When Dave Matthews Band began touring in 1991, they let the public decide whether or not their sound was original enough. Through the band’s grassroots effort to become popular, millions would come to concerts to listen to this jazz-influenced sound.That all changed in 2001 when the band took a decidedly different direction thanks to producer Glen Ballard.
“Everyday” was released to a relatively lukewarm response from the DMB fan base, with many citing the Peter Gabrielesque songs as too radio-friendly.
Ballard had nixed the band’s extended solo sections, with every song coming in under the 5-minute mark. Matthews took up an electric guitar for the album, shunning the acoustic Taylor that had weathered so many years of performances. To the hardcore fan, this was blasphemy.
The albums that followed were even more of a mixed bag. “Busted Stuff” borrowed several tracks from the Lillywhite Sessions, a collection of songs that Matthews and company recorded in 2002.
The collection found its way onto the Internet a short time later and gave fans insight into the band’s creativity, while the packaged “Stuff” basically ripped them apart.
Matthews embarked on a solo venture in 2003 with “Some Devil,” an album that highlighted the artist’s troubled past and questions of religion. Alternative rock fused with Matthews’ folky disposition and created a blend of tracks that sounded nothing like his band. It also, strangely enough, became very popular with his fans.
Matthews and company released “Stand Up” two years ago, with the most recent album donning a distinctive R&B influence and dashes of anti-war sentiment.
The post-2000 era albums split the fan base into two factions: the hardcore fans that believe the band’s height of creativity remained in “Before These Crowded Streets” and “Crash,” and the radio fans that like the new pop-infused sound.
It is in this climate that “Live at Radio City” tries to reinvent itself among a slew of previous attempts. The live album is no stranger to Dave Matthews and his self-titled band, having released seven such collections in the last 12 years.
Along with the chance to hear Matthews and his band extend their repertoire with varied solos and intros, the releases also plague the DMB fan base with re-releases of radio favorites like “Crash Into Me” and “Ants Marching.” Fans don’t necessarily want to pay for essentially the same versions played on a different night in a slightly bigger/smaller venue.
To a great extent, “Radio City” succeeds. Regardless of your musical tastes, you have to agree that Matthews and longtime collaborator Tim Reynolds have a distinct sound.
The combination of Matthews’ eccentric rhythms and Reynolds’ virtuoso playing make for an engaging listening experience. Most hardcore fans, however, will make the habit of comparing this most recent adage to “Live at Luther College,” another double disc album featuring the two guitarists.
Perhaps the most satisfying aspect of the new album can be best expressed by two words: few repeats. In fact, only four songs are featured on both double disc sets: “Dancing Nancies”, “Crash Into Me”, “Two Step” and “#41.”
Fan favorite “Bartender” opens the first disc, followed by the only “Everyday” song that graces the setlist, “When the World Ends.” Disc one features a lot of material from Matthews’ solo gig “Some Devil,” and those songs really carry the rest of the album.
By the time you’re finished with the first hour, standouts “Old Dirt Hill (Bring That Beat Back)” from “Stand Up” and a cover of Daniel Lanois’ “The Maker” showcase Reynolds’ playing amidst some of the crazy acoustic rhythms Matthews is known for.
While it doesn’t quite give chills like “Luther College,” hearing Matthews’ solo material in acoustic form is amazing.
The second disc starts with two new songs that DMB has been testing out on tour for the last year, “Oh” and “Cornbread.”
The latter contains some of the strangest lyrics I’ve ever heard, but the acoustic hooks and arrangement of the song sound promising in a post-“Everyday” world.
Two highlights of the album can be found on the second disc as well; first, “Down By the River,” a haunting rendition of the Neil Young classic, and “Sister,” which Matthews wrote for his younger sister Jane.
Reynolds shines as well, providing “Betrayal” and “You Are My Sanity” as a few of his solo gems.
A few things hurt “Live at Radio City” despite the stellar song selection. It was disappointing to see “Crash Into Me” on yet another release. Though I did listen to it once on this album to see if the guitar duo had done anything different, it still sounded exactly the same as it did eleven years ago on their first album together.
My other quip deals mostly with Matthews’ aging voice. He sounds wonderful on the entire album except “Some Devil,” where his falsetto falls flat on more than one occasion. It’s especially painful for a longtime fan such as myself to hear.
Finally, though I know Reynolds is an incredibly talented guitarist, I just don’t think his best work ended up on this live album. Compare his lead guitar work in “Luther College” with his latest foray here and there’s simply no comparison.
The verdict? For the hardcore fans, there are plenty of varied compositions and “Some Devil” interpretations to keep them happy, but I fear that the album’s few pitfalls will be looked over and forgotten by those who thought “Stand Up” was the pinnacle of this artist’s success.