Re: Ants Podcast 92: The Come Tomorrow Review - Episode Discussion
Listening now. Good analysis of the tracks.
One quick note about BKDKDKDKDKDKKKDKKDDK: on the Sirius XM thing, Dave said that they "didn't have room" for the rest of it on the album. What's that about? The album's only 54 minutes, which allows for more than enough space to fit more interesting music, unless they're considering the vinyl. And as dumb as the Be Yourself lyrics are, the music is a lot of fun.
I'm more forgiving of this album than you are, Matt, giving it a solid B, maybe B-. Maybe it had the benefit of low expectations, but I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. There are some decent songs on here, especially Samurai Cop (I really like this song), VITR, Again and Again and Come On Come On. I enjoyed Can't Stop and B&BB more than I thought. I also enjoyed Here On Out, but that brings me to the Jeff Coffin on the milk carton point.
If anyone asks me why I like AFTW more than this, it is because, whatever its flaws, it sounds like the Dave Matthews Band. Jeff Coffin was not on a milk carton for AFTW. While Carter and Stefan make themselves known, I still want to hear the saxophone, and not just on some Campbell's Soup canned horn lines.
When a new record comes out, I like to go back and listen to the older albums. Whatever flaws the Big 3 may have, we put them on a pedestal for a reason. Especially on Crash on BTCS, the band had such swagger, such balls in the studio. There are so many touches and details that are just lacking from Everyday on. Listen to Tim's guitar clicks on Say Goodbye, the slide whistle on Proudest Monkey, all of DIDO, all of Two Step, the playfulness of LIOG, the outro to Rapunzel, the massive atmospherics of Crush and Dreaming Tree. Will we ever hear a studio track like #41, that has sax and violin (well, maybe not this anymore) solos that build to something? Why pull a talent like Jeff Coffin from the Flecktones if you aren't going to let him contribute to more songs?
I know you can say, "Well, this is where Dave and the band is right now." I understand that, but the Big 3 represents what the band is capable of when they want to put the work in. It doesn't have to be exactly the same, but I would like it to be more than several nice 3.5 to 4.5 minute pop songs. I want one more epic masterpiece before this band is done. Drunken Soldier was almost that, but not quite. Come Tomorrow is a nice album, but not close to what this band was once capable of, and I believe still is capable of.
__________________
"If you spend word for word with me, I shall make your wit bankrupt."
~Two Gentlemen of Verona
57 (!) shows since 6.3.98. Next: MSG 2023
|