Artist bio

See also: Tim Reynolds, Dave Matthews

It sucks to like an artist before he gets big. But it sucks even more to like an artist before he gets big, commercialized, uncreative and loathefully attractive to throngs of pre-teen girls. Yes, Dave Matthews has a great voice. Yes he has a great band. And damnit, he was once able to pen inspired pop songs. But rather than evolving into an artist you love to follow, Dave has evolved into a frat-house circus monkey you love to hate. Essentially, he and his band hit their zenith in 1994 with Under the Table and Dreaming and its been downhill since. The cheesy videos. The collaboration with Santana. The attack on the bootlegg industry. The guy's become a loser. While 2002's Busted Stuff was a slight improvement over his most recent efforts, the NATN editorial team doesn't hold much hope of him ever returning to our favor.

Albums by this artist

Everyday (2001)

Before These Crowded Streets (1998)

Live At Red Rocks (1997)

Crash (1996)

'Recently' (1994)

Under The Table And Dreaming (1994)

Remember Two Things (1993)

Dave Matthews Band

Crash

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» BEN FRENCH | CO-DIRECTOR

Dave Matthews Band Crash RCA, 1996 RiYL: Phish's Hoist, Sting, Widespread Panic, Hootie and the Blowfish

The second major label release from the sultan of acoustic pop is a bit of a mixed blessing. On the one hand, Crash highlights the Dave Matthews Band's ability to produce unique music with beautiful melodies and fluid pop calculations.

Conversely, certain numbers on the disc quash the group's reputation as an inventive, fresh entity on the often-bland pop charts.

"Too Much," the album's first single, is Crash's biggest failure. Gone are the clever lyrics, inventive melodies and Matthews' soulful voicings. Guest guitarist Tim Reynolds chooses the electric guitar over his acoustic, ultimately undermining the band's overall sound by overshadowing its softer instrumentation.

The lyrics are as repetitive and childish as a jump-rope song. Matthews sings them as if he's admitting the tune is a cheap attempt at a pop song. He sings "Push it through the doors because in between the lines / I'm gonna pack more lines so I can get down in / I eat too much / I drink too much / I want too much / Too much."

The song is hard to swallow in between more thoughtful, gentle numbers "Crash Into Me'' and "#41.'' Both songs are a return to Matthews' awe-inspiring vocals, with his voice gliding in and out of the high register with apparent ease.

On "#41'', Reynolds' finger-picking, coupled with the subtle drumming of Carter Beauford, creates a foundation for an extended ending, showcasing the well-developed chemistry between the group's violinist, Boyd Tinsley, and saxophonist Leroi Moore.

The segue between the ending of "#41'' and the drum roll at the beginning of "Say Goodbye'' is as seamless as it is bold. At moments such as these, producer Steve Lillywhite, who helmed the group's major-label debut, Under The Table And Dreaming, underlines the band's grassroots influence and maintains its daring attitude.

But at other times, Lillywhite drowns the music's spark with superfluous adjustments. On live favorites "Tripping Billies'' and "Cry Freedom,'' the group's Southern roots and sincere intentions are completely lost.

Most importantly, Crash pronounces the Dave Matthews Band's most obvious dilemma. Until the release of this album, the group had satisfied two different fan bases by touring incessantly to develop a sort of grassroots following and simultaneously releasing catchy videos that grabbed a mainstream audience.

Crash is torn between satisfying both of these audiences, this disparity can be noted in the made-for-radio hooks of songs such as "Too Much'' and longer jam-based numbers such as "Proudest Monkey,'' the nine-minute album closer. Though the group is sometimes able to successfully combine styles, as it does on the harder "Drive In Drive Out,'' the album suffers as a whole from the effort.

BEN FRENCH | Ben founded NATN in the winter of 1998-1999 with fellow IU alums Troy Carpenter and Jonathan Cohen. During the day time, he's working for Nielsen Business Media, publisher of Billboard. Ben's favorite acts include Bruce Springsteen, The Clash, Sonic Youth, Elvis Costello, Talking Heads, Rolling Stones, and the Beach Boys.