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Track Listings
| 1. Grux |
| 2. Shake Me Like A Monkey |
| 3. Funny The Way It Is |
| 4. Lying In The Hands of God |
| 5. Why I Am |
| 6. Dive In |
| 7. Spaceman |
| 8. Squirm |
| 9. Alligator Pie |
| 10. Seven |
| 11. Time Bomb |
| 12. Baby Blue |
| 13. You & Me |
Editorial Reviews
Produced by Rob Cavallo (Green Day, My Chemical Romance), Big Whiskey has been hailed by Rolling Stone as the group’s "heaviest album yet, both musically and emotionally," which went on to note: "Throughout, Carter Beauford beats out elaborate, propulsive groves; bassist Stefan Lessard lays down Flea-style funk bass lines; violinist Boyd Tinsley plays cresting, intense runs; and Matthews mirrors Moore’s saxophone lines with scatlike singing." Billboard, in a cover story on Dave Matthews Band, praised Big Whiskey as "its best album yet… Highlights include the funk-rock rave-up 'Shake Me Like a Monkey,' the stirring ballad 'Lying in the Hands of God,' the swampy rocker 'Alligator Pie (Cockadile),' radio-friendly fare like 'Why I Am,' which features playful horns over a solid rock riff and a hooky chorus, and 'Funny the Way It Is,' which parlays a subtle intro into a soaring, syncopated anthem."
DVD content contains the making of "Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King".
DVD content contains the making of "Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King".
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
122 of 135 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
First of all, let me just say that I am NOT one of those sycophants who automatically give anything by Dave Matthews Band five stars and just rave about how they're the best and anything they do is just the greatest thing ever. While I don't think "Stand Up" and "Everyday" were as bad as some of the reviews I've read, those albums were obviously not their best work. So I was anxious (and a little nervous) to see what this album would bring.
I needn't have worried; Dave Matthews Band are back with a vengeance. There is an energy, a vibe, a passion, a groove that is present on this album that had been missing on the stuff that followed "Before These Crowded Streets". I've read that there were tensions in the band over the last couple years, and that at one point they were on the verge of breaking up. If that's the case, I guess it's true that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. After "Grux", a prelude showcasing since-departed saxophonist LeRoi Moore, the album kicks right into "Shake Me Like a Monkey", a flat-out rocker that allows the whole band to shine. After that, the album never really lets up; other stand-out tracks include "Funny the Way It Is", "Why I Am", "Alligator Pie" and "Seven". There are others great songs too but I've only listened to the album once so I haven't tied all the titles to all the songs yet.
Bottom line: if you've ever liked Dave Matthews Band at any point in their history, you will really like this album. They've got their fire back, and they know it: I watched the show they did at the Beacon Theatre in NYC last night, and you can really tell they love these songs and are having fun playing together again. Pick this album up, and I promise you won't be disappointed.
I needn't have worried; Dave Matthews Band are back with a vengeance. There is an energy, a vibe, a passion, a groove that is present on this album that had been missing on the stuff that followed "Before These Crowded Streets". I've read that there were tensions in the band over the last couple years, and that at one point they were on the verge of breaking up. If that's the case, I guess it's true that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. After "Grux", a prelude showcasing since-departed saxophonist LeRoi Moore, the album kicks right into "Shake Me Like a Monkey", a flat-out rocker that allows the whole band to shine. After that, the album never really lets up; other stand-out tracks include "Funny the Way It Is", "Why I Am", "Alligator Pie" and "Seven". There are others great songs too but I've only listened to the album once so I haven't tied all the titles to all the songs yet.
Bottom line: if you've ever liked Dave Matthews Band at any point in their history, you will really like this album. They've got their fire back, and they know it: I watched the show they did at the Beacon Theatre in NYC last night, and you can really tell they love these songs and are having fun playing together again. Pick this album up, and I promise you won't be disappointed.
60 of 65 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
"These songs are some of the strongest ones we've done in a long time."
- Boyd Tinsley
"He [Leroi Moore] would always say, `Take it to the next level.' That's what we've done here. We've taken it to the next level."
- Dave Matthews
"It was time to unleash the tiger."
- Carter Beauford
----
The first time I heard songs from "Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King" was at the May 29 show at Fenway Park. Listening to live versions of songs like "Seven," "Why I Am," "Squirm," and "Time Bomb" immediately had me and my friends thinking "Whoah... this album is different. This album is going to be GOOOOOD!"
