|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Listen to Samples and Buy MP3s
Songs from this album are available to purchase as MP3s. Click on "Buy MP3" or
view the MP3 Album.
Special Offers and Product Promotions
- Get $1 in Amazon MP3 credit with qualifying purchase. Limited to one promotional credit per customer. Here's how (restrictions apply)
Frequently Bought Together
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
The Dave Matthews Band moves its music forward by increments on Before These Crowded Streets. While the album offers more of the folkish melodies and vaguely internationalist rhythms that made this Charlottesville, Virginia, group a major record and concert draw, it also finds them adding new colorings to the mix. Alanis Morissette guests on two cuts, "Spoon" and the disc's first single, "Don't Drink the Water," and banjo whiz Bela Fleck sits in, too. More interesting, though, is the modernist string arrangement played by the Kronos Quartet on the driving "Halloween." Matthews's obvious hopes to lead something other than a jam band are at least partly fulfilled here; at the same time, Streets should keep his customers satisfied.--Rickey Wright
Product Description
11 tracks including DON'T DRINK THE WATER. Drill hole into barcode. Scuffs on disc will not affect play - disc graded onlu GOOD. Includes Merchandise Volume 7 catalog. SM.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
24 of 26 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I've decided after listening to this cd such an awful amount of time, it was worthy of a review. This album is just so amazing to me. It's personally my favorite DMB record by far, Crash and Under The Table & Dreaming in at 2 and 3. This is probably their darkest release and it's so emotional. So many great jams on this and just about every song is 6+ minutes which i love. Every single song on here is just amazing, and it's a very diverse cd.
1.Pantala Naga Pampa 8/10...A short 0:40 second fun intro, that actually manages to hold it's own as a song. But still basically serves as an intro to..
2.Rapunzel 10/10...What a great song. Starts off fun keeping in unison with the previous and then it switches into lush melody, this is classic DMB.
3.The Last Stop 9.5/10...Wasn't a huge fan of this song at first, but it has since grown on me alot. It has an Native kind of feeling to it, and it's pretty dark, great song.
4.Don't Drink The Water 10/10...Probably my second favorite on the cd. The verses are amazing and kind of creepy, and then it gets passionate and a little darker towards the end, just fantastic.
5.Stay (Wasting Time) 8/10...Eh. Probably my least favorite song on the cd. Good, don't get me wrong, but the ladies singing gets annoying quick and this is probably the most up beat song on here, taking away from the mostly dark theme.
6.Halloween 10/10...Wow. Very rarely do you see this much emotion crammed into a song, a whole album for that matter. This is DMB's darkest song, and it's so raw and Dave pretty much loses it at the end, probably my favorite.
7.The Stone 10/10...The great songs don't stop rolling. Best violins on this song. The beginning is as cool as any DMB intro has been. Love it.
8.Crush 10/10...While Halloween was about not having someone, this one's more about having someone and loving them dearly. The jazziest song on here, and it really is probably in their top 5 best written songs.
9.The Dreaming Tree 10/10...Was initially one of my favorites before i decided the whole cd is. Reminds me of a less jazzy Crush for some reason, great song.
10.Pig 9/10...I didn't like this song that much at first, but i listened to it more and it's great. Nothing horribly special but Dave sings very melodically in the end.
11.Spoon 8.5/10...A very good song, but the silence after it bugs me. I especially like Alanis Morisette's singing part in this. Very soft and a good way to end it.
I never thought i could like Dave Matthews Band, but i actually love them. They build songs better than any better out there. This is their best album, there's not enough good things to say about this. Highly recommended.
1.Pantala Naga Pampa 8/10...A short 0:40 second fun intro, that actually manages to hold it's own as a song. But still basically serves as an intro to..
2.Rapunzel 10/10...What a great song. Starts off fun keeping in unison with the previous and then it switches into lush melody, this is classic DMB.
3.The Last Stop 9.5/10...Wasn't a huge fan of this song at first, but it has since grown on me alot. It has an Native kind of feeling to it, and it's pretty dark, great song.
4.Don't Drink The Water 10/10...Probably my second favorite on the cd. The verses are amazing and kind of creepy, and then it gets passionate and a little darker towards the end, just fantastic.
5.Stay (Wasting Time) 8/10...Eh. Probably my least favorite song on the cd. Good, don't get me wrong, but the ladies singing gets annoying quick and this is probably the most up beat song on here, taking away from the mostly dark theme.
6.Halloween 10/10...Wow. Very rarely do you see this much emotion crammed into a song, a whole album for that matter. This is DMB's darkest song, and it's so raw and Dave pretty much loses it at the end, probably my favorite.
7.The Stone 10/10...The great songs don't stop rolling. Best violins on this song. The beginning is as cool as any DMB intro has been. Love it.
8.Crush 10/10...While Halloween was about not having someone, this one's more about having someone and loving them dearly. The jazziest song on here, and it really is probably in their top 5 best written songs.
9.The Dreaming Tree 10/10...Was initially one of my favorites before i decided the whole cd is. Reminds me of a less jazzy Crush for some reason, great song.
10.Pig 9/10...I didn't like this song that much at first, but i listened to it more and it's great. Nothing horribly special but Dave sings very melodically in the end.
11.Spoon 8.5/10...A very good song, but the silence after it bugs me. I especially like Alanis Morisette's singing part in this. Very soft and a good way to end it.
I never thought i could like Dave Matthews Band, but i actually love them. They build songs better than any better out there. This is their best album, there's not enough good things to say about this. Highly recommended.
