Dave Matthews Band -

[KevShmev]

 

[DTA]

I'm in

[WilliamMunny]

Started with 'Under the Table and Dreaming' this morning—about halfway through. Surprisingly, I've never listened to this album cover-to-cover before. Will report back later

[HOF]

Started with 'Under the Table and Dreaming' this morning—about halfway through. Surprisingly, I've never listened to this album cover-to-cover before. Will report back later

Wow, really? It’s really great IMO.

[KevShmev]

Good deal!

I don't plan on doing featured albums or anything, just an informal chat where we discuss the albums in order and anything else DMB.

[WilliamMunny]

Started with 'Under the Table and Dreaming' this morning—about halfway through. Surprisingly, I've never listened to this album cover-to-cover before. Will report back later

Wow, really? It’s really great IMO.

I mean, I know the handful of singles, but yeah, I just never owned it back in the day. 

[Stadler]

Jimi Thing is by far my favorite DMB song.   I used to think that Dave sounded like Steven Tyler in What Would You Say.

[DTA]

The trio of Warehouse, Pay For What You Get, and #34 is such a great way to end the album. I know Warehouse is really popular but the other two seem overlooked. Also, Ants Marching might be one of their catchiest songs and is the perfect anthem for the band.

[KevShmev]

I won't call Pay For What You Get a dud, but it's definitely the least best of the bunch here, IMO.  #34 is a nice way to end it, but tracks 1-10 are all pretty freaking great. Dancing Nancies is a 5 DMB tune for me and the best here, with Warehouse and Typical Situation not far behind.

[HOF]

Typical Situation is one of the real gems on Under the Table for sure. I do really love Pay for What You Get though.

[King Postwhore]

I saw them on the Crash tour.  Amazing live.  Before These Crowded Streets is a masterpiece.

[KevShmev]

I saw them on the Crash tour.  Amazing live.  Before These Crowded Streets is a masterpiece.

We're discussing Under the Table and Dreaming now, sir.  Try to keep up.

[HOF]

So to contribute to a discussion of UTTAD, this has long been one of if not my favorite albums in terms of drum sounds, especially the snare. It's one of the best sounding albums I've heard overall as well. Just a very lively, organic sound with lots of dynamics and layers. 

[DTA]

I won't call Pay For What You Get a dud, but it's definitely the least best of the bunch here, IMO.  #34 is a nice way to end it, but tracks 1-10 are all pretty freaking great. Dancing Nancies is a 5 DMB tune for me and the best here, with Warehouse and Typical Situation not far behind.

Lover Lay Down and Rhyme & Reason are the songs I like least, but they're still enjoyable. Oddly enough, I don't think I can call anything on this album a top 5 DMB song but the quality of most of the tracks still sits very high. The major key chorus of Warehouse after the moody verses is such a nice juxtaposition and my favorite part of the entire album.

If I had to rank the songs:

1. Warehouse
2. Pay For What You Get
3. Ants Marching
4. Jimi Thing
5. Typical Situation
6. #34
7. The Best Of What's Around
8. Satellite
9. What Would You Say
10. Dancing Nancies
11. Rhyme & Reason
12. Lover Lay Down

[HOF]

Also, Ants Marching might be one of their catchiest songs and is the perfect anthem for the band.

Listening to this now, and this would be a fun song for Rick Beato to break down on What Makes This Song Great. Just a perfect pop song.

[KevShmev]

So to contribute to a discussion of UTTAD, this has long been one of if not my favorite albums in terms of drum sounds, especially the snare. It's one of the best sounding albums I've heard overall as well. Just a very lively, organic sound with lots of dynamics and layers.

Very true, especially regarding the snare.  Ants Marching pops as much as it does on record because of how awesome the snare sounds.  Carter Beauford has long been a top 5 drummer in my book.  He is a beast on the drums. 

[KevShmev]

The major key chorus of Warehouse after the moody verses is such a nice juxtaposition and my favorite part of the entire album.

It's always weird now to listen to the studio version of Warehouse and not hear the crowd participation that has long been a staple of the live performances in the opening part.

[billboy73]

Under the Table is such a good album!  Love all the songs.  Pay for What You Get is such an underrated DMB tune for me.  #34 is a beautiful piece of music.  Hard to pick a favorite track, as they are all great, but I think I will lean with Warehouse as my favorite track.

[KevShmev]

Crash is a flawless record, the second of three in a row.  What is notable about this one is while there was barely an electric guitar (or none) on the first album, there is quite a bit of it on this record.  Adds a bit more color to the overall sound, and without ever overtaking it.

