**Big Whiskey and The GrooGrux King**

[GSR]

I'm really pleased with it.

[taparoo]

yes indeed. this album has been on repeat for quite a while

really? I haven't been reading through this thread at all but am I the only one who really doesn't think it's that great?

I mean it's good..don't get me wrong. I just wish Dave would abort his kids, start doing drugs again, and actually write songs that have a soul.

I'm really not all that impressed with it either. I mean, it's definitely a step in the right direction, but I'm pretty much over it after a few spins. There's only maybe three or four songs I really like, and the rest is just 'meh' to me.

[bense27]

If they're old enough to bleed they're old enough to breed.

out of the vagina and onto my meat

fyp

wow, so clever dense

you were just simply wasting time your way.

[Blake]

yes indeed. this album has been on repeat for quite a while

really? I haven't been reading through this thread at all but am I the only one who really doesn't think it's that great?
I mean it's good..don't get me wrong. I just wish Dave would abort his kids, start doing drugs again, and actually write songs that have a soul.

I have mixed feelings about this album. When I put it on I tend to listen to it straight through and really like it but then I won't listen to it again for several days. I just don't feel compelled to listen to it like I do with the other albums.

agreed. i havent listened to it in over a week and dont really have any desire to put it back in rotation again. all these songs are enjoyable, but they're still 'meh' at the same time

[littlefriend]

I've listened to it at least once a day since the April Sessions got leaked.

[Cor]

yes indeed. this album has been on repeat for quite a while

really? I haven't been reading through this thread at all but am I the only one who really doesn't think it's that great?

I'm with you. I'm extremely surprised at everyone's reaction to this album. When I heard it I figured everyone here would pan it.

I went in not expecting much, and imo they didn't deliver much. Just because it's a little bit (very little bit) better than Stand Up or the band went through all this turmoil to make the album doesn't mean it's good. When I sit down and listen to the songs, production, lyrics, vocals, etc. etc. I don't hear good music. *shrug*

[MakoMako]

yes indeed. this album has been on repeat for quite a while

really? I haven't been reading through this thread at all but am I the only one who really doesn't think it's that great?

I'm with you. I'm extremely surprised at everyone's reaction to this album. When I heard it I figured everyone here would pan it.

I went in not expecting much, and imo they didn't deliver much. Just because it's a little bit (very little bit) better than Stand Up or the band went through all this turmoil to make the album doesn't mean it's good. When I sit down and listen to the songs, production, lyrics, vocals, etc. etc. I don't hear good music. *shrug*

It's not an amazing album on terms of DMB, hell its not an amazing album on terms of music in general to be honest, either.

I realized today that most of the time I've spent listening to this album, and the more and more I listen to it, I don't really LISTEN. This album is like so many others by so many bands that I use for ambient noise. Some of the songs on this album have a good sound to them, and I think they COULD have been good, if the band would just over themselves and start doing things like they used to.

I still don't know what this bands new obsession is with starting 100% new in the studio is. Look at their older albums, all of the songs had been road tested first, a lot of them had been road tested for years before the finally made it onto an album. How the band can't realize that they've written songs that even their older fans like is beyond me.

Ok, done with my mini rant.

[Blake]

to be fair, the songs from btcs and the lillywhite sessions were all new songs written in the studio

[Evan]

I wanted to wait til I had given the album about a week to sink in before I attempted to review it, and now I've seen the whole thing live too (except Baby Blue) so I think I have a good grip and I've decided how I feel about it.....

Grux: Great way to open the album.

Shake Me: Decent imo, it has an intensity on the stage that you'd expect it to have based on the album. There are some lines on it that make me cringe, which is a trend throughout the album for me, but its a fun song and it gets me moving. 3/5

Funny: When this song first came out I was not impressed at all. I didn't hate it, but I thought it was mediocre at best and it simply was trying too hard to be a radio hit. I thought Tim's solo was cheezy as hell and had no desire whatsoever to listen to it again. However, after hearing it more times I began to come around on it slowly because I think lyrically its a solid song despite the fact that I didn't love the instrumentals. Now, after seeing it live and giving it even more listens, its actually stepped up to one of the better songs on the album imo. I love the lyrics, has some great lines, its well structured, and fun as hell when they're on stage. 4/5

LITHOG - This song is beautiful. Great groove, tons of jam potential, couldn't like it more. 5/5

Why I Am - reminds of Hunger way too much, Stefan needs to not push for creative influence. It has energy on stage and after the first few listens on the album I thought it was decent, but it quickly became redundant and annoying. it surprises me that this was Roi's favorite song before he died (that's what Dave said at SPAC N1). Not terrible, not good. 3/5

Dive In - Like a lot of this album, decent instrumentals, hate the lyrics. again, just another "in between" song for me. 2.5/5

Spaceman - Another song I've come around on. Unusual style for the band, and again, weak lyrics (by this point in the album I've accepted it) but it just feels like a bit of a guilty pleasure song. I would never defend it, but I like it. 3/5

Squirm: Another favorite on the album. Great build, great lyrics, was a ton of fun at the concert. 5/5

Alligator Pie: On the album, this was my least favorite. Lyrics are just terrible, there's no excuse. Live, the jam was a lot of fun but only because of the environment. 2/5

Seven: When this leaked from the live version, I turned off about 55 seconds in. In the context of the album, I don't think its nearly as bad. I don't love it, but I actually think it fits where it is and is a decent song. 2.5/5

Time Bomb: love it, along with squirm and LITHOG, these tracks are what makes the album a good album. it was intense live too. 5/5

Baby Blue: good song, nice adaptation of sister, I've enjoyed it from the beginning. 4/5

You and Me: meh. it's a feel good song but really nothing special at all and its definitely not one I'll ever wanna see again live. 2.5/5



Overall, it took me a long time to decide whether I was giving this album too much credit because its DMB and I wanted to like it, or whether I was selling it short because it was far from what I expected and my standards for DMB are so high. Its light years ahead of stand up, and better than Everyday imo too. My problems with it are that its lacks lyrically so badly, and also it doesn't have a lot of replay value for me. I don't find myself overly interested in turning it on over and over like I did with old albums. That aside, there are some really great tracks on it and I think its a good album. The live performances were all solid and I had a good time with the songs.

[MakoMako]

to be fair, the songs from btcs and the lillywhite sessions were all new songs written in the studio

I can't say for sure about BTCS, but at the end of the day they did at least give the Lillywhite Session songs a chance on tour before making a final product... well, intent of making a final product. Though I will admit that was apparently out of concern for how depressing they were.

[GSR]

I'm still loving it.

It really is like Dave said... somber, but joyful. Dive In is a great example. Really uplifting tone to the chorus, but the lyrics talk about diving in an ocean that's empty because all of the wildlife has died. I dunno, it clicks with me.

[GSR]

I wanna hear audio of that chaotic jam that morphed into Why I Am.

And I love the fruit vendor after Squirm.

[littlefriend]

I'm still loving it.

It really is like Dave said... somber, but joyful. Dive In is a great example. Really uplifting tone to the chorus, but the lyrics talk about diving in an ocean that's empty because all of the wildlife has died. I dunno, it clicks with me.

Me too. I think Dive In is my favorite song on the album. The chorus is not as lyrically simple as it seems.

[Coldchillin]

I wanna hear audio of that chaotic jam that morphed into Why I Am.

And I love the fruit vendor after Squirm.

I hate having to sit through that when I just want the next song to come on...

[DJR]

shut it jon bietz louder