Video Download: Sweet Up & Down (6.23.00)

[Appfro]

You rock.

So hard.

[GSR]

You rock.

So hard.

[Davy28]

This song always chokes me up when I hear it and think of the shit the band was going through at the time. The lillywhite sessions were falling through the roof (in part due to lillywhite demanding 100 takes of this song), Dave was drinking himself mad, and the band's unity was fragmenting.

You always seem to care a heck of a lot about their personal lives. I mean, it's not good what they went through, but it shouldn't "choke you up". It's not like anyone died.

You have to understand that that is the way I am. I have always felt like knowing what is going on in the minds of a band at the time they wrote/recorded a song enhances the emotional experience of listening to the song. A frequent saying of mine when listening to music is "If you know the story behind this song it makes it all the more heart-wrenching to listen to."

That is especially true with classic rock bands from the sixties and seventies. The song "Let it Be" by the Beatles, for example, is one of the most moving songs ever, but knowing that the Beatles were literally self-destructing from the inside when they recorded it makes it all the more moving. John Lennon was hopelessly addicted to heroin. Paul was delving into cocain at the time and was feverishly fighting a losing battle to keep the band together. George was desperate to become a songwriting voice in the band but had never fully been able to as long as Paul and John were at the helm. He wanted to be anywhere but with the Beatles. Ringo had temporarily quit the band a year earlier, while making the white album, but thankfully came back.
Or songs by the Rolling Stones like Gimme Shelter and Under My Thumb. The former was recorded during a time when they had just fired their lead guitarist because of drug problems (who was found dead of an overdose in a swimming pool soon after), and the latter was the song they were playing at the Altamont concert when that dude pulled a gun on the stage and was stabbed by the hells angels security dudes.

Its a matter of personal amazement. To think that despite all the turmoil that can happen in times of great upheaval, despite all the drugs and poisons people subject themselves too, beautiful music can still prevail and be created, and remain, well, beautiful. I love going to sites like songfacts.net, and reading about the stories behind songs.

In the case of Dave, knowing how much tears and toil went into making a song, how much adversity had to be overcome, makes me respect a song all the more. And the band, for that matter.

[emorokr12]

thanks soo much

[Davy28]

This song always chokes me up when I hear it and think of the shit the band was going through at the time. The lillywhite sessions were falling through the roof (in part due to lillywhite demanding 100 takes of this song), Dave was drinking himself mad, and the band's unity was fragmenting.

i never knew that, was that a big problem that was going on also, lillywhite being too demanding?

I'm not a daveologist, but I guess it was artistic differences and the band feeling like Lillywhite was pushing the songs in a direction the band did not want them to go. Lillywhite can make any music beautiful, but his production has a tendency to make songs happier sounding then they should be. The songs in the Lillywhite sessions were pretty damn depressing, and I'm guessing Steve was not really into the whole sad bastard thing in getting the album to appeal to people other than just the hardcore fans. Au contraire. The songs are much better in their stripped down, honest form than they are more produced on Busted Stuff.

[Nitro1515]

This song always chokes me up when I hear it and think of the shit the band was going through at the time. The lillywhite sessions were falling through the roof (in part due to lillywhite demanding 100 takes of this song), Dave was drinking himself mad, and the band's unity was fragmenting.

i never knew that, was that a big problem that was going on also, lillywhite being too demanding?

I'm not a daveologist, but I guess it was artistic differences and the band feeling like Lillywhite was pushing the songs in a direction the band did not want them to go. Lillywhite can make any music beautiful, but his production has a tendency to make songs happier sounding then they should be. The songs in the Lillywhite sessions were pretty damn depressing, and I'm guessing Steve was not really into the whole sad bastard thing in getting the album to appeal to people other than just the hardcore fans. Au contraire. The songs are much better in their stripped down, honest form than they are more produced on Busted Stuff.

"I cannot condone the release of these unfinished recordings, although I feel these are some of the most moving pieces of music that I've ever recorded with Dave Matthews Band." -Producer Steve Lillywhite in a statement following the release of the LWS on the Internet over the weekend of March 24-25, 2001.
That quote right there leads me to believe that it had little to do with Lillywhite's production, if anything he was pushing to make the songs more honest, not happier. I think it had more to do with some other factors like Bruce Flohr who was hounding Dave at the time to come up with another Tripping Billies or Ants, which is why in most of Dave's interviews about the LWS he explains how he feels he was letting everybody down with these songs. Also don't count out the idea of the egos of the rest of the band getting in the way, I think the rest of them wanted more of a say in the songwriting process instead of Dave doing all the work in that area.

[Davy28]

This song always chokes me up when I hear it and think of the shit the band was going through at the time. The lillywhite sessions were falling through the roof (in part due to lillywhite demanding 100 takes of this song), Dave was drinking himself mad, and the band's unity was fragmenting.

i never knew that, was that a big problem that was going on also, lillywhite being too demanding?

