Post BWGK Media Reviews Here

[Bluecow2]

While I know most media music critic reviews are bashed in communities like this, I think they often end up being better predictors of long term success of the album as it reflects the opinions of people who don't eat sleep and drink DMB. And yes, some of the reviews are awful...but they exist, so please post them here if you find any over the next week in your local newspapers and what not.

I'd prefer to just have the link with no cmmentary so we can all read them and come to our own conclusions without 50 pages of "This sucks"....but whatever.

Here's the first I have found:

Detroit Free Press = 3 out of 4 stars
"Although much of "Big Whiskey" sounds like typical DMB fare -- brash, feel-good, stadium-rock anthems impeccably played -- there are undercurrents of more serious themes, especially the life-and-death scenarios described on "Funny the Way It Is." Also poignant is "Why I Am," where Matthews remembers his friend Moore, a.k.a. the GrooGrux King, with great emotion."
http://www.freep.com/article/20090524/ENT04/905240649

[Bluecow2]

This was posted already...but here's another:

Spin Magazine = 3.5 out of 5 stars
"GrooGrux is harder edged and more bottom heavy than DMB's usual fare, undoubtedly due to the band's decision to work with Green Day and My Chemical Romance producer Rob Cavallo, but probably also a result of the grief suffered by Moore's surviving bandmates. A fond, funky farewell."
http://www.spin.com/reviews/dave-mat...ogrux-king-rca

[Flip36]

gotta find a few to post .

[howie15]

http://www.sputnikmusic.com/review_30670

PS - Good to see you are still around BlueCow2, always enjoyed/respected your comments and thoughts over at nancies.

[Bluecow2]

Originally Posted by howie15

http://www.sputnikmusic.com/review_30670

PS - Good to see you are still around BlueCow2, always enjoyed/respected your comments and thoughts over at nancies.

Thanks! Curious, did you write that review? Clearly a hardcore fan did...anyway, thanks for posting.

Here is the Rolling Stone Review, just to keep these all in one place for my benefit later on.

Rolling Stone = 4 out of 5 stars
http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/..._groogrux_king
Big Whiskey, though, is a lot like a New Orleans funeral parade — mourning and zest balled into big, brawny music. "We'll be drinking big whiskey while we dance and sing," Matthews crows in "Why I Am." "And when my story ends, it's gonna end with him/Heaven or hell/I'm going down with the GrooGrux King." I'm betting on heaven — and that Moore will be quietly waiting for him.

[mtkelchen]

That Rolling Stone article was very touching!

[PushOverRommel]

By Leah Greenblatt http://img2.timeinc.net/ew/dynamic/i...enblatt_sm.jpg
Leah Greenblatt





For all the immortality it imparts, rock & roll has a way of taking its practitioners before their time. Like the Who, 
 Metallica, and many more before them, the Dave Matthews Band have faced the sudden loss of a founding member: Saxophonist LeRoi Moore died last August from injuries incurred in an ATV 
accident, midway through the recording of their latest album. His spirit — and his sound — looms large, however, on Big Whiskey. The GrooGrux King of the title references Moore, as does the figure at the center of Whiskey's intricate cover art (drawn by 
Matthews himself); his sweet, solitary sax flourishes even bookend the album.
Moore's death is also undoubtedly the 
 reason that a group best known for its 
 jammy, freewheeling geniality floats some uncharacteristically heavy vibes here, 
 resulting in several jarring tonal shifts. The tense, mournful ''Time Bomb,'' foreboding ''Squirm,'' and dopey philosophy-lite lead single, ''Funny the Way It Is,'' all reflect — with varying success — on the vagaries 
 of fate, while the swamp-rocky ''Alligator Pie'' puzzlingly alternates grim references to Hurricane Katrina and shout-outs to one of Matthews' young daughters. When the focus turns romantic, and at times even explicitly sexual, the horn-laden ''Shake Me Like a Monkey'' and salacious ''Seven'' play rowdy yin to the tender, intimate yang of ''You and Me'' and ''My Baby Blue.'' Throughout, the spectre of death rarely recedes, but life — embodied by the proto-DMB revelry of ''Why I Am'' — still prevails. B

http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20281032,00.html

[Bluecow2]

