Dave Matthews Band's Album Reviews:
Read reviews and rate Dave Matthews Band and help define the Austin TX music scene for your fellow friends on Unlock Austin.
| Great Album |
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| This is the first DMB album I ever listened to. I was skeptical of them at first because of my fathers fondness of them, but I soon changed my mind.Highlights:I Did It- Best song on the album. Has a tremendous groove, and shows the band at their best.When the World Ends- A great tune that I wish garnered more radioplay. Has a great anthemic and catchy chorus.The Space Between- Most famous DMB song on this album. Garnered heavy radioplay, albeit a little too much radioplay, but well deserved. Dreams of our Fathers- Another great tune with a great lyrical message. Should be recognized more often.So Right- Another song with a tremendous groove. Very, well, groovy.If I Had It All- Awesome mellow tune, the band really plays at their best here.Everyday- Another famous song. My second favorite on the album. Very catchy, and with some great acoustic work.Low points:Sleep to Dream Her- Sorry, but a bit boring.Angel- Just cant get into this mellow tune.Mother Father- Its not THAT bad, but still a low point.
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| Probably DMBs worst album ever, do not buy |
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| Ive been a huge fan of the Dave Matthews Band since the beginning. I weathered the turbulence that the Everyday album brought. But their last album before Stand Up, Busted Stuff, brought me hope; however, any hope that album gave me was disseminated by Stand Up. Stand Up features a new producer for DMB, Mark Batson. Batson draws experience from working in pop and rap. DMB heralded Batson as the second coming. Truth is, Batson gave absolutely no drive to DMB. DMB just got caught up in their studio life (eating fine food, playing games, smoking joints with Batson outside the studio, etc.). No real work was done on this album. The story behind American Baby pretty much describes the entire album. Batson met with each band member individually. When violinist Boyd Tinsley came in, Batson told him to start playing. When Tinsley was testing his violin, he plucked the riff to American Baby. It was totally unintentional on Tinsleys part, but Batson made a song out of it. This is pretty much the whole album in a nutshell: Batson just looped a bunch of boring riffs over and over. To add insult to injury, Dave could NOT write lyrics for this album. There absolutely no song that is up to snuff with anything Dave has written before. The only song that comes close is Hello Again; however, Hello Again was written outside the studio and road tested in 2004. Furthermore, Batson neutered this song by not including Carters drum solo or the outro. Moreover, speaking of Carter, Batson totally insulted Carter on this record. For those not familiar with Carter Beauford, he is one of the best rock drummers ever. Unfortunately, Batson just looped the drums over and over and turned Carter into a drum machine. Which brings me to an important point, dont listen to DMBs lies about this album. In the hype leading up to the album, they said, this new album will be built around Carter. Hahah, sure DMB. They will also contend that this is their best album in some of their promotional material. However, thats also bullox. In the most recent interviews with the band members, they are trashing Stand Up. While they are not coming out and saying that it sucks, they have said in no uncertain terms that it does not live up to their potential.Now a song by song review:The crappiness of this album is epitomized by Dreamgirl. First off, they couldnt even spell it right on the album. According to Dave on VH1 Storytellers, this song sets a high standard for all the other songs on the album. Im confident in saying that this is the worst song on the album. Not only is it the cheesiest song title ever, the lyrics are absolutely horrendous: I would dig a hole all the way to china, unless of course you were there, and then Id dig my way home. Next on to the second worst song of the album, Old Dirt Hill. This is pretty typical Stand Up repetitiveness. Musically, it is just guitar and drums on a continuous loop. Lyrically, it is an abomination to anything DMB has ever produced. Most of the song consists of the horrendous line, ring that beat back to me It is repeated ad nausium. Then, he includes this line:first time I kissed you I lost my legs. Im not quite sure what this means, but it makes absolutely no sense, like the entire song. Stand Up (For It) is the next song on the album. By far, it is not the worst song on the album, but it is definitely lacking. The lyrics are poorly written and crass (about sex and drugs). Carter continues to be a drum machine and the band members help him out by clapping and shouting Stand Up throughout the song. This is definitely a poorly written and executed song.Following Stand Up, the listener is bombarded with gun shots from American Baby Intro. Musically, it is just 4 notes played over and over with a violin solo. Dave says, she says over and over. There is absolutely no point to this song. It has virtually no lyrics, it relates in no way to American Baby, it is rubbish.American Baby, this song has already been discussed. It is good for Stand Up standards, but it does not compare to many of DMBs other singles. Again, Carter and Boyd are turned into machines. It is kind of a catchy tune, thoughNext, Smooth Rider. Its a decent song. The lyrics alright, but it, again, is not anything special.Now, Matthews hits the politics hard with Everybody Wake Up (Our Finest Hour Arrives). This song is also decent, but the song is too electric sounding for DMB. It too is kind of catchy.Out of My Hands is a song written outside of the studio. It is just Dave faintly playing piano and a little bit of the drum machine. This songs makes absolutely NO use the band members. Roi, Boyd, and Butch are absolutely nowhere to be found in this song. Furthermore, it shares lyrics with Everybody Wake Up. This is a testament to how lazy DMB got in the studio.Hello Again is the best song on the album. Lyrically, it is solid. Musically, it is solid. Batson, however, cut out some good parts of it.Louisiana Bayou, while a good song live, is probably the most annoying song on the album. It is VERY repetitive and dave says you over and over. It will easily make you want to pull your hair out, at a minimum.Stolen Away features a pretty a cool sax riff. I dont really have anything against this song except that the drum machine is still present.You Might Die Trying is probably the most DMB sounding song on the album. It features Carters new electric drum pad (AKA the clapper) Its pretty annoying and poppy sounding. Not a terrible a song.Steady As We Go. This is where things start to get crappy again. This COULD be a beautiful song, but Dave chose to make it really cheesy with trite things such as, be the apple of your eye. Furthermore, it too is a waste of the bands talent. The only come in for a minor role at the end.Hunger For The Great Light. Well, what can I say about this flaming piece of garbage? The great light is supposed to be analogous to an orgasm. So when Dave says oh great light, thats what hes talking about. But thats about the only thing he says. The rest of the song is literally Dave grunting. I hate the song.