I'm not a daveologist, but I guess it was artistic differences and the band feeling like Lillywhite was pushing the songs in a direction the band did not want them to go. Lillywhite can make any music beautiful, but his production has a tendency to make songs happier sounding then they should be. The songs in the Lillywhite sessions were pretty damn depressing, and I'm guessing Steve was not really into the whole sad bastard thing in getting the album to appeal to people other than just the hardcore fans. Au contraire. The songs are much better in their stripped down, honest form than they are more produced on Busted Stuff.

"I cannot condone the release of these unfinished recordings, although I feel these are some of the most moving pieces of music that I've ever recorded with Dave Matthews Band." -Producer Steve Lillywhite in a statement following the release of the LWS on the Internet over the weekend of March 24-25, 2001.
That quote right there leads me to believe that it had little to do with Lillywhite's production, if anything he was pushing to make the songs more honest, not happier. I think it had more to do with some other factors like Bruce Flohr who was hounding Dave at the time to come up with another Tripping Billies or Ants, which is why in most of Dave's interviews about the LWS he explains how he feels he was letting everybody down with these songs. Also don't count out the idea of the egos of the rest of the band getting in the way, I think the rest of them wanted more of a say in the songwriting process instead of Dave doing all the work in that area.

Thats good to know; I did not know that.

[jellyfish]

Hey Nitro, why is this sub par quality for being a pro shot? Not to rag on your video because it's actually not your video, but some of the pro shot's I have are near perfect. It looks like it came from a 4th generation VHS tape.

Thanks for the upload though.

[Nitro1515]

Hey Nitro, why is this sub par quality for being a pro shot? Not to rag on your video because it's actually not your video, but some of the pro shot's I have are near perfect. It looks like it came from a 4th generation VHS tape.

Thanks for the upload though.

Yeah I've wondered that myself. I've got an entire show from VA Beach that is a pro shot and the quality sucks on that one too, they both are probably from a VHS tape like you said.

[jellyfish]

Hey Nitro, why is this sub par quality for being a pro shot? Not to rag on your video because it's actually not your video, but some of the pro shot's I have are near perfect. It looks like it came from a 4th generation VHS tape.

Thanks for the upload though.

Yeah I've wondered that myself. I've got an entire show from VA Beach that is a pro shot and the quality sucks on that one too, they both are probably from a VHS tape like you said.

Whcih one? is it the 2000? I have that one too. I cant remember the quality though.. i have even a worse one from Giants Stadium from 99 or 00'

[Nitro1515]

Hey Nitro, why is this sub par quality for being a pro shot? Not to rag on your video because it's actually not your video, but some of the pro shot's I have are near perfect. It looks like it came from a 4th generation VHS tape.

Thanks for the upload though.

Yeah I've wondered that myself. I've got an entire show from VA Beach that is a pro shot and the quality sucks on that one too, they both are probably from a VHS tape like you said.

Whcih one? is it the 2000? I have that one too. I cant remember the quality though.. i have even a worse one from Giants Stadium from 99 or 00'

Its the 8.31.00 show, and yeah I've seen clips from that Giants Stadium show, the quality is pretty bad.

[jellyfish]

Hey Nitro, why is this sub par quality for being a pro shot? Not to rag on your video because it's actually not your video, but some of the pro shot's I have are near perfect. It looks like it came from a 4th generation VHS tape.

Thanks for the upload though.

Yeah I've wondered that myself. I've got an entire show from VA Beach that is a pro shot and the quality sucks on that one too, they both are probably from a VHS tape like you said.

Whcih one? is it the 2000? I have that one too. I cant remember the quality though.. i have even a worse one from Giants Stadium from 99 or 00'

Its the 8.31.00 show, and yeah I've seen clips from that Giants Stadium show, the quality is pretty bad.

I did that DVD on a trade and was pissed cause I gave the dude a great quality DVD and I got that piece of shit. I didn't even watch it... I think it's in the garbage.

[Nitro1515]

Hey Nitro, why is this sub par quality for being a pro shot? Not to rag on your video because it's actually not your video, but some of the pro shot's I have are near perfect. It looks like it came from a 4th generation VHS tape.

Thanks for the upload though.

Yeah I've wondered that myself. I've got an entire show from VA Beach that is a pro shot and the quality sucks on that one too, they both are probably from a VHS tape like you said.

Whcih one? is it the 2000? I have that one too. I cant remember the quality though.. i have even a worse one from Giants Stadium from 99 or 00'

Its the 8.31.00 show, and yeah I've seen clips from that Giants Stadium show, the quality is pretty bad.

I did that DVD on a trade and was pissed cause I gave the dude a great quality DVD and I got that piece of shit. I didn't even watch it... I think it's in the garbage.

Haha, understandable.

[jellyfish]

I only keep the Great quality ones..... IM anal like that.

[Nitro1515]

Same here, if I have to squint to see what's going on or if the audio is shot then it goes straight to the trash.