Best Of Crow
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Album Summary
Crow was a Minneapolis-based rock outfit with fire in their bones and soul running through every note they cut — a band that built their sound on the holy trinity of hard rock, blues, and that deep, aching soul music coming up from the heartland. They recorded for Amaret Records during their peak years in the late 1960s and into the early 1970s, carving out a catalog that deserved far more attention than the coasts were willing to give them. 'Best Of Crow,' released in 1972, was a compilation drawn from those Amaret sessions, assembled to honor the band's regional legacy and capture the highlights of their recorded output for the faithful who had been riding with them from the beginning. It was the kind of record that said: here is what this band was, here is what they gave you — don't let it slip away.
Reception
- Crow had already proven they could reach the national stage when 'Evil Woman Don't Play Your Games With Me' climbed into the top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100 in 1969, and that track remained the anchor of their commercial identity heading into this compilation.
- As a regional act with a devoted Midwest following, the compilation performed modestly on commercial charts, drawing most of its audience from the loyal fans who had followed Crow through their active touring years rather than breaking new ground with mainstream listeners.
- Formal critical reception was minimal, as the album functioned primarily as a retrospective document for an existing fanbase rather than a widely reviewed new release in the music press of 1972.
Significance
- The album preserves Crow's singular fusion of hard rock, blue-eyed soul, and psychedelic blues — a sound that made them one of the most authentic and compelling voices to emerge from the late 1960s Midwest rock scene.
- 'Evil Woman Don't Play Your Games With Me' went on to gain remarkable cultural staying power decades after its original release, finding new life as a recognized sampling source and introducing Crow's legacy to generations who never caught them on the radio the first time around.
- As a document of the independent regional rock world that thrived far outside the spotlight of New York and Los Angeles, 'Best Of Crow' stands as testimony to how bands like Crow built real, lasting audiences through relentless touring and the honest currency of radio play across the American heartland.
Samples
- Evil Woman — one of the most recognized sampling sources from the Midwest rock catalog, the track's riff and energy have been sampled and interpolated across multiple hip-hop and R&B productions, extending Crow's reach deep into contemporary music culture
Tracklist
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A1 Evil Woman —
3:10
-
A2 (Don't Try To Lay No Boogie Woogie On The) King Of Rock And Roll —
2:30
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A3 Colors —
3:35
-
A4 Gonna Leave A Mark 97
2:53
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A5 I Stand To Blame —
2:36
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A6 Time To Make A Turn 120
2:47
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B1 Cottage Cheese —
3:20
-
B2 Busy Day 194
3:03
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B3 Satisfied 111
5:03
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B4 Keeps Me Runnin' —
3:00
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B5 Yellow Dawg 144
3:01
Artist Details
Crow was a rock band that came together in Minneapolis, Minnesota in the late 1960s, blending hard rock, soul, and blues into a gritty, driving sound that hit hard and cut deep. Their 1969 smash "Evil Woman (Don't Play Your Games with Me)" climbed the national charts and proved that the Midwest had some serious fire in its belly, earning them a place in the conversation alongside the heaviest rock acts of the era. Though they never quite broke through to superstardom, Crow represented that raw, unpolished American rock spirit that kept the music honest and real during a time when the industry was pulling in a thousand different directions.
