The Lost Decade: 7 Songs in 10 Years

[kelchlsm]

Originally Posted by Alpine416

Unfortunately due to crowds quiet songs live just don't pan out well. SFTW a good example of this. I remember watching it at home on the webcast, I had just seen one of the videos of someone playing music from their balcony during the pandemic, it really resonated with me that day.

Fast forward to 2021 - Dave - "singing from the windows shadow on the wa-" Drunk lady behind me- "WOOOOOO YEAH DAVE GET ITTTTTT"

So yeah I generally don't enjoy songs in that setting if I can't enjoy them.

thats my point youre essentially agreeing with

SFTW is a good song, it resonates with you. Just because it doesnt translate live with a drunk lady screaming in your ear and it being quiet, shouldnt take away from the song itself.

listening to it at home its a good song, it shouldnt be labled bad from a songwriting perspective and a knock on Daves ability as a writer

So ya maybe going to a show youre not hoping to hear it in a sense because of that case, but the song itself is still good and should be labeled as such

[Alpine416]

Originally Posted by kelchlsm

thats my point youre essentially agreeing with

SFTW is a good song, it resonates with you. Just because it doesnt translate live with a drunk lady screaming in your ear and it being quiet, shouldnt take away from the song itself.

listening to it at home its a good song, it shouldnt be labled bad from a songwriting perspective and a knock on Daves ability as a writer

So ya maybe going to a show youre not hoping to hear it in a sense because of that case, but the song itself is still good and should be labeled as such

And that is my point...

[ToySoldier#34]

Loud and obnoxious fans have been an issue at maybe 2 of the 31 DMB shows I've been to, 2/2 when it comes to D&T

[Miller9]

Just listened to the Hollywood Bowl version of Something to tell my baby, the song just doesn't have any lyrical flow. It reminds me a lot of Baby from Some Devil with the strings. But in my opinion the lyrics just do not flow with the music what so ever its just a jumbled mess of continuous words.

As a side note, I was criticized for being so critical of Dave's lyrics over the last 10-15 years and its simply due to the fact Dave has written lyrical masterpieces (in my opinion) like Seek Up, Stone, You Never Know, What You Are and Dreaming Tree. Then we get these songs that just have no life or imagination to them, lyrically they are just very one dimensional.

[kelchlsm]

Walk Around the Moon is some of Dave's best lyrics IMO

Its almost imposible to describe what a psychedelic trip is like, and Dave gets it pretty spot on in describing it in his song with life and imagination to it

[stlbluespower]

Originally Posted by kelchlsm

Walk Around the Moon is some of Dave's best lyrics IMO

Its almost imposible to describe what a psychedelic trip is like, and Dave gets it pretty spot on in describing it in his song with life and imagination to it

I'll take your word that he nailed something I've never experienced. Regardless, I do like the lyrics and also like MME's lyrics. It's pretty much a refreshing change when it's not all love and baby, etc. Ocean & Butterfly is also lyrically fine. Windows, too. TOT, not so much.

[RSSR]

It's humorous people get caught up on Plastic Girl when it was only played twice and in the same year, 7 years ago. The hate for STTMB I understand a bit more. That was played 9 times.

[snake911]

Originally Posted by kelchlsm

For a different perspective, to play devils advocate-

in the ten years since AFTW has been recorded DMB has written and performed 16 songs (i did this quick could be missing more):

Samurai Cop
She
Virginia in the Rain
Again & Again
Black & Blue Bird
Do You Remember
Come Tomorrow
Bismark
Death on the High Seas
Madmens Eyes
Ocean and the Butterfly
Plastic Girl
The Only Thing
Singing from the Windows
Something to tell My Baby
Walk Around the Moon

of those 16 songs i enjoy:

Samurai Cop, Virginia in the Rain, Black and Blue Bird, Again and Again, Do You Remember, Bismark, Death on the High Seas, Madmens Eyes, Ocean and the Butterfly, Singing from the Windows, Something to tell My Baby, Walk Around the Moon

Songs i could take or leave:

Come Tomorrow, The Only Thing, She

Songs I hate:

Plastic Girl


Still a pretty good track record if you ask me

Hey now, dont be forgetting Be Yourself. That makes 17 songs. And as abysmal as the intro and vocals for Be Yourself were, there was some good funk going on in the music in the background. Such a bizarre song.

[Cptn. Monkeyman]

Originally Posted by OneSweetMonkey

Absolutely false. They just don't record and/or release a good amount of the songs he writes on studio albums.