Boston Globe not overly impressed.
http://www.boston.com/ae/music/artic...use_more_grit/
"But too often the album is larded with adult-contemporary fare such as the string-saturated "My Baby Blue," and the numbingly new age-esque mood of "Lying in the Hands of God," accented with what sounds like flugelhorn (and are those wind chimes I hear?). Given the musically versatile, vaunted band behind it, "Big Whiskey," for all its stylistic reach and array of textures, is frequently beset with a curious bout of blandness."

[DJGeneral]

Still waiting to see what All Music Guide has to say

[SatanZilla]

Yeah, AMG always has really good objective reviews, it seems.

[mattinbeloit]

Originally Posted by Bluecow2

Boston Globe not overly impressed.
http://www.boston.com/ae/music/artic...use_more_grit/
"But too often the album is larded with adult-contemporary fare such as the string-saturated "My Baby Blue," and the numbingly new age-esque mood of "Lying in the Hands of God," accented with what sounds like flugelhorn (and are those wind chimes I hear?). Given the musically versatile, vaunted band behind it, "Big Whiskey," for all its stylistic reach and array of textures, is frequently beset with a curious bout of blandness."

WTF???? wow...

[Jworley98]

Originally Posted by mattinbeloit

WTF???? wow...

Yea I know and I love how they only use two songs to make their case about an entire album

[brobb]

Originally Posted by Bluecow2

Boston Globe not overly impressed.
http://www.boston.com/ae/music/artic...use_more_grit/
"But too often the album is larded with adult-contemporary fare such as the string-saturated "My Baby Blue," and the numbingly new age-esque mood of "Lying in the Hands of God," accented with what sounds like flugelhorn (and are those wind chimes I hear?). Given the musically versatile, vaunted band behind it, "Big Whiskey," for all its stylistic reach and array of textures, is frequently beset with a curious bout of blandness."

I love how they regard this as the 6th studio album to date. Must be real big fans...

[btpeters]

Originally Posted by Bluecow2

Boston Globe not overly impressed.
http://www.boston.com/ae/music/artic...use_more_grit/
"But too often the album is larded with adult-contemporary fare such as the string-saturated "My Baby Blue," and the numbingly new age-esque mood of "Lying in the Hands of God," accented with what sounds like flugelhorn (and are those wind chimes I hear?). Given the musically versatile, vaunted band behind it, "Big Whiskey," for all its stylistic reach and array of textures, is frequently beset with a curious bout of blandness."

Boston Globe can suck it. The guy bases this on Funny, You and Me and SMLAM...and that's pretty much it. Oh...and sticking it to a heartfelt sendoff song about Roi (Baby Blue)...what an asshead

[Squirmish]

Boston Herald reviewer gives it a B.
http://bostonherald.com/entertainmen...icleid=1175385

[TheSeaward]

Originally Posted by btpeters

Boston Globe can suck it. The guy bases this on Funny, You and Me and SMLAM...and that's pretty much it. Oh...and sticking it to a heartfelt sendoff song about Roi (Baby Blue)...what an asshead

Don't take it personally.

[thebridge15]

i never knew you moved to ants...i was marchingants41 at nancies but we probably didnt see each other cause i wasnt ever in general politics

[cettel]

Originally Posted by Bluecow2

Boston Globe not overly impressed.
http://www.boston.com/ae/music/artic...use_more_grit/
"But too often the album is larded with adult-contemporary fare such as the string-saturated "My Baby Blue," and the numbingly new age-esque mood of "Lying in the Hands of God," accented with what sounds like flugelhorn (and are those wind chimes I hear?). Given the musically versatile, vaunted band behind it, "Big Whiskey," for all its stylistic reach and array of textures, is frequently beset with a curious bout of blandness."

They don't like it because of Flugelhorn and windchimes. That is interesting in a band that has a trumpet player and an actual percusionist for a drummer. Sounds like the type of things I would be looking for in a band like that. haha.

