**Big Whiskey and The GrooGrux King**

[mattinbeloit]

Well, Dave really outdid himself with the studio cornbread. I really didn't think you could make that song any dirtier but I'll be damned, he did it. Such a raunchy yet catchy song. I liked his comment in one of the videos about how he felt like he was free to write about whatever he wanted on the new album, but this whole album is pretty damn raunchy as is. I would wager that the lyrics were the only thing keeping cornbread off the album.

[Oregon41]

Would anyone like to share some info on Cornbread? I want to hear this for myself.

[GSR]

After two full listens:

Grux - Awesome. Great feel, great Carter, great Roi. Awesome intro.

Shake Me Like a Monkey - Maybe I just like funky brass, but this song pulls a bense on my facial structure. DUNDUNDUNDUN DUNDUNDUNDUN... DUNDUNDUNDUN DUNDUNDN DUN DUN.

Funny the Way It Is - I like it a lot. I like Dave's vocal performance, it's a good sing a long anthem, and the music is good. Lyrics are a little too concrete, but I'm not worried about it.

Lying In the Hands of God - Amazing. Actually reminds me a little bit of Sleep to Dream Her during the verses, But yeah, like I said before this song gives me an emotional response that I haven't gotten from a DMB song in a long time.

Why I Am - Love it. The riff is a bit simplistic, but it grooves, and I love singing along with the chorus. Maybe I'm just still used to the live version, but Dave's vocals seem a little too subdued here. Still happy with the studio cut though.

Dive In - I still can't remember how this song goes after two listens. Not overly memorable yet, but I didn't mind it when I was listening to it.

Spaceman - Hmmm... the fast syncopated lyrics over what musically appears to be a slow song still kind of trips me up a bit. Has a few cheesy lines: I love "all the freaks are on parade," but then it gets ruined by "I wanna fill my belly so I gotta get paid." Oh well. I still like it.

Squirm - This is heavy stuff. I don't see the BTCS connection; I think it's too heavy to be on any past album. I need to listen to it a few more times before I can really wrap my head around it, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to really love it soon.

Alligator Pie - Swampy bayou funk, which I like. Transitions are kind of choppy, but it's got that saucy grit to it. More listens needed.

Seven - Eh, it's fine. Better than it was live. Lyrics are disappointing and the music isn't that interesting. I haven't felt compelled to skip it yet though.

Time Bomb - I do actually get the Dreaming Tree vibe in the beginning, but it feels too short, and I need to spend more time with it.

Baby Blue - Can't remember how this one goes either. Sounds like a Some Devil song though, which is good.

You & Me - Nice chorus, if a bit simple with the lyrics. Not a particularly strong closer for me at this point... makes the album kind of fizzle out when it started with such a bang. I'm glad there's a Grux outro though. Nice touch.

Overall, I'm happy with it. It's funky, it has some serious groove, and much more depth for the most part than anything on Stand Up. There are things going on in the background and little blurbs between songs, though nothing that stacks up against BTCS' transitions, of course. The lyrics/vocals really seem to take a back seat on some songs. I can't really make out Dave's vocals sometimes... fairly often, actually. The music is tight. It's funky and colorful, from the album art to the tunes themselves. I think it's too dense in certain places, which I attribute to Timmy + Rashawn + whomever. I agree that I would have enjoyed more dry violin/sax. There are songs on Everyday that I always skip, but I haven't felt compelled to do so yet on this album. I'm glad Cavallo stayed out of the song writing; I think he made the band sound good for the most part, although I would have liked a cleaner sound more often. I think I miss Butch on this album. I feel like "cry, cry baby" in Spaceman is hypocritical because Why I Am goes "Don't cry baby, don't cry." Six of the tracks have made a really good first impression on me, the rest I need to spend time with, and only one or two have me concerned.

I'm gonna say B+. It's not UTTAD, Crash or BTCS, but nothing ever will be.

[bense27]

Shake Me Like a Monkey - Maybe I just like funky brass, but this song pulls a bense on my facial structure.
.

[bense27]

couple quick thoughts after a few listens.

They should have used Grux as an intro to a different song. You know, something that actually fits with it. Had the potential to be another Bartender intro type thing.

Squirm gives me the chills.

Seven sucks.

All the bayou bluesy songs (or whatever you call them) are the worst on the album. All the songs we have previously heard suck. Why I Am is okay though.

You & Me is a cool song but the chorus could be better.

whenever we actually hear a violin it sounds more like a full orchestra, which will not translate well live at all.

They need to either ditch the electric guitar or Tim Reynolds all together. (zOMG WAT?! yeah, thats right.)

They need to stop producing these albums so well. All the sounds are too....well, good. Before Everyday, the sounds of their albums were raw and kinda scratchy. Now they overproduce it to make everything sound perfect. Especially in Dave's voice.

Overall, this album is okay. Nothing mindblowing but definitely an improvement from Stand Up. Probably even with Everyday. None of these songs sound like the band, but its a solid poprock record.

[nate]

Would someone be so kind and provide me with some info for cornbread. Thanks!

[Banjobach]

Would someone be so kind and provide me with some info for cornbread. Thanks!

[bense27]

apparently some dude on Ants met Lillywhite's wife.

