Big Whiskey And The GrooGrux King (Super Deluxe Edition) [BOX SET]

Dave Matthews Band

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 2, 2009)
• Original Release Date: June 2, 2009
• Number of Discs: 3
• Format: Box set
• Note on Boxed Sets: During shipping, discs in boxed sets occasionally become dislodged without damage. Please examine and play these discs. If you are not completely satisfied, we'll refund or replace your purchase.
• Label: Rca
• ASIN: B002736YUI
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #20,688 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

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

See all 13 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. #27

2. Beach Ball

3. Little Red Bird

4. Write A Song

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Big Whiskey And The GrooGrux King CD
Bonus CD (4 never before released tracks)
"Big Whiskey Documentary" DVD
16 page CD booklet
24 page saddle-stitched booklet (Tribute to LeRoi Moore)
40 page perfect-bound photo book
14 prints of drawings by Dave Matthews; one for each song
Everything packaged together in a special collector's box.

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."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This one's for Roi, June 5, 2009

By	P. M. Gunther - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Giving us their best album since Before These Crowded Streets, DMB has delivered a complete record that works on every level. I hesitate to call it their best, but it really is close. It's better than anything they've done in a decade by a long shot, and is on par with the excellent work from their revered first three albums. There is not a weak one in the bunch. Every time I listen to it I get a new favorite. From the opening notes of Roi's sax on "Grux" that segues into the great rocker "Shake Me Like a Monkey" through, well, the whole album, everything works. Personal favorites (aside from the aforementioned) are "Seven", "Squirm", "Dive In" and "Lying in the Hands of God." Part of the success of the album has got to go to Tim Reynolds. I just can't put it down as a coincidence that the four great albums the band have done were the four that included contributions by Tim.

As for this set, however, if you can afford the extra bucks, there are several goodies worth your while. First up is the bonus disc, with four songs: "#27", a frequent staple from recent live shows, this studio version captures the energy from the live performance well; "Beach Ball", a fun, bouncy little number, like its title; "Little Red Bird", an acoustic piece that would be well suited to a Dave and Tim show; and "Write A Song," a song that hasn't really grown on me yet (maybe there's an irony to the title?): about the only song between the album and the bonus disc I'm not too crazy about, but 16/17 is a pretty good ratio.

Next up is the "Scenes from Big Whiskey" DVD, a 30 minute making of DVD that is surprisingly candid about the problems the band had been having, Roi's death, and the inner workings on how the songs on the album were formed. I usually find myself disappointed with the DVDs that come with new albums these days, as they seem more like promotional fluff pieces for an album you've already bought, but this one isn't. This is actually worth taking a look at.

You also get a photo book titled simply "Roi." This is a very nice collection of great Roi pics on nice glossy pages. I especially liked the early pics of him performing on stage when the band was just beginning.

If that's not enough, you also get a very large book called "Grux Pix" that is another photo book of the entire band. Large in height and width, if not in thickness, running 36 pages, it collects pics of the band through the years, and includes some nice shots of the band in the studio working on the new album. A nice touch, I thought, was that not only did the "The Band" section include shots of Roi, but also Rashawn, Jeff and Tim.

Lastly, there is pretty much every page from the GrooGrux album booklet blown up to mammoth size (almost the same dimensions as the large "Groo Pix" book, actually, just not quite as wide) and available separately, but wrapped in a band to hold them together. There is also the album cover art on a plain white sheet, with the lines stenciled in but no color added. I guess in case you wanted to do your own coloring? Honestly not sure why this is in there.

The box itself is nice and sturdy. I was concerned that it might be flimsy, that it might get banged up during shipping. Not to worry. It came in perfect condition.

In this day and age, it can be hard justifying paying so much for an album. It certainly was for me. Of all the box sets I've been seeing artists putting out for new albums recently, however, I think this is one of the better ones. If you can afford it, I think it's worth it. If not, however, there is certainly nothing wrong with just getting the album.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must for ANY DMB fan!, June 5, 2009

By	J. Davis "MsPhoto70" (Woodbridge, VA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you are a die-hard DMB fan, like myself, then you must must must get the deluxe edition. In case you don't know, in addition to BWGK, it includes all the drawings Dave drew for each song, a collection of photographs (Grux pix), a booklet dedicated to LeRoi (RIP), the DVD Documentary AND a 4-song bonus disc. I debated over which one to get, and I'm very glad I went with this one.

As for the album, the guys have definitely hit a home run and LeRoi is smiling from above. There were a couple of surprising twists and unexpected beats on some of them, but all pleasant, I promise. There isn't a single song on this album that I do not like listening to. Favorites so far are: Grux, Shake Me Like A Monkey, Funny The Way It Is, Why I Am, Time Bomb and Seven. I'm sure this will grow. Their renewed passion for the music and for the band shines through on each and every song. The bonus disc songs are no disappointment either.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Reminder of the Memories for a Fan, June 5, 2009

By	Omar R. Elizondo - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I've been listening to the Dave Matthews Band since I was in 8th grade...now I'm working on my doctorate degree! I've seen them live many times and I've been loving the band through the great times (Before These Crowded Street, Lillywhite, etc) to the bad. This edition is a great reminder of how great this band is and has been! They have been a huge part of my life and everything in this edition is a reminder of their past, their future, and a heartfelt reminder of the lose of LeiRoi.