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Remember Two Things The pounding snap of Carter Beauford's snare at opening of "Ants Marching" - the first track of Dave Matthews Remember Two Things - is a powerful countdown. It represents nothing less than the entrance of the first '90s rock and roll star to truly embrace the acoustic guitar (without a distortion pedal lying nearby) and pick up where artists like Sting and Peter Gabriel left off. The beat is the dawn of a new and important figure - for better or worse, this is pop culture's answer to Kurt Cobain. At this point, Dave Matthews is still playing fraternity parties at Virginia colleges. His job as a local bartender is a not-so-distant memory. He's ready to conquer the nation's audience - on the verge of holding the airwaves captive. He is excited about where he's headed and his music reveals his charming inexperience and damned hard work. Matthews' tender red vocals are ripe, as they lay themselves over each hypnotic melody. The sax and violin combo is unique, blending together styles from a broad palate of genres. The songs are crafted, built firmly out of practice and serious thought. Remember Two Things has some compelling dynamics one can't help but notice on each listen. The lyrics are fun, yet somewhat pensive. The music is serious too - a jazzy sax, nouveau-acoustic guitar, massive drum kit - but still very playful. The melodies are downright contagious, yet not overpowering. "Ants Marching" is the first of six songs recorded during a show at Charlottesville's Trax, making this a near-live album. But the performances of "Ants," "Tripping Billies" and "Satellite" are all superior to their studio-crafted counterparts, which were released on the band's following two albums. Also, "Satellite," Matthews' best-known love song, makes its first appearance here. A combination of a high-pitched ballad and dexterity exercise for guitarists, the tune creates a feeling of careless love, suspended in a heavenly dream: "Rest high above the clouds. No restriction." Of course, Remember's two studio songs are a little too fluffy, but there is still nothing unpleasant about them. In fact, "Seek Up" may be Matthews' most underrated song, illustrating his patience as a songwriter. Here, he writes a mature, elegant composition and brings a series of simple motifs to slight simmer before fading back into a brilliant silence. To top it out, Matthews earns his singer/songwriter badge with a pair of acoustic ballads that were reportedly recorded in a bathroom with guest guitarist Tim Reynolds adding some classically bent guitar frills atop the songwriter's soft rhythm. The first, "I'll Back You Up," is a sad and thoughtful response to the free fall of "Satellite." The last is "Christmas Song," the biography of Jesus Christ in a nutshell, worth at least a couple hundred listens. After finishing the album, one is left to answer: "Does Dave get better than this?" Most would respond with a resounding "yes" - pointing to his major label debut with flapping arms - but it really isn't that clear. The charismatic singer's entrance to the mainstream would not come until more than a year later, with the release of 1994's Under the Table and Dreaming. The follow-up has broader appeal, yes, and far more focus. But Remember Two Things reveals that Matthews' raw creative powers sadly started to disintegrate once the album was released. It is here we get our best look at the singer's creative core. Dave isn't running out of ideas (yet), and he still has something to prove. The hunger in his voice is powerful and it pulls the songs together - making up for mixed recording settings and uneven levels. The lyrics suggest the singer sees love as more than getting laid, a thought that will fade by his third release. And the compositions are clever enough to make you wonder how he ever came up with them in the first place. Conclusion: Stranded on a deserted island, go with Matthews' first debut.
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"Stranded on a deserted island, I'd go with Matthews' first debut." Ben French
Band Profile
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