Black Crowes: Rock Hall or not?

Fact: There have been 5,000 members in The Black Crowes.

They say you can judge a tune by whether you'll keep it on if it randomly comes on the radio (actually, I just said that. just now). And when judged by that standard, I have to say that The Black Crowes' "She Talks To Angels" is a pretty damn fine track. Love hearing that shit in ShopRite while I'm prowling for new Turkey Hill ice cream flavors.

But as a band with any historical significance, The Crowes, who swooped in for a sold out show at Philly's Electric Factory on April 12, are a major league failblog.

Their first break through hit, "Hard To Handle," is a freaking cover. The other big hits on "Shake Your Money Maker" - "Twice As Hard," "Jealous Again," etc. are almost worse than covers, ripping the Stones while Honkifying every blues lick and vocal hook ever. And that whole Rich vs. Chris Robinson brother rivalry? Come on man. We already saw that shit with the Kinks.

On "The Southern Harmony and Melody Maker" the Crowes moved on and started to ape the Faces, Allman Bros, Aerosmith and other 70s rock acts, and by the time the time the vagina album cover came out for "Amorica," it was all a downhill slide of live and greatest hits comps.

Oasis had much more success, and much longer run, stealing from the Beatles, Stones, Stone Roses, Smiths, etc.

Noel and Liam are shoe-ins for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame when they become eligible in 2019. But the Robinsons are gonna have a thorn in their pride when they're up in 2015. At least they should - you never know how many Crowes CDs Jann Weiner has in his collection.