I have long maintained that Carter Beauford is a top 5 drummer, and this album is a good reason why.  The intro to Say Goodbye is rad as hell, and the groove in Two Step is beyond bad ass.  I am pretty lucky in that the 4th DMB show I saw (2nd in 2002), they played 41 and Say Goodbye back to back.

Many hardcore fans turn up their noses at Crash into Me, but it is a damn good song. Their live mainstay of playing So Much to Say and Too Much with the Anyone at the Bridge bridge to connect them is always killer, and the rendition from Central Park live DVD is a great example.

Favorites from this are probably Two Step, Lie in Our Graves and Proudest Monkey, but then there is 41, Say Goodbye, Drive In Drive Out, etc.  Just a stunningly consistent record.

[DTA]

Also, Ants Marching might be one of their catchiest songs and is the perfect anthem for the band.

Listening to this now, and this would be a fun song for Rick Beato to break down on What Makes This Song Great. Just a perfect pop song.

There's so many DMB songs I'd like to see broken down just so I can hear the individual parts a bit better. The instruments blend so well it's often tough to make out what each musician is actually playing (besides Carter of course)

The major key chorus of Warehouse after the moody verses is such a nice juxtaposition and my favorite part of the entire album.

It's always weird now to listen to the studio version of Warehouse and not hear the crowd participation that has long been a staple of the live performances in the opening part.

I'm still a newbie when it comes to DMB live (only have Red Rocks '95) and I don't hear much audience participation on that recording. Is this something that came about later on?

[DTA]

Crash is a flawless record, the second of three in a row.  What is notable about this one is while there was barely an electric guitar (or none) on the first album, there is quite a bit of it on this record.  Adds a bit more color to the overall sound, and without ever overtaking it.

I have long maintained that Carter Beauford is a top 5 drummer, and this album is a good reason why.  The intro to Say Goodbye is rad as hell, and the groove in Two Step is beyond bad ass.  I am pretty lucky in that the 4th DMB show I saw (2nd in 2002), they played 41 and Say Goodbye back to back.

Many hardcore fans turn up their noses at Crash into Me, but it is a damn good song. Their live mainstay of playing So Much to Say and Too Much with the Anyone at the Bridge bridge to connect them is always killer, and the rendition from Central Park live DVD is a great example.

Favorites from this are probably Two Step, Lie in Our Graves and Proudest Monkey, but then there is 41, Say Goodbye, Drive In Drive Out, etc.  Just a stunningly consistent record.

Crash takes me somewhere. The whole vibe of the album encapsulates a feeling of youth for me and while BTCS is their absolute pinnacle, Crash is probably the one I desire to listen to most often.

I'm a drummer myself, and Carter has consistently been a source of inspiration. He's like Gavin Harrison in the sense that his phrasing and style is instantly recognizable and elevates the music so much beyond what other drummers do. He's not just keeping the beat, he is absolutely driving the song and stands out in such a unique and positive way. Speaking of which, the whole band is very musically competent but I don't think Dave himself gets enough credit for his ability to play some complex guitar lines while singing.

Crash Into Me is a perfect mellow song, and being a teen in the 90's, I somehow avoided being burnt out on it due to never listening to the radio which is probably what turns a lot of fans off. I've always loved Too Much ever since I saw the video on MTV back '96 and it's probably one of their funkiest songs. Catchy as hell, and one I never get tired of.

The consistency of this record is incredible. Even the lesser tracks like Let You Down and Cry Freedom are pretty great in their own right. Lie In Our Graves, Drive In Drive Out, and Too Much are my top songs from this album but there's no song I will ever skip. I really should seek out some of their b-sides but I'm hoping to just them through whatever live albums they happen to appear on.

(Also, we skipped it but Seek Up and Minarets are probably in my top 10 songs of theirs with the extended live Seek Up being particularly awesome)

[KevShmev]

The major key chorus of Warehouse after the moody verses is such a nice juxtaposition and my favorite part of the entire album.

It's always weird now to listen to the studio version of Warehouse and not hear the crowd participation that has long been a staple of the live performances in the opening part.

I'm still a newbie when it comes to DMB live (only have Red Rocks '95) and I don't hear much audience participation on that recording. Is this something that came about later on?

Not sure when exactly it became a thing.  Below is a good one (first minute).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNewq0V6aYE

[KevShmev]

I'm a drummer myself, and Carter has consistently been a source of inspiration. He's like Gavin Harrison in the sense that his phrasing and style is instantly recognizable and elevates the music so much beyond what other drummers do. He's not just keeping the beat, he is absolutely driving the song and stands out in such a unique and positive way. Speaking of which, the whole band is very musically competent but I don't think Dave himself gets enough credit for his ability to play some complex guitar lines while singing.

