Quote:
Originally Posted by coombse
It was pretty well known that they almost broke up in 2007. In case you did not know it, here's an excerpt from an interview when they discussed it and Big Whiskey:
Dave said answered the following:
How bad did things get within the DMB ranks?
It actually came to a head a couple of years ago. We hadn’t put out an album for a while and the album that we did put out [2005's Mark Batson-produced Stand Up] wasn't us. I feel like it should have said "Dave Matthews Band featuring Mark Batson." There’s some great songs on [2002's Glen Ballard-produced] Everyday, but I think that should have said "Dave Matthews Band featuring Glen Ballard." I think we started to get lost right around towards the end of making the third album, [1998's] Before These Crowded Streets. The stuff after that, although there’s many good things about it, I think it was not our best work. For a while we’d been in a holding pattern as far as how we were playing with each other. And it did get to a point where I threw my hands up in the air and said "There’s no point to this." I had a lot of conversations with Roi, a lot of conversations with Carter [Beauford, DMB drummer] about, "How the hell do we go on if we can’t all communicate?"
What exactly was the problem?
I think it was just we’d been together for so long. When you’re in a marriage or a work relationship for more than a decade small things become big things. I’m sure when I first met Carter and Roi it didn’t really matter that I snort like a pig quite often. But I bet you after 12 years it sounded like fingernails against a chalkboard. You forget to count the blessings. I think the music suffered. Or at least it didn’t accelerate, like I feel like it has on this album.
I was ok with Big Whiskey, but what have they done since? Snow Outside? Drunken Soldier ? Has their music suffered?
And what about those relationships?
for once, its true. This band is fucked
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Then this year off deal could possibly be a great thing. I mean, this article is referencing 10 year old events. They soldiered on for another decade.
As far as the music goes, the first three and I'd even venture to say 4 by throwing in Lilywhite/Busted Stuff are a different breed than the ones and unrecorded stuff after. But every artist has a creative apex. They struck lightning 4 times in a row. It's impossible to hit a home run every time you go up to bat. It doesn't mean you can't still enjoy playing. Write, but on your terms. When you force anything, it's shit. Besides, who cares about albums anymore? They could release another BTCS and we'd all shit on it.
If you want to authentically be the DMB, then be the damn DMB and stop inviting people to write songs with you, stop inviting people to head up your record that aren't going to be true to that sound. The article says they got in a holding pattern with how they play, I wonder what they've done (if anything) to bust that slump. They aren't done. There will at least be an announced ''Farewell Tour". But if they're going to do more beyond that, it may not be the worst thing to start over so to speak. Remember where it came from and why you started.