Drivin' N' Cryin'
Guitarist/vocalist Kevn Kinney, having relocated to Atlanta, Georgia, USA, after splitting from his old punk band the Prosecutors, met bassist Tim Nielsen in a local club, and the two formed Driving' N' Cryin'. SCARRED BUT SMARTER was recorded in a week and a half with a real garage rock trio sound, and the band recruited drummer Jeff Sullivan from Mr Crowe's Garden, who later became the Black Crowes, and began to broaden their musical style, incorporating country and R&B influences, while expanding their audience with gruelling club touring. WHISPER TAMES THE LION, by way of contrast to the debut, was rather overproduced, but MYSTERY ROAD, with a second guitarist in ex-R.E.M. roadie Buren Fowler, was more representative of the band's true sound. However, Driving' N' Cryin' had become musically somewhat schizophrenic at this stage, mixing heavy rockers with country songs, although the latter made little impression within insular US C&W radio circles. FLY ME COURAGEOUS thus saw a conscious effort to focus on the rock direction of their live shows, and while it met a mixed reception from reviewers, respectable US sales finally established the band as a force. SMOKE refined the harder approach with a tough sound and Ramones-like simplicity, while Kinney kept the more acoustic-based material for his solo albums.