Customer Reviews

Best of What's Around 1

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It's hard to keep track of all the Dave Matthews Band releases, both official and unoffical, studio or live. It's been less than 2 months since the release of the 4CD "Live Trax, Vol. 6" set of this summer's concerts at Fenway Park, and here comes yet another DMB release.

"The Best of What's Going Around, Vol. 1" (2 CDs, 20 tracks, 132 min.) is the first-ever compilation of DMB's studio work, augmented by an assortment of live tracks. CD1 (12 tracks, 61 min.) brings a chronological overview of some of DMB's best known studio tracks. The unfortunate thing is that each of the 6 studio albums are all deemed similarly important and each of them gets 2 studio tracks, as a result of which DMB's first two (and most essential) albums are under-represented. In particular 3 essential tracks are missing on this compilation in either studio or live versions: "Satellite" (from Under the Table and Dreaming), and "So Much To Say" and "Tripping Billies" (both from Crash). That aside, it is hard to argue with the 12 tracks that are on this compilation. CD2 (8 tracks, 71 min.) brings a seemingly hap-hazzard selection of live tracks, which is not to imply that the quality of the music included here isn't good. Highlights include the ever-crowd pleasing "Everyday" and "Ants Marching" (although do DMB fans needed yet another live version of the latter?).

Overall, this is quite a nice introduction of the Dave Matthews Band, at a very fan-friendly price. If the live disc seems unnecessary or unfocused, it is on the other hand unthinkable that an such compilation would not include a live section, given that for many fans hearing DMB in concert is what this band is all about. Given that this compilation is teasingly titled "Vol. 1", it is safe to say that fans will get another chance to put together other compilations of their favorite DMB music.

Few bands release more albums than DMB, which speaks volumes to their enthusiastic fan base. With annual live albums, it would appear DMB has pretty well covered the bases as far as their music goes, but with the release of The Best of What's Around, Vol.1, the fans have chosen some of the live tracks they love the most to appear on the double-disc. It makes for interesting listening, and is a solid pick-up for fans and those trying to navigate through the multitude of DMB releases.

Disc One is the studio track album, with 12 songs pulled from the spectrum of full-length albums. Each album gets two tracks, with the usual suspects making the cut. From Under the Table and Dreaming we get "Best of What's Around" and "What Would You Say." From Crash we get "Crash Into Me" and "Too Much", "Rapunzel" and "Crush" highlight Before These Crowded Streets, and Everyday contributes "So Right" and "The Space Between". Busted Stuff offers the excellent "Grey Street" and "Grace in Gone", and from Stand Up we see "Hunger for the Great Light" and "American Baby." For me, the exclusion of "Tripping Billies" is particularly egregious. Disc Two smartly offers live tracks that fill in some of the gaps from each album. The best versions are "Don't Drink The Water", "Two Step", "Ants Marching" and "Louisiana Bayou". Unfortunately, these are all songs we have heard many times on the live albums and they don't really add much to the compilation except for justifying its purchase price.

Overall, this album isn't amazing. It's the embodiment of the Itunes generation. It is fascinating hearing the evolution of the band through the six studio albums, and some of my favorite tracks are on the discs. Had this disc neglected "Crush", I would've put it back in the shelf right away. The studio tracks are not remixed and the sound quality is identical to the original album. The live mixes are fairly good, but again not impressive. This album feels like it was thrown together quickly with a profit motive in mind. Is this a must buy? For serious fans, sure. For casual fans this is a good addition to your collection, but you may want to download your own mix.

A.G. Corwin
St.Louis, MO

Putting together a greatest hits package for Dave Matthews Band is no job to scoff at. Three innate problems come bundled with the task. Firstly, the band's discography is downright massive. The second problem comes with the fact that this huge discography features the same material over and over again, at least in name. The band's six studio albums are respectable bodies of work, to be sure, but they don't hold a candle to the goods brought by live release after live release. Not only must the right songs be chosen, but the right versions of the right songs have to be included. The third problem is that just throwing on the band's handful of radio singles will do nothing but alienate the avid DMB fan base, which in DMB's case is a pretty big chunk of their overall support. Even still, RCA, Dave and Co.'s label, wants to introduce some newcomers into the fold, and this package was the best way they thought to do it.