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| Pretty much a miss |
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| Picked it up at Tower the other day ($9.99),because I like the DMB and now I see you can pick it up at Amazon for a $1.36.At that cheap of a price,that should pretty much clue you in that something was up.Not a very good outing(bad production).Murky.fuzzy.lacking in general fidelity.It sounds as if it were dubbed to death.Were these guys even together in the same recording studio ?DMB is a jam band, and this album just sounds as if that magical element is missing.When I listen to other DMB albums,it sounds(and feels)like everybody is having a good time.Kind of wooden and by the numbers on this one.When DMB is on ,they are as good as it gets,but when they are off...I wanted to pick up the newer DMB,but since Sony pulled the DRM incident,that album will not be on my playlist ANYTIME soon.
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| Dont buy this. Probably DMBs worst album. |
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| Ive been a huge fan of the Dave Matthews Band since the beginning. I weathered the turbulence that the Everyday album brought. But their last album before Stand Up, Busted Stuff, brought me hope; however, any hope that album gave me was disseminated by Stand Up. Stand Up features a new producer for DMB, Mark Batson. Batson draws experience from working in pop and rap. DMB heralded Batson as the second coming. Truth is, Batson gave absolutely no drive to DMB. DMB just got caught up in their studio life (eating fine food, playing games, smoking joints with Batson outside the studio, etc.). No real work was done on this album. The story behind American Baby pretty much describes the entire album. Batson met with each band member individually. When violinist Boyd Tinsley came in, Batson told him to start playing. When Tinsley was testing his violin, he plucked the riff to American Baby. It was totally unintentional on Tinsleys part, but Batson made a song out of it. This is pretty much the whole album in a nutshell: Batson just looped a bunch of boring riffs over and over. To add insult to injury, Dave could NOT write lyrics for this album. There is absolutely no song that is up to snuff with anything Dave has written before. The only song that comes close is Hello Again; however, Hello Again was written outside the studio and road tested in 2004. Furthermore, Batson neutered this song by not including Carters drum solo or the outro. Moreover, speaking of Carter, Batson totally insulted Carter on this record. For those not familiar with Carter Beauford, he is one of the best rock drummers ever. Unfortunately, Batson just looped the drums over and over and turned Carter into a drum machine. Which brings me to an important point, dont listen to DMBs lies about this album. In the hype leading up to the album, they said, this new album will be built around Carter. Hahah, sure DMB. They will also contend that this is their best album in some of their promotional material. However, thats also bullox. In the most recent interviews with the band members, they are trashing Stand Up. While they are not coming out and saying that it sucks, they have said in no uncertain terms that it does not live up to their potential. Now a song by song review: The crappiness of this album is epitomized by Dreamgirl. First off, they couldnt even spell it right on the album. According to Dave on VH1 Storytellers, this song sets a high standard for all the other songs on the album. Im confident in saying that this is the worst song on the album. Not only is it the cheesiest song title ever, the lyrics are absolutely horrendous: I would dig a hole all the way to china, unless of course you were there, and then Id dig my way home. Next on to the second worst song of the album, Old Dirt Hill. This is pretty typical Stand Up repetitiveness. Musically, it is just guitar and drums on a continuous loop. Lyrically, it is an abomination to anything DMB has ever produced. Most of the song consists of the horrendous line, bring that beat back to me It is repeated ad nausium. Then, he includes this line:first time I kissed you I lost my legs. Im not quite sure what this means, but it makes absolutely no sense, like the entire song. Stand Up (For It) is the next song on the album. By far, it is not the worst song on the album, but it is definitely lacking. The lyrics are poorly written and crass (about sex and drugs). Carter continues to be a drum machine and the band members help him out by clapping and shouting Stand Up throughout the song. This is definitely a poorly written and executed song. Following Stand Up, the listener is bombarded with gun shots from American Baby Intro. Musically, it is just 4 notes played over and over with a violin solo. Dave says, she says over and over. There is absolutely no point to this song. It has virtually no lyrics, it relates in no way to American Baby, it is rubbish. American Baby, this song has already been discussed. It is good by Stand Up standards, but it does not compare to many of DMBs other singles. Again, Carter and Boyd are turned into machines. It is kind of a catchy tune, though.Next, Smooth Rider. Its a decent song. The lyrics alright, but it, again, is not anything special. Now, Matthews hits the politics hard with Everybody Wake Up (Our Finest Hour Arrives). This song is also decent, but the song is too electric sounding for DMB. It too is kind of catchy. Out of My Hands is a song written outside of the studio. It is just Dave faintly playing piano and a little bit of the drum machine. This songs makes absolutely NO use the band members. Roi, Boyd, and Butch are absolutely nowhere to be found in this song. Furthermore, it shares lyrics with Everybody Wake Up. This is a testament to how lazy DMB got in the studio. Hello Again is the best song on the album. Lyrically, it is solid. Musically, it is solid. Batson, however, cut out some good parts of it. Louisiana Bayou, while a good song live, is probably the most annoying song on the album. It is VERY repetitive and dave says you over and over. It will easily make you want to pull your hair out, at a minimum. Stolen Away features a pretty a cool sax riff. I dont really have anything against this song except that the drum machine is still present. You Might Die Trying is probably the most DMB sounding song on the album. It features Carters new electric drum pad (AKA the clapper) Its pretty annoying and poppy sounding. Not a terrible a song, however.Steady As We Go. This is where things start to get crappy again. This COULD be a beautiful song, but Dave chose to make it really cheesy with trite things such as, be the apple of your eye. Furthermore, it too is a waste of the bands talent. They only come in for a minor role at the end. Hunger For The Great Light. Well, what can I say about this flaming piece of garbage? The great light is supposed to be analogous to an orgasm. So when Dave says oh great light, thats what hes talking about. But thats about the only thing he says. The rest of the song is literally Dave grunting. I hate the song.In conclusion, yes I am negative. Ive listened to Busted Stuff. Ive listend to Before These Crowded Streets. Ive listened to Crash. I.E., I know the capability that DMB has. However, they have become complacent. Theyve still got it. They havent lost their talent; they are still an amazing live act. As a matter of fact, their Stand Up promoting tour was one of their better tours. However, they need to stop lounging around their studio and smoking weed with their producer. DMB will contend that they were in a time crunch with this record. It is simply not true. They got lazy and they know it. Hopefully, this album is a wake call for them. However, Batson is still their producer. I think he deserves another chance, but one more of these and DMB is in some serious trouble.Also, DRM sucks. This CD has DRM. People should be able to enjoy the CD they paid for without having to suffer through programs taking over their computer. Shame on DMB and RCA for using this copy protection.
