DMB : "Busted Stuff" discussion thread.
 

Alright, Alright...i just couldn't wait until Tuesday [or whenever CDNow decides they wanna ship it].

I'm listening to it now, so i'll give my first impressions.

This album rocks!

Well, it doesn't really rock -- so to speak. For the most part it's a mellow album. We've already heard 8 of the 11 songs. But the majority [if not all] of what i've heard has been re-recorded. And as used to "the Lillywhite Sessions" as I am, I think i'm gonna like this version better. Although, they make great companion pieces. :D

try doing a search next time... there have been many threads started about this already (myself included.. *d'oh*) ;)

the primary thread is <a href="http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=212493">here</a>! :)
-di doctor-

Yeah I saw that one. But i'm specifically interested in discussion about Busted Stuff. Not about tours, trading, etc...

And one visit to the sports forum [search for wrestling :)] shows that there can be more than one thread about similar topics.

those were my thoughts exactly when i started my Dave Matthews Band "Busted Stuff" - questions, reviews, and whatnot thread.. but the mods merged mine into the "big" one... so i'm with you... but i have a feeling this one will probably just get locked now..
-di doctor-

Mods? Mods?? We don't need no stinkin' Mods!!!

They still owe me one since they didn't start up a forum [similar to SW: Attack Of the Clones] for Scooby Doo when it came out! :grunt::mad::grunt:



Seriously though...i like ya guys. ;)

[Except for Static who, after this [http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthr...hreadid=205460] has me hypersensitive about spoilers now :)]

Dave & the guys rocked the hell outta Carson last nite. They also addressed the Lillywhite situation. They replay Carson on E!, but i'm not sure what they do about the hour long shows. This one's definitely a keeper.

This weekend, i've been alternating between DMB's "Busted Stuff" & Counting Crows "Hard Candy" [another great album -- go pick it up].

Can't wait to pick this up on Tuesday. I look forward to hearing reworked Lillywhite songs! :D:D

(P.S., I think this is also different than a "tours, trades, etc." thread, so I'm wit u! ;) :up: )

I agree, we don't need a "one and only" DMB thread. One and Only threads suck.

The other thread should be "The DMB taping and trading thread" and all other DMB discussions can have their own thread, assuming they aren't duplicate posts.

Anyway, I can't wait to pick this up Tuesday. :D

In case you guys didn't know -- this Tuesday only, Best Buy & Circuit City will have it for $9.99.

It's funny...I didn't care much for "Grey Street" on tLS, but I love it on BS. Conversely, I loved "Grace Is Gone" on tLS, but don't care much for the BS version. I haven't compared the versions, so this could all be in my head. :)

Also...for those of you that didn't catch Carson on Friday, if you use the net, i'm sure you can find it. ;)

Yeah, they were awesome on Carson the other night...but for God's sake, why does this tool have a show? You could tell the whole band couldn't stand him....let alone 99% of the TV audience I'm sure.

Whatever the case, they were amazing. I was also glad to see them perform some lesser known songs off Everyday.

what did they say about "the Lillywhite situation"? i'm very curious?!

do they hold any ill will towards Steve Lillywhite? (i'm sure i'm not the only one who has the sneaking suspicion that he let them out...)

anyway, i'm very curious to know..

on a different note, i am SO anxious to hear the new album.. SO anxious...
-di doctor-

Finally got it!

I like the cover, but thanks to the color schemes of the booklet some of the lyrics are very hard to read.

Anyways...

On the DVD disc [called "Some Other Stuff"] there are two live performances. Bartender & When the World Ends. Both from Colorado 07.11.2001. And the audio only 5.1 mix of Bartender.

As far as tLS situation Doc -- they really didn't assign blame to anyone or discuss their relationship with Steve Lillywhite, but Dave said that the leak was similar to being a painter, stepping away from the painting [which is unfinished] then find it hanging in an art gallery. [if it sounds familar, he said he's said this many times] The tool asked the band if anyone d/l music off the net. Since Carter was the one who initially d/l tLS, he said that was it for him. Then Dave was talking about his neice who d/l music but then buys the CD if she likes it. [But he wasn't sure if it was because he's her uncle :)]

And as far as Carson goes...well Mike_AA, if you think he was bad with Dave & the gang, you should've seen the show the night before with James Lipton. Ugh.

Picked this up at Circuit City for $9.99 a couple hours ago. Great disc. I think most of the songs sound better than their Lillywhite Session counterparts, and "Where Are You Going" and "You Never Know" are great.

This could easily end up being my favorite album of theirs.

Yeah i bought this for 9.99 today at Best Buy and almost every song is an improvement over their Lillywhite versions.

Standouts over their lillywhite counterparts were: Grey Street, Raven, Kit Kat Jam, and Bartender.

All around, the album is definitely awesome.

-J

I liked the Bartender and Grey St. versions from tLWS so much better. Both sound a little "canned" (for a lack of a better word).

Still a great disc, though. Captain and Kit Kat Jam are improvements over tLWS. You never know is good too. The live Bartender from the DVD is amazing.