And it is. It's REAL good. I've been listening to the CD for a solid week, and I can say that it is, by far, DMB's best album in over a decade. They haven't played with this level of passion and tenacity since their back-to-back classics "Crash" and "Before These Crowded Streets" from the late 90s.
It's not hard to figure out where the intensity comes from. In 2008, DMB experienced a serious double whammy. First, they nearly broke up due to interpersonal struggles, "toxic" energy, and a lack of leadership (according to Dave). This was followed by the tragic death of founding member and horn-player extraordinaire Leroi Moore.
The result? A massive reboot of purpose and energy. With the help of Green Day producer Rob Cavallo, the Dave Matthews Band has once again found their "A" game. "Big Whiskey" is the sound of a band that is NOT mailing it in... instead, they sound like musicians that are psyched to play together and ready to go for it (to "unleash the tiger," as Carter says in the DVD documentary.)
The opening notes of the CD is a sublime Leroi solo, a voice from the past calling us forward. Then we plunge into the wall of sound that is "Shake Me Like a Monkey." It's a wonderfully funky stew - with Stefan's meaty, thumping bass line punctuated by Rashawn Ross's crisp trumpet and spiced up by Dave's tasty, hilarious lyrics ("I like coffee with toast and jelly. But I'd rather be licking from your back to your belly.")
"Funny The Way It Is," the CD's first single, was a perfect opening song for the Fenway concert ("Lying in the park on a beautiful day. Sunshine in the grass, and the children play.") It's an agreeable little song that gets under your skin and doesn't let go. It has the same joyous, carefree energy of their 90's hit "Stay (Wasting Time)." I keep finding myself unconsciously humming it throughout the day.
"Lying In The Hands Of God" is just plain gorgeous. Dave's voice lazily drifts along... weaving in and around acoustic guitar, flute, clarinet, and an assortment of angelic voices. It is sublime surrender into the hands of Dave. Why resist?
"Why I Am" is, in my opinion, the album's stand out cut. Tim Reynolds' pulsing electric guitar gives it a ferocious, propulsive beat that sounds unlike anything DMB has done before (DMB `plugged'!!!) It's also the song that gives the album its name. "GrooGrux King" was one of Leroi's nicknames, and the song honors him in numerous ways. ("Still here dancing here with the GrooGrux King. We'll be drinking Big Whiskey while we dance and sing.") Much of the album was recorded in New Orleans - one of Leroi's favorite places - and this song would fit right in at a Mardi Gras celebration... as would "Alligator Pie," a song that Dave wrote for his daughter Stella. Evidently, he has included his other daughter's name (Grace) in songs several times, so Stella said, "Daddy, when you gonna put ME in a song?" This one's for you, Stella. It's driven by a frisky banjo and Carter Beauford's shufflin' beat - it could be the Cajun sibling to "Louisiana Bayou" from the last album "Stand Up." I can't wait to see what they do with this when they play it live. The crowd is going to go CRAZY.
Listen to "Seven" and see if you can figure out what makes it different from just about any song that you've every heard... It begins with electric guitar power chords that would make Aerosmith proud (thank you, Tim Reynolds!) and then it slips into something wonderfully strange. As Dave croons his suggestive lyrics about wishing that his boyhood innocence could have been informed by his adult wisdom ("I never knew what I do now"), notice that the song's odd rhythms are created with SEVEN beats to the measure. Not four. Not three. Seven! It gives the song a cool awkwardness that perfectly matches its subject matter. Just don't try to dance to it, because that missing `beat' will wreak havoc with your groove. It reminds me of The Pretender's classic "Tattooed Love Boys", which had seven beats to the measure every other measure.
I also LOVE the ominous crescendos of "Squirm," the beautiful, lilting "Baby Blue," and the plaintive wail in "Time Bomb" ("Baby when I get home, I wanna believe in Jesus. Hammer in the final nail, Help me pick up the pieces.") And be sure to wait for appx. 40 seconds after the final song, "You & Me," is over to hear a final little ditty by Leroi.
The bottom line? A great album, a fitting tribute to Leroi, and a huge sigh of relief for DMB fans everywhere, knowing that Dave and the boys did NOT break up but instead are now making some of the best music of their prolific careers. Why I am? It's why they are. We all get to dance with the GrooGrux King!
