**Big Whiskey and The GrooGrux King**

[Coldchillin]

The only reason I am not crazy about these tunes is because of DMB's previous work. If this was an up and coming band I'd be raving about how cool these tunes sound.

[Evan]

The thing that's bothering me most about this new album is that they haven't lost the ability to write good songs, they just can't seem to do it in a studio with a new producer. Everyone in here is talking about how there won't be another BTCS or even a BS, but the band has written a lot of good material in the past few years outside of the studio. In my opinion #27, Shotgun, Kill hte King, Idea of You, Sister, and even Cornbread are all on par with the song quality of their peak moments. But then, for some unknown reason, they sit down in the studio with some one new and that ability to pump out quality tunes falls to the wayside and they end up trying to expand on stupid, uninspired riffs while sitting around a table with a cup of coffee.

I guess what I mean is the most frustrating part of Stand Up, and these three new songs, is that I know they haven't actually lost the ability to produce good music because we've seen it live; they're just not doing it in the studio.

[Grachi]

The thing that's bothering me most about this new album is that they haven't lost the ability to write good songs, they just can't seem to do it in a studio with a new producer. Everyone in here is talking about how there won't be another BTCS or even a BS, but the band has written a lot of good material in the past few years outside of the studio. In my opinion #27, Shotgun, Kill hte King, Idea of You, Sister, and even Cornbread are all on par with the song quality of their peak moments. But then, for some unknown reason, they sit down in the studio with some one new and that ability to pump out quality tunes falls to the wayside and they end up trying to expand on stupid, uninspired riffs while sitting around a table with a cup of coffee.

I guess what I mean is the most frustrating part of Stand Up, and these three new songs, is that I know they haven't actually lost the ability to produce good music because we've seen it live; they're just not doing it in the studio.

Yea they drfinitely haven't lost it, and you are right you hit the bullseye. They are not at their best when it is in a studio with someone. Think of sugar will, joy ride, and other 04 songs everyone really likes. That is after btcs, those are good songs. Same with sister, shotgun, 27. All of these are after the bands "prime".

It's not the band, it's the process.

Maybe this is totally unrelated or a bad analogy but I'm going to make it anyway.

I like it write, I write a lot of short stories, and I know my best ones have been ones where I would have this idea in my imagination, write it down then go back a few times to change a thing or two here, or a few words that sound better there. And it was all on my own time and own influence. Now any story that I would try to write for class or had someone look at before I was done, they never turned out as good. Or at least they just didn't hold much weight to me.

I think any art has to come freely from you without restrictions, and it's these current producers or the studio process, or both, that is prohibiting this band from making the best music they can make. I don't know that is just my opinion I know everyone says "their dead" or they "aren't as good as they used to be"... Well, first of all music isn't like athletics, you don't just get older and lose your ability cause of physical age. Second of all, it's all about having the passion and being honest with the art form. I think dave definitely still has both, and I would guarentee if left to his own devices he would make a quality album. No producers, and all songs just written by him, with some help AFTERWORDS in the form of the band adding something here or there.

I don't care if you knock the album or these new songs, but it just bothers me when people say stuff that honestly just doesn't make sense, from a the standpoint of what the art form of making music is.

[Evan]

The thing that's bothering me most about this new album is that they haven't lost the ability to write good songs, they just can't seem to do it in a studio with a new producer. Everyone in here is talking about how there won't be another BTCS or even a BS, but the band has written a lot of good material in the past few years outside of the studio. In my opinion #27, Shotgun, Kill hte King, Idea of You, Sister, and even Cornbread are all on par with the song quality of their peak moments. But then, for some unknown reason, they sit down in the studio with some one new and that ability to pump out quality tunes falls to the wayside and they end up trying to expand on stupid, uninspired riffs while sitting around a table with a cup of coffee.

I guess what I mean is the most frustrating part of Stand Up, and these three new songs, is that I know they haven't actually lost the ability to produce good music because we've seen it live; they're just not doing it in the studio.

Yea they drfinitely haven't lost it, and you are right you hit the bullseye. They are not at their best when it is in a studio with someone. Think of sugar will, joy ride, and other 04 songs everyone really likes. That is after btcs, those are good songs. Same with sister, shotgun, 27. All of these are after the bands "prime".

It's not the band, it's the process.

Maybe this is totally unrelated or a bad analogy but I'm going to make it anyway.

I like it write, I write a lot of short stories, and I know my best ones have been ones where I would have this idea in my imagination, write it down then go back a few times to change a thing or two here, or a few words that sound better there. And it was all on my own time and own influence. Now any story that I would try to write for class or had someone look at before I was done, they never turned out as good. Or at least they just didn't hold much weight to me.

I think any art has to come freely from you without restrictions, and it's these current producers or the studio process, or both, that is prohibiting this band from making the best music they can make. I don't know that is just my opinion I know everyone says "their dead" or they "aren't as good as they used to be"... Well, first of all music isn't like athletics, you don't just get older and lose your ability cause of physical age. Second of all, it's all about having the passion and being honest with the art form. I think dave definitely still has both, and I would guarentee if left to his own devices he would make a quality album. No producers, and all songs just written by him, with some help AFTERWORDS in the form of the band adding something here or there.