I picked this one up today and didn't like it very much. After buying his last 4 albums, I have decided that all of them sound too much alike and he hasn't really taken any steps to try anything new. I was disappointed with this album.

I'm not trying to start a fight, but I have to say that is without a doubt the worst analysis of dave matthews band albums I have ever heard and will ever hear in my life.

Well, that's the analysis, simple and to the point. I think all of this stuff sounds alike. It doesn't need to be analyzed any deeper than that. If you don't like my analysis, too bad.

Sebastian, discussions tend to go better if you respectfully disagree with people, rather than being rude.

Anyway, I agree that DMB's albums sound similar, but personally I don't think they sound the same at all.

I for one am glad that they've stuck with more or less the same sound. I hate when bands put out albums that sound exactly the same, but I also hate when bands change their sound too much.

There needs to be a balance between new sounds and keeping the sound that made me like them in the first place.

IMO DMB has achieved this.

Listening to it right now, "Where are You Going" is a great song, a worthy addition to my top DMB songs...

Sebastian, I couldn't agree with you anymore.

Cdollaz, what kind of music do you listen to? I'm interested.

-J

Yeah, I want to know about these bands that come out with completely different sounding albums and still manage to keep all of their fans.

to keep on topic (ahem *nudge* ;))..

i like the new album.. i actually think the opposite of Tommy_Harn, in that Bartender and Grey St are actually <i>better</i> on Busted Stuff.. the thing that pisses me off <i>most</i>.. the thing that is a <i>BIG</i> disappointment is the changed lyrics of Big Eyed Fish.
the original lyrics were very adept and clever, albeit very depressing.. now they are more hokey and less depressing. sure, it gives the song a lighter feel, but the earlier lyrics fit it better IMO.

the lines in particular are Lillywhite Sessions: "a fish's dreams should stay in the sea", "now he's dead, cause everybody knows you've got to breathe" whereas Busted Stuff (respectively to the Lillywhite Sessions): "beneath the sea is where a fish should be", "now he's dead you see the silly man should know you've got to breathe".

"silly man"...?! c'mon dave... sure it's lighter in spirit, but it doesn't fit the song as well as the earlier version. ick.

anybody else think this? am i crazy?
-di doctor-

Let me try to explain my previous comment. I thought the analysis was bad because I have a lot of friends that are huge dave matthews fans, and they and I all seem to think that the albums sound fairly different and that is what's cool about the band. I'd like someone here to explain to me how you could say Everyday sounds anything like Busted Stuff because expect for maybe a few songs it doesnt. They have electric guitar in Everyday. Before These Crowded Streets sounds much different than there other albums too, and I like it a lot. I'm sorry but I never thought I would hear anyone say that dmb albums sounds the same.

Is there only the lyrics for 5 songs? Hmm...

Personally, after a quick listen, I prefer the Lillywhite Sessions cuts of most of these songs (well, all of them). But, that's probably just become I'm used to them -- I'll enjoy them with time, I'm sure.

As for the statement that Dave hasn't really progressed from Crash to Busted Stuff, well, I couldn't agree more. Even from Crash to Before these Crowded Streets, the sound changed dramatically (more spiritual, lots of gospel background, etc.) Then from BTCS to Everday, the sound again changed (less acoustic, etc.) And now, it's changed again. Again, that's just my opinion -- but I think of all the things one could say about DMB, lack of progression isn't one of them.

So you're saying 'Ants Marching' (Under the Table) sounds similiar to 'The Last Stop' (Before these Crowded Streets) which is similar to 'The Space Between' (Everyday) which is similar to 'Grace is Gone' (Busted Stuff)?

<B>Cdollaz, what kind of music do you listen to? I'm interested. </b>
Well, I would say that may favorite bands are:

Rush
REM
Radiohead
They Might Be Giants
Rollins
Barenaked Ladies
King's X

Of course every song doesn't sound exactly alike, but I think the structure of his songs are very similar. I just really do not like anything after Crash very much. And I thought the Red Rocks live album was good. The last few have left me disappointed.

For what it's worth, the last few haven't been as good as the first couple to me, either. (Though, I do think Before these Crowded Streets is damn good). Everyday is still growing on me.

Truthfully, though, right now I feel like I wasted money getting lesser versions of the Lillywhite tracks. BUT, I did it primarily because I wanted the cleaned up versions, and plus, I thought it fair to pay for an incomplete CD that someone burned for me.

STILL, I almost wish they wouldn't have released it. Lillywhite Sessions could have gone down as one of the -- if not THE, behind the lost Beach Boys album - greatest lost albums of all time.

All the lyrics are there. There are 2 songs on each page, one song per column. For example, on the first lyric page, "Busted Stuff" is the left column and "Grey Street" is the right column.

I am generally pretty observant. Generally...

;) Thanks!

Toad, also remember Kit Kat Jam is instrumental/no lyrics

Here's my track by track analysis of the songs

1. Busted Stuff - This song is more upbeat as it should be and got rid of the strange sound the guitar had on the Lillywhite Sessions.

2. Grey Street - This song is possibly the biggest improvement on the album. The lillywhite version is so subdued and this one really captures the feel of the live version of the song.