Crash Into Me is a perfect mellow song, and being a teen in the 90's, I somehow avoided being burnt out on it due to never listening to the radio which is probably what turns a lot of fans off. I've always loved Too Much ever since I saw the video on MTV back '96 and it's probably one of their funkiest songs. Catchy as hell, and one I never get tired of.

The consistency of this record is incredible. Even the lesser tracks like Let You Down and Cry Freedom are pretty great in their own right. Lie In Our Graves, Drive In Drive Out, and Too Much are my top songs from this album but there's no song I will ever skip. I really should seek out some of their b-sides but I'm hoping to just them through whatever live albums they happen to appear on.

(Also, we skipped it but Seek Up and Minarets are probably in my top 10 songs of theirs with the extended live Seek Up being particularly awesome)

Yeah, I like Seek Up and Minarats a lot as well.  The Song That Jane Likes is solid as well.  I also like Granny a lot; that is a song that was written around the same time as the Under the Table and Dreaming album, yet has never made it on to a studio album, but has gotten a lot of live play over the years.

[DTA]

The major key chorus of Warehouse after the moody verses is such a nice juxtaposition and my favorite part of the entire album.

It's always weird now to listen to the studio version of Warehouse and not hear the crowd participation that has long been a staple of the live performances in the opening part.

I'm still a newbie when it comes to DMB live (only have Red Rocks '95) and I don't hear much audience participation on that recording. Is this something that came about later on?

Not sure when exactly it became a thing.  Below is a good one (first minute).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNewq0V6aYE

Yeah that was a pretty cool version of Warehouse in general. I've watched a few clips from that concert on Youtube recently and am probably going to get that live album next. It also has Granny on it so I can check that song out too. I peruse DMB Almanac every now and then and it's amazing how many live-only songs they have floating around that they go years without playing and all of a sudden it's back in the setlist and the fans know it, and are totally cool with it. I know the jam-band mentality makes it easier for them to be creative with setlists but I wish more bands would say do what they do and take the "anything goes" approach to live shows.

[KevShmev]

Yeah that was a pretty cool version of Warehouse in general. I've watched a few clips from that concert on Youtube recently and am probably going to get that live album next. It also has Granny on it so I can check that song out too. I peruse DMB Almanac every now and then and it's amazing how many live-only songs they have floating around that they go years without playing and all of a sudden it's back in the setlist and the fans know it, and are totally cool with it. I know the jam-band mentality makes it easier for them to be creative with setlists but I wish more bands would say do what they do and take the "anything goes" approach to live shows.

One Sweet World is another great one that has never been on a studio album, but has gotten quite a bit of live play over the years.  I know I saw it several times (of my five shows from 2000-2004).

As for the "anything goes" approach, I agree, and it helps that the band is a true live band in the literal sense.  When you see DMB, literally everything you hear is played and/or sung by one of the band members live on stage.  It's not a production with backing tracks, pre-recorded material, etc.  It is a true live performance.

[KevShmev]

Before These Crowded Streets is now the album at the plate.

I will have much more to say about this masterpiece later today. 

[WilliamMunny]

I gave 'Under the Table & Dreaming' two full listens at baseball this week (gotta love my aftershokz bone-conducting headphones), and while I enjoyed it, it definitely didn't hit me on the same level as some of the DMB stuff.

For the sake of context: my entry point is 'Big Whisky,' and that is the album I am measuring everything against. I'm gonna be 41 soon, so it's not like I wasn't there for each release, but honestly, nothing really caught my ear until I listened to 'Big Whisky'

Still, as I've gotten older, my hate for all-things jam bands has lessened, and I am beyond happy I am revisiting DMB's back catalog.

As for UTT&D, 'non-single' standouts are 'Jimi Thing,' 'Warehouse,' and, well, really the whole finally third of the album.

'Ants Marching' and 'Satellite' are gems for a reason, and have long been favs of mine, but other than that, nothing really grabs me (I've always loathed 'What Would You Say' for some reason)

Like I said earlier, this is probably the only DMB album I've never listened to all the way through, though, given my age, I was familiar with most of it as it was the social-background music of my teens.

Alright, now on to Crash!

[KevShmev]

It was late 1998 when my younger brother Mark told me I needed to hear some songs from the new DMB album called Before These Crowed Streets.  Being that I was only familiar with What Would You Say at that point and never cared for it, I can’t say I was thrilled to be force fed some of their songs, but I was like, sure, why not.  He then proceeded to play me the back-to-back of The Stone, Crush and The Dreaming Tree on what was my super duper home stereo at the time.  Suffice it to say, I was floored.  I became a fan on the spot.  To this day, those are still my three favorite DMB songs.