60 of 74 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Biased in the sense that if all other bands on earth (and i mean all, now that Soul Coughing broke up) except DMB (dave matthews band for those of you that aren't dave-o-philes) magically disappeared, i really would not care much. This is possibly the strongest of DMB's studio efforts. Crash was good, but had more weak links (just one: let you down) than BTCS. And UTTAD was an awesome CD (after all, its DMB) but a totally different style than this, so it's hard to compare. Now the run-down of the songs:
Pantala Naga Pampa: Amazing that this 30 second intro is so awesomely good. (bad english, so sue me) Rapunzel: This is just a GREAT song, completely fun to listen to, makes you wanna dance insanely. The Last Stop: The darkest, most angry song on a CD that also has "Halloween." Now THAT is an accomplishment. However, it really is a good song, and the lyrics are VERY nicely done. Don't Drink The Water: An awesome, almost hypnotic tale of colonization (and murder of the natives) told from the settler's point of view. The way Dave singing the lines "dont drink the water, there's blood in the water" turns to desperation at the end is an AMAZING touch. Stay (Wasting Time): A love song along the lines of Rapunzel, but a little less goofy. Female backup vocals give this song the perfect touch. Halloween: A song Dave wrote to a girl he was QUITE upset with (she turned down his marriage proposals multiple times, as the story goes). A very interesting, dark song with the Kronos Quartet (see "classical music") in the background. very different, VERY good. The Stone: A counter-part to Halloween, still with the Kronos Quartet in the background. I haven't the foggiest what this song is about, but its beautifully written. Crush: Many would consider this the album's highlight. An AMAZING love song that only gets better with repeat listenings. LOVE stefan's bass. The Dreaming Tree: An absolutely beautifully written, and yet very disturbing song. Look up the lyrics to this one, trust me, they're like poetry. Pig: A happy song, lacking much of a melody. Still a pretty song, but one of the album's weaker points. Spoon: Good song, very good song, but Alanis wasn't made for this sort of thing (dont get me wrong, i love alanis morissette, but this is by no mean's her greatest work). FOR GODS SAKES WOMEN JUST LET DAVE SING, he's got the best voice of any vocalist around today! Unmentioned Outro: PERFECT WAY TO END THE CD! "Come in from the cold for a while....everything will be alright....come in from the noise for a time.....everything will be alright....for now....goodbye...friend....goodbye..."
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
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.....
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.....
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Truly Ingenius
This album is a priceless work of art. After listening to it hundreds upon hundreds of times as I've gone through life, I've come to realize that this album as a whole is so much... Read more
Published 22 days ago by dmbgorgeasgoodasitgets
Easily their best album
I've had this album in one form or another since I was in high school, even though I wasn't a huge fan until I saw the band live, which transformed me into someone who loves to see... Read more
Published 5 months ago by J. Wozny
Classic DMB!!
The condition of the CD was exactly as advertised. I was a little concerned to see "No Longer the Property of St. Read more
Published 9 months ago by J. Scott Young
A great CD, but not perfect
I see people all the time saying that this is THE best DMB album there is. While this album has plenty of great songs, there are just a few things about it that I am picky about. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Kerin
Tennis Lover
I have been a devout admirer of the Dave Matthews Band for a number of years now, and this is my favorite album by them. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Tennis Lover
Easing the pleasing
2 1/2
Disappointing follow-up to Crash attempts to recreate all the organic highs though more often comes across as soulfully contrived, stretching out thinly written... Read more
Disappointing follow-up to Crash attempts to recreate all the organic highs though more often comes across as soulfully contrived, stretching out thinly written... Read more
Published 23 months ago by IRate
Failure to Warn
Seller failed to warn buyers that the last three tracks are unplayable due to skipping. Seller stated that CD was in good or great condition (I don't remember which). Read more
Published on September 19, 2009 by ARP
Dave at his best!!!
My wife's classic Dave CD that needed replacing from being played about 1000 past its prime. Definitely put a smile on her face!!!
Published on June 10, 2009 by Joe
Spectacular
It's been probably seven years since I've listened to this album, and just tonight I became reacquainted with it. Read more
Published on February 8, 2009 by J. E. Pickenheim
Before these Crowded Streets - Dave Matthews Band
I always love their live stuff better, but this is still a worth while studio album purchase.
Published on June 13, 2008 by Tabbatha Cavendish
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
![[Start the discussion]](http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/x-locale/communities/discussion_boards/start-new-discussion-sec._V192250339_.gif){kind=small}
Listmania!
|
|
So You'd Like to...
SoundUnwound - the personal music encyclopedia
Dave Matthews Band's album Before These Crowded Streets was produced by Steve Lillywhite.
Boyd Tinsley, Dave Matthews, Stefan Lessard, Carter Beauford, LeRoi Moore and one other artist have been a member of Dave Matthews Band.
Boyd Tinsley, Dave Matthews, Stefan Lessard, Carter Beauford, LeRoi Moore and one other artist have been a member of Dave Matthews Band.
Passionate about music?
Learn more at SoundUnwound, the personal music encyclopedia, or challenge your friends with our music quizzes.
You might be interested in baracus's library
With 31 releases, baracus is a fan of Dave Matthews Band
Their library contains 420 releases from artists including The Rolling Stones and Ray Charles
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Look for Similar Items by Category
- Music > Alternative Rock
- Music > Classic Rock
- Music > Pop
- Music > Rock