And really, the final product isn't horrendous. In fact, it's quite impressive. The offering is a double disc compilation, with one disc featuring twelve studio cuts. Two tunes each come from the group's six studio albums, from 1994's Under the Table and Dreaming to last year's inventive and somewhat debated Stand Up. Thankfully, the most radio friendly songs weren't necessarily the songs that made the cut. Oh, sure, "What Would You Say', "Gray Street", and last year's hit "American Baby" are here in full force, but so are "So Right", "Crush", and the compilation's namesake, "The Best of What's Around". These songs are certainly fan favorites, but they became that way through their continuous stunning live renditions and not through extensive radio play. The real cult classics such as "Dreaming Tree" aren't present, of course, but this is, after all, a greatest hits collection. At least they didn't by default include "Stay" or "I Did It", which both received significant radio play but have never quite been the peak of the mountain in the hearts of most devoted Dave Matthews Band fans.

The reason for DMB devotees to pick up this package is the second disc, which is comprised of eight live samplings selecting by the Dave Matthews Band fan association. The choices seem to come more from recent concerts rather than the material from the mid to late 90's, but as this information is fresh in the minds of people, (I certainly remember this past year's tour a little more vividly than 2000's), this is understandable. The only complaint is that the selected songs are songs which have already frequently been placed on other live releases. Sure, these versions of "Ants Marching", "Don't Drink the Water", and "Stay" are as brilliant as ever, and like all live DMB, they do bring a little something new that hasn't been demonstrated before. Nonetheless, there are rarities in the Dave Matthews Band setlists that only come out to play on special nights, and a few more of these wouldn't have been unwelcome. Perhaps a performance of the aforementioned "The Dreaming Tree"? Or maybe the superb "You Never Know?" or one of the truly hair-raising performances of "The Stone"?

The great thing though about Dave Matthews and his companions is that they can make the same songs sound fresh over and over. So don't be misled into thinking that just because "Two Step", "Warehouse", or "Ants Marching" are yet again included on this release that it's not worth hearing. This "Two Step", in fact, was the closer from a 2001 show at Giants Stadium, one that occurred in the middle of a downpour that could be described as torrential if any downpour can. Dave even references the rain within his improvised lyrics close to the song's beginning, and even someone who hasn't read numerous accounts of this landmark performance will get the impression they've heard something special as the ten minute masterpiece reaches its conclusion.

It's a fair assumption to think that most of DMB's loyalist would have just preferred another three disc live show from some fantastic tour or other. Even better if it was one they attended. But if you really haven't heard Dave at some point, the twelve studio samplings will give you an idea of what you're in for, and the live cuts should illustrate just why this group's live show is so widely respected. The Best of What's Around, Vol. 1 should by no means be considered a definitive compilation, but as an introduction for the newbie and just another edition for the veteran it will serve nicely. I will offer my sympathy, however, to those who didn't preorder the collection, since preorders shipped with an additional disc of live material which surpasses the official second disc by quite a significant margin, thanks mostly to jaw dropping versions of "#41" and "The Last Stop". Hey, there's always eBay, right?

I want to start my review off by saying this: I am a member of the DMB fan club (not the paid one, just the one where you get all the emails.) When I got an email about the release of the CD, the email said something to the extent of "to fill a contract with RCA records, the Dave Matthews Band must release a 'greatest hits' compilation." SO for those of you who think it is not DMB's style to release the album, you are probably correct. But don't blame the band, blame the record label.

That being said...DMB then invited fans to vote for the songs that would make up the album, as well as provide the date of the shows for their favorite songs. I think the choices, similar to the band's fans, represent an ecclectic mix of DMB, both in and out-of the studio. The live tracks, as usual, bring an exiciting element to the collection. The choice to seperate the live tracks from the studio tracks is excellent, as you are free to jam out to some live Dave in the car, or opt to sing along with the songs as written (where the words are both predictable and coherent). Definitely not my favorite DMB album, and basically just another 'best of' album, but the best of the best is pretty good.

