Let me start by saying I love DMB. I've been to 25-ish shows through the years (including two this summer) and will continue going to shows as long as they keep playing them. That said, I'm one of those obnoxious fans who can't help but rank their albums all the time. Last night, as I flipped through my phone trying to decide what I wanted to listen to, I realized I hadn't really listened through Come Tomorrow since the week of its release. So I listened to it again, and... I don't know. It just seems *forgettable*. This got me wondering where it fits in the grand scheme of their discography.
Before Come Tomorrow, I think Stand Up was pretty widely considered to be the weakest DMB album. It came at a weird time for the band, had an odd sound, and just failed to measure up. This is my case for revisiting that designation. Two things have happened to warrant another look: (1) the release of a new album, and (2) Stand Up has aged well, in my opinion. There's no good metric for this, of course. It's all completely subjective. But I got the idea of going through, song by song, head to head--each of Stand Up and Come Tomorrow has 14 tracks (according to my very official Apple Music downloads). So, why not?
Track 1: Dreamgirl vs. Samurai Cop. This one isn't even close for me. Dreamgirl is... boring. Winner: Samurai Cop.
Track 2: Old Dirt Hill vs. Can't Stop. I like what they did with Can't Stop. I like ODH too. Close, but Winner: Can't Stop.
Track 3: Stand Up vs. Here on Out. Stand Up can be pretty dynamic live, but I'm looking at studio. Winner: Here on Out.
Track 4: American Baby Intro vs. That Girl is You. Again, ABI might have the live edge, but Winner: That Girl is You.
Track 5: American Baby vs. She. I am not a fan of She. Too loud, too harsh, too simple. Winner: American Baby.
Track 6: Smooth Rider vs. Idea of You. IOY was a missed opportunity. But it still pulls this one out. Winner: IOY.
Track 7: Everybody Wake Up vs. Virginia in the Rain. VITR is my favorite track on CT. Winner: VITR.
Track 8: Out of My Hands vs. Again and Again. Hate me all you want, but Winner: Out of My Hands
Track 9: Hello Again vs. bkbkdkdkbkdkdkdbkddd. Fun jams, but substance wins. Winner: Hello Again.
Track 10: Louisiana Bayou vs. Black and Blue Bird. B&BB is probably the most DMB song on CT. Winner: B&BB.
Track 11: Stolen Away vs. Come On Come On. Not a fan of either. If I had to pick one, Winner: Come On Come On.
Track 12: You Might Die Trying vs. Do You Remember. YMDT. By a mile. Winner: You Might Die Trying.
Track 13: Steady As We Go vs. Come Tomorrow. Again, both weak. Winner: Steady As We Go.
Track 14: Hunger for the Great Light vs. When I'm Weary. Very different ways to end an album. Winner: Hunger.
So, by my count, that's 8-6 in favor of Come Tomorrow. But what about peaks and valleys? Best song on each? Worst song? If I were to rank these:
Best Song: You Might Die Trying vs. Virginia in the Rain. Give me You Might Die Trying.
Worst Song: Dreamgirl vs. When I'm Weary. Are we really doing this? Dreamgirl.
Finally, just looking at these, Stand Up (the album) has far better live material than Come Tomorrow (the album). For many of us, that's more important.
So there we have it. Maybe I'll change my mind about this. But at this point, I'm calling Come Tomorrow DMB's weakest work. Congratulations, all you closet Stand Up fans! Your time has come!
Flame away.
*edited for formatting