Dave Matthews Band

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Dave Matthews Band - Everyday

The South-African vocalist/guitarist Dave Matthews formed the Dave Matthews band in Virginia in the early '90s. Featuring Matthews, bassist Stefan Lessard, saxaphone player Leroi Moor, violinist Boyd Tinsley and drummer Carter Beauford, the group's music presents a more pop-oriented version of The Grateful Dead, crossed with the world beat explorations of Paul Simon and Sting.

The band built up a strong word-of-mouth following in the early '90s by touring the country constantly, concentrating on college campuses. In addition to amassing a sizable following, their self-released album Remember Two Things sold well for an independent release; soon, they were attracting the attention of major labels. Signing with RCA, the Dave Matthews Band released their major-label debut, Under the Table and Dreaming, in the fall of 1994. By spring of 1995, the record had launched the hit single "What Would You Say" and sold over four million copies in the US.

In 1996, they released the follow-up Crash, which entered the charts at number two and quickly went platinum. Throughout 1996, the group toured behind Crash, sending it to double platinum status. To combat bootleggers, Dave Matthews released an official, double-disc live album, Live at Red Rocks 8-15-95, in the fall of 1997. It was an unexpected success, debuting at number three on the charts and selling a million copies within the first five months of its release. The live record paved the way for the April 1998 release of Before These Crowded Streets. Two more live discs followed the Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds double album Live at Luther College and the entire band playing on the double album Listener Supported.

Last year the band began work with long time producer Steve Lillywhite on what would have been the bands fifth studio album, with an expected release date of last fall. The band even played a lot of the songs live for their devoted following. However once the tour ended Matthews announced he and the band were heading for Los Angeles to write and record with producer Glen Ballard, whose past credits include both of Alanis Morrissette's post-teen albums, work with the Corrs, No Doubt and co-writing credits on the Aerosmith hits "Pink" and "Falling in Love (Is Hard on the Knees), not to mention Wilson Philips' "Hold On" and Michael Jackson's "Man in the Mirror." After several weeks of writing the band had enough material for an entire album and announced the Lillywhite sessions had be shelved and the new co-written Ballard material would be released.

What you get is a new streamlined Dave Matthews Band, essentially the same band, only the edges have been smoothed out dramatically. Tracks on Everyday are punchy and riddled with blasts of electric guitar never before experienced on a DMB record. Unlike the live version of the Dave Matthews Band, which meanders and jams through its hits onstage like a tighter version of the Grateful Dead, the songs of Everyday are short and to the point.

Everyday opens with its first single, "I Did It," which starts off with a tough electric riff and immediately follows with heavy drums from Beauford, whose playing is usually jazzy and light. Ballard's pounding piano adds a classic-rock backbone to an appealing song. The chorus is just three tight syllables --"I did it", that you can`t get out of your head after just one listen. Matthews sings, "It's a nickel or a dime for what I've done/ The truth is I don't really care/ For such a lovely crime I'll do the time/ You better lock me up, I'll do it again" referring to the changes in store on this album. The next track "When the World ends" is basically several come-on's and sexual innuendos with lines like "I'm gonna rock you like a baby," and "Your legs don't work 'cause you want me, so you just lie spread."

"The Space Between" is a catchy romantic pop song, that has Ballard's piano playing and pop finger prints all over it. The song seems out of place for a band like DMB but some how it works. On "So Right," a song that seamlessly blends the Dave Matthews of today with that of yesterday, which doesn't seem to happen often enough on this record, Matthews sings, "Tomorrow we may die, but tonight we're dancing in the faint light" as he tries to convince a lover how their love is so right. In "If I Had It All," a slow, grim beauty Matthews muses as a guy who has nothing to his name, Matthews asks himself, "If I were giant size/On top of it all/Tell me what in the world would I sing for/If I had it all."

"What You Are", seems to show how far Matthews is willing to go for the sake of making a tighter more commercial record. After a tough refrain, there's a bridge in a different tempo. Then at the moment the old DMB would drop into a musical jam, instead comes another verse to hurry the song to a close. Maybe when the band starts performing this song live they will take it to another level, but on record it seems to fall flat. "Angel" opens with a slow Leroi Moor sax solo which until now, was all but left off of this album. The song details the expression of a lover's awe with it's combination of sentimental gooiness and thinly veiled come-ons. Oddly it's one of the highlights of the album.

