DVD Josh

Here's an interesting debate. The prices are pretty much equal. I don't have any live DMB (outside of the bonus BS disc), but I'd like to. Would you go with the CDs or the DVDs? I WILL be getting Central Park, btw. How is Listener Supported and Folsom Field? Any others?

blinkin_winkin

I'm a huge DMB fan so my opinion is probably biased.

Listener Supported was the album that turned me onto the band. I owned UTTAD and Crash but LS was the first one I fell in love with. Great great CD and DVD.

Folsom Field is a good CD and DVD. The thing that makes this live album different then the others is that it contains Everyday and a few Busted Stuff songs. The DVD is a little annoying though. It's shot more in more of a music video design. LS was shot by PBS and is much more conservative. Still worth having, although not right away.

Red Rocks is only available on CD. It is the best live album I've heard by any band. They sound different in this album then the other many live albums. The songs are sped up a lot more then they play them these days. It's still an amazing album.

Live In Chicago is also only available on CD. It's a very good album with a few tracks that aren't on any other live album. "The Last Stop" is amazing.

Really it all comes down to how big of a fan you are currently. I think the best way to start is Listener Supported. It's in the middle of all the live albums and in the band's career. It's got the best live versions of every song it has. If this album hooks you then dig into the past. You will need Red Rocks sooner or later.

I'd recommend you get the CD of Listener Supported first. The DVD is very nice but I'd assume you are able to listen to CDs more then watch DVDs. At least that's how I am. Totally dependent on how much time you spend of course.

Hope this answered all your questions. If you have anymore I'd be happy to answer them.

Aaron

Tommy_Harn

Also a pretty big fan. I agree for the most part with b_w. I would however rate Red Rocks and Chicago a little higher than Listener Supported. LS is still pretty good, and I believe it has a larger setlist than the others. Probably the best one to start with.

As for Folsom Field? Personally, I think its absolutely god awful. The band sounds horrible, the setlist is mediocre. No way would I recommend it.

I will be picking up the Central Park DVD. If its so good that I can't live without the CD, I'll get that too.

Josh H

I just get the DVDs now.

C_Fletch

I've been a DMB fan since the CD - Recently. I have every CD minus Live In Chicago as well as a few imports. Live At Red Rocks is quite simply - THE BEST. Best sound, best set list, etc.

I really did not care for Listener Supported - the best way to describe it is that the CD is sterile and bland. It just does not have the excitement of the other great live shows.

DVD Josh

Guys, I really appreciate all of your opinions. I'm a pretty big Dave fan, just let me get that out. I really was curious about your opinions of the live stuff, if the have the video in addition to the music made it a better experience in your mind. I dont' have any live stuff yet, so I just wanted to make a good purchase.

BTW - do any of these have surround sound?

redbaronf2001

As a Virginian I got to see Dave Matthews Band in their beginnings. All I can say is that you have not experienced this band until you have seen them perform in person.

Second to their actual live performances I would say that getting some live recordings like "Live at Red Rocks 8.15.95" and "Live in Chicago 12-19-98" would be best to experience this band.

DMB allows recordings of their shows and they are all over the 'net. Try nancies.org or antsmarching.com for more info. The taper's recordings are sometimes as good as the studio releases sound quaility wise and are more often than not better performances.

GuruAskew

The 9.11.1999 show that was released as "Listener Supported" is a very weak show. It was videotaped and aired on PBS. Part of the broadcast deal allowed PBS to release the show on CD without the approval of the band. In order to make sure it wasn't a total trainwreck, DMB stepped in and assisted in the production of the disc. Had PBS not decided to release the show, DMB certainly wouldn't have picked it as one of their "official live" releases. The reason the CD is called "Listener Supported" and not "Live in New Jersey" or something like that is that DMB didn't feel it was a good representation of their live act. If you're a completist (like me) or you just want a dreadfully boring show to put you to sleep, buy "Listener Supported". Otherwise, "Live at Red Rocks", "Live at Luther College", "Live in Chicago" and "Live at Folsom Field" are much better choices. While I haven't heard the "Central Park" concert that's coming out next week, it's an amazing landmark show by all accounts. As for the CD vs. DVD debate, I'd have to go with CD's. You can listen to them in your car, at work (if your work allows it, naturally) and on headphones when you're doing pretty much anything. With the DVD, you just sit there and watch for two (or in the case of Central Park, three) hours. I personally own "Listener Supported" and "Live at Folsom Field" in both formats and plan on buying "Central Park" in both formats, but in both cases, the CD's have literally got about ten times the play that the DVD's have.

AndyCapps

Where did you get this information? I always suspected that it was called "Listener Supported" because the PBS program was "In the Spotlight", and since this wasn't just a live show they happened to record, they gave it a different name.

I actually enjoy Listener Supported, especially the DVD. Now, Live at Folsom Field and Live in Chicago are the two sets I bought just because I'm a completist. Here's my ranking of the live albums(minus Central Park since I haven't seen it yet).

1. Live at Red Rocks
2. Live at Luther College
3. Listener Supported
4. Live in Chicago
5. Live at Folsom Field

I never have watched all of the Folsom Field DVD. I still pop Listener Supported in once in awhile. I'll be buying both the DVD and CD for Central Park since, as I said, I'm a completist.

Whether someone should buy the DVD or CD depends on their tastes. I find myself listening to the CDs more than I watch the DVDs. The DVD is more special if it's from a show you attended(like Farm Aid '01 and hopefully the eventual Live at Purdue from this year for me).

Josh H

All the live DVDs are in Dolby Digital 5.1.

GuruAskew

It was a big controversey around the time this show was announced to be released. It was quite a controversial choice because everyone who saw the original broadcast saw what a mediocre show it was. There's gotta be something about it at nancies.org or the Dave newsgroup.

I was at the 7.11.2001 Boulder show that was released as "Live at Folsom Field", by the way.