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''Lions'' is the sixth studio album by American rock band The Black Crowes. It was released in 2001 as their first album on V2 Records following their departure from Columbia, and is their only studio album to feature guitarist Audley Freed. ''Lions'' was recorded in New York City in January and February of that year, and was produced by Don Was. Bass guitar duties were shared by Rich Robinson and Was, as Greg Rzab had left the band and was not replaced until the tour that followed the release of the album. The album debuted on the ''Billboard'' 200 at its peak position of 20, selling more than 53,000 copies in its first week. ''Lions'' received mixed reviews; although the overall sound of the album generally garnered praise, a frequent complaint was the lack of "memorable" songs. The critics who rated ''Lions'' lowest considered it a poor imitation of the band's influences, such as Led Zeppelin. The band supported ''Lions'' with two North American tours (one with Oasis co-headlining), and a short tour of Europe and Japan in between. Soundboard recordings of several concerts were available for download to those who owned the album. Following the tour, the band went on hiatus until 2005. == Background == The Black Crowes began writing songs for the follow-up to their 1999 album ''By Your Side'' as free agents, having left Columbia Records through a loophole in their contract. The decision to leave was driven by Columbia's promotion of ''By Your Side''. According to band member Rich Robinson, "That record was destined to fail because ... (executives ) just said, 'It's not going to do well ... It's no use wasting time or money.' "〔 The band also was frustrated by the label's request for albums sounding similar to their first, 1990's ''Shake Your Money Maker''. In late 1999, lead vocalist Chris Robinson began a relationship with Kate Hudson, which would influence subtly the lyrics on ''Lions''. The pair met at a Friday night party in Manhattan, which led to a Saturday stroll through Central Park and a Sunday move-in. Their wedding at the Aspen, Colorado, ranch of Kurt Russell and Kate's mother, Goldie Hawn, followed on , 2000.〔 Before the 2000 tour with Jimmy Page, bassist Sven Pipien was fired after arriving late for a performance and missing the return flight. Rich said it was not enough to warrant termination, but Pipien's defensiveness when confronted about the incident was too much to handle. Greg Rzab and Andy Hess were considered as replacements; the band chose Rzab because he had more touring experience than Hess. Rzab, however, departed before the recording of ''Lions''. In mid-2000, the band signed with Richard Branson's V2 Records. Rich explained, "The cool thing about V2, the reason that we chose them, is that they told us, 'You guys go make the record you want to make. Then give it to us and we'll sell it.' That's what we needed to hear."〔 The freedom V2 afforded through its hands-off approach influenced not only the music, but the album title as well. According to Chris, "''Lions'' is a symbol that stands for the fierce feeling and freedom that music allows you." 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Lions (album)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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