But, of course, the album is much more than those songs.  It is a perfect record, and the expansive nature of the record, especially the second half really makes it sound BIG.  I love those little interludes they throw in between some songs as well, almost like they are connective tissues to tie songs together.

Even vocally, this is pretty different.  For one, Dave’s menacing vocal in Halloween is just insane.  He has rarely done a vocal like that again, but it is ferocious and angry.  His singing at the end of Don’t Drink the Water (another top 5 DMB song for me) is nearly as ferocious.  Even though I never liked much of Alannis until last fall, I did always like her background singing in Don’t Drink the Water and her verse in Spoon.  Songs like Spoon, The Last Stop, Pig and Rapunzel would be major standouts on just about any other DMB album, yet here they are in the bottom half. That speaks to how strong every song is.  Every song is a major winner.  There are no false notes.  Everything about this record is perfect, from the songwriting to the mix to the playing.

[DTA]

Yeah that was a pretty cool version of Warehouse in general. I've watched a few clips from that concert on Youtube recently and am probably going to get that live album next. It also has Granny on it so I can check that song out too. I peruse DMB Almanac every now and then and it's amazing how many live-only songs they have floating around that they go years without playing and all of a sudden it's back in the setlist and the fans know it, and are totally cool with it. I know the jam-band mentality makes it easier for them to be creative with setlists but I wish more bands would say do what they do and take the "anything goes" approach to live shows.

One Sweet World is another great one that has never been on a studio album, but has gotten quite a bit of live play over the years.  I know I saw it several times (of my five shows from 2000-2004).

As for the "anything goes" approach, I agree, and it helps that the band is a true live band in the literal sense.  When you see DMB, literally everything you hear is played and/or sung by one of the band members live on stage.  It's not a production with backing tracks, pre-recorded material, etc.  It is a true live performance.

One Sweet World is okay, but not a favorite. It's got a vague ska feel that I'm not a huge fan of. The song Recently is great and I'll Back You Up is really nice too.

I never thought of that aspect in terms of how they're able to constantly switch out songs (the lack of backing tracks) but that's got to be a huge part of it. I know they have some extra live musicians, but still, the band sounds so massive especially considering the frontman has just an acoustic guitar. Also, there's just something so exciting about seeing a band and not knowing if a rarity that hasn't been played in 15 years will make its first appearance at your show.

I gave 'Under the Table & Dreaming' two full listens at baseball this week (gotta love my aftershokz bone-conducting headphones), and while I enjoyed it, it definitely didn't hit me on the same level as some of the DMB stuff.

For the sake of context: my entry point is 'Big Whisky,' and that is the album I am measuring everything against. I'm gonna be 41 soon, so it's not like I wasn't there for each release, but honestly, nothing really caught my ear until I listened to 'Big Whisky'

Still, as I've gotten older, my hate for all-things jam bands has lessened, and I am beyond happy I am revisiting DMB's back catalog.

As for UTT&D, 'non-single' standouts are 'Jimi Thing,' 'Warehouse,' and, well, really the whole finally third of the album.

'Ants Marching' and 'Satellite' are gems for a reason, and have long been favs of mine, but other than that, nothing really grabs me (I've always loathed 'What Would You Say' for some reason)

Like I said earlier, this is probably the only DMB album I've never listened to all the way through, though, given my age, I was familiar with most of it as it was the social-background music of my teens.

Alright, now on to Crash!

I know they're lumped in the jam-band genre (for good reason), but I never really consider them a jam band. Their composed songs have such strong identities and Dave himself has such a unique and catchy way of creating vocal melodies that they really have more of a pop flavor to them. JamPop I guess?  Either way, I'd take them over Phish or Grateful Dead any day.

[DTA]

It was late 1998 when my younger brother Mark told me I needed to hear some songs from the new DMB album called Before These Crowed Streets.  Being that I was only familiar with What Would You Say at that point and never cared for it, I can’t say I was thrilled to be force fed some of their songs, but I was like, sure, why not.  He then proceeded to play me the back-to-back of The Stone, Crush and The Dreaming Tree on what was my super duper home stereo at the time.  Suffice it to say, I was floored.  I became a fan on the spot.  To this day, those are still my three favorite DMB songs.

But, of course, the album is much more than those songs.  It is a perfect record, and the expansive nature of the record, especially the second half really makes it sound BIG.  I love those little interludes they throw in between some songs as well, almost like they are connective tissues to tie songs together.