Tinsley's violin and Moore's sax which are mostly used as strategic accents in the previous songs, finally get to open up a bit on the tracks "Fool to Think" and "Sleep to Dream Her." They use the room to stretch out a bit and for the most part they work out well. Except for the sax solo towards the end of "Sleep to Dream Her" which seems to turn the track into a theme from a cheesy 80's flick. The only major soloing room on the entire record seems to be reserved for guest Carlos Santana, who plays on the track "Mother Father." The guitar legend offers his trademark style to the track, which otherwise would buckle under the weight of Matthews' political, environmental, and social questioning. The inspirational title track, re-purposes the guitar lick from DMB live favorite "#36", rehashes Beatles quotes in simplistic form, yet somehow the smiley Matthews makes it earnest.

Overall the album does stand out above the pop acts and rap metal bands that populate today's popular music scene, but that really doesn't say much. The Matthews-Ballard collaboration seems to diminish a Matthews (and Ballard) trademark: sharp, memorable hooks. The only memorable choruses found on the album are on "I Did It", "Everyday", and the soulful scratchy "Dreams of Our Fathers." Through out the album Ballard seems to give the band little room to breathe. For a band that relies so much on atmosphere and musical freedom, it may prove devastating, or it could be one of the bands best sellers depending on how fans will take to the "new" DMB sound.