Part of the problem is they aren’t releasing live versions of these songs either, let alone studio versions. I should’t have to listen to a taper pull of Death on the High Seas. I know DMB fans (friends/family) who don’t even remember what Bismarck sounds like. If it were on a Live Trax and/or a Warehouse disc, it would be a song in DMBs canon. As it stands, it’s simply a song that was played on one tour 6-7 years ago.

[Alpine416]

Originally Posted by ToySoldier#34

Loud and obnoxious fans have been an issue at maybe 2 of the 31 DMB shows I've been to, 2/2 when it comes to D&T

So in the quieter more intimate setting it has been an issue more?

[ToySoldier#34]

Originally Posted by Alpine416

So in the quieter more intimate setting it has been an issue more?

People are idiots, it is what it is

[NewOrleans]

Originally Posted by Miller9

Just listened to the Hollywood Bowl version of Something to tell my baby, the song just doesn't have any lyrical flow. It reminds me a lot of Baby from Some Devil with the strings. But in my opinion the lyrics just do not flow with the music what so ever its just a jumbled mess of continuous words.

As a side note, I was criticized for being so critical of Dave's lyrics over the last 10-15 years and its simply due to the fact Dave has written lyrical masterpieces (in my opinion) like Seek Up, Stone, You Never Know, What You Are and Dreaming Tree. Then we get these songs that just have no life or imagination to them, lyrically they are just very one dimensional.

Agree with you. I am a Dave Matthews enthusiast and I rarely see him do wrong when it comes to songwriting, as I just some flac for thinking She is a good song.

That aside, this is not a song. I think it's a bit assuming of him to just be at the level he's at and put out whatever this is. Like if a friend came to me and said hey I have this song "Something to tell my baby", and I heard what it is, I don't know if I could lie and say I thought it was good. I'd likely say "hmmm, good attempt, but it needs more structure, melody, words to make it a song."

I don't know, knowing Dave's mindset sometimes I would argue he's challenging people with "what a song is". He thinks its probably a bit funny to hear the audience grumble at it when it's played. Like hahaha, this is my new idea, I've finally written a "tiny lyddle sawng, and it's really not even a song it's so tiny"

[bigeyedpigs]

Honestly, I wouldn't mind if Dave took Billy Joel's approach. I forget the exact quote but he basically said he didn't need to write anything new because the world heard enough of him. If you haven't read it look it up, it's kinda interesting. The last good to great album they released was twenty years ago and the studio projects have been debacle since 2000.
It's a shame because they have good songs sitting on a shelf, he'd rather release and then play bottom of the catalogue stuff.
Some of the "newer" songs are so bad it makes me wonder if he actually wrote or had help with alot of the earlier ones.

[kmbean]

Originally Posted by kelchlsm

Walk Around the Moon is some of Dave's best lyrics IMO

Its almost imposible to describe what a psychedelic trip is like, and Dave gets it pretty spot on in describing it in his song with life and imagination to it

Imagine being a 55 year old multimillionaire writing songs about eating mushrooms.

[Alpine416]

Originally Posted by bigeyedpigs

Honestly, I wouldn't mind if Dave took Billy Joel's approach. I forget the exact quote but he basically said he didn't need to write anything new because the world heard enough of him. If you haven't read it look it up, it's kinda interesting. The last good to great album they released was twenty years ago and the studio projects have been debacle since 2000.
It's a shame because they have good songs sitting on a shelf, he'd rather release and then play bottom of the catalogue stuff.
Some of the "newer" songs are so bad it makes me wonder if he actually wrote or had help with alot of the earlier ones.

The funny thing is the could absolutely go this route but have instead gone down the path of saying they have new exciting music they want to show the world but have long drawn out studio processes and releases that produce lackluster results. So odd.

[kelchlsm]

Lol this board sometimes is so insufferable

Originally Posted by NewOrleans

Agree with you. I am a Dave Matthews enthusiast and I rarely see him do wrong when it comes to songwriting, as I just some flac for thinking She is a good song.

That aside, this is not a song. I think it's a bit assuming of him to just be at the level he's at and put out whatever this is. Like if a friend came to me and said hey I have this song "Something to tell my baby", and I heard what it is, I don't know if I could lie and say I thought it was good. I'd likely say "hmmm, good attempt, but it needs more structure, melody, words to make it a song."