Ok so I just got back from tonight little party. It was a real brief "meet-and-greet" I arrived to a packed apartment. As soon as I got there my aunt directly introduced me to Mrs. Lillywhite knowing I was excited. I began talking with her and how I was a huge fan of his work. She asked me what were my favorite albums and my response was Phish's Billy breathes and BTCS (I didnt want to say all three dmb albums). She began telling me how her husband couldnt make it tonight because he is in LA working on the finishing touches of some Mars Volta tracks (dont quote me on the exact band, it was super loud in there and I was just excited to be talking to her). For those who dont believe me I do know he will be in a documentary/reality show that is following him 24/7. She then asked me if I have the new phish single, I said yes. She said "Oh I have the whole album at my apt" I almost bugged out and said heyyy can i get a copy?

We then started talking about dmb. The first thing she says is "Do you know what the lillywhite sessions are?" I almost began to laugh but wanted to come off as a fan but nothing to crazy to get more info. I said yes I do. She then told me the story of what happend (most we already know but I found out more personal things). She said that they had been recording the album and it was coming along slowly until the band wanted to build there own studio on a piece of property in their hometown (what we know as haunted hollow I believe). She said Steve was a bit upset because they had to move all the equipment there and get everything organized. She then told me how the biggest issue was that when they werent at their hometown and were in the cities recording they were all in their hotel rooms with nothing to do so they were constantly coming to the studio. After moving home she said Steve would schedule sessions and they wouldnt show up because they would be home relaxing/with families. She said at the beginning of the summer the album was 65% complete and steve told the boys after being unhappy with daves sad style of writing to take them on the road and test them out and see how they feel infront of the crowd, and then would come back after the tour and finish the album. Well as we know during this time a higher up at RCA hated the sad songs and told dave to ditch lillywhite and go with glen ballard to write more upbeat songs. She said her and steve both were like "dave you make millions of dollars and are there top act do what you want" but dave didnt listen. She said that she was pissed because her and steve had just bought a house thinking they would get a nice paycheck for the album but didnt, which put them into a bit of debt.

She said obviously a bit of bad blood happend between dave and steve. I asked her how the cd got leaked and she said that one of the band members (she told me a specific name but I will not be letting it out) gave the cd to a close friend/huge fan, one which had access to cds of their prior to being released. This friend/fan got so pissed off at the everyday album that they decided to release it to the community. She said it was at this time that the community heard rumors of steve lillywhite leaking it himself, which was not the case. She decided to get a statement from him which she had aired on mtv news but she explained that a lot of other new stations twisted his official press release to make it sound like something else.

She said that steve was all set and ready to record BWGK and had put off work with other bands for close to a year expecting to record with dmb but it was again a higher up in RCA that convinced the band they should work with Rob.

This was a shocker to be able to meet his wife who was very open about what her husband has been through. My final question was if she had recordings not seen by the public at her house and she said absolutely, I have rare tracks by everyone including phish and dmb (who i had mentioned were my fav). So yes there is a machead.....

My aunt is very close with her so Im sure I will talk to her again, she then apologized because steve would have come if he wasnt in LA.

So that is my lillywhite meeting (somewhat) I am def going to see her again and have a good chance to finally meet him.

So my week I saw barack obama eatting at a restaurant two buildings away, I met fonzi and talked to him, talked to steve lillywhites wife....good shit

[MakoMako]

I've listened to the album through a few times. I like the album for the most part, most of the songs at least seem decent for the most part.

Lying In The Hands Of God is still amazing, and remains my favorite song on the album.

Despite some lyrical grievances I have with most of the songs, the only songs I really hate are Seven, Spaceman, and Alligator Pie. I think Why I Am is crap too, not as bad as those other 3, but I would have been happy without it being on the album.

Everything else sits at either decent or better.

One thing I particularly like about the album is how Carter sounds. I think he sounds fantastic on this album.

[Coldchillin]

If any of that is true, especially about him being prepared to work on the newest album, I am a bit upset. I am skeptical though, because why would they decide to use him again after all this time? I really hope they use him for the next one. They can still write great songs and he brings it out of them.

[Coldchillin]

"Your flesh, your bones, exactly what you need" in the raspier voice the second time is awesome.

[GSR]

If any of that is true, especially about him being prepared to work on the newest album, I am a bit upset. I am skeptical though, because why would they decide to use him again after all this time? I really hope they use him for the next one. They can still write great songs and he brings it out of them.

I think that Ants post is completely bullshit.

[jsgksu]

I have all bonus in one packet of info. If you want it pm me, and remember you can always delete everything but Cornbread.

[GSR]

couple quick thoughts after a few listens.

They should have used Grux as an intro to a different song. You know, something that actually fits with it. Had the potential to be another Bartender intro type thing.

They need to stop producing these albums so well. All the sounds are too....well, good. Before Everyday, the sounds of their albums were raw and kinda scratchy. Now they overproduce it to make everything sound perfect. Especially in Dave's voice.

I wouldn't have put Grux anywhere else on the album. The album is a tribute to LeRoi. It's perfect that he opens it.

The first three albums were produced to sound like acoustic records, and everything since with the exception of Busted Stuff has been produced to sound slick and electric. Lying in the Hands of God is the sound we all know and love from this band. But as long as we keep getting these mainstream pop producers, they're going to make the band sound shiny as hell.

I'm glad Carter is monstrous on this record though.

[GSR]

The chorus of Dive In is pretty darn good.