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| One of the BEST concert DVDs ever! |
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| If you want a concert DVD, pick this up! Great music, a great live show, great quality and enough Dave to satisfy the biggest fan. A really nice setlist including Two Step Dancing Nancies Ants Marching Jimi Thing among others. Great jamming and some wonderful covers like All Along the Watchtower as well as Cortez the Killer featuring Warren Haynes of Govt Mule/Allman Bros. If you want to see one of the greatest live bands at their best, buy this DVD!
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| Dave Matthews Live: Everyday |
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| For any band, artist and group, there is a 50/50 chance that they may sound either good or bad when performing live. Some artists, like Madonna, sound terrible live, but great in the studio. Dave Matthews sounds awesome in either situation. On a roll with a multitude of live CDs under his belt already, Dave decides that on this adventure most of the tracks will be taken from his somewhat recent CD, Everyday. Now depending on how much you actually like this CD will have a baring on what you will think of this Live version.Having said all this, Dave also has is usual favorite songs sung on this Live cd as well to attend to his fan base audience. So you need not worry about that. All in all I really enjoyed this Live CD. I thought only one track, I Did It, felt rather flat and Daves voice almost sounded almost scary! But all the rest sounded great!Anyways, give this CD a try, again only if you were a big Everyday fan. If not, you may want to pass on to the others Live Cds under the Dave Matthews collection.
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| Live at The Gorge |
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| If you love and appreciate the art these guys produce from creating a variety of music styles, then this CD and DVD combo and all of the rest of them are for you... I Do
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| Beautiful Music |
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| This album contains everything that Dave fans love about the band. Awesome lyrics mixed with great music.1. Busted Stuff 7/10 - A great way to open an album. Lyrics are kind of down though. Certainly not an uplifting song.2. Greystreet 9/10 - The lyrics are great but the music is absolutely beautiful. But you know what? It sounds even better live.3. Where are you Going? 8/10 - The first single from the album. A really nice sounding song.4. You Never Know 10/10 - My personal favorite. A brilliant song with a very uplifting message.5. Captain 5/10 - Definitely not a song he should ever play live...6. Raven 7/10 - A very clever song, I love the chorus7. Grace is Gone 8/10 - Like the guitar at the beginning, great lyrics, fan favorite8. Kit-Kat Jam 6/10 - Great music, but only if it had words...9. Digging a Ditch 7/10 - Makes you kind of want to kill yourself10. Big-Eyed Fish 9/10 - Very clever, love the music. I love the outro into Bartender11. Bartender 10/10 - Unbelievable. Thats the only word to describe it. Everything about it is beautiful.
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| check this out too |
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| I am a big fan of rootsy, acoustic rock with some jam band style, but not too much jam band style. This album is a fantastic treat that consistently delivers great music, song after song. If you enjoy this album and are looking for some similar albums then I recommend the following: 1) Beneath These Fireworks by Matt Nathanson2) Good To Be Here by Ernest Goodlife Band3) 1972 by Josh Rouse
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| check this out too |
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| I am a big fan of rootsy, acoustic rock with some jam band style, but not too much jam band style. This album is a fantastic treat that consistently delivers great music, song after song. If you enjoy this album and are looking for some similar albums then I recommend the following: 1) Beneath These Fireworks by Matt Nathanson2) Good To Be Here by Ernest Goodlife Band3) 1972 by Josh Rouse
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| check this out too |
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| I am a big fan of rootsy, acoustic rock with some jam band style, but not too much jam band style. This album is a fantastic treat that consistently delivers great music, song after song. If you enjoy this album and are looking for some similar albums then I recommend the following: 1) Beneath These Fireworks by Matt Nathanson2) Good To Be Here by Ernest Goodlife Band3) 1972 by Josh Rouse
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| Just wait |
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| I am huge fan of DMB. I have listened to I hope every song they have recorded. I first listened to this album, and I felt I was let down knowing they could do so much better. I can listen to Under the Table and Dreaming over and over again, but I cant say the same about this album. After listening to Stand Up a couple times some of the songs have grown on me, but I find myself taking out this CD, and putting in the old ones. I just dont want to listen to every song like the other albums. We have to remember the studio albums dont even compare to the songs recorded or heard live. I attend a concert where they played American Baby and Louisana Bayou, and I enjoyed every second of the songs equally to the others they played. The intro to American Baby was just amazing live. It was the best part of the concert. I cant wait to here the Stand Up songs recorded lives so I know what they should have really sounded like. There is not one studio song I would rather hear over the same song recorded live. Probably my least favorite album released, but when I hear the live versions, it might become one of my favorites.
