Big Whiskey: The Dave Matthews Band in Perpsective

I started to write

this article as a reflection of The Dave Matthews Band after watching "The Road to Big Whiskey" on Fuse and its turning out to be both a reflection on the amazing band of DMB and man himself intertwined with a full review of the the DMB's new release: Big

Whiskey and the

GrooGrux King".

I need to start with some general thoughts on Dave Matthews and the band. The band - An acoustic guitar, a violin, a saxophone, drums, and a bass - nowhere in history has that combination been put together before - they really created their own genre - and the music is all such joyful music. Its no sound that you've heard before - all their own.

Dave is an enlightened human being - I wonder how much he even knows how in touch with inner human spirit he is. He is full of love and compassion and it comes out throughout all his music - both in the instruments and his lyrics. Sprinkled throughout his lyrics, you'll continually find spiritual references about life, love, presence, and goodness - but its everyday lyrics - not intended to be spiritual - which is what makes his songs so special. Its no wonder he was chosen to interview the Dalai Lama when he was in town in Seattle last year - That was an amazing experience by the way. Dave of all people selected to be the local interviewer of the Dalai Lama when he was here in Seattle. When he writes, his songs are all about love, humanity, joy, and being real.

Ok - On to Big Whiskey. This is going to be the album of the year. I challenge any other album to try to stand up to this album in both its appeal musically, its diversity, its talent, its style. There's no other band on the planet quite like DMB - where a violin, saxophone, acoustic guitar, drums and bass comprise the band. This album adds a new twist of more electric guitar with the re-addition of Tim Reynolds. Which just makes it rock all the more.

It was scary to wonder what a studio album without LeRoi Moore on Sax would be like - but it worked. The album integrates stuff recorded from Roi, prior to his passing, accompanied with the amazing talent of Jeff Coffin as his replacement. The album opens and closes with LeRoi solo in quiet reminder of how amazing that man was.

Then the album blasts right into classic DMB sound in "Shake Me Like a Monkey" with big horns, guitars, violin in a way that just makes you want to dance right away. And in this case, the funny side of Dave comes out in the lyrics - How can you not love these:

"I like my coffee with toast and Jelly but I'd rather be licking from your back to your belly"

What Dave? Love it.

Then its on to "Funny The Way it Is" - the album's first single. Just another great platform for the big sound of the band with small instruments.

Dave can be contemplative. His lyrics make you think:

"Funny the way it is, if you think about it

Somebody’s going hungry and someone else is eating out
Funny the way it is, not right or wrong
Somebody’s heart is broken and it becomes your favorite song"

The next track, "Lying in the Hands of God" - This is one of those songs that exhibit the spiritual side of Dave. This is one of my favorite songs on the album - well, I say that about each song really - which is why it is such a great album - but this is on top. There's just something I really really love about this line and its nothing I can explain:

"Save your sermons for someone that's afraid to love
If you knew what I feel then you couldn't be so sure
I'll be right here lying in the hands of God "

"Why I Am" - Great tribute to LeRoi. Roi liked his Big Whiskey. He is the GrooGrux King. Just a fun, happy, joyful tribute to a great man.

Then its back to contemplative. Holy crap. Dive In is depressing - but one of the best lyrical songs on the album! The amazing song writing makes you think - so refreshing. Self serving, unaware human nature, global warming - is all there -
but there is also a glimmer of hope intertwined - you have to listen to understand.

"I saw a man on the side of the road
With a sign that read
"Will work for food"
I tried to look busy 'til the light turned green

I saw a bear on TV
And his friends were all drowning
'Cause their homes were turning to water

Wake up sleepy head I think the sun's a little brighter today
Smile and watch the icicles melt away and see the waters rising
Summer's here to stay and all those summer games will last forever

Along comes "Squirm" - Another favorite on the album and definitely going to be a live favorite with fans. Squirm is powerful in sound with Dave's beautiful and complex voice coming out in all tones accompanied with the strongest showcase of Boyd's violin on the album. Boyd just rocks here. I can't wait to see this in concert. Lyrically, the song is complex - but its basically another intricate song about life, love, and spirituality in the present told only as Dave can. In this single verse, Dave hits on the golden rule of kindness and good, accompanied with the spiritual message that heaven is yours to make while living. I just love this:

"Above all things

If kindness is your king

Then heaven will be yours

Before you meet your end "

Now comes the one and only song on the album I don't really think fits. Alligator Pie is a sort of a noisy New Orleans blues-rock-jam that seems more in line with the Stand Up album. Its sort of all over the place musically but not in a way that works. However... I notice a lyric - "Stella said Daddy when you gonna put me in a song" - and I realized he must be talking about his daughter. Listen closer and note that he mentions Grace as well - Stella and Grace - his twin daughters. The lyrics are sort of nonsense to us, but bonus points to Dave for adding a humanistic nod to his girls. Just another case of his total down-to earth style.

Dave can be dirty. "Seven". Nuff said. Just listen to it. Actually, this song showcases Tim Reynolds with some of the best guitar riffs accompanied by an amazing tenor from Dave.

Dave is a romantic. In the Fuse documentary, he mentioned how Crash - written in 1995 was totally inspired by the love of his life, his wife. All of his subsequent songs that refer to love are about her. He writes a ton of love songs and really really projects just true love - In this album, check out Spaceman, My Baby Blue, and You and Me. That is like a magnet for people. He is such a romantic, loving, family guy who is this big rock star.

Then there's the insecure side of Dave that he puts out there. The words from Rhyme & Reason are still some of my favorite: "My head won't leave my head alone And I don't believe it will until I'm dead and gone." Similarly, here, he writes :

"I'm a ticking time bomb

Waiting to blow my top

No one would ever know

Not until I blew up

No one would believe it

He was such a normal man

Shake their heads and wonder why "

I just love how he can make you feel ok to have problems. We all do.

And just to wrap up, a word on the bands live shows. The concerts - Thousands of people singing and dancing together just loving life, the music, and each other - ok - I guess thats the hippie side of me coming out. Dave is funny - great sense of humor - dorky, dances funny, but not afraid to dance like crazy in a funny way in front of 20,000 people. The whole band is just completely down to earth.

Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King is by far the best DMB album since Crash. There is something for everyone and I think I read a quote from Dave that said "If you don't like this album, you don't like music" - or something along those lines - and I'd have to say that is the best summary there is. Its stellar. I am so grateful that DMB continues to make music that touches our soul, makes us happy, makes us want to dance, is real, and that the band just continues to get closer, and better, in the wake of such tragedies such as the loss of LeRoi Moore.