 |
 |
|
|
buying more than one thing? (uses Multi-Item Price Optimization™) ...or |
||
 |
 |
intereact!Dave Matthews Band
Retail Price (not our price): $18.97
Release Date: 1998-04-28
Manufacturer: RCA
Format: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Track List
Now here, for your listening pleasure, the tracks...
| Disc 1 |
Editorial Reviews (supplied by Amazon.com):
1) Amazon.com
The Dave Matthews Band is moving its music forward incrementally. While Before These Crowded Streets offers more of the folky melodies and vaguely international rhythms that made this Charlottesville, Virginia, group a major record and concert draw, it also finds them adding subtle new colorings to the mix. Alanis Morissette guests on two cuts, "Spoon" and the disc's first single, "Don't Drink the Water"; banjo Bela Fleck steps in, too. Most intriguing, however, is the modernist string arrangement from the Kronos Quartet on the driving "Halloween." Matthewsat least partly fulfills his obvious hopes to lead something other than a jam band here; at the same time, Streets should keep his fans satisfied. --Rickey Wright
Customer Reviews (supplied by Amazon.com):
Average Customer Rating: 4.5 out of 5
1) Music Oddyssy or Oddity [Rating: 5 out of 5]
The test of time has passed, and this stands out to be the best I`ll ever hear since the 90`s. Progression [sometimes] is not necessary when something is so perfect to start with as `Crowded Streets` has proven to be indeed.It`s the most complex and eclectic work by Mathews , and like lot of music back in 1998, it has unrestraint in being orthodox or easily categorized unto one approach in music conception whether in its titles or tempo.A musical journey that really exhibits Dave`s emotional content and humanity."The Dreaming Tree", is Dave Mathews Epic.2) The Band's Best, A Masterpiece [Rating: 5 out of 5]
It is hard to truly describe how amazing "Before These Crowded Streets." This is not just Dave Matthew Band's best album, but quite possibly one of the best albums in recent memory. Every song is so differnet, but they blend together so brilliantly, and anyone who says this album has production issues in a complete idiot. From the light hearted mood of "Pantala Naga Pampa," the album goes a bit darker, both musically and lyrically, with each song telling a story that can be taken many ways. There is maybe one weaker song on the entire album (Last Stop), but mostly because it is so different from all of DMB's other songs. However, "Crush," "Don't Drink The Water," "Spoon," and "The Stone," without a doubt the best songs on the album, are simply incredible. The emotion present, with the amazing backing of the band, make for a spectacular result. The only way to truly appreciate the album is to listen to it, however, and for any fan of music, this is worth many, many listens.3) wow [Rating: 5 out of 5]
this album is amazing. i have been a fan of dave matthews band for a long time, and i never got this cd. i was hooked on under the table and dreaming, but when i got this, it became my all-time favorite cd. this cd is very different from any other of theirs. it is much more dark, and seems to have more worldly influences, which is shown a lot in "the last stop". also, the band goes into a long jam session on almost every song, which is really fun to listen to. what has always amazed me about dmb, and especially shines in before these crowded streets, is that every member of the band is just as important as the other. i personally think that everyone else in the band are better musicians that dave himself. he is, although, an amazing songwriter. here's a review of each song:1. Pantala Naga Pampa- this song isn't much of a song, but it's good for what it is. you can find it played at the end of the D&T version of "jimi thing".2. Rapunzel- this song shows how tight the band is together. it's played in 5:4 time, which is really tough. the whole song is tasty, and the bridge is a 6:8 turnaround with a great violin part. great song.3. The Last Stop- this song makes a very large use of a middle-eastern scale. that's what makes it sound really egyptian, and although i really appreciate the influence, it's probably my least favorite on the cd. it is still a good song.4. Don't Drink The Water- i really like this song. i like the live version better, because i think it has more energy, but this version is very good as well. i love the passion that the lyrics show and how the music describes it.5. Stay- great single, although it's almost 6 min long. it's very catchy and has a black female vocal group singing in it. i love the two jams that the band goes into. dave is very good at describing feelings in