I don't know, knowing Dave's mindset sometimes I would argue he's challenging people with "what a song is". He thinks its probably a bit funny to hear the audience grumble at it when it's played. Like hahaha, this is my new idea, I've finally written a "tiny lyddle sawng, and it's really not even a song it's so tiny"

Not to be morbid here- I could easily play this song with the quartet orchestra (like Hollywood bowl) and have everyone at a funeral sobbing- two minute song not trying to break the dictionary with words but relatable, and makes people feel something. I think this is the way Dave intended, and it’s simplistic not trying to be more than that. Only hardcore Dave fans would hate it from this site cause it fucks up the set they’re watching at home

Originally Posted by bigeyedpigs

Honestly, I wouldn't mind if Dave took Billy Joel's approach. I forget the exact quote but he basically said he didn't need to write anything new because the world heard enough of him. If you haven't read it look it up, it's kinda interesting. The last good to great album they released was twenty years ago and the studio projects have been debacle since 2000.
It's a shame because they have good songs sitting on a shelf, he'd rather release and then play bottom of the catalogue stuff.
Some of the "newer" songs are so bad it makes me wonder if he actually wrote or had help with alot of the earlier ones.

Terrible take. Might be time for you to move on. There are better bands out there and dmbs fallen down in my playlists as a result personally as well- but I’ll always welcome new songs in their repertoire. Madmens eyes, walk around the moon, sftw, ocean and the butterfly etc are not so bad if you think so that’s more of a you problem

Originally Posted by kmbean

Imagine being a 55 year old multimillionaire writing songs about eating mushrooms.

Ok? lol, imagine

Originally Posted by Alpine416

The funny thing is the could absolutely go this route but have instead gone down the path of saying they have new exciting music they want to show the world but have long drawn out studio processes and releases that produce lackluster results. So odd.

Here alpines daily chime dmb hasn’t released a studio album in his timeframe and wants it now!

[tripeyedfish]

Originally Posted by NewOrleans

I don't know, knowing Dave's mindset sometimes I would argue he's challenging people with "what a song is". He thinks its probably a bit funny to hear the audience grumble at it when it's played. Like hahaha, this is my new idea, I've finally written a "tiny lyddle sawng, and it's really not even a song it's so tiny"

This is what I imagine when I’m at a show after driving 8 hours and paying for tickets that, while they are probably fair compared to other shows, are still overpriced…..and getting songs like this from the guy who could fill a setlist with lyrical magic… it’s unfortunate

[tripeyedfish]

Originally Posted by kelchlsm

Terrible take. Might be time for you to move on. There are better bands out there and dmbs fallen down in my playlists as a result personally as well- but I’ll always welcome new songs in their repertoire. Madmens eyes, walk around the moon, sftw, ocean and the butterfly etc are not so bad if you think so that’s more of a you problem

Lol…brutal take… some of the songs you mentioned are indeed good, but it’s ok if other people don’t want to listen to Dave struggle to squeak out words to a song that is not very interesting musically or lyrically (in their opinion)… especially considering what he is capable of.

[#40BigEyedFish]

this aint the 90s or 00s this band is now bordering on a nostalgia act, ergo don't expect a new album every 2 years like the old days

[Alpine416]

Originally Posted by kelchlsm

Lol this board sometimes is so insufferable

What exactly do you think an online forum is for other than sharing information, opinions, etc? Of course its going to be insufferable if you approach each comment from the perspective it has to align with your belief or you go on trying to get everyone who doesn't align with your view to "move on" from the band. Some people can have opinions including critiques and still love the band. Maybe if you can't handle that you should move on from this site.

[monizzle145]

I can just imagine some fan at the Gorge N3 this year being like "wow this encore is amazing but.....tHeY hAvE ONlY reCoRdeD 7 SonGs iN 10 yEArS!!!"

[karczews41]

I hadn't considered that the OP's premise before. That certainly puts things in a bit of a different perspective for me.

[bigeyedpigs]

Originally Posted by kelchlsm

Lol this board sometimes is so insufferable



Not to be morbid here- I could easily play this song with the quartet orchestra (like Hollywood bowl) and have everyone at a funeral sobbing- two minute song not trying to break the dictionary with words but relatable, and makes people feel something. I think this is the way Dave intended, and it’s simplistic not trying to be more than that. Only hardcore Dave fans would hate it from this site cause it fucks up the set they’re watching at home




Terrible take. Might be time for you to move on. There are better bands out there and dmbs fallen down in my playlists as a result personally as well- but I’ll always welcome new songs in their repertoire. Madmens eyes, walk around the moon, sftw, ocean and the butterfly etc are not so bad if you think so that’s more of a you problem



Ok? lol, imagine



Here alpines daily chime dmb hasn’t released a studio album in his timeframe and wants it now!

