i hear ya, that just doesnt sounds as good

heard the whole album over the weekend driving home hung over from the shore. im was pretty impressed. not as many loud/fast/hard numbers as id want, but the song writing is really good and the sound is dynamic. i'm excited for this one.

belly belly nice is kinda awesome, on the radio right now

I'm one song away from finishing my first full listen through and I have to say that I have been underwhelmed so far. I like Mercy and Snow Outside is really good too. But the rest of the album just kind of happens and nothing else really stands out. Last track just started...

I think you're gonna find Drunken Soldier to end the album on a high note. I listened on the way home, with the windows and sunroof down and felt I was missing a lot of the mix. Will be listening again on my Walkman on the train ride in Thursday. Or if I get an hour or so of no interruption at home... pfft.

I must say though that if Dave had not quit smoking in 2007 this album 1) may have never happened and 2) would sound a shitload different. And harkening back to BTCS and the Lillywhite Sessions, Steve's last involvement; Dave's lyrics while now attempting political weight have lost their dark human edge. The fervor of Last Stop, DDTW and to a lesser degree Halloween (with its history) just isn't there. But I don't think I should be looking for it, his lyrics seem to be almost more introspective (i.e. aging, relationships, kids (though almost enough of that) and that is just where he is right now.

This is a major factor in my disappointment in DMB albums since Busted Stuff. That "dark human edge" was a major reason that I used to feel a unique connection to DMB that I simply haven't felt on their last three CDs. I always loved the dark undercurrent of the songs you listed (I'd ad The Stone there too) and that general feeling throughout BTCS. I will always believe that was (and likely will always be) the bands creative peak.

I also haven't found the recent albums that musically compelling (especially Stand Up and Away From the World). Big Whiskey had a number of strong moments, especially strong are Carter (probably his best album) and Stefan, but I just never made the emotional connection to that release either, and I think lyrics were mostly to blame.

I will certainly give the new album several more listens before I make any final judgements, but my initial response would be that it is a bit of a yawner.

Man BTCS is superb.

I'll just leave that up there by itself. I like this album as a compliment to Big Whiskey since it is such a quieter album as a whole. It's quite similarly thematic but not a concept album cohesion wise. Tim was the biggest element of BW that was used differently than on any other album, and while I know Tim loves to play lead electric I wouldn't doubt he feels more comfortable sitting in the back adding smaller elements with well chosen and well played solos. That is what I will be looking for in my next few listens, Boyd is more of a standout performer EQ wise than Tim but he is there adding a lot of depth.

I updated/edited my ramblings that I posted earlier. I was posting from my phone while with my wife and kids and I later realized I used the word "record" a record amount of times in a small post. Hopefully it is a little more coherent now.

I do believe that as of now I consider BTCS to be their creative precipice as well. It was a perfect storm: a wealth of material, a band that had been gelling for almost eight years, and a producer that 'gets' them and has led them toward pure success. I would also add The Stone in with my "dark human edge" group but you hit the nail when you said it is there throughout the album; that is also one of my favorite pieces of guitar work ever. Spur of the moment, I am listening to AFTW again and Mercy just came on, that guitar work is the polar opposite of The Stone but I feel it work and I feel that this is more of a 'band' song than The Stone before it breaks down.

I don't want to jump in the boat and say the next effort will be better with Steve on board as they may oust him yet again, but should this effort prove fruitful we may get a better cohesion of band and producer with the possibilities being very enticing.

The Stone was my favorite DMB song for years, it was later replaced by Bartender.

I have listened to the album a few times now and my initial thoughts haven't yet wavered. That being said, I am really loving Snow Outside. I really think it is the gem of the bunch. Mercy is probably number two on the list right now, but I still need more time to digest it all.

Dave Matthews Unleashes New "World"


September 11, 2012

This week marks the release of Dave Matthews Band's eighth studio album, Away From The World. The group recorded the album earlier this year in Seattle with producer Steve Lillywhite, who also worked with the band on its first three studio albums. But this time, Matthews says it was harder to get into songwriting mode than it was in his younger days.

"I'm still desperate to try and make something beautiful and not redo what I've done in the past. It's good work, but it's not easy for me," Matthews told Rolling Stone. "Nowadays, I have to dig a lot harder when I'm writing. I'm more critical. There's a freedom to being young that is harder to come by as time goes on. I try to justify what we do with our lives, and that question becomes more difficult to answer. And I don't have enough time to be as drug- and alcohol-soaked as I did 15 years ago."

For the new material, Matthews choose to focus his lyrics on love and the scope of human history, saying that he envisioned "a sort of torn-up soul trying to give advice to his kids" as inspiration.

"My daughters and I were watching a documentary on Yellowstone, which talked about how the volcano erupted 600,000 years ago and covered a third of North America in ash," Matthews explained. "My daughter said, 'Would that kill us?' I said, 'There's a far greater chance human beings won't survive long enough to see the next time it erupts.'"

When asked about the future of the band, Matthews said he's not sure where DMB will go from here. "There are two sides to everything," he responded. "I feed this beast that I'm part of, and in some way I worry that it loses legitimacy. Then there's the other part of me that says I'm really lucky to be part of something that turns a lot of people on and still turns us on."

Read that same bit in RS the other day, and I have to say that the running theme helps the album, it's a singular focus around Dave's lyrics (as it always has been). But I really hope the rekindled bond with Lillywhite will promote some elbow room for musician input and Dave feeling some lyrical weight lifted. From what I remember he created most of everything that was produced from this band early on, hell the songs still revolve around his guitar work, but that trust could lead to BTCS Part Deux and not a polished turd of Stand Up II. As much as I do enjoy this album I am really eager for the next, I hope it arrives.

looks like the vinyl has been pressed off center, many are warped, and sourced from an even lower quality source (16/44.1 redbook) than big whiskey (24/96). so, that sucks.

that doesn't stop me from thinking this record is pretty great. i've been in kansas city for the last three days without the album, and bits and pieces from the songs kept popping in my head.

i hope people who've only listened once or twice will give it a few spins, and even with headphones if possible. there aren't any immediate songs on here- i can understand the complaint that the album is mellow without anything really standing out. but i can't get any of them out of my head.

so drunken soilder...most epic dmb tune ever?

also, his voice sounds incredible on most of these tunes.

next time they should bring lillywhite to new orleans to write/record

eh, not gonna call it that. i like it a lot though. kinda wish that first minute bit was a full song of it's own, actually.

the lp has snow outside and drunken soldier on side d, and i see that side getting a lot more spins than any other.




yes! even when it's rough- and it's a bit rough for many tunes- it sounds great. raw.

Got another listen in driving to a brewery to meet a friend; it is a very cohesive album, it flows remarkably well. I adore Mercy, have since its release and hearing it live, which is really a great addition to any set in my opinion.

http://www.antsmarching.org/news/2012/0 ... The-Review

Not a bad review from a penultimate fan and I did find myself agreeing to quite a bit. Realized today that I have yet to MP3 the WAV, thus not having it on my Walkman, so I will be doing that this eve... though I have jury duty tomorrow, think I can sneak my Walkman in?

Dave Matthews Band Scores Sixth #1 Album

September 19, 2012

With its new album, Away From The World, bowing at #1 on the sales chart this week, Dave Matthews Band reaches a new milestone, becoming the first group in chart history to have six straight studio albums debut atop the chart. Away From The World, the band's eighth studio album, sold 266,000 units in its first week of release, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Dave Matthews Band also leads in a charge in which the entire top six albums on the chart are all new debuts for only the second time in history. The first time it happened was the week of October 11, 2003, according to Billboard.com.

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