**Big Whiskey and The GrooGrux King**

[jsgksu]

So what is assumed to be different about this from the acutal cd? Just not as good of quality?

I really wanna listen to a finished product so I hope this doesn't cheapen it, planned on blasting it a time or two on my drive back to Meadville after work.

Yeah not as good quality and not completely mastered I guess. There are no strings on these versions of My Baby Blue and You & Me, but overall this sounds pretty finished.

Good enough for me I guess. I really want to listen to it right now but I wanna be able to pay attention which won't happen while I'm at work. I think windows down going 80 on the interstate will be a better environment.

[Nitro1515]

Alright I haven't had nearly enough time with it to give the album a full review, but on my first few listens this is what I thought of everything.

Grux - A very cool way to open the album with Leroi, its like the Heartbeat intro.

Shake Me - Its a fun song, kinda like a poor mans version of Rapunzel. Its not a terrible way kick off the actual album, but the lyrics suck and the bridge still sounds completely out of place. I don't think this will be good live because you know Rashawn will butcher it.

Funny - Mediocre radio pop, I really have no desire to listen to it.

Lying In The Hands of God - Excellent. A good haunting ballad. Solid lyrics and a great overall vibe. Nice to hear Tim on the acoustic. It reminds me of something like Captain on LWS or Pay For What You Get on UTTAD, definitely one of the best songs in the past few years.

Why I Am - I actually really like this song, it kinda reminds me of Kit Kat Jam. I like the studio cut a lot more than the live versions.

Dive In - I definitely like the verses and Dave's delivery on them, but the chorus is straight cheese and it knocks the song down a peg. Overall though its a nice mellow song.

Spaceman - Hate it live, hate it more studio. It has that Break Free reggae vibe that I can't stand.

Squirm - Simply awesome. Feels like something from BTCS. This will translate well to the live shows.

Alligator Pie - Not sure what to think of this one yet. I need more time with it. It kinda reminds me of Cornbread and Bayou though initially so I take that as a bad sign.

Seven - A complete joke of a song, I don't know what they were thinking.

Time Bomb - Its ok, I really like the beginning/verses and its always nice to hear Dave on the tiny 12 string, but the ending is just so random and comes completely out of nowhere. They should have had a nice little buildup to it because it doesn't flow right.

My Baby Blue - Nice vibe to this, sounds like something from Some Devil. I want to hear the complete version with the supposed string backing because it sounds a little bare right now.

You & Me - I like the verses and Dave's got some solid guitar parts on this, but the chorus is cringe-worthy and I don't like Dave's vocal delivery on it. Could have been pretty good, but I can't get past that chorus.

I think the album will be a decent effort after a couple listens. There is a thick layer of mediocrity on the majority of the tracks. They aren't bad songs, but they aren't great songs either. They are just sort of there. The highs though are really high. Lying and Squirm are some of the best songs I have heard out of this band since 2004. Its nice to have a couple tracks that you want to listen to over and over again. I could not say that about much on Everyday outside of maybe So Right and Fool to Think and I definitely couldn't say that about anything on Stand Up so for that I am happy. The lows though are comparable to some of the worst stuff on Stand Up. I can't get over how they could write a song like Lying and then write a song like Seven in the same sessions.

Overall I think this will go on par with Everyday, in terms of album rankings when its all said and done. There is some stuff that reminds you of how good this band can be and there is other stuff that makes you scratch your head.

[littlefriend]

Overall I think this will go on par with Everyday, in terms of album rankings when its all said and done. There is some stuff that reminds you of how good this band can be and there is other stuff that makes you scratch your head.

I couldn't agree more. The good is good but the bad is terrible.

[CWMCALL]

I wonder if they will add more violin into the final mix. Boyd is almost non-existent in these tracks

[Grachi]

i am pretty excited now to see this come in the mail, judging from Nitro's review.

[Nitro1515]

The stream is up early
http://www.pandora.com/davematthewsband

[mattinbeloit]

Baby Blue is money with the strings. Wow.

[Blake]

did they take the stream down? im not seeing it. i just see ftwii

[mattinbeloit]

did they take the stream down? im not seeing it. i just see ftwii

I'm listening right now, try again. The beginning of Lying in the Hands of God sounds like it's strait out of the Lillywhite sessions in terms of the mix, really strange. And where the hell is Tim's guitar in Why I Am? I really enjoyed that part and it's really pushed back now. The mix on that song makes me think of grey street, really vintage DMB. Overall, I'm still kind of shocked at how thin everything sounds but I'm going to wait and hear it in non shitty mp3.

[Nitro1515]

Baby Blue is money with the strings. Wow.

sounds great

[Blake]

did they take the stream down? im not seeing it. i just see ftwii

I'm listening right now, try again.

no dice

this is what im seeing

[taparoo]

yup, I'm getting the same as Blake. they must have taken it down

[Nitro1515]

Well shit, hopefully they put it back up soon

[mattinbeloit]

Ya, I'm seeing all the other tracks now but they are not playing...

[Coldchillin]

For those that have the "April sessions" and also listened to the stream. How big is the difference between the two? Songs you noticed it the most on?