Dave Matthews Band

[Your Paragon of Virtue]

Just wondering as to how the people on the board feel about them. I never have seen them mentioned, so I'm guessing they are unpopular on the board. I think they're good and everything, as individually they're pro, and I generally like the overall sound of the new album, Busted Stuff.

 

Anyway, your thoughts?

[Guest La Parka Es Mi Papa]

Terrible, just terrible.

[Guest Brian]

I have no problems with DMB. Some of their work is good and I like the instrumental feel the music has. Dave's done some good writing over the years. His live stuff is fun.

[Your Paragon of Virtue]

Terrible, just terrible.

Well, you did a great job of expressing your opinion. Oh wait, no you didn't

[Guest Incandenza]

Dave Matthews Band has two strikes against them: 1) they are a "jam band," and 2) they are a "jam band" for people who find jam bands like Phish too threatening. Sucks all around, sez I.

[Your Paragon of Virtue]

They aren't really a "jam" band, since they don't actually jam. Also, the guys in DMB are much better at playing their own instruments than Phish. Dave writes better songs too. They kick ass live(in a non-metal sort of way), and they also play fairly different stuff all around on their albums. Dave Matthews has a really good voice too.

[Guest Nevermortal]

Dave Matthews ranks pretty high on the list that I keep...its called "People I'd Like to see Deep Throat a Chainsaw".

[Guest Kotzenjunge]

A friend of mine put it best:

 

"A lot of people like Dave Matthews Band, but they don't really know why. I like that. Go ahead, ask a fan why they like them, and you'll get a stuttering content-free response."

 

Fo sheez,

Kotzenjunge

[Your Paragon of Virtue]

Dave's got a really good voice, he writes great songs, they've got one of the best drummers on the planet, the bassist isn't one of the best but he's still pretty damn good, and the other two guys are classically trained and professional. That being the violinist and saxophonist. They all pretty much grew as jazz musicians, which is a testament to their individual abilities.

 

They play a variety of music, from jazz to R&B to funk to folk to whatever. It's not even watered down like Kid Rock or any other shit like that. As a live band, it's "fun" like Brian put it, and than some.

 

Their audience is diverse, showing the variety of music they play, and most people that like them are musicians, showing that the people that do like them know a thing or two about music itself.

 

So yeah, that's why I like them. That, and the fact that it's not crappy pop marketed by a pretty face. Ok, really pretty, but crappy pop nonetheless...

[Guest Kinetic]

I'd take issue with the "most of his fans are musicians" point, as he pretty much just inherited Hootie's frat boy audience

[Guest Incandenza]

Hey now, Hootie's gone solo. He's all smoothed out on the R&B tip, ya know.

[Your Paragon of Virtue]

I understand the "frat boy" thing, because most of their audience falls in that demographic. But than I think there is more to them than that. For an odd comparison, mostly teenage girls dug the Beetles, but that's no knock on their greatness. it just means they appealed to more than one crowd.

 

Besides, that still doesn't change all the other stuff I listed, about them being generally great musicians, and anyone who picks up a bass, drumset, violin, etc. looks to them as an example of how to play. They remind me of Rush in that aspect, who were pretty damn good a long time ago.

 

Maybe the core of their audience is the frat boy thing, but than again I'm sure you can find a huge fan of Steve Austin who doesn't know diddly-shit about "rasslin", so to speak....

[Guest Edwin MacPhisto]

I rather like Under The Table And Dreaming quite a bit. Granted, I haven't listened to it in probably 2 years or so, but I remember it as a pretty inspired piece of pop rock with some fun instrumentation. Nothing too groundbreaking, but a good, satisfying pop rock album with some solid singles.

 

I very much like the first 5 or 6 songs on Crash, as well as the last 4 or 5 songs on Before These Crowded Streets. Unfortunately, the other halves of those albums rather blow, and so I stopped listening after that. Judging by the singles off the latest two albums, I haven't missed much. The biggest problem I have with Dave Matthews and friends is that their music is excruciatingly plain. I do like the violin parts, though.

 

I've also taken to disliking the band a lot more after getting to college--this is one case where knowing a band's fanbase actually can turn you off the product. Idiots, all...

[Guest El Satanico]

I personally can't stand them. I hate Dave's voice and that's all i need to dislike a band.

[Guest Lord of The Curry]

I've never bought one of their albums, probably never will. I abso-frickin-loutely love the song "Crash", the rest of their stuff if alright.

 

Kotzen- I'll have to agree with you on that one. My best friend really likes them, but he never says why. Perhaps I should ask......

[Guest CED Ordonez]

I've got a few of their older CDs that I enjoy, but haven't touched their latest work. I think they're a pretty good listen when I rather have some background music in my room.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

I can't stand 'em. Big surprise there, huh? They're fairly talented musicians playing music I hate. I absolutely can't stand the vocals, though, and I think most of their fanbase is guys looking to pick up chicks. I've seen a concert video of theirs, and at least 60% of the crowd was hot chicks. The rest of them were frat boys looking for chicks.

[Your Paragon of Virtue]

Maybe I should go to one of their concerts than...