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The Dave Matthews Band teamed up with a very different producer for Stand Up -- Mark Batson, who earned his reputation with modern R&B and hip-hop records by India.Arie and Beyoncé. This doesn't result in an extreme makeover, but puts a gentle gloss on the band's sound that renders it sleek and muted. Batson produces the DMB as he would any other record -- by keeping the mixes spare and open, cutting up the rhythms in the computer -- yet the album winds up warmer than 2001's Everyday. Matthews pulls away from the introspection of Busted Stuff, occasionally reviving the humor that spiked his earlier work. The resulting album may not be to everybody's taste, but it is an intriguing change of pace. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Dave Matthews Band: Dave Matthews (vocals, guitar, piano); Carter Beauford (vocals, drums, percussion); Boyd Tinsley (violin, electric violin); LeRoi Moore (soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone); Stefan Lessard (bass guitar).
Additional personnel: Mark Batson (vocals, piano, Clavinet, organ, Wurlitzer organ, Mellotron, keyboards, Moog synthesizer, percussion); Butch Taylor (piano, Fender Rhodes piano, Wurlitzer piano, organ, keyboards, background vocals); Lee Grove (percussion).
Rolling Stone (pp.73-74) - 3.5 stars out of 5 - "[T]here's lots of enlightened riff-rock and splashes of color....The band's singular groove is as self-sustaining as ever..." Entertainment Weekly (No. 819, p.84) - "[T]he disc hopscotches among a dizzying array of sounds and approaches..." - Grade: A- Mojo (Publisher) (p.119) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "[N]ow they're changing...to folk-funk/hardcore-gospel! The fundamental is the intimacy gathered around Matthews' new frontporch growl."
Dave!!! Dave and the guys are the best Submitted by steven.d.pham (Orlando, FL, USA) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
its ok 2 good songs on cd
Submitted by katiet1415 (miami, fl , usa) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
stay Tho im partial to the jazzy sound of the dmb and this cd kinda streyed in another direction i really enjoyed there new sound. It seems a bit more electronic with steady beats, but they really get your head bobbin:) Submitted by DJayAre (Hanford, Ca) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
Lazy is not the word. I don't think it's lazy. I think it's quite the opposite. But that is far from a good thing. It's unnatural. The kind of unnatural that made songs like 'The Space Between'. In terms of songwriting, perhaps lazy can be used, but in terms of how the songs are constructed and produced, it is more a case of trying too hard. Aimless, but aimless with effort. It is apparent they have tried for something slightly different, but have lost what made them in the process. The songs are not without merit, and all you have to do is listen to them live to appreciate that. I could watch 'Louisiana Bayou' from the "Weekend on the Rocks" DVD over and over again, and when they played that song at the concert in Sydney I was ecstatic. "Stand Up" too is potentially an energy packed song; it's just that on the album, produced and clean and 'looped' almost, it has little to no sparkle. "Landmark in recording history?" Certainly not. However the songs themselves should not be cast aside because of the very ordinary production. Submitted by benjamin.churcher (Perth, WA, AUS) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
In a word: lazy I have been listening to DMB for a long time now, and have always loved their creativity, chemistry and groove. This band works together like few others do, and they have clearly mastered the art of jamming. Each member of the band has their own unique talents, and most are at or near the very top of their craft. What has always made DMB exceptional was that the songwriting took advantage of that fact by allowing each member to shine in their own way and painting all the pieces together into a beautiful tapestry of artistic expression. If you've got it, flaunt it -- and they do and did, extremely well. The music was complex and contained unmatched depth and texture.
However, after many many listens and an honest attempt to really like this album, I just can't. It is a total waste of their talents (to say nothing of the fans' time and money). The songwriting is lazy and uninspired, and the lyrics are thoughtless and sung without passion. Every song on this album could be performed by a four-piece band without really trying. The sweeping sonic vistas that used to fill the bridges of their songs have been replaced by routine arrangements of simple melody that feel like they're waiting for something. There is no unique instrumentation, and each song is structured exactly the same as the next. Nobody gets a chance to shine. The closest this record gets to groove is during "Stand Up", and even that sounds like Dave made it on his Mac. I have actually found myself wondering if Carter performed on this album at all, or if the plasticky drum loops were created on a synth in someone's spare time.
I was also very disappointed that DMB made a political album, regardless of the stance it takes. "American Baby" (my least favorite track) clearly dominates the record and gives the only sense of direction to be found, because it is the only song that makes an attempt at content or substance. DMB used to transcend "current issues" and hit the core of the human condition with timeless songs about love, pain, loss, confusion and elation. With this album they've given up on all that and chosen instead to hitch themselves to thoughts rather than emotions. (Ironically, though this song is my least favorite it is also the album's saving grace, because it is the only one that shows that any real effort went into it.)
Yes, the record is overproduced and glossy. But the problems go much deeper than that. It's as if DMB has lost their will to create the original works of beauty that in the past made them such a thing to behold. Stand up? Get out.
Submitted by Matt (Orange County, CA) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
Dave!!!
its ok
stay
In a word: lazy
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