[Bluecow2]

Billboard Magazine:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090529/...s_music_albums
"Matthews' lyrics can be of the make-love-shine variety, and there are a few meandering detours as usual, but "Big Whiskey" finds the band at its most pointed and purposeful in years."

Check your local newspaper websites today through this weekend...many newspapers should be carrying a review. Post them here.

[Bluecow2]

Originally Posted by thebridge15

i never knew you moved to ants...i was marchingants41 at nancies but we probably didnt see each other cause i wasnt ever in general politics

Assuming this was to me...yup, I bit the bullet and made it over here. I remember your username.

[kittensXLI]

I listened to The April Sessions only two or three times, then held off until I thought I'd be getting the final copy. The last thing I wanted was to get attached to something that wasn't the "real" thing. Most of TAS impressed me and was pretty good throughout. I loved Dive In, Squirm, and Baby Blue immediately; and reversely, I did not enjoy Spaceman, Time Bomb, and You & Me to an extent. Then the 320kb leaked, I gave it a listen numerous times, and now have some solid views on each track and the entire album.

1.) Grux. Obviously the saxophone work is good stuff; really don't think anyone is arguing that. Carter reminds me a bit of American Baby Intro, and whoever mentioned it earlier, yes, there's a ticking (clock/watch?) in the middle somewhere. Regardless if I'm first going to turn some music on, or of what music I'm listening to at the time, or what song ends, I really can't pass up this track both if my intentions are to hear SMLAM or pick a Big Whiskey song anyway.

2.) Shake Me Like A Monkey. As of TAS and up to right now, it's my favorite song of the 14 tracks. It doesn't seem to get the slightest bit old in any sense. With so much happening, it's still at the point of finding something new with each listen. Also hard to disagree with how catchy it is, and would make a monster single in my eyes. After the newness wears off and time passes, I definitely see this song remaining among my favorites, not only of this album but in my top 30 or 40 for sure.

3.) Funny The Way It Is. A lot of people said it doesn't fit too well with the rest of the disc, and sometimes I agree, and see where they're coming from. However, once I turn it on or it's up in a straight-through listen, it flows nicely. Maybe it's because it was released so much earlier, but I find myself forgetting I enjoy it as much as I do, then when it's on I can't skip it. From a personal experience, many of my friends who are casual at best DMB fans have unanimously enjoyed hearing it. If people consider it one of the middle of the road or even bottom songs on the album, well, obviously that says a lot for the other tracks since this one is solid.

4.) Lying In The Hands Of God. For whatever reason, the second I heard about/of this song, I figured it'd be my favorite. A gut instinct, I guess - and it's lived up completely, currently rivaling SMLAM for my favorite track. Unknowing that Big Whiskey is all new material, I easily could've believed this track was made/written/recorded/whatever years ago. LITHOG is the whole package in my book. This studio version has to be among the top songs the band has done, ever.

5.) Why I Am. I think this song is pretty basic, but it's been completed almost perfectly. The lyrics are very good, and I like that there wasn't an overload of Tim as there very well could have been. My only drawback is the horns from TAS were removed, but I guess that's what I get for listening to leaks and demos. I'd be okay with this being a single as most think will eventially happen.

6.) Dive In. Immediately enjoyed this song on TAS, and it remains a top track now also. A good example of how good it is, with probably my least favorite line/lyrics on the entire album ("Tell me everything is all taken care of/by those qualified to take care of it all"), it still finishes in my top 4 or 5. I like the piano a lot and the lyrics too, both things a good amount of people on Ants have noted as things that bring the song down. Oh well. Ah, and the fade downward at the end = .

7.) Spaceman. Again, first reaction was that I didn't like it. It's grown slightly on me since, but still is a bottom 3 song. Don't care too much for the lyrics, and something about this song I really can't stand, but haven't figured it out yet. Usually towards the ending of the song I am kind of like, "well, it wasn't that bad after all", but maybe that's just because the song is over and something way better is coming up next.