	Steamer Trunk \| home stuff about me \| album reviews \| PS2 game reviews \| pictures \| web watch \| getting in touch Rilo Kiley - Take Offs and Landings \| Slipknot - Iowa \| Ozma - Rock and Roll Part Three \| Ben Folds - Rockin' the Suburbs \| Lit - Atomic \| Garbage - Beautifulgarbage \| The Strokes - Is This It \| Live - V \| Tori Amos - Strange Little Girls \| Jimmy Eat World - Bleed American \| Blink 182 - Take Off Your Pants and Jacket \| Weezer - The Green Album \| Alkaline Trio From Here to Infirmary \| Alkaline Trio - Hell Yes \| American Hi-Fi \| Our Lady Peace - Spiritual Machines \| Aerosmith - Just Push Play \| Dave Matthews Band - Everyday \| Blue Meanies - Post Wave \| Weston - The Massed Albert Sounds \| U2 - All That You Cant Leave Behind \| Green Day - Warning \| Offspring - Conspiracy of One \| Everclear - Songs from an American Movie Vol. 2 \| Radiohead - Kid A \| Limp Bizkit - Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water \| Smashing Pumkins - Machina II \| Superdrag - In The Valley Of Dying Stars \| Voodoo Music Festival Dave Matthews Band - Everyday The South-African vocalist/guitarist Dave Matthews formed the Dave Matthews band in Virginia in the early '90s. Featuring Matthews, bassist Stefan Lessard, saxaphone player Leroi Moor, violinist Boyd Tinsley and drummer Carter Beauford, the group's music presents a more pop-oriented version of The Grateful Dead, crossed with the world beat explorations of Paul Simon and Sting. The band built up a strong word-of-mouth following in the early '90s by touring the country constantly, concentrating on college campuses. In addition to amassing a sizable following, their self-released album Remember Two Things sold well for an independent release; soon, they were attracting the attention of major labels. Signing with RCA, the Dave Matthews Band released their major-label debut, Under the Table and Dreaming, in the fall of 1994. By spring of 1995, the record had launched the hit single "What Would You Say" and sold over four million copies in the US. In 1996, they released the follow-up Crash, which entered the charts at number two and quickly went platinum. Throughout 1996, the group toured behind Crash, sending it to double platinum status. To combat bootleggers, Dave Matthews released an official, double-disc live album, Live at Red Rocks 8-15-95, in the fall of 1997. It was an unexpected success, debuting at number three on the charts and selling a million copies within the first five months of its release. The live record paved the way for the April 1998 release of Before These Crowded Streets. Two more live discs followed the Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds double album Live at Luther College and the entire band playing on the double album Listener Supported. Last year the band began work with long time producer Steve Lillywhite on what would have been the bands fifth studio album, with an expected release date of last fall. The band even played a lot of the songs live for their devoted following. However once the tour ended Matthews announced he and the band were heading for Los Angeles to write and record with producer Glen Ballard, whose past credits include both of Alanis Morrissette's post-teen albums, work with the Corrs, No Doubt and co-writing credits on the Aerosmith hits "Pink" and "Falling in Love (Is Hard on the Knees), not to mention Wilson Philips' "Hold On" and Michael Jackson's "Man in the Mirror." After several weeks of writing the band had enough material for an entire album and announced the Lillywhite sessions had be shelved and the new co-written Ballard material would be released. What you get is a new streamlined Dave Matthews Band, essentially the same band, only the edges have been smoothed out dramatically. Tracks on Everyday are punchy and riddled with blasts of electric guitar never before experienced on a DMB record. Unlike the live version of the Dave Matthews Band, which meanders and jams through its hits onstage like a tighter version of the Grateful Dead, the songs of Everyday are short and to the point. Everyday opens with its first single, "I Did It," which starts off with a tough electric riff and immediately follows with heavy drums from Beauford, whose playing is usually jazzy and light. Ballard's pounding piano adds a classic-rock backbone to an appealing song. The chorus is just three tight syllables --"I did it", that you can`t get out of your head after just one listen. Matthews sings, "It's a nickel or a dime for what I've done/ The truth is I don't really care/ For such a lovely crime I'll do the time/ You better lock me up, I'll do it again" referring to the changes in store on this album. The next track "When the World ends" is basically several come-on's and sexual innuendos with lines like "I'm gonna rock you like a baby," and "Your legs don't work 'cause you want me, so you just lie spread." "The Space Between" is a catchy romantic pop song, that has Ballard's piano playing and pop finger prints all over it. The song seems out of place for a band like DMB but some how it works. On "So Right," a song that seamlessly blends the Dave Matthews of today with that of yesterday, which doesn't seem to happen often enough on this record, Matthews sings, "Tomorrow we may die, but tonight we're dancing in the faint light" as he tries to convince a lover how their love is so right. In "If I Had It All," a slow, grim beauty Matthews muses as a guy who has nothing to his name, Matthews asks himself, "If I were giant size/On top of it all/Tell me what in the world would I sing for/If I had it all." "What You Are", seems to show how far Matthews is willing to go for the sake of making a tighter more commercial record. After a tough refrain, there's a bridge in a different tempo. Then at the moment the old DMB would drop into a musical jam, instead comes another verse to hurry the song to a close. Maybe when the band starts performing this song live they will take it to another level, but on record it seems to fall flat. "Angel" opens with a slow Leroi Moor sax solo which until now, was all but left off of this album. The song details the expression of a lover's awe with it's combination of sentimental gooiness and thinly veiled come-ons. Oddly it's one of the highlights of the album. Tinsley's violin and Moore's sax which are mostly used as strategic accents in the previous songs, finally get to open up a bit on the tracks "Fool to Think" and "Sleep to Dream Her." They use the room to stretch out a bit and for the most part they work out well. Except for the sax solo towards the end of "Sleep to Dream Her" which seems to turn the track into a theme from a cheesy 80's flick. The only major soloing room on the entire record seems to be reserved for guest Carlos Santana, who plays on the track "Mother Father." The guitar legend offers his trademark style to the track, which otherwise would buckle under the weight of Matthews' political, environmental, and social questioning. The inspirational title track, re-purposes the guitar lick from DMB live favorite "#36", rehashes Beatles quotes in simplistic form, yet somehow the smiley Matthews makes it earnest. Overall the album does stand out above the pop acts and rap metal bands that populate today's popular music scene, but that really doesn't say much. The Matthews-Ballard collaboration seems to diminish a Matthews (and Ballard) trademark: sharp, memorable hooks. The only memorable choruses found on the album are on "I Did It", "Everyday", and the soulful scratchy "Dreams of Our Fathers." Through out the album Ballard seems to give the band little room to breathe. For a band that relies so much on atmosphere and musical freedom, it may prove devastating, or it could be one of the bands best sellers depending on how fans will take to the "new" DMB sound.