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Starting in 2007 to celebrate the unique culture of small, independently owned record stores, Record Store Day (RSD) has become a musical and cultural phenomenon and a key event in the vinyl collectors calendar. With a focus being that you go in store and physically purchase the record of your choosing, to quote RSD themselves “its a day for the people who make up the world of the record shop – the staff, the customers, the artists, the labels – to come together and honour the special role they place in their local communities.” Since RSD’s first official event in 2008, hundreds of bands have released limited edition albums and compilations to honour the event. In 2025, the recent inductees of the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame, BLACK STONE CHERRY add their name to that illustrious list.
A compilation of bonus tracks, B-sides, covers, live tracks, and previously unreleased songs taken from the band’s expansive discography. The album is the first to feature all of these tracks on a physical release for the first time.
BLACK STONE CHERRY have become well known for redefining and revitalising the tradition of Southern/Heavy Blues rock with burly riffs stirring, memorable hooks. The RSD album, which is titled This Is Black Stone Cherry’s RSD album. The Band Really Likes It. is far from a collection of songs from the cutting room floor. Including notable collaborations from their contemporaries, such as Lzzy Hale (HALESTORM), Jesse Leach (KILLSWITCH ENGAGE), Ayron Jones and John Cooper (SKILLET) alongside Cherryfied covers of THE CULT, TINA TURNER and TRACY CHAPMAN, this isn’t your bog standard compilation album.
On the first half of This Is Black Stone Cherry’s RSD album. The Band Really Likes It. you see how much effort BLACK STONE CHERRY put into their songwriting with I Miss You and how they make sure their covers are memorable, distinct and unabashedly BSC in their arrangements. On the second half of the album you hear that, no matter what live environment they’re in whether it be the raucous stage at Hellfest or a laid back, acoustic performance they thrive and entertain.
The album opens up with American Horse, a THE CULT cover featuring Ayron Jones and John Cooper. With its chunky riffs, anthemic melodies and powerful shared vocals, the track stirs your emotions as it brings Ian Astbury’s vision of a black horse representing Native American culture a new lease of life. The second track is a version of one of Screamin’ At The Sky’s leading singles Out of Pocket featuring Jesse Leach, it’s an interesting collaboration and while Leach’s clean vocals compliment the song, the harsh vocals feel out of place and don’t suit the song at all. Next up is the band’s brilliant cover of TINA TURNER’s What’s Love Got To Do With It. In this unabashedly Cherryfied cover, it features all the swagger of the original just with a bigger, meatier riff and tantalising harmonies between Chris Robertson (lead vocals, guitar) and Ben Wells (backing vocals, guitar). The band then try their hand at TRACY CHAPMAN with a rendition of Give Me One Reason. This is one of two versions that featured on the deluxe edition of the band’s 2020 album The Human Condition.
The next two songs are previously unreleased tracks Have You Ever Been Lonely and I Miss You. The former and leading single is a song that the band say “is a song of hope, reminding us that even in our loneliest hour someone else has felt that and it is always worth it to keep moving.” and is a great example of a BLACK STONE CHERRY rock ballad and would easily have fit on their last album. I Miss You feels like a nostalgic trip back to 2020 and feels like the aftermath of In Love With The Pain, the poppier country-esque song on The Human Condition.
The second half of the album opens up with a live version of When The Pain Comes, taken from their latest album Screamin’ At The Sky. This is followed by an acoustic version of Peace Is Free – the original song is from 2008 album Folklore & Superstition – featuring Lzzy Hale, the most observant BLACK STONE CHERRY fan will notice that this was taken from their No Ceiling: Celebrating 20 Years of Black Stone Cherry documentary, in which Hale hosted a Q&A with the band as well as joining them for this special rendition of the song, from a rooftop in Nashville, Tennessee in 2021. The band then tack a track from another livestream Black Stone Cherry: Live From The Sky, their rendition of Again – from The Human Condition – which was recorded at SkyPac in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The last three tracks are three BLACK STONE CHERRY classics from Hellfest 2024; Lonely Train, Blame It On The Boom Boom and White Trash Millionaire.
As far as compilations go, This Is Black Stone Cherry’s RSD album. The Band Really Likes It. its a strong one with a good balance of hits, rarities and live. A great way to mark RSD 2025.
Rating: 8/10
This Is Black Stone Cherry’s RSD album. The Band Really Likes It. is out now via Mascot Records.
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The post ALBUM REVIEW: This is Black Stone Cherry’s RSD album. The Band Really Likes It – Black Stone Cherry appeared first on Distorted Sound Magazine.