8.) Squirm. Top 3 or 4 track for sure; just a straight up monster. It's one of the songs that can be described as both beautful and haunting at the same time. Sometimes I find myself irritated with the "drum beats louder" part, but that's more or less me subconciously trying to be picky with the song. I think this one is going to have a lot of staying power, both in the arguement of great studio tracks the band has done, and also potentially live. The strings are just amazing.

9.) Alligator Pie. The back and fourth pace is literally fun. It's not the "epic" track, but it could still wind up being one of the best live songs from Big Whiskey. Undeniably catchy, I've got it stuck in my head probably the most out of all the new stuff. I don't really agree with all the comparisons to Louisiana Bayou, but the fact this should basically shelf Bayou for a long, long time is one of the greatest +'s out there.

10.) Seven. The April Sessions version was weak on horns, but as expected they were all over the Big Whiskey cut; definitely my favorite part of the song, hands down. The lyrics are fine, but I think the "garden hose" line easily could have and should have stayed. That seems to be a minority stance, but whatever, I'm usually in the minority anyway. I also enjoy the falsetto to start things off, which again seems to be opposite of most people.

11.) Time Bomb. It got the most hype/praise, right? To me, that probably hurt it, as I don't think it's lived up whatsoever. The song starts off great, really. My gripe is obviously with the ending, since that's where most with a problem seem to have it. For the 100th time, yes, I understand the concept of the song and, "It's exactly like a Time Bomb, just blowing up out of nowhere!" Thanks for pointing out the most obvious observation, but just because it works in context or concept, doesn't mean it's good. The beginning/middle should have been drawn out and developed a lot more, leading to the build up in a much nicer approach. If the song was basically cut (and fixed up) around the 2:35 mark and the ending was made into a reprise, I'd probably like it more (again, a ridiculous idea and probably way in the minority on that). Thankfully LITHOG and Squirm had great build-ups; unfortunately Time Bomb couldn't follow suit. It's just compacted together too much and there isn't good flow. This big let-down is a bottom 3 song for sure. Also, what was the point of beating up Dave's voice like this? Not worth it, in my opinion.

12.) Baby Blue. I really want this song in my top 3, but despite how much I love it, there's a few others that beat it out. This song is amazing, regardless of the Sister riff or whatever. The lyrics have almost that double-meaning where someone might think it's about one thing, but it's really about something completely different. Being a fan of Sister, the slight modification or evolution from it definitely sits well in my book. The big strings are good on the final version, but honestly, I did enjoy TAS version better. Dave just going to town on his own, you could hear the feeling in his voice; it's straight up him pouring his heart out, so well too. It'll be hard to replace the album version on my iPod, but TAS cut somehow tops it for me.

13.) You & Me. Just because a song is low on a rankings list doesn't mean it's 100% a bad song. This song is in my bottom 3, but that's mainly because there has to be a song that finishes at the bottom; everything else is just that much greater work. Many people have been coming around to this after hearing the Big Whiskey version, so that's good. It was nowhere near as bad as many first said. The big strings also help big time. The way Y&M begins set me up for disappointment, as I thought the entire song would be at the same pace or in the same direction, but the chorus is both musically and lyrically weaker, thus dropping it in rank. It's not an auto-skip type of track, though - not yet, at least.

14.) #35. I don't know what some people were thinking was going to happen with this. I learned it was entirely made up of LeRoi playing a little part, then looping it as others joined in. It's a great way to close out an album all about and dedicated to him too. What anyone would get out of making this looped track longer is beyond me. It's not worth mentioning in a song rankings list, but still a nice treat.

