It's no secret that Dave Matthews Band is my second favorite band of all time (after The Beatles), so it shouldn't be a surprise that I chose Dave Matthews as my artist pick this week.Concentration on the Dave, mind you.
At first, I wanted to do Dave Matthews Band, and when we were still picking five CDs, I was going to tell you to listen to the first 5 and to hell with the new album. When we cut it down to four, I decided to switch things up. As well known as DMB is to a lot of people, I didn't know whether any of you were familiar with Dave's solo stuff.
After all, Dave is the founder of the band - the other members, as talented as they are (and they are), can come and go (noting the 2008 passing of saxophonist LeRoi Moore), but DMB can't exist without its South African lead singer and his unique charm.
I kind of cheated, because this is pretty similar to a post I did weeks ago on Bonnaroo Virgin about DMB headlining this year's fest (about which I am pretty pumped). Yes, you can see DMB in just about any city during their extensive tours, but I know their Bonnaroo show will be something special, and I can't wait.
A little background, I first was introduced to this Virginia-native band as a young girl (think "Under the Table and Dreaming") whose best friend's (Diane) older sister (Angie) was a dedicated Dave fan. In high school, the guy I dated (Andy) worshipped Dave and allowed me to purchase the albums only if I did so in the order that they originally came out. I'm not sure if listening to the band in its natural progression made that much of an impact or if it was meant to be, but I fell in love.
I got through "Everyday" just as "Busted Stuff" was being released, and I loved every album through that one. It was then that I saw the band live at what used to be Riverport Ampitheater (now Verizon Wireless), an experience I'd never forget.
After that, though, things dropped off a bit. I got really into Dave's solo release, "Some Devil," but I just couldn't bring myself to listen to "Stand Up." It reminded me of "Everyday" and "Before These Crowded Streets" mixed and muted, but it didn't strike a chord with me. I fell off and became a bad fan.
Luckily, DMB has renewed itself and my interest in them with their latest release, the Grammy-nominated "Big Whiskey and the Groo Grux King," and I couldn't be more excited to see them live again and to listen to them with you this week.
The four albums I have chosen are as follows:
- DMB - Under the Table and Dreaming (1994)
- DMB -Before These Crowded Streets (1998)
- Dave Matthews - Some Devil (2003)
- DMB - Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King (2009)
That being said, it was damn near excruciating having to eliminate three albums that I love, so I have something special in store for you - a "best of the rest" playlist. Do me a favor if you have a little extra time and comment on some of my favorites here as well - emphasis on my most-loved tracks, which include "Lie in Our Graves," "Granny," "Bartender" and "You Never Know."
I put some live Dave on there as well because some Dave just sounds better live ("Warehouse" and "Granny").
Oh, and watch this music video because it's my all-time favorite as well. (Note that this video stars 30 Rock's Judah Friedlander before he was anybody). I've always wanted to do this...
