opener, 'Midnight from the Inside Out' and the spiritual 'Soul Singing' are some of the finest efforts the band has shown in a while. "Cypress Tree" is also very strong with a distinct edge of 70's-Aerosmith Sleaze-Rock happening and Chris Robinson howling like an alley cat caught in a tin box, "They gonna hang you from a cypress tree".

"Lay it all on me" has the band successfully flirting with a Beatlesque sound despite the disappointing chorus. Though Rich Robinson is a fine songwriter and a very strong player he's nowhere near the lead player that Ford was and the band still misses his playing and sparser presence he seemed to lend to the band.

"Miracle to me", like many tracks on the album has a distinctly Led Zepplin feel, which makes sense considering all the touring the band recently did with Jimmy Page. It's a beautiful song despite the cheesy lyrics ("be my lover / be my friend").

Listening to the track I keep thinking about a sleazy record exec in the studio imploring the band to produce a ballad that will be as big a hit as "She Talks to Angels", waving dollar signs in front of them. Such is the plight of rock stars when they occasionally compromise themselves. But sometimes our stars shine brighter when they have to twinkle under some tarnish.