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NEW YORK - Maxim magazine has apologized for publishing a negative review of the Black Crowes’ new album by a writer who hadn’t listened to the whole CD.

The review in Maxim’s March issue gives the Crowes’ “Warpaint” a rating of two-and-a-half stars out of five. The band posted an exasperated statement on its Web site last week, saying the Maxim writer hadn’t heard the entire album because advance copies were not available. The Crowes’ manager, Pete Angelus, said the magazine explained that its review an “educated guess.”

Maxim editorial director James Kaminsky responded Tuesday with this statement: “It is Maxim’s editorial policy to assign star ratings only to those albums that have been heard in their entirety. Unfortunately, that policy was not followed in the March 2008 issue of our magazine and we apologize to our readers.”

“Warpaint,” the Black Crowes’ first album in seven years, is set for release March 4. The blues-rock group, fronted Chris Robinson, has released only one song from the disc, “Goodbye Daughters of the Revolution.”

The band’s hits include “Hard to Handle” and “She Talks to Angels.”

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