- Boyd Tinsley
"He [Leroi Moore] would always say, `Take it to the next level.' That's what we've done here. We've taken it to the next level."
- Dave Matthews
"It was time to unleash the tiger."
- Carter Beauford
----
The first time I heard songs from "Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King" was at the May 29 show at Fenway Park. Listening to live versions of songs like "Seven," "Why I Am," "Squirm," and "Time Bomb" immediately had me and my friends thinking "Whoah... this album is different. This album is going to be GOOOOOD!"
And it is. It's REAL good. I've been listening to the CD for a solid week, and I can say that it is, by far, DMB's best album in over a decade. They haven't played with this level of passion and tenacity since their back-to-back classics "Crash" and "Before These Crowded Streets" from the late 90s.
It's not hard to figure out where the intensity comes from. In 2008, DMB experienced a serious double whammy. First, they nearly broke up due to interpersonal struggles, "toxic" energy, and a lack of leadership (according to Dave). This was followed by the tragic death of founding member and horn-player extraordinaire Leroi Moore.
The result? A massive reboot of purpose and energy. With the help of Green Day producer Rob Cavallo, the Dave Matthews Band has once again found their "A" game. "Big Whiskey" is the sound of a band that is NOT mailing it in... instead, they sound like musicians that are psyched to play together and ready to go for it (to "unleash the tiger," as Carter says in the DVD documentary.)
The opening notes of the CD is a sublime Leroi solo, a voice from the past calling us forward. Then we plunge into the wall of sound that is "Shake Me Like a Monkey." It's a wonderfully funky stew - with Stefan's meaty, thumping bass line punctuated by Rashawn Ross's crisp trumpet and spiced up by Dave's tasty, hilarious lyrics ("I like coffee with toast and jelly. But I'd rather be licking from your back to your belly.")
"Funny The Way It Is," the CD's first single, was a perfect opening song for the Fenway concert ("Lying in the park on a beautiful day. Sunshine in the grass, and the children play.") It's an agreeable little song that gets under your skin and doesn't let go. It has the same joyous, carefree energy of their 90's hit "Stay (Wasting Time)." I keep finding myself unconsciously humming it throughout the day.
"Lying In The Hands Of God" is just plain gorgeous. Dave's voice lazily drifts along... weaving in and around acoustic guitar, flute, clarinet, and an assortment of angelic voices. It is sublime surrender into the hands of Dave. Why resist?
"Why I Am" is, in my opinion, the album's stand out cut. Tim Reynolds' pulsing electric guitar gives it a ferocious, propulsive beat that sounds unlike anything DMB has done before (DMB `plugged'!!!) It's also the song that gives the album its name. "GrooGrux King" was one of Leroi's nicknames, and the song honors him in numerous ways. ("Still here dancing here with the GrooGrux King. We'll be drinking Big Whiskey while we dance and sing.") Much of the album was recorded in New Orleans - one of Leroi's favorite places - and this song would fit right in at a Mardi Gras celebration... as would "Alligator Pie," a song that Dave wrote for his daughter Stella. Evidently, he has included his other daughter's name (Grace) in songs several times, so Stella said, "Daddy, when you gonna put ME in a song?" This one's for you, Stella. It's driven by a frisky banjo and Carter Beauford's shufflin' beat - it could be the Cajun sibling to "Louisiana Bayou" from the last album "Stand Up." I can't wait to see what they do with this when they play it live. The crowd is going to go CRAZY.
Listen to "Seven" and see if you can figure out what makes it different from just about any song that you've every heard... It begins with electric guitar power chords that would make Aerosmith proud (thank you, Tim Reynolds!) and then it slips into something wonderfully strange. As Dave croons his suggestive lyrics about wishing that his boyhood innocence could have been informed by his adult wisdom ("I never knew what I do now"), notice that the song's odd rhythms are created with SEVEN beats to the measure. Not four. Not three. Seven! It gives the song a cool awkwardness that perfectly matches its subject matter. Just don't try to dance to it, because that missing `beat' will wreak havoc with your groove. It reminds me of The Pretender's classic "Tattooed Love Boys", which had seven beats to the measure every other measure.
I also LOVE the ominous crescendos of "Squirm," the beautiful, lilting "Baby Blue," and the plaintive wail in "Time Bomb" ("Baby when I get home, I wanna believe in Jesus. Hammer in the final nail, Help me pick up the pieces.") And be sure to wait for appx. 40 seconds after the final song, "You & Me," is over to hear a final little ditty by Leroi.
