I heard What Would You Say on the radio, dug the groove, the harmonica, and the change of time, so I picked up the CD and began my love/hate relationship with the hit/miss DMB. As I've stated many times, for me, DMB is a singles band, not an album or jam band, so I usually enjoy less than half of each album, yet I like the good songs so much that I keep buying releases. Matthews can write good pop songs, but too often (for me) he loses focus. Producer Steve Lillywhite reigns him in here to some degree, and the good stuff is enjoyable, but the rest is as "bland as a tofu sandwich." Nothing personal, Dave, you seem like a nice guy. Maybe I would have thought differently if I had been in college in 1994 instead of 1984.
Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: #11
Tracks: I like The Best Of What's Around, What Would You Say, Ants Marching, and Jimi Thing. Skip the rest.
Personal Memory Associated with this CD: My wife and I bought a house in 1995 and this CD kept me company as I repainted the entire interior of that thing.
Previously revisited for the blog:
Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King (2009)
Weekend on the Rocks (2005)
Stand Up (2005)
Live at Folsom Field, Boulder, Colorado (2002)
Everyday (2001)
w/Tim Reynolds - Live At Luther College (1999)
Before These Crowded Streets (1998)
Crash (1996)
You voiced my sentiments and opinions of DMB music verbatim - they are a singles band. And I imagine a pretty engaing live act in person, playing hackey sack far from the stage.
ReplyDeleteThe only DMB CD I own is 2006's hits comp, The Best Of What's Around and even on it, I wish the live versions were the studio versions.