My Review of Some Devil

gcom007 · Unread post by **gcom007** » Fri Oct 10, 2003 10:40 am

So I ended up picking this album up a week ago or so and after spending a good amount of time with it, I feel comfortable about formally commenting on it. First of all, I don't think it's near as bad or near as good as anyone could make it out to be. What does that mean? Well, basically that it's a good album, but not a great one and certainly not a bad one.

Some of the tunes really stick out as strongpoints, and some are just absolute duds. For example, Grey Blue Eyes is just a colossal mistake while Stay Or Leave is absolutely phenominal. Dodo is a great way to start the album. It's fun and bouncy and literally gives me hope for a strong Dave Matthews solo career. So Damn Lucky is slightly odd. I don't really know whether to say I like this song or not... I don't like the verse part too much, but I enjoy the chorus and it is catchy in some ways. It has it's moments. Some Devil is a track that had potential, but it becomes fairly redundant after the first verse while the solo electric nature of it does nothing but add to the monotenous effect. It's mildly disappointing b/c I feel this song has a ton of potential.

A couple of songs which I enjoy but I think are kinda cheesy are Trouble and Up and Away and Oh. I don't really know how to explain my feelings on these songs. Trouble is just a bit goofy. I ask myself why he wrote that after I listen to it. Oh and Up and Away are fun tunes but nothing that hasn't been done before and better. But again, if they're fun and catchy, you can't knock them too much. Baby is a great little tune. It's honestly one of my favorites on the album. I think it's something Dave should do a lot more of. Really simple little songs like that. An' Another Thing is absolutely not that great of a song. Is it a fun novelty for old timers? Yes, but it's really nothing special at all. That's why it's taken this long to get released...

Gravedigger I didn't like at all first, and I don't like it much, but it works well for the video. The acoustic version I enjoy more. Save Me I really dislike along with Too High. I don't think writing heavy songs is a strong-suit of Mr. Matthews. He sometimes can get them, but I'm not digging this stuff. I think he's got a lot better handle on the melodic good-natured songs. But, ya gotta have some variety. This is someplace I hope he works a lot harder in for the next go around.

In the end, I have to say that I enjoy this album a lot more than I expected to, however, it is not that amazing. It's a very standard "good" release. There's only a couple of songs (Baby and Stay Or Leave) that I feel are truly memorable on a larger level. Is this bad? No, it was his first solo outing and not many people have the musical capacity of Sting. This album immediately reminds me of Glen Phillips (of Toad the Wet Sprocket) solo debut "Abulum." It was a good album (perhaps better than this one) that really had it's moments, but nothing too memorable. Still fun to pop in and listen to every now and again.

As Glen Phillips will show w/ his next album, he has grown and progressed as a solo artist. There's going to be a lot more organization for both these guys on the next go-around. These first albums were said to be very much taking the stuff that didn't work with the given bands and making an album out of it. It very much sounds like it as well. Now that Dave's gotten his ya-ya's out and knows what goes into making a solo album, expect a much more focused effort next time around, and I guarantee you a lot strong release. That'll be the album that does it. This album is just a gift to DMB fans. The next album will establish Dave Matthews, lead singer of Dave Matthews Band, as Dave Matthews, solo artist on top and in control. Good things to come...

fatjack · Unread post by **fatjack** » Fri Oct 10, 2003 10:52 am

i agree with on the fact that its neither great nor is it terribly awful. overall i didn't like it, and it wasn't because of the songs themselves, just the way they are produced. there is one song (i forget the name) that has awesome music, but i cant listen to it for more than 30 secs because of the terrible reverb on Dave's voice. this album is just way to overproduced

the thing that upset me the most is the misuse of talent on this album, if they are gonna bring in people like trey anastasio and tim reynolds, USE THEIR DAMN TALENT! the stuff that both these amazing guitarists did on the album is nothing any regular guitarists couldn't do.

the high point of the album is the use of strings in some songs, in my opinion it showed a little finesse and class

Roastbeef · Unread post by **Roastbeef** » Fri Oct 10, 2003 11:03 am

Jesus, Elliot. Do you freakin' have multiple personality disorder, or what? How the hell do you go from useless "I am awesome" posts to well-thought out and contributory posts like this one? :!:

I agree with most of what you said, including your breakdown by song. I actually like So Damn Lucky, but it does have an Angel feel. I also like Dodo. Oh is totally cheesy, but it's still fun to listen to. Stay or Leave absolutely makes this album though. I was expecting more, but eh, it's a keeper. I've only done a few run throughs, so some of the songs still have time to grow on me.

gcom007 · Unread post by **gcom007** » Fri Oct 10, 2003 11:22 am

Roastbeef wrote:Jesus, Elliot. Do you freakin' have multiple personality disorder, or what? How the hell do you go from useless "I am awesome" posts to well-thought out and contributory posts like this one?

that was a five minute impulsive outing...

