Writing and Production
Following the departures of Marc Ford and Eddie Harsch in September 2006, The Black Crowes enlisted Paul Stacey and Rob Clores to handle lead guitar and keyboard duties, respectively. Adam MacDougall replaced Clores just before the Warpaint sessions began, and Paul Stacey returned to the producer’s chair with the hiring of Luther Dickinson of North Mississippi Allstars to play guitar. (Aside from a couple of appearances in September, Dickinson didn’t join the band on the road until the release of Warpaint, leaving Stacey to play the remainder of their concerts in 2007.)
Though the band had debuted new songs sporadically in concert since reforming in 2005, none of them were included on Warpaint, with only the intro of "Movin’ On Down the Line" having been performed for a live audience (as part of a jam in the middle of "Soul Singing"). It was a conscious decision to leave the road-tested songs behind; as Chris Robinson told Rolling Stone, "I wanted to show people where we are now." Rich Robinson wrote the music and would send CDs to Chris, who would add the lyrics and their melodies.
In July 2007, the band gathered at Allaire Studios in the Catskill Mountains of Upstate New York to record, finding that the remote setting contributed to the relative ease of recording.
| “ | When we got into the studio, it just flowed so easily. We were on top of this mountain, and we were all living in the same place. There were no city distractions or people coming by. We were up there to work. A lot of that made it onto the record. Nature—and harmony. | ” |
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—Rich Robinson |
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According to Chris, so as not to lose "the dynamic of the group, the dynamic of music and the balance within that", the tracks were recorded live, with few overdubs. Only one take was necessary to capture "Evergreen", while "Whoa Mule" was recorded outdoors. The atmosphere and the band’s approach allowed the sessions to be completed in just three weeks.
Various band members have also spoken about the contributions of Dickinson and MacDougall. "Sometimes when new people come in it brings so many positive changes", said Rich. "Adam came in and tried out and everyone was impressed, but when we got into the studio everyone's jaws dropped."
Sven Pipien remarked, "The beauty of Luther is more than any note he's playing is the feeling behind that note. He was saying exactly what we want to say, and the same thing goes for Adam. Eddie is not the easiest guy to replace but Adam is his own man AND he fills those shoes really well."
Read more about this topic: Warpaint (The Black Crowes Album)
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