terms of music, this one being love.6. Halloween- This song is very funny. It sounds like dave is singing like he's frankenstein's monster or something. Sometimes it gets on my nerves, but it's musically a great song. really funny to listen to.7. The Stone- halloween fades into just violins and stuff and flows into the beginning of the stone. that makes for a great intro. then the guitar comes in, and it's a very good guitar riff. this is the most dark of all songs on the album. it also has the best of all guitar riffs on the cd in my opinion, the verse, chorus, and transition back to the verse. it has a very long, awesome jam at the end and fades. amazing song.8. Crush- I think this is my favorite of all dmb songs. again, dave describes love in the form of music very well. this is just a feel good song. the jam at the end blows my mind. tim reynolds, leroi moore, and boyd tinsley are all soloing at once. even dave has a few funky chords in the jam himself, the closest thing to soloing i think i've ever heard from him. also one of the best live songs by dmb.9. The Dreaming Tree- I love this song. It has a great story and just a great feel to it. A great bass line (not as great as in crush) carries the song through the verse.10.Pig- this song has a great message to not waste days away, and that we take tomorrow for granted too much. musically, it's not as good as some dmb songs, but it's still good.11. Spoon- This song is very jazzy, and has a guest female vocalist. i'm not sure, but i think she is the girl that plays with damien rice. it's a great finale to the whole album, a great way to end it all off.Bottom line is, this cd is great. it's a lot different from other dmb albums, but if you're more of the listener that just cranks it up and listens to it instead of playing it in the background, this is probably the one cd by dmb that is most enjoyable when you have it really loud. you have to listen to this whole cd at one time to get the full effect. if you enjoy this, i recommend sunrise over sea by the john butler trio.4) fantastic..... [Rating: 5 out of 5]
It took me (almost) ten years to hear this great album! I can't believe I waited so long. The Dave Matthews Band has been a fixture at The Gorge at George concerts, in Washington, for several years now, and Dave, himself, was often seen down at Pike Place Market in my hometown of Seattle, Washington, playing acoustic sets for the public.....that was a few years ago. BEFORE THESE CROWDED STREETS features some of the finest and most eclectic cross-section of music genres I have heard on one album. It's hard to believe that this music was all done by one band. We hear ska, power metal, jazz, world and pop all stirred and then blended into a great musical smoothie. Some of my favorite cuts include "Last Stop," which eerily illustrates what was to become of the relationship between the United States and the Middle East, only three years later, when 9/11 took place (chillingly prophetic), "Stay," which is an upbeat, fun, and calypso-inspired romp in the grass and makes you feel like the sun is shining even if you're listening to it in the pouring rain, "Crush," a beautiful jazzy love song, and "The Dreaming Tree," which is poetic, ponderous and devestating. There really isn't a "bad" song on here. Dave Matthews is a fantastic story teller and he wrote most of the songs himself. This album is an example of rock/crossover music at its best.....5) Rocky Roads [Rating: 4 out of 5]
Dave made a name for himself crooning about things like love, lust, longing, and belonging with an opulent and mossy voice. His first two albums swam with sultry and complex arrangements, production values so riotous and rambunctious that they were almost too much to handle. "Streets" marked a shift in his band's sexily sour and dreamily dour demeanor. There is still the classic romantic chaos ("Rapunzel" and "Stay") and the seeping wonderment of his melancholy moods ("Crush," "The Dreaming Tree," and "Spoon"), and as before it's done with meticulous attention to every chord and spark, every pluck and quaver.Here, however, Dave has chosen also to get really, really angry. He saturates those moments with just as much technical skill as ever, but gone is the lyricism, replaced by Dave ripping resentful and revenge-hungry tirades out of his throat as if they have been sawed into shape with a cheese grater. I'm not saying he shouldn't be angry (his vendettas are against the rape and loss of cultures/land and also sometimes against things more difficult to pinpoint); I'm just saying he's more skilled at singing about love and bittersweet loss than he is at growling about drinking water and "Halloween."