I think Stefan and Carter crush this album, more Boyd definitely would've been nicer all throughout, and a good portion of the time there was too much Tim. Juding it as a new album on it's own, the work is there to be rated 4 out of 5, or a strong B/B+. In comparison to the rest of the band's work, I'd give it a 3 or 3.5 and B-. The "Big 3" argument, while overplayed (especially around here), is legit, though. Big Whiskey is still short of that status in my book, but with the road the band has taken since then, I think it's more that this album could easily be the first (and a big) step in a second "Big 3" scenerio. As good and borderline great as it is, assuming DMB makes another record, the next one could possibly top it - and that's somewhat amazing to me. Rob Cavallo returning would be big, and the usage of Rashawn and Jeff has a lot of potential too. As a tribute to LeRoi, I can see why and accept the way certain things ended up, and it's a fitting tribute to him in all ways possible.

I think Big Whiskey has a lot of staying power in all senses - live, studio, individually by track, and as a whole/complete album. This is "the answer" for sure many people wanted from this band. They're definitely "back". People are saying Why I Am and You & Me will probably be the next singles...? That's fine, no real argument against either I guess, but if the band released say Shake Me Like A Monkey as their second single instead...wow. I can't even imagine how big things could be.

[Born To Run]

is that a media review kittens?

[kittensXLI]

oops, thought this was another one of the threads asking Ants to review it.

Well, who cares. Maybe it is a media review and I plagiarized it.

[Bluecow2]

San Francisco Chronicle: 3 out of 4 stars (I think) Rating is a sitting clapping guy, which is not as good as a standing clapping guy, but better than a sitting guy, and a sitting and sleeping guy.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...PKLB17PFLK.DTL
"The group was well past the point of complacency when the band's founding member died from injuries he sustained in an ATV accident last summer. But on their new album, produced by Rob Cavallo (Green Day, My Chemical Romance), the surviving musicians charge back with their most raucous and emotional set of music since their early '90s heyday..."

[Bluecow2]

People.com 3.5 out of 4.0 stars

http://m.people.com/detail.jsp?key=1703592
"Spiritual and spirited, the disc serves as an emotionally and musically rich send-off to that great shed in the sky."

[Bluecow2]

Recap so far:
Detroit Free Press: 3 out of 4
Spin: 3.5 out of 5
Rolling Stone: 4 out of 5
Entertainment Weekly: B
Boston Globe: B
Boston Herald: Blech
SF Chronicle: 3 out of 4
People: 3.5 out of 4
Kittens: 4 out of 5

Very consistent so far...almost every reviewer seems to think it's very good, but not necessarily great.

[TrpnBillyDMB]

Originally Posted by Bluecow2

Very consistent so far...almost every reviewer seems to think it's very good, but not necessarily great.

Almost every review states something to the effect that this is the best album the band has put out in quite a while. I couldn't agree more. It's nice to see them get the recognition.

[Xavid]

Originally Posted by Bluecow2

People.com 3.5 out of 4.0 stars

http://m.people.com/detail.jsp?key=1703592
"Spiritual and spirited, the disc serves as an emotionally and musically rich send-off to that great shed in the sky."

I just saw this in my wife's people mag tonight (sure, I'll admit I read it avidly in the restroom). Typical of People it is short and very simple, but actually pretty good. I like the fact that it was stamped as a "Critic's Choice", and that the genre is listed as "Pop-Rock" (I don't disagree with this necessarily, but I always find it difficult to really put DMB into one genre). Also interesting is the use of "haunting" (overused on this site), and that FTWII is described as "Sting-esque".

[Bluecow2]

Newsday.com = B
http://www.newsday.com/news/columnis...,1474090.story
"It's melancholy stuff, for sure. But its singular purpose also makes "Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King" the best Dave Matthews Band album in more than a decade."

[Bluecow2]

Bullz-eye.com = 4 of 5 stars
http://www.bullz-eye.com/cdreviews/g...ogrux_king.htm
"Not this time, though: Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King not only puts the brakes on the Dave Matthews Band’s creative slide, it’s perhaps their best album to date – a sweaty, loose-limbed beast of a record that vacuum seals the band’s creative spark and doesn’t lose any of its flavor..."
"whether focused by tragedy or simply back in stride, the band delivers one of the most consistently enjoyable collections of grown-up rock & roll we’re likely to hear all year. Long live the King."

No idea what this site is, but it was a very well written review, so I thought I'd share.