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| Where is Waldo?! How about where is Boyd and Leroi? |
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| I will admit, I am not the oldest of Dave fans, in age, at least. But I have been a DMB fan for about 6 years, and Ive seen him live 7 times, including at Verizon Ampitheatre 3 days ago. I have all his stuff and I was SO excited about Stand Up. I knew that his sins were forgiven and we would all not speak of everyday again...but when I listened to Stand Up on my iMac in my Graphic Design class, I found myself not even stomping m feet or nodding my head. I will never forget it, either. I realized that my band would never be found again on another studio-cd. I would have to see him live to relive that magic. This cd has many, many problems. First, possibly one of the greatest drummers out there, Carter Beauford, is playing electric drum beats. Second,WHERE IS BOYD TINSLEY AND LEROI MOORE? Have they been just erradicated from the band? I couldnt believe that I just purchased NOW 19. To be honest, there is not a single jam song on here. The highligh for me would have to be Stolen Away On 55th and 3rd, but not because it s a true DMB song, its because it has a saxophone player!!!! To end this, buy this if you want to see what Daves been up to since Some Devil....but dont count on hearing DMB...its more like Some Devil part II except Steffan is disgraced by playing the bass on this ......Its a shame to have so many talented musicians to share the same stage and release this...play with your hearts again guys...
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| Quite a Good Album |
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| I am a fan of the Dave Matthews Band, but not of Dave Matthews. Personally, I think Dave is lacking in guitar and vocal talent. However, Boyd Tinsley, the violinist, is superb, the drummer can lay down some great beats, and the LeRoi Moore, the saxophonist, is great, and would make a successful jazz musician. Tim Reynolds, who makes a major guest appearance on this and every other DMB album, is one of the best guitarists around. Two Step is one of the best songs I have ever heard, and Tripping Billies, Lie in Our Graves, Too Much, and So Much to Say are definitely not lacking in any respect. I love the energy displayed on Tripping Billies and So Much to Say. Lie in Our Graves displays great jamming, and Too Much has some very funky saxophone and violin pyrotechnics. Compared to the majority of mainstream music, this is pure genius, but if you compare it to some more serious jam bands, prog bands, and jazz bands it is not quite so great. One of the things this band definitely accomplishes is, through their brilliant openers, such as Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, Galactic, Robert Randolph, Umphreys Mcgee, Govt Mule, Widespread Panic, Keller Williams, Trey Anastasio, and moe. they introduce mainstream music fans to truly impressive music. While I do not like their teenie bopper/frat boy fanbase, I would reccomend this album (However, if you want more intense music, check out the said openers as well as Drums and Tuba, the Grateful Dead, Soulive, the Disco Biscuits, Karl Denson, New Monsoon, Jake Shimabukuro, Railroad Earth, and Jethro Tull). All in all a great album(with Two Step as one of the best songs ever), and the only mainstream band I truly enjoy.
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| Their best album |
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| Its one of those rare albums that you can listen to without skipping a song. The blend of different instruments, combined with Daves voice makes for a great sound. Tracks like #41 and Say Goodbye really show how dynamic Daves voice can be and how great they can play their instruments. If youre not a fan, listen to this album and you may feel differently about the band.
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| 3.5 Stars-GIVE IT A CHANCE! |
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| First, let me say, Im not a Huge DMB Fan. Im between Casual/Newbie. I have every RCA album, except Busted Stuff, which I heard, and can say it didnt do much for me. Ive heard a couple of their live albums, and agree with a lot of you here, that their sound is much better live. Now, as far as this album is concerned, I dont see why so many people hate it so much! There are some very catchy tunes on this thing! (Dreamgirl, Stand Up, You Might Die Trying, just to name a few) I find myself singing some of these songs in my head, and then coming back to hear them again. That, to me is part of what music is about. But, hey, were all individuals, we have different opinions. To each our own. I bought this album twice, the first being the standard CD, which I gave to a friend, and then bought the DualDisc. I too, was very frustrated with the Copy-Protection crap! Ive had luck with other DualDiscs, and have been able to copy, and transfer to the iPod. Ive yet to try this one.
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| Busted Stuff: A Return In More Ways Than One |
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| Ladies and gentlemen, the Dave Mattews Band has returned. After Matthews solo debut, the catastrophe that was Lilywhite, and some pretty heavy flack from critics put off by the DMB emphasis on image, the Band is back. And for those of us who see past the image to the music behind it, the return is a welcome one.Its a return to roots. A reconnection with the smooth, half-jazz-half-rock, bluesy sound that weve come to think of as quintessential DMB. None of the brassy shine of Everyday here; in fact, listeners who cite Everyday as their DMB favourite will be disappointed with this album. But those who regretted the loss of those sometimes-ethereal, sometimes-earthy musings from Crash will welcome this release-- and turn up the volume. Its a return to familiarity, in some ways, but its also a return to DMBs willingness to push at the bounds of genre. The sound here glides from the unexpected, funky jazz/pop of Raven to the quiet lyrical intensity of Grace Is Gone. Nontradtional lyric formulae, unique and daring melds of style-- one piece is entirely instrumental and almost Joplinesque. That instrumental track, Kit Kat Jam, morphs easily in sound until it becomes a metaphor for the whole albums versastility. But at the same time, all the music here is bound together with that quietly assured je ne sais quoi that makes any DMB track immediately recognisable. There are a few songs that fall a bit flat. After a strong opening three, the confused You Never Know and unmemorable Captain, back to back, form the weakest part of the album. But the tracks only improve from there. Digging a Ditch is pensive, rhythmic, haunting. Big Eyed Fish delivers with an upbeat, edgy drive that never crosses to harshness. The final track, Bartender, is a masterwork: written, phrased, executed with deep emotion and flawless grace.Yes, the Dave Matthews Band has returned. And throughout the album, their music effortlessly projects that smooth, laid-back feel that has become their trademark image and sound. But the tremendous artistry, raw emotion, and frank hard work in these songs will testify that the image doesnt show the whole story. Listeners willing to admit that DMBs own image doesnt comprehend its wider musical journey will find much to call whole within Busted Stuff. The compelling lyrics, craft, and musicianship of this album invites listeners themselves to often, willingly, return.