In alot of ways I already have moved moved on. The last show I saw the main set closed with ct, stand up and bayou, brutal. There's no violin, more then half of the good songs sound like shit and as the op stated look at the track record the last ten years. Its actually worse going back to 03 because with exception of, maybe big whiskey, the albums they put out border on unlistenable. The new songs that may or may not be on an album a year or five from now do nothing for me. I still listen to the older stuff and enjoy it but this band has had no direction since 2000. Instead of releasing songs you know the fans want to hear, it'll be some Dave shtick about playing what he wants. After twenty years of this I don't see how more people don't check out.

[ToySoldier#34]

Originally Posted by bigeyedpigs

In alot of ways I already have moved moved on. The last show I saw the main set closed with ct, stand up and bayou, brutal. There's no violin, more then half of the good songs sound like shit and as the op stated look at the track record the last ten years. Its actually worse going back to 03 because with exception of, maybe big whiskey, the albums they put out border on unlistenable. The new songs that may or may not be on an album a year or five from now do nothing for me. I still listen to the older stuff and enjoy it but this band has had no direction since 2000. Instead of releasing songs you know the fans want to hear, it'll be some Dave shtick about playing what he wants. After twenty years of this I don't see how more people don't check out.

Maybe other people didn't have their last show end with those three songs, love how the band sounds, and are excited about the new songs?

[hopewelljones]

Originally Posted by ToySoldier#34

For me PM is easily a top 25 DMB song and always a +1

. Top ten for me prolly.

“I went to the city; car horns, corners, and the gritty” is one of my favorite lines ever.

[bigeyedpigs]

Originally Posted by ToySoldier#34

Maybe other people didn't have their last show end with those three songs, love how the band sounds, and are excited about the new songs?

Oh im sure and wouldn't fault them for that, everyone's tastes are different. What i meant by the statement you bolded was since 2000 everytime they are going to release an album, there is always some nonsense attached to it and the product that is released, if it even i released. But if it is it won't have the songs you hoped for or the best parts are cut or something else. This has been happening for over twenty years, that's why I don't see getting excited for an album at this point. It's almost like being a jet fan and being pumped for the season to start, so they can win four games.

[ToySoldier#34]

Originally Posted by bigeyedpigs

Oh im sure and wouldn't fault them for that, everyone's tastes are different. What i meant by the statement you bolded was since 2000 everytime they are going to release an album, there is always some nonsense attached to it and the product that is released, if it even i released. But if it is it won't have the songs you hoped for or the best parts are cut or something else. This has been happening for over twenty years, that's why I don't see getting excited for an album at this point. It's almost like being a jet fan and being pumped for the season to start, so they can win four games.

I see where you are coming from but the regular season for the Jets isn't equivalent to studio work for DMB, the band doesn't have studio work as the pass / fail mark each year. They are a live band and can have great shows without playing new music, some would argue the less pre-2004 songs in a set the worse it likely will be. I think a lot of excitement is still there for remaining fans due to how they play the songs they love, clearly it would be better if they kept releasing albums on the same tier as the earlier ones with music that translated to their live show as much as those did.

[bigeyedpigs]

Originally Posted by ToySoldier#34

I see where you are coming from but the regular season for the Jets isn't equivalent to studio work for DMB, the band doesn't have studio work as the pass / fail mark each year. They are a live band and can have great shows without playing new music, some would argue the less pre-2004 songs in a set the worse it likely will be. I think a lot of excitement is still there for remaining fans due to how they play the songs they love, clearly it would be better if they kept releasing albums on the same tier as the earlier ones with music that translated to their live show as much as those did.

That's pretty much what my initial post referring to Billy Joel meant. If you haven't read the article you should.
I would say though they have had great songs that they could have released they just choose not to. Jackpot, adsr, break free, break for it, shotgun, bismark I think are all on a tier with the older songs, they choose to release songs like hunger and belly full instead. Actually they don't even have to write new songs they could play the ones from some devil full band people have wanted to hear for the past two decades.

[daveshookme]

Again and Again, Black and snooze bird, here on out are all good songs.

[bigeyedpigs]

Originally Posted by daveshookme

Again and Again, Black and snooze bird, here on out are all good songs.

I actually think black and blue bird is the best song they've written in a long time. I don't care for it on the album, but that letterman version I've listened to many times