Dave Matthews Band Before These Crowded Streets CD

Dave Matthews Band: Dave Matthews (acoustic guitar, vocals); Boyd Tinsley (violin); Leroi Moore (alto, soprano, tenor & baritone saxophones, pennywhistle, bass clarinet); Stefan Lessard (bass); Carter Beauford (drums, percussion, background vocals).
Additional personnel: Alanis Morissette (vocals); Tim Reynolds (electric guitar, mandolin); Bela Fleck (banjo); John D'Earth (trumpet); Butch Taylor (piano, organ); Greg Howard (Chapman stick); Tawatha Agee, Cindy Mizelle, Brenda White King (background vocals).
Kronos Quartet: David Harrington, John Sherba (violin); Hank Dutt (viola); Joan Jeanrenaud (cello).
Recorded at the Record Plant, Sausalito, California and Electric Lady Studios, New York, New York.
BEFORE THESE CROWDED STREETS was nominated for the 1999 Grammy Award for Best Rock Album. "Crush" was nominated for the 1999 Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal.
Personnel: Dave Matthews (vocals, acoustic guitar); Alanis Morissette (vocals); Tim Reynolds (electric guitar, mandolin); Béla Fleck (banjo); David Harrington, John Sherba, Boyd Tinsley (violin); Hank Dutt (viola); Joan Jeanrenaud (cello); LeRoi Moore (pennywhistle, bass clarinet, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone); John D'earth (trumpet); Butch Taylor (piano, organ); Greg Howard (Chapman stick); Carter Beauford (drums, percussion, background vocals); Brenda White-King, Cindy Myzelle, Tawatha Agee (background vocals).
Audio Mixer: Steve Lillywhite.
Recording information: Electric Lady Studios, New York, NY; Plant Recording Studio, Sausalito, CA.
Ensemble: Kronos Quartet.
Photographer: Ellen Von Unwerth.
The Dave Matthews Band made their reputation through touring, spending endless nights on the road improvising. Often, their records hinted at the eclecticism and adventure inherent in those improvisation, but Before These Crowded Streets is the first album to fully capture that adventurous spirit. Not coincidentally, it's their least accessible record, even if it's more of a consolidation than it is a step forward. Early Dave Matthews albums were devoted to the worldbeat fusions of Graceland and Sting, but his RCA efforts incorporated these influences into a smoother, pop-oriented style. Here, everything hangs out. Old trademarks, like jittery acoustic grooves and jazzy chords, are here, augmented by complex polyrhythms, Mideastern dirges, and on two tracks, the slashing strings of the Kronos Quartet. Some fans may find the new, darker textures a little disarming at first, but they're a logical extension of the group's work, and in many ways, this sonic daring results in the most rewarding album they've yet recorded. The Dave Matthews Band haven't completely vanquished their demons, however -- songwriting remains a problem, especially since relying on grooves, improvisation, and texture allows them to skimp on melody, and Matthews' lyrics can be awkward and embarrassing, especially if he's writing about sex. Still, these are minor flaws on an album that relies on tone and improvisation, both of which are in ample supply on Before These Crowded Streets. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
BEFORE THESE CROWDED STREETS is a true groove salad, as the D.M.B. reports in with even more creative eclecticism than usual. Guest appearances by artists as varied as Alanis Morissette, Bela Fleck and Kronos Quartet are a testament to the collage of sounds present. Occasional ventures into Middle Eastern melodicism feel as natural a part of the band's sound as do its mellow folk grooves and funky rhythm flights. The lyrics are a glad swirl of pop storytelling and trippy mystery, brought to life by the usual confluence of saxophones, violin and precise guitar work that makes this group tick.
Over a fat backbeat, Matthews carries the clever, sultry lyrics of "Rapunzel" with a whimsical vocal blend of growls and falsetto jumps, culminating in a soprano rhapsody by hornman Leroi Moore. The funk-vampRolling Stone (5/14/98, p.57) - 3.5 Stars (out of 5) - "...DMB is more successful on this outing than ever before in translating the roiling energy of its stage show to the studio. The band also pushes in adventurous new directions, incorporating bright new hues..."