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| a generous four stars |
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| i have known dave longer than ive known my husband . . . not my favorite album, but over time its growing on me . . . american baby intro is way better than american baby, but i do love steady as we go and hunger for the great light . . . dave is best enjoyed live, the gorge cds from 2003 are amazing and of course the original red rocks ... i do enjoy the new weekend on the rocks, but the title makes me think of neil diamond, great dvd, time of the season and say goodbye are outstanding, although it does slightly annoy me that the words to say goodbye have changed so much over the years . . . my favorite line youve got your man, oh man ive got my woman . . . has been gone for years but oh well . . . looking forward to this summers tour, set lists look great so far, so i can forgive dave for stand up . . . better luck next time, right ?!?
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| Stands the test of time |
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| Ive often wondered what it would have been like to hear bands like the Beatles, Stones, the Doors, Hendrix - any of the true greats, hell even U2 in the early 80s, when something comes out and you dont really know where itll stand in time but you know its pretty darn good. I first heard Under the Table when I was in high school 12 long years ago, and remember thiking what a great disc it was, but not really knowing if it was great b/c I was 17 years old chasing girls over the summer or whether it was a truly great album. Well let me tell you, 12 years later this disc still sounds SO much different than most of the regurgitated alt rock thats thrown together for the delight of the radio-listening masses. There is so much feeling in this music, much much different than a lot, not all, of the music today.Remember, putting this band in the early 90s, there were not many other bands like it out there, and certainly none that broke through and made an impression on a large scale - Im a Phish fan and cannot say that Phish is well-received by most people. This disc broke through on its own, its pure, prior to Dave succombing to the pressure of being a well-known huge band. Its not his fault the masses liked this disc and those to follow. Just like the Doors, just like the Beatles, just like any other band out there that was first discovered. This is DMB in the purest sense.Im not going to go into a detailed analysis of this disc - Im sure the other 400 reviewers can do that just fine. Im writing this for the young teeny-boppers out there. As a child of the 90s, I never heard those great 60s and 70s bands live or during their era. All you need to know is you still can see DMB right now, and the sound of this disc, and many of their earlier discs, stand out as something that is beautifully unique and will stand the test of time for years to come. This disc has a way of getting into your heart and soul and bringing you to a place far, far away, which is really the purpose of music.Buy this disc. You wont regret it.
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| Great album - but needs listening to a few times |
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| Got this CD in 2001. At first it was a difficult listen - I thought I had wasted my cash again (The space between was/is good though.Then one day I put the CD in the car and forced myself to listen - well it was the only CD I had in the car and the radio was driving me nuts. By the time I was on the 3rd play I was hooked.Angel is particularly good. Now it is one of my regular CDs
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| so what |
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| DMB has become a moniker of sorts for dumb teenage girls and kids that wear Abercrombie and Fitch. In all honesty, DMB is probably the best band to pretend to like if you want to tap some of that. And by that, I mean the attractive blonde girl in your high school, the one in the Abercrombie and Fitch tee, with the thong hanging halfway out of her pants. Just say DMB is your favorite band on your myspace or start wearing DMB t-shirts and you two can crash at the next DMB concert. On the lawn. How many guys really enjoy DMB in their top 10? I dont know, I really dont. My one friend was bragging about how he wanted to aspire to be as good a guitar player as dave, oh he got some giggles and laughs from the gals. But, I kid you not, Dave really isnt all that good a guitar player. I mean hes got some talent, but hes no dreamworker.Image aside, Dave is the jam band from the north. If youre sick of Widespread Panic, Phish, Phishs clone The String Cheese Incident, The Allman Brothers Band, North Mississippi Allstars, and the Grateful Dead then here we are at something a little less hick and a little more contemporary. On the flip side, if you want real jam music, maybe consider looking into one of said bands.Crash isnt a bad album by any stretch though. Its a summer album. Its light and poppy at times, but it also has that DMB-heaviness to it. I wont wax on how great DMB is, they arent. They have a good drummer, and the full ensemble really helps make them tolerable. Dave doesnt sound bad on this, and every song on here is good.dMb is so gosh darn image-oriented though, the music doesnt matter anymore. Dave is going to flop soon though, and hell be playing at your local county fair within the next 10 years. Until then, you have to be f*cking high to spend your whole weeks paycheck on DMB concert tickets. But buy Crash, even if you really dont like it. At least you can play it for that blonde chick wearing the thong and maybe you can let the lovin take hold.I still like it though
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| Not as good as Central Park, but worth the money |