3. Where are You Going - Possibly my least favorite on the album, but still a good song and i much prefer hearing this on the radio than The Space Between.

4. You Never Know - Only song on the album i hadn't really heard (just a crummy live recording). It has a very different sound than the other songs on the album.

5. Captain - While i still feel like the original Crazy on which this song is based is superior, this one is kind of a toss up. I like both versions basically the same. Very good song. When he starts singing high on the post-chorus part, some of the best parts of the album.

6. Raven - One of my favorites on the album and i think is really cool version of the song. Boyd's violin solo is really cool and Leroi's sax during the verse is awesome. One problem is the sax solo they took out at the end. Otherwise awesome.

7. Grace is Gone - While definitely an improvement over the unbelievably subdued Lillywhite version, this song still doesn't sound nearly as good as it does live. While i don't think that DMB songs sound alike as was said earlier, one has to think that the guitar in this and WAYG sound suspiciously similar.

8. Kit Kat Jam - This is such an improvement, its crazy. I liked the singing and all but this really is now a jam. One of my favorites on the album.

9. Digging a Ditch - Like Captain, this one is hard for me to discuss. I really like the song but its hard for me to choose which version i like best. Great song though.

10. Big Eyed Fish - I loved this song on the other album and i really like it hear. I like the new just guitar intro but i do not like the singing outro. Hard for me to choose which, probably the Lillywhite version.

11. Bartender - There's something about this version, i really really like. Its very crisp and well put together. Also, i'm really glad they did the transition from bef to bartender as they do live.

Overall, i think the album had an overall better sound to it (obviously since the other was not completed) and I agree with most of the choices they made.

-J

I think the Lillywhite Sessions are not "subdued" they are sort of underwhelming - it takes repeated, concentrated listening to really pull out all the intricacies in the songs... Sort of like a tight uninteresting knot that rewards you for the work of multiple listenings...

Busted Stuff, Grey Street, and Kit Kat Jam are better in this version.

Raven is still boring and no Monkey Man makes me sad.


In other news, do you guys have the MP3s of LWS or the SHNs? (I don't care how you got them nor should you talk about how you got them)

I meant not as energetic when i said subdued. I don't think they're worse. I just like the upped energy levels.

The problem with BS
 

My opinion... think of it what you will... The Lilywhites pound the crap out of BS anyday. The whole incident surrounding those sessions being scrapped has been discussed at length by Dave himself. He was in a very dark place, even to the point of feeling self-destructive. He shelved those sessions and did Everyday as a change of pace to get himself into a different mindset. And he succeeded. Everyday came out and was a critically praised piece of crap with not even 1/10 the creativity or grace of BTCS. Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge DMB fan, but with a few exceptions Everyday sucked. Now of course, Dave's done his "upbeat" album and he's feeling all happy... so what does he do? He goes back and rerecords all the songs he wrote when he was depressed and self-destructive. And it's SO obvious that he doesn't feel that way anymore. BS is a MUCH better production than the Lilywhite sessions, obviously. But I'm sorry... the songs on BS are so confused... Dave doesn't sound like he's in pain... the songs don't express a damn thing. It's like saying "My life is miserable, I'm gonna kill myself" while sunbathing on the beach in Maui wearing a flower-pattern bathingsuit surrounded by supermodels. The Lilywhites made me feel something... the songs grabbed me because despite their lack of production they expressed A LOT of emotion. All BS makes me wanna do is grab my old Lilywhite CD.

'E

Well said!! I couldn't have said it better myself -- there WAS something about the Lillywhites that is lacking in Busted Stuff -- and it's the emotion.

The songs were written in a dark time for Dave, and rerecorded in a seemingly golden one. Sounds weird. For the polar opposite, imagine writing "Shiny Happy People" and then recording it the night of 9/11. It has the same, reversed, effect.

I agree that some of the songs sound a little more upbeat, but I prefer it. I've never been able to really get into "depressing" music. The Lillywhite Sessions were so gloomy it was hard for me to listen to them very often. On busted stuff the songs aren't as gloomy and easier to listen to IMO. Plus the production is so much better which helps a lot.

i think the lack of emotion was intentional, at some level..

as i stated before, he changed the lyrics to Big-Eyed Fish and ended up trivializing the song in the process (for such a dark theme, including the words "silly man" serves to render the topic impotent)... and i think this was purposeful. he doesn't like the pitch black darkness of the original theme, so he renders the song harmless by making it trivial.

the longing and aching are definitely missing.. i think i am prone to agree with you, Evolution.
-di doctor-

I think nothing is as sad as Dave singing "Digging a Ditch" on the Lillywhites... When he says he's saying he's digging a ditch, it seems like he's crying for help and at the same time accepting his fate AND at the same time hoping for something good to happen in the future...


On Busted Stuff he seems to be acting those emotions out...

Who knows, maybe some of this will return live.

Oh please. DMB's songs have always, always been a mix between upbeat tempos and lyrics that are depressing. To criticize Busted Stuff versions, which are pretty damn close to Lilleywhite is pretty ridicolous.

Well put, Chanster.