Appfro · Unread post by **Appfro** » Fri Oct 10, 2003 12:33 pm

i agreed w/ everything you said except for gravedigger and save me. i like save me (not my favorite on the album) but i do enjoy it. it's catchy to me. and i love gravedigger. i don't konw why, but i think it's awesome. everything else you said was right on w/ me.

i also agreed w/ fatjack about using their talent. i think one of the things that makes dave matthews dave matthews is his (and his bands) ability to jam. to play a song for 3 min before even starting the first verse. and now he brought up tim and trey and had plenty of oppertunity to get some great guitar solos and jams in there. but all of the songs seemed to be start to finish no fun stuff. kinda like everday, just play the song and quit. that's not what i like about dave, that's not why i listen to him in the first place. its because he can play a song for 10 minutes and not get boring. so yea, not great but not crappy is the best way to describe it.

gcom007 · Unread post by **gcom007** » Fri Oct 10, 2003 12:44 pm

Appsoldier wrote:i agreed w/ everything you said except for gravedigger and save me. i like save me (not my favorite on the album) but i do enjoy it. it's catchy to me. and i love gravedigger. i don't konw why, but i think it's awesome. everything else you said was right on w/ me.

i also agreed w/ fatjack about using their talent. i think one of the things that makes dave matthews dave matthews is his (and his bands) ability to jam. to play a song for 3 min before even starting the first verse. and now he brought up tim and trey and had plenty of oppertunity to get some great guitar solos and jams in there. but all of the songs seemed to be start to finish no fun stuff. kinda like everday, just play the song and quit. that's not what i like about dave, that's not why i listen to him in the first place. its because he can play a song for 10 minutes and not get boring. so yea, not great but not crappy is the best way to describe it.

this is a Dave Matthews solo album though...a place for the songs of Dave Matthews to shine, not Tim or Trey. Live I'm sure it'll be different, but this isn't a Dave Matthews and friends album, it's a Dave Matthews album. Wait for the Dave Matthews and friends tour.

Trippin Hillbilly · Unread post by **Trippin Hillbilly** » Fri Oct 10, 2003 1:05 pm

Good review elliot... I agree with almost all your comments except..

Grey blue eyes just pisses me off, it's actually Dave 'raspy' voice that does it.... :shock:

.... I think it's the excessive reverb that accentuates it.
I absolutely love Too High though, the build up is great... and then the orchestra at the end makes me wanna dance around naked....it's damn sweet.

Roastbeef · Unread post by **Roastbeef** » Fri Oct 10, 2003 1:20 pm

Trippin Hillbilly wrote:and then the orchestra at the end makes me wanna dance around naked....

Please spare us... :roll:

gcom007 · Unread post by **gcom007** » Fri Oct 10, 2003 3:43 pm

I hate Grey Blue Eyes

Ranting Thespian · Unread post by **Ranting Thespian** » Fri Oct 10, 2003 7:18 pm

I LOVE EVERY aspect of this album. I LOVE IT! I think it is almost one of my all time favorite albums. I love the new sounds, and so what if timmy and trey don't show off, they are playing great with playing little, which is very hard, you try!

Also, I adore Grey Blue Eyes. I think that was really refreshing to hear. Also, I like the electric version of gravedigger more . . . don't hit me . . .lol

gravedigger · Unread post by **gravedigger** » Fri Oct 10, 2003 8:24 pm

gcom007 wrote:So I ended up picking this album up a week ago or so and after spending a good amount of time with it, I feel comfortable about formally commenting on it. First of all, I don't think it's near as bad or near as good as anyone could make it out to be. What does that mean? Well, basically that it's a good album, but not a great one and certainly not a bad one.

Some of the tunes really stick out as strongpoints, and some are just absolute duds. For example, Grey Blue Eyes is just a colossal mistake while Stay Or Leave is absolutely phenominal. Dodo is a great way to start the album. It's fun and bouncy and literally gives me hope for a strong Dave Matthews solo career. So Damn Lucky is slightly odd. I don't really know whether to say I like this song or not... I don't like the verse part too much, but I enjoy the chorus and it is catchy in some ways. It has it's moments. Some Devil is a track that had potential, but it becomes fairly redundant after the first verse while the solo electric nature of it does nothing but add to the monotenous effect. It's mildly disappointing b/c I feel this song has a ton of potential.