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| I have this as well as The Central Park Concert, and I must say, if you want a sampling of some of DMBs better-known songs and/or a more greatest hits type of album, get that CD. But if you already know most of their songs and want more, get this. Here is an overview of the tracks: 1-DONT DRINK THE WATER- Its hard to say whether this is better than the Central Park version, but overall, a good song any way you play it. My main problem is that this still has a long, unnecessary intro-- oh well. 10/10 2-JTR- Poor little JTR, on Lillywhite but didnt make Busted Stuff. Its a good song, and great live, but doesnt fit on Busted Stuff. I can see why they didnt put it on that album. 9/10 3-WHEN THE WORLD ENDS- Great hip-hop style drumming and good lyrics. Great song. Again, not sure which version is best. 9/10 4-SO RIGHT- Dave plays electric on this one, which is different for him. Speaking of which, I love the guitar riff at the beginning. 10/10 5-BIG EYED FISH- GASP! Dave said the f-word!!! The big problem with Ctrl. Park is that it doesnt have the Big Eyed Fish/Bartender duo, which, in my opinion, is the best DMB song. 10/10 6-BARTENDER- Like I said, best DMB song, especially with an excellent live version. Not the best song on this shows setlist, though (well get to that later). 15/10 7-WHAT YOU ARE- The Ctrl. Pk. version of this is really weird at the beginning, and this one is ten times better. This version makes it a really good song. 10/10 8-CRASH INTO ME- DMBs most successful single is wonderful live. 10/10 9-EVERYDAY- Check out the video of this song-- I love it. A nice, happy song, almost (ALMOST!!) hippie. I love the vocals at the beginning with the `lovely ladies helping out. 10/10 10-I DID IT- Well, we didnt get to the best song on this album yet, but this is the worst. Waaaaaay too fast and catchy for this setlist. Doesnt fit in AT ALL. Ick. 2/10 11-IF I HAD IT ALL- Mediocre, but better than I Did It (fortunately). 7/10 12-ANGEL- Ah, here we are. The only monster track on this CD is also the best one. This single track is worth the price of the whole CD. A wonderful sax solo followed by excellent guitar and lyrics, then a long, gospel solo by the lovely ladies. Its got a great message, and cool chord progressions at about 2:20. Perfection. 10000000/10 13-WAREHOUSE- This is a great song (I dont mean to sound redundant, but what else can be said about DMB?). I love the samba thing in the middle (and various other places in the song). Could be shorter, but its well-equipped at 9:25 mins. 10/10 14-RECENTLY- Great lyrics, but thats the only strong point of this song. 8/10 15-DIGGING A DITCH- Not as good as the studio version, but it would be better if they had played it more live before this. 8/10 16-WHAT WOULD YOU SAY- I like the guitar lick, but the Ctrl. Pk. version is better (and longer). 8/10 17-ALL ALONG THE WATCHTOWER- I really loved this version of this song when I heard it for the first time on Central Pk., and this version is not nearly as good, but its still superb. 10/10 18-THE SPACE BETWEEN- Good guitar, but not great. 8/10 19-STAY (WASTING TIME)- This is one of my favorites because of the funky sax lick in the middle. Its probably the third best on the CD after Angel and Big Eyed Fish/Bartender. Love it. 11/10 20-TWO STEP- This is probably the best live version of this song that Ive heard. Not too long, but theres still time to jam in this 9:18 version. 10/10 21-ANTS MARCHING- One of DMBs many signature songs, which is great, but the Central Pk. version is way better. A great closer, though. 10/10 I like Central Park better than this, but I also love the Big Eyed Fish/Bartender twins, so I guess this one is really close behind. Even though Bartender is great, the real reason this concert is so good is Angel. Great CD. Buy it!!
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| One of the GREATEST EVER! |
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| I wont repeat what everyone else has said in more detail. However, I wish to mention 2 things:This is one of the GREATEST CDs/DVDs EVER!!! For every reason.And secondly, I dont know why people keep missing the fact that the song #41 IS ON THIS CD.
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| DMB fans please chill the hell out... |
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| Why is it that this band is so highly praised? Why, why, why? Why are people so obsessed with Dave Matthews? What is it about this guy thats so fascinating, so original, so godly? Do you people really listen to this music, or do you just fall in love with its catchiness, its mellowness, the lame easiness of Daves voice and the fun, folky, teenyboping garbage that is this music? The lyrics are boring, unoriginal, and Daves voice is just about as good as any other generic male singer that you hear on the radio or MTV. The music has that same typical, poppy, mediocore sound that people try to pass of as impassioned, acoustical bliss, when really it lacks any sort of creativity or edge. This music is mediocore at best. I give this album 2 (more like 1.5) stars for being slightly less lame and slightly more edgy than his other crappy albums. I give the band -5 stars for being uninventive, sell-out mediocrity. And that goes for bands like Phish, Blues Travelers and Sister Hazel too (who are all actually better than DMB). If youre a girl its one thing to listen to that, but guys...cmon. If you need a stoner/mellow rock fix, look to O.A.R., Fastball, and Dispatch. At least those bands have some passion and creativity.
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| Compare this to Stand Up... |
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| Compare the two albums by Dave that get the most negative reviews, and its like heaven and hell. This is a mfing amazing album next to Stand Up. I really dont understand the disillusionment by all these Dave Matthews fans over this CD. There are some pure golden songs on it, and like any other album, there are some not so great ones, but this at least still SOUNDS like DMB. I never had any doubts about this CD until I started reading such negative reviews. I went back and listened a little more critically, and I still stand my initial impression. Not his strongest, but still an acceptable album.