The bottom line? A great album, a fitting tribute to Leroi, and a huge sigh of relief for DMB fans everywhere, knowing that Dave and the boys did NOT break up but instead are now making some of the best music of their prolific careers. Why I am? It's why they are. We all get to dance with the GrooGrux King!
29 of 29 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
I bought the Deluxe edition with the "Making of Big Whiskey" DVD. I wanted to share what's on the DVD since it's not specified on Amazon. That way, you can make your own determination whether you want to pay extra for it:
Runtime - 29:17
Packaging - Trifold with artwork on all panels. CD in one panel, lyrics and liner notes booklet in middle panel and DVD in last panel.
Contents - Behind the scenes look at the making of the album. Consists mostly of interviews with all bandmates, producer and session musicians interspersed with snippets of the recording sessions at different studios around the country. There are no full-length videos of complete songs. You get the gist of how the album was put together, but it's not a completely linear narrative, more like snapshots.
About 17 minutes in, the DVD becomes a tribute to late bandmate Leroi Moore. Some of the bandmates' remembrances are very touching. There are also some interesting tidbits, like Dave Matthews drew the cover artwork and the GrooGrux King bears a slight resemblance to Moore.
Altogether, it was enjoyable viewing, especially for someone like me who doesn't always read the fine print in the liner notes. However, I doubt I will be viewing it over and over like a performance video.
Runtime - 29:17
Packaging - Trifold with artwork on all panels. CD in one panel, lyrics and liner notes booklet in middle panel and DVD in last panel.
Contents - Behind the scenes look at the making of the album. Consists mostly of interviews with all bandmates, producer and session musicians interspersed with snippets of the recording sessions at different studios around the country. There are no full-length videos of complete songs. You get the gist of how the album was put together, but it's not a completely linear narrative, more like snapshots.
About 17 minutes in, the DVD becomes a tribute to late bandmate Leroi Moore. Some of the bandmates' remembrances are very touching. There are also some interesting tidbits, like Dave Matthews drew the cover artwork and the GrooGrux King bears a slight resemblance to Moore.
Altogether, it was enjoyable viewing, especially for someone like me who doesn't always read the fine print in the liner notes. However, I doubt I will be viewing it over and over like a performance video.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Man oh man
I've seen Dave Matthews acting on tv shows like house and even in some movies. I understand he owns a winery, which I'm sure is cool but this cd isnt his best. Read more
Published 24 days ago by Hugh Burns
Speedy Delivery
Item was delivered timely and just what i wanted! Dave Matthews Band big whiskey and the groogrux king vinyl was one of my boyfriends favorite Christmas presents.
Published 4 months ago by Brandi
Extremely Disappointing!
I'm a big DMB fan but I just can't find much good in this collection. It has a (precious) few moments but most of it is just plain BAD TO THE CORE!
Published 6 months ago by NJJ
Back to the Roots! Thank You!
This is one of those efforts as a fan you always hope will happen, but it rarely does. Thanks Dave and Co. to going back and doing what your fans love.
Published 6 months ago by R. Hillard
The Come Back album
This album is awesome. Perfect for summer, but it was great last winter and fall too. I wasn't crazy about Stand Up, but loved Live at Radio City Music Hall with Tim, and Grux is... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Kizmet
Great unique album!
I absolutely love this CD. It's a very different sound from Crash and The Space Between, but it's so upbeat and jazzy. Read more
Published 9 months ago by cascadingharmony
Their Best Album to Date
The entire band has came together with Rob Cavallo in order to produce this epic album. In my opinion this is their best album to date. Read more
Published 10 months ago by veclempt
Big Whiskey Review
This Deluxe edition is hands down a must have for the DMB fan. Awesome lithographs and extra CD with the 3 best songs ever written by Dave Matthews. Read more
Published 10 months ago by KELLY J PARE
DMB vinyl
The vinyl has great sound and fun album art. However I did NOT receive it ever. I ended up finding a local store.
Published 13 months ago by maymay228
Not much to add to other reviews
I'm not a longtime fan of DMB, only got into them in recent years, but to my ears this is their most immediate album with a sound that comes closest to their live sound. Read more
Published 15 months ago by JMC
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SoundUnwound - the personal music encyclopedia
Big Whiskey And the Groogrux King is Dave Matthews Band's eighth studio release.
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.
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