I don't care if you knock the album or these new songs, but it just bothers me when people say stuff that honestly just doesn't make sense, from a the standpoint of what the art form of making music is.

the analogy definitely applies, thats what I mean by this:

quality tunes falls to the wayside and they end up trying to expand on stupid, uninspired riffs while sitting around a table with a cup of coffee.

and yeah i totally agree and that's what sucks the most about subpar albums at this point becaue you know its not their best

[Grachi]

Yea I can understand I mean it is frustrating. I mean I'm a big defender of this band, even during the Stand Up days, and I know it's hard to see something in a band after they put out something like that, but it's important not to get too overboard with what you say about them and their abilities.

Instead of "this band has lost their ability" we should say " WTF are they doing we know they can do better then this!"

[littlefriend]

We know it's the process. Dave (and the band) is sacrificing quality for the satisfaction of Boyd and Stefan and Carter getting creative credit. As long as Dave is not the sole songwriter it's going to be sub-par. Unfortunately, they fired the only producer who's understood that. Dave Matthews is the songwriting talent in the band (see: Some Devil). How that's not glaringly obvious to everyone else in the band is beyond me.

Maybe sharing the credit and having the band is more important to Dave than putting out the best music he can as a solo artist. I could see that.

[RunsWithBuffalo]

why i am sounds far better accoustic - i love tim but when he plays live full band its almost like dave souldnt have a guitar was we often dont get to hear him.


edit - my bad , dave played it on electric himself - new guitar by the looks of it

Is he playing a strat? I can't seem to find a decent vid.

[Grachi]

We know it's the process. Dave (and the band) is sacrificing quality for the satisfaction of Boyd and Stefan and Carter getting creative credit. As long as Dave is not the sole songwriter it's going to be sub-par. Unfortunately, they fired the only producer who's understood that. Dave Matthews is the songwriting talent in the band (see: Some Devil). How that's not glaringly obvious to everyone else in the band is beyond me.

Maybe sharing the credit and having the band is more important to Dave than putting out the best music he can as a solo artist. I could see that.

Yea and like we have been saying that is why it is so frustrating, but your last comment there is a good point... Maybe at this point he just wants everyone to be happy since after 15 some years or however long it has been, they are more like family now then just friends in a band.

[i-am-me]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcmFn6Em ... playnext=1

interesting to go back and see what it was like when they were doing this like ten years ago. a lot of similarities surprisingly:

"i wrote all the lyrics the day i sang it"
"didn't even know about the solo to crush until i was playing it"

but again, lots of differences.....

[bense27]

I can't get Funny the Way it is out of my head.

[mattinbeloit]

We know it's the process. Dave (and the band) is sacrificing quality for the satisfaction of Boyd and Stefan and Carter getting creative credit. As long as Dave is not the sole songwriter it's going to be sub-par. Unfortunately, they fired the only producer who's understood that. Dave Matthews is the songwriting talent in the band (see: Some Devil). How that's not glaringly obvious to everyone else in the band is beyond me.

Maybe sharing the credit and having the band is more important to Dave than putting out the best music he can as a solo artist. I could see that.

Yea and like we have been saying that is why it is so frustrating, but your last comment there is a good point... Maybe at this point he just wants everyone to be happy since after 15 some years or however long it has been, they are more like family now then just friends in a band.

Exactly. They were doing it the right way back in the day but almost broke up during the lillywhite sessions. It's obvious that lyrically Dave does the best when he's away from the band. The first thought that came to mind was when Dave talked about writing Sister, he was at a party or something and had the idea and lock himself in a room alone and wrote it. That's a great song lyrically, it's cool musically also but it's pretty simple.

Listening to some of these new songs, the arrangements are pretty complicated at times, I don't know if Dave can come up with stuff like that on his own anymore musically. If I were producing one of their albums I would have them collaborate on the musical arrangements and then make Dave go off on his own and write the lyrics. It's the best of both worlds and it's probably the only way they will ever have another album that's going to be solid musically and lyrically.

[paulaitchison]

the bulk of UTTAD and Crash was well road tested - so they could then lay down perfect takes (often with an interesting spin/sound - rhyme and reason/warehouse come to mind)


they just need to lay down the rest of the lillywhites and things like deed is done/ help myself / plus these new road tested ones like sister/kill the king/idea of you and the great break free.

as for these video interviews etc - its all retoric and weve heard it all before since everyday - there were no EPK's and interview when they did UTTAD..

[baseballjon9]

the studio process is def the problem, we know they can write good music. i dont see why they didnt put songs like #27, Idea of You and Shotgun (my favorite) on this album. maybe shotgun is a live song. but i dont see what they used to be before, which was dave writing songs and them adding to it. i also miss hearing dave play the guitar at concerts and on the new albums, including Big Whiskey so far. I love Tim, but when I go to both fenway shows i would like to see no tim and no rashawn, i know thats not gonna happen, but i would like to hear dave this time. I would also like to see butch make a return.

[taparoo]

yikes, I reeeaaaallly don't like Spaceman

[baseballjon9]

...i like spaceman