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| Didnt these guys put out a live album last month? |
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| On message boards across the land, longtime Dave Matthews Band fans gripe that the group has been on autopilot for its last two studio albums. This live CD/DVD, which documents the last nights of DMBs Stand Up tour this past September, suggests the problem isnt subpar material but a boredom among the longstanding group members-how many dark corners does #41 have left to explore, for example? Matthews and Co. amble gamely through new songs Dreamgirl and American Baby, pull Dont Burn the Pig and Halloween off the scrap heap and cover the Zombies late-psychedelic hit Time of the Season, but they generally catch fire only when joined by guests such as steel-guitar innovator Robert Randolph, who makes the smoke rise on Louisiana Bayou. DOWNLOAD: Bartender, The Stone
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| Im disappointed... |
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| Im a huge DMB fan and I have every released live CD along with several bootlegs. Now I have this 6 CD set of The Gorge too and its disappointing compared to other live releases.When I heard Satellite hoping it to be a great performance (the only really good performance I know of Satellite is actually the one from the Lost Acoustics, Dave with just Tim Reynolds) I was pretty shocked when I heard Dave trying to sing those high notes. As if thats not bad enough his voice sucks on a lot of other songs too, not to mention the overall bad quality of the recordings!This is definetly not something for starters of DMB... Id say go get the Central Park Concert, Live At Red Rocks, Live At Luther College or the Complete Weekend On The Rocks 8 CD set to start with, The Gorge should be ordered the last one and only if youre a hardcore fan!
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| Get The DVD!!! |
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| While the recordings of these songs are also great, the DVD of this concert is a lot more fun to watch and is easier to listen to because youre watching something.Dave Matthews Band is what I like to call a musician band (i.e. Santana). They arent up there to make money and get attention, theyre up there to make music and have fun playing it. This concert is outstanding. However, most of the songs are 10-12 minutes and also consist of long jam sessions by the band in the middle of things. So, these songs are somewhat hard to listen to unless you are a die-hard DMB fan or if you are a die-hard music fan. Dont get me wrong-- I dont discourage the rest of you from buying the CD or DVD, but keep in mind what I said. Having said that, here is an overview of each track:1-Dont Drink The WaterThis track starts out with a 3-min. (unnecessary) intro, but then explodes into a rock symphony in classic DMB style-- incredible musicianship and concentration. Towards the end, everyone drops out except Carter (the drummer) and Dave. I love the lyrics:Dont drink the water,theres blood in the water,dont drink the water.Then Dave goes into screaming random syllables at the top of his lungs. The second best on the album and a perfect opener. 11/10.2-So Much To SayI love the guitar at the beginning of this song. LeRoi (the sax player) is playing bari on this. Geez, those South Africans know how to sing. 9/10after this, they segue right into one of their better known songs:3-Too MuchI love D. Matts rap at the beginning, and then Stefan comes in w/ his distorted bass, and another great guitar break--this all happens within 15 seconds of each other. Great lyrics (beware of the random f-word in the middle). The So Much To Say/Too Much medley is wonderful. 10/10. 4-GrannyMore great guitar; I love how Carter just does fills for most of the song, and then towards the end he starts playing an actual beat. One of my faves. 10/10.5-CrushThis is the most complex song on the album. In the beginning with the bass groove, its almost jazz funk, then when Carter comes in it switches to an almost hip-hop groove. Oh well. A great one nonetheless. 10/10.6-When the World EndsAgain, almost hip-hop at the beginning. Great poly rhythms. The drumming is the strong point of this track. 10/10.7-Dancing NanciesI know this is one of their most well-known songs, but its not my favorite. I like Boyds solo, though. 7/108-WarehouseA great guitar riff and audience participation make this a strong point. 10/109-Ants MarchingAnother of my favorites on the album. Great riff. At one point, the audience sings part of it by themselves, which is kind of cool. 11/10.10-Rhyme and ReasonI like this song because LeRoi plays alto, and I also play alto, but this is not one of the better tracks. 8/10. 11-Two StepDuration: 18:56... dang, this song is long. Basically a big ol long jam session, which makes it great. Its almost like some kind of strange polka... I dont know. Pretty good sax. 10/10.12-Help MyselfAnother good track... blah, blah, blah. 9/10.13-Cortez The KillerAt this point, Warren Haynes comes out and plays electric guitar. Great cover of Neil Young, but different for DMB; its a lot slower than a lot of their stuff. 10/1014-Jimi ThingThis is another track where a sizable portion of the song is a jam session, which ultimately makes it great. This is where Dave finally decides to introduce the band. He also does some great rap/scatting... whatever you want to call it. Great electric guitar by Warren Haynes (special guest). 10/1015-What Would You SayGood riff. Not my favorite. 9/1016-Where Are You GoingAlmost country, but not quite. An okay track. 9/1017-All Along The WatchtowerAnd, finally, we get to my personal fave on this record, and I am in awe of this. Un-be-lieve-able. Im almost speechless. However, this is almost (ALMOST, I say) ruined by the cheesy bass solo at the beginning. There is a slow, ballady part, but then Carter comes in with an ominous chuckle. After that it comes clashing through to organized chaos of sound. Every single musician plays this song perfectly. The coolest thing on this song is that Boyd (the violinist) puts distortion on his electric violin and plays a solo. This is a must-hear for all music fans (all 12 minutes and 59 seconds of it). Fire!! FIRE!!! FIIIIIIRE!!!!! Awesome. 100000000000000000000000000000/10!!18-Grey Street I love the lick at the beginning, Dave plays a twelve-string on this one. Great sax work. Another of my favorites. 10/1019-What You AreReally weird at the beginning. Not a strong point. 8/1020-Stay (Wasting Time)A good track. Good vocals. The best sax work on the CD. A great riff. 10/10All in all, an excellent CD. Its kind of like a greatest hits, but without songs from Stand Up, which is their latest album. Definitely a great buy for any music fan.