A couple of songs which I enjoy but I think are kinda cheesy are Trouble and Up and Away and Oh. I don't really know how to explain my feelings on these songs. Trouble is just a bit goofy. I ask myself why he wrote that after I listen to it. Oh and Up and Away are fun tunes but nothing that hasn't been done before and better. But again, if they're fun and catchy, you can't knock them too much. Baby is a great little tune. It's honestly one of my favorites on the album. I think it's something Dave should do a lot more of. Really simple little songs like that. An' Another Thing is absolutely not that great of a song. Is it a fun novelty for old timers? Yes, but it's really nothing special at all. That's why it's taken this long to get released...

Gravedigger I didn't like at all first, and I don't like it much, but it works well for the video. The acoustic version I enjoy more. Save Me I really dislike along with Too High. I don't think writing heavy songs is a strong-suit of Mr. Matthews. He sometimes can get them, but I'm not digging this stuff. I think he's got a lot better handle on the melodic good-natured songs. But, ya gotta have some variety. This is someplace I hope he works a lot harder in for the next go around.

In the end, I have to say that I enjoy this album a lot more than I expected to, however, it is not that amazing. It's a very standard "good" release. There's only a couple of songs (Baby and Stay Or Leave) that I feel are truly memorable on a larger level. Is this bad? No, it was his first solo outing and not many people have the musical capacity of Sting. This album immediately reminds me of Glen Phillips (of Toad the Wet Sprocket) solo debut "Abulum." It was a good album (perhaps better than this one) that really had it's moments, but nothing too memorable. Still fun to pop in and listen to every now and again.

As Glen Phillips will show w/ his next album, he has grown and progressed as a solo artist. There's going to be a lot more organization for both these guys on the next go-around. These first albums were said to be very much taking the stuff that didn't work with the given bands and making an album out of it. It very much sounds like it as well. Now that Dave's gotten his ya-ya's out and knows what goes into making a solo album, expect a much more focused effort next time around, and I guarantee you a lot strong release. That'll be the album that does it. This album is just a gift to DMB fans. The next album will establish Dave Matthews, lead singer of Dave Matthews Band, as Dave Matthews, solo artist on top and in control. Good things to come...

fuckin' great post. I feel the same way on (I think) everything you've said. I picked up the album a couple weeks ago, well I guess Sept. 23 when it came out and listened to it a lot and enough to form an opinion of it. I like the album. the shiny ones like Dodo, Up and Away, and Oh I can picture as being singles. Baby is a sweet little diddy I agree there, and Stay or Leave is probably the strongest of them all but I also agree that Some Devil has or had potential. I mean listening to Dave on that track, he's singing from his soul and its amazing, especially on the chorus. it sounds like its live, the vocals and the main guitar on that, I wouldn't be surprised if that was a one-take recording on that. anwyhoo, yes, Good things to come.

oh, gcom, what d'ya think of Mayer's album? I picked it up the same day as Some Devil. I gotta say, that it's growing on me like a bad weed. I think it's a great album, probably better than Some Devil

What do you think?? Clarity is awesome, Something's missing is great, I even like Bigger than my Body, and the rest of them are good too. What do you think of it? I assume you've bought it.

gravedigger · Unread post by **gravedigger** » Fri Oct 10, 2003 8:28 pm

oh yeah, I gotta say I don't much like Save Me on the album but I saw/heard him play it on MTV and I was diggin' it. anyway, I like the drums on Gravedigger and that's probably in my top 3 songs from Some Devil. at least its tied for 3rd with a few others. not really sure what my first 2 favs are.

Appfro · Unread post by **Appfro** » Fri Oct 10, 2003 8:31 pm

i just wanna say for a sec that i was really scared about the album version of sol cause everyone told me that the clicking stuff in the background made it horrible. IMO, that is freaking awesome. i love the little voices that dave does in the background along w/ the percussion part. it just made the song better for me. anyone else agree or does everyone like the acoustic better?

fatjack · Unread post by **fatjack** » Fri Oct 10, 2003 8:35 pm

i wanna kill Steve Harris for what he did to the vocals on Too High

he is an awful awful producer and an awful awful man

isaac · Unread post by **isaac** » Fri Oct 10, 2003 8:51 pm

Appsoldier wrote:i just wanna say for a sec that i was really scared about the album version of sol cause everyone told me that the clicking stuff in the background made it horrible. IMO, that is freaking awesome. i love the little voices that dave does in the background along w/ the percussion part. it just made the song better for me. anyone else agree or does everyone like the acoustic better?

the clip of the clicking was horrible...but it turned out great. it's grown on me, and both versions, just like both versions of gravedigger have something unique about them. i can't wait to hear how it turns out during the upcoming tour, though.

DMBTabs.com

My Review of Some Devil

My Review of Some Devil

Re: My Review of Some Devil

Who is online