First of all I would like to make it clear that I am an avid DMB listener and fan. Secondly I should let you know also that I do not own a studio album from the band. Every album I have is live. The title of this compilation is a misrepresentation of it's objective. This album is not a "best of" album, but more of a "greatest hits" album. It compiles the majority of the band's most successful radio hits even though the majority of the songs that did not make the radio consistantly are much better. Personally, I think that "I Did It" is one of the worst songs that Dave ever did along with "Where are you Going." I would say that if a real dave fan were to put this together replacing some of the songs currently present, I would say that The Best of Whats Around, Rhyme and Reason, Lie in Our Graves, Proudest Monkey, Say Goodbye, Rapunzel, The Dreaming Tree, Last Stop, The Stone, If I had It all and Bartender would and should be on this album as a BEST OF album. But reality is is that this is a Greatest Hits album. Maybe a best of tour album will be released, but between Central Park, Fenway, Listner Supported and Red Rocks (the old one) you already have that. Do yourself a favor and avoid this album.

This is a great "review" disk. For a fan, disk one really isn't some we need to hear again. Honestly, I own everything I could have bought that has been released by this band, and I don't see myself stopping anytime soon. Most die-hard fans would be willing to by a live album a month. But...this first collection is as the DMB's web-site put it, to fulfill contractual obligations. Otherwise, RCA made them do it. But as most already know, this is something to be heard. I suggest, skip the first disc and slap in the second. This is where you'll hear the best live recording released of Warehouse, Say Goodbye, Everyday, and a moving Two Step. Don't Drink the Water is strong...but not unlike all the other. I'd rather hear the Central Park version, or the Fenway Park cut. Stay is very clean, but I've heard this song plenty of times for the rest of my life. Louisiana Bayou is great, but pick up the Complete Weekend on the Rocks instead. And Ants Marching is...well, Ants Marching.

Everyday and Warehouse both are worth the cost of this album.

If you were lucky enough to order it through the band, you got the Encore CD which is outstanding. It opens with a solid Minarets from 1995. Goes into maybe the longest and greatest recording of #41. Over 30 mins worth of jamming by Bela Fleck & the Flecktones including solos by all the Tones. Dave does a little spoken word poetry in the middle about Bela & the The Flecktones being the best band ever. It then goes into by far the best I've ever heard of What You Are. An outstanding 3 minute intro to the song. And it closes with The Last Stop, maybe the most requested song at concerts. These 4 tracks alone are another hour plus.

Overall, I'm very happy with this collection. Greatest hits albums are lame, and thank goodness this isn't one of those. My only complaint: I would have liked live versions of Disc 1, but more than likely, that would end up being a 5 disc set with the wicked jams.

Most fans know that the DMB releases CDs that offer as a jumping off point. These guys are jazz musicians and every year, their songs will change. There are only a few that haven't strayed from the original sound. But I'd much rather hear a live version of So Much To Say into Anyone Seen the Bridge into Too Much with some of the new chord changes and Dave's always entertaining scats than to listen to Crash over and over. I'll always love the albums, but it's the concerts that make me listen over and over.

Every song on this album is amazing. The second disk has live songs that blew me away!

Without going into length, I didn't especially enjoy this compilation. Disc 1 was created by picking approximately two tracks from each officially released CD (in chronological order by release date).

I personally felt that the disc lacked something. For example, I would trade such tracks as "Hunger for the Great Light" for "Satellite," and "So Right" for "I Did It." While I do like "Best of What's Around," "Rapunzel," and "So Right" more than the released singles of "I Did It" or "Everyday," I think "Greatest Hits" CDs are generally created to cater to the people who've heard the stuff on the radio, but just haven't gotten out to buy the CD. There's not a huge need to introduce casual listeners to tracks they've never heard and aren't new, but are available on other CDs. Also, 12 tracks are simply too few for a band with this much in their catalogue. But I guess that's why this is a "Vol. 1," leaving them room to pitch future compilations.

I'm glad they included a "live" disc, because that is an integral part of the band's sound. My thought? Borrow the live disc from a friend and skip buying it, unless it's an incredible deal.

This was a gift for my daughter. She says its a great "best of" collection. Has some concert recordings. She loves it!!

Only really listen to the live disk. Everything else is repetitive. Maybe another live album would have made more sense.