Back on a very wet and cold January evening, MV made its usual biannual trek to watch Black Stone Cherry. Personally, I love BSC for all kinds of reasons—mainly because they write wonderful songs and they’re absolutely ace live.
That night, they rounded up their touring partners for a run through The Cult’s “American Horse”—and a studio take is included here. It opens in a way that feels like this song was made for them. They’ve never really sounded like this before, with Ayron Jones adding some crunch and John Cooper of Skillet relentlessly upbeat on vocals.
This 11-tracker is released for Record Store Day and is exactly the sort of thing that was B-sides before the internet ruined music—and meant we needed RSD in the first place. But I digress.
There are a few alternative takes here. You already know “Out of Pocket” is a great tune, and this version includes added Jesse Lynch.
And as ever with B-sides, there’s a cover or two. I’ll bet you didn’t know you needed BSC covering Tina Turner, did you? You don’t really—but “What’s Love Got to Do With It?” is still fun.
The country-fried version of Tracy Chapman’s “Give Me One Reason (The Plug)” has been out before on the expanded edition of The Human Condition, the 2020 album that got lost in Covid.
Like all B-sides, it’s the unreleased studio versions that are the holy grail—and there are a couple of those here. The single “Have You Ever Been Lonely” is everything that makes this band great—and they really are. Melody, hooks, and the feeling that they truly mean it.
The same goes for “I Miss You”—it returns to a familiar theme, but it’s always heartfelt.
Side 2 (this is an RSD release, after all) is live material—and if you’ve seen them live, you’ll know it’s near-impossible to capture that joy on wax. This gives it a solid go. You can place yourself right in the middle of “When the Pain Comes,” but the highlight is the stunning acoustic version of “Peace Is Free”—this time with added Lzzy Hale.
They can be heavy—heavier than you expect. “Again” (live from the Skydeck) is proof, and the three selections from Hellfest are mighty. The debut album had “Lonely Train,” of course. “Blame It on the Boom Boom” is sassy as hell, and when they “take it up a notch,” as they say, with “White Trash Millionaire,” it absolutely rips.
This one’s for the fans—but it’s meant to be. It’s the sort of collection that makes me long for the CD singles I loved so much. The world has changed, and whether that’s for better or worse is up for debate—but what’s not in question is the quality of these songs.