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| WHYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!??????????????? |
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| Sorry had to get that out, but the question needed to be ask, why did dave mathews have to, IMHO, tarnish is incredible career by making any new albums after the perfection of the first three. All the new stuff has nothing in it for me...which brings me to this album. Its great just like the other two, there is a great mix of guitar, jam-rock percussion and brass to make a person really enjoy what they are listening to. Some stand outs are Stay, Dont Drink The Water, Spoon (Alanis is actually chilling on this one, and she isnt quite as annoying as she always is, thats another story though), and The Stone. Great Album, not so great future ahead of them afterwords. Sorry guys, but this will be my last stop (pun intended, sorry).
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| Best of 2005 |
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| AGAIN: Dave and his Boys are the Best of !! This music is the perfect stuff. Buy the CD`s and you are a happy human of the world.
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| If youre a non-Dave fan but want to get a glimpse at what hes all about, dont get this album!!! |
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| ok.. Im picking on Dave because Im not a big fan of his voice... his voice sounds like Eddie Vedder gone way way way wrong....this is especially true with Rhyme and Reason.... yes, I know Dave was born in South Africa but Paul McCartney was born in Liverpool and actually managed to sound American soulful...so what is it with Dave... I mean, he can sing in tune... and his band is really really good... I guess in the end... Im just not a big fan of the finished product.. The albums starts out all right and What Would You Say is a good song... but whensome of the slower numbers come along like Rhyme and Reason, I just dont get it.. it doesnt sound good to me.. I mean, I listen to a lot of music and I cant understand how people get into this song... Daves suicidal ranting and raving... his voice sounds like a wild beast... Im not going to lie, this is just terrible material...
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| Louisiana Bayou. Nuff said. |
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| First let me reiterate that if you had any doubts about the integrity of Stand up, this should effectively dispel them. The Stand Up songs (Like most other Dave songs) are infinitely better when recorded and performed live. Everybody Wake Up and Smooth Rider are enhanced by great jam sessions. Disc 1 closes with a brilliant rendition of Bartender, and includes a strong cover of Time of the Season.Jimi Thing was amazing as a closer for the DVD. Dave looks ecstatic as the band plays a stop-start jam similar to Folsom Fields Warehouse intro. Dave eventually breaks down into a long scat sesh and transitions smoothly into an incredible For What Its Worth outro to conclude the DVD. Breathtaking.For me however the highlite was undoubtedly on the DVD. Louisiana Bayou features an absolutely chilling jam session featuring Boyd, Dave, and Robert Randolf, who absolutely rocks out on his pedal steel guitar. Boyd, famous for his brilliant violin solos, even took a step back, seemingly overwhelmed by Randolphs energy. If it sounds good on the CD, its even better on the DVD.
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| DVD alone worth the price |
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| I own a number of concert DVDs, and have to say that the DVD alone is worth the price of this set. Its a great best of concert.
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| DMB ROCKS AT RED ROCK! |
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| If Louisiana Bayou on the DVD with Robert Randolph doesnt do it for you, you are already dead. Jammin DMB at their best!
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| Favorable Review by Outsider **** |
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| Echoing other reviews Ive written on DMB releases, let me say once again that Im not a big fan of DMB. There are various reasons for this, but lets just say their musical approach seems to be recording samey material in the studio so they can make their money live by jamming. Also, their Dead-head-esque fans range from obsessive to insane. Sorry, but being a fan of a band-- any band-- is a poor substitute for religion.That being said, I have a certain affinity for the bands music from the viewpoint of an outsider. I dont own much by the band, but Ive heard quite a bit of it. For my money, The Central Park Concert is their finest album (perhaps tied with Before These Crowded Streets and Busted Stuff.) I owned and played the first two albums a lot back in the day, so Im very familiar with much of the material here, but even the older numbers like So Much to Say, Warehouse, and Dancing Nancies are refined enough to make them interesting again, even if Jimi Thing goes on about ten minutes too long. The best songs are the unreleased, semi-rare Granny, When The World Ends and What You Are, cherry picked from the otherwise miserable album Everyday, the always great Two Step, and the then recent song Grey Street. Though the album plays like a Greatest Hits album, there are some obvious misses (41 and Bartender) and some questionable inclusions (does anyone really need Help Myself or yet another version of All Along the Watchtower?). Its also hard for even the diehards to stomach some of the extended portions of the album; the aforementioned Jimi Thing, a nice but too-long cover of Neil Youngs Cortez, The Killer, and though I know the band is ostentatious and self-serious, who can justify including fans sitting and waiting for three minutes at the beginning of a CD? Only the Dave Matthews Band, I guess.So whats my overall feeling of the album? Pretty positive. I cant argue with much else on the album. The Crowded Streets stuff is quite good. Much needed life is added to many of the tracks that sound stale in the studio. Plus it has a great rendition of my favorite track by the band, Crush. There probably hasnt been a concert since this time where they played so much material from the first two albums, so thats nice for fans. I have a listmania list for my favorite live albums of all-time and I put this at about #15, which is high praise from a non-fan.Overall: 8 out of 10.
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| This live cd is kick ass |
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| Hi all, I am a fan from Singapore... Well i am very suprise that i can found this cd at Singapore here. But the price is double the normal Cd. Well i can say this is worth the money. DMB are not very well known at here. I wish they could come to here.I start watch the DVD and i was blown away . All the perfomance are very strong especially Stand Up and Louisiana Bayou. And every song in the cd also very powerful and are different from the Stand UP album. Well the only complaint is that they should put more songs in the cd as there still plenty of spaces. But if you can, might as well get the 8 cd live. But my review still will based on this 2cd+1dvd. Overall this is a great live cd .Recommended *1000.
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