Even vocally, this is pretty different.  For one, Dave’s menacing vocal in Halloween is just insane.  He has rarely done a vocal like that again, but it is ferocious and angry.  His singing at the end of Don’t Drink the Water (another top 5 DMB song for me) is nearly as ferocious.  Even though I never liked much of Alannis until last fall, I did always like her background singing in Don’t Drink the Water and her verse in Spoon.  Songs like Spoon, The Last Stop, Pig and Rapunzel would be major standouts on just about any other DMB album, yet here they are in the bottom half. That speaks to how strong every song is.  Every song is a major winner.  There are no false notes.  Everything about this record is perfect, from the songwriting to the mix to the playing.

The interludes make this album god-tier imo. It's such a cool idea and I'm surprised it's not one they revisited for any other album.

Agreed that the stretch of The Stone/Crush/The Dreaming Tree is probably their strongest 3-song run in their entire catalog. As for Dave's menacing vocals, The Last Stop gets pretty intense (and is also somewhat of a live rarity it seems, any idea why?) and his best vocal performance ever for me might be on Don't Drink The Water. Not to mention that sick ass groove the band holds down under those vocals. Speaking of that, the drumming on Rapunzel is ridiculous and if that song was the entirety of Carter's recorded output, he'd still be regarded as one of the best.

I also love the additional instrumentation such as the banjo and Alanis. Crash is brilliant, but this album just feels so expansive and well-thought out. I wish I could hear it for the first time again.

[KevShmev]

The interludes make this album god-tier imo. It's such a cool idea and I'm surprised it's not one they revisited for any other album.

Agreed that the stretch of The Stone/Crush/The Dreaming Tree is probably their strongest 3-song run in their entire catalog. As for Dave's menacing vocals, The Last Stop gets pretty intense (and is also somewhat of a live rarity it seems, any idea why?) and his best vocal performance ever for me might be on Don't Drink The Water. Not to mention that sick ass groove the band holds down under those vocals. Speaking of that, the drumming on Rapunzel is ridiculous and if that song was the entirety of Carter's recorded output, he'd still be regarded as one of the best.

I also love the additional instrumentation such as the banjo and Alanis. Crash is brilliant, but this album just feels so expansive and well-thought out. I wish I could hear it for the first time again.

No clue why The Last Stop rarely gets played, although I would guess it either isn't a favorite of the band's or maybe they feel it doesn't translate well live. 

Definitely agree about Carter's work in Rapunzel, and I always thought his cymbal work on The Stone was pretty sick.  That was one of the first things that caught my ear the first time I heard the song.  I was like, "damn, that drummer is doing some bad ass shit!"

[DTA]

Everyday is definitely my least favorite album of theirs and the first time I can honestly say there's a song of theirs I dislike (Angel), but I still find it pretty enjoyable for what it is. When The World Ends is a big favorite of mine, and I'm also pretty fond of If I Had It All, Fool To Think, So Right, and the title track. It took me many many listens to realize that #36 was the basis for Everyday and I feel like an idiot for not recognizing it sooner.

Biggest disappointment about this album is the lack of memorable Carter moments and just an overall lack of more in-depth instrumental passages. It's so crazy to think that this was the successor to BTCS and only 5 years removed from Crash. They almost feel like two different bands or even a DMB solo album. Was there any reason they decided to make this type of album? It almost feels like how Metallica made The Black Album in response to AJFA being so tiresome and overlong.

[KevShmev]

I can't remember the exact reason, but I think Dave got with Glen Ballard and wrote songs with him instead of the band, and it's clear Dave wanted to write a more streamlined rock record.  Everyday is not a bad record - I like the majority of it - but it threw off their trajectory, from which they have seemingly never recorded.  Even Busted Stuff, which had most of the TLS stuff, came off like the band was recording material that wasn't as fresh and exciting to them anymore.

[billboy73]

Catching Up...

Crash - This album makes me think of summer, and it is a great record overall!  Probably my 2nd favorite DMB album.  Some really great tracks, and #41 is probably my favorite DMB track (definitely top 3 with The Stone and One Sweet World).  Never been a big fan of Cry Freedom, but everything else is awesome!

Before These Crowded Streets - By far my favorite DMB record.  Love everything about this album.  The contrast of the darker songs and the lighter songs is really great, and the sequencing of the record is perfect, i.e. sticking Stay in between Don't Drink and Halloween.  The little interludes add to the flow of the album as well.  Carter clearly kills it on this album, Dave's vocals are great, and the band is on fire.

[KevShmev]

Before These Crowded Streets is a great example of a record where a band tried all kinds of different stuff and it somehow all stuck to landing, resulting in something greater than I am sure they could have ever imagined.  It's one of those "I can't believe how good this is!" records.