{"id":47795,"date":"2016-05-23T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2016-05-23T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/features\/these-crimes-between-us\/"},"modified":"2026-07-04T11:20:22","modified_gmt":"2026-07-04T11:20:22","slug":"these-crimes-between-us","status":"publish","type":"feature","link":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/features\/these-crimes-between-us\/","title":{"rendered":"These Crimes Between Us"},"content":{"rendered":"

Like every great \u201cjam band\u201d in history, the Dave Matthews Band tends to elicit all-or-nothing responses. There are few bands that could get away with releasing more double-disc live shows than they have studio albums and still be loved by their core audience. But classifying DMB as alternative, or a jam band, or any other label is disingenuous because it dilutes their appeal and reduces the complexity and power of their music. The elements of folk, pop, jazz, and funk blend with the acoustic guitar to make a unique stew; little else in popular music sounds like the DMB. Moreover, the band brings an energy and interplay to its live shows that make each one an experience; you really can\u2019t go wrong with any of the myriad live releases if you can\u2019t get to a show. The band hit a skid in the early part of the 2000s, but the death of saxophonist Leroi Moore reinvigorated the guys in 2008 and their last two albums have been quite good. <\/p>\n

As we look ahead to a new disc in 2016, if Matthews\u2019 comments are any indication, let us reflect back on the band\u2019s first eight albums, ranked from worst to best. Note that this only covers studio albums, so the band\u2019s 12 <\/i>official live albums, including 1993\u2019s Remember Two Things<\/i>, are not discussed here.<\/p>\n

\"davematthews_standup\"<\/a> 8. Stand Up<\/i> (2005)<\/b><\/p>\n

Widely considered the nadir of the band\u2019s output, this shows a directionless, pristine band that sounds kind of like the DMB without the soul. A combination of uninspired songwriting and the sidelining of the violin and sax \u2013 essential parts of the band\u2019s sound \u2013 makes this a sort-of follow-up to Matthews\u2019 2003 solo disc Some Devil<\/i>. For a while, the guys could bring the warmth and intricacy of their stage performances to their studio records, but after Before These Crowded Streets <\/i>they seemed to have lost that ability; at few moments does Stand Up <\/i>hint at what this band is capable of as songwriters and as a cohesive unit. That said, there are a few underrated gems like \u201cLouisiana Bayou,\u201d \u201cHunger For The Great Light,\u201d the sorta-hit \u201cAmerican Baby,\u201d and a handful of love ballads that continue the current started with 1994\u2019s \u201cLover Lay Down.\u201d <\/p>\n

7. Busted Stuff<\/i> (2002)\"davematthews_busted\"<\/a> <\/b><\/p>\n

Essentially, these are the re-recorded versions of the songs started in 2000 with producer Steve Lillywhite, which the band scrapped to work on Everyday<\/i>. Jason Warburg\u2019s review of the album on our DMB page goes into some more detail about this, but his central point holds that the band \u2013 Matthews in particular \u2013 seems somewhat disengaged, revisiting these songs more out of obligation than a personal artistic connection. Certainly, \u201cGrey Street,\u201d \u201cBartender,\u201d and \u201cRaven\u201d are career-standout tracks and in any fan\u2019s Top 10 list of post \u201990s DMB songs, but the bulk of the album is little more than solid, and given what these guys were capable of, there\u2019s just something missing here.<\/p>\n

\"davematthews_away_150\"<\/a> 6. Away From The World<\/i> (2012)<\/b><\/p>\n

A casual, understated, comfortable album is not exactly something DMB fans salivate over, but Away From The World <\/i>manages to be deceptively simple and naggingly good. It\u2019s not an album that scales heights, but it\u2019s also not an album that needs to in order to work. The songs are mellow but richly detailed, mixing solo Matthews with those spine-tingling moments where the full band (including studio musicians taking over for Leroi Moore) can still work their way into your soul. It\u2019s one of the least-sounding DMB albums ever \u2013 something haters can\u2019t find anything to hate on, and one that newcomers may enjoy before digging deeper \u2013 but longtime fans will see their reflections in \u201cThe Riff,\u201d \u201cBroken Things,\u201d \u201cGaucho,\u201d and the lovely \u201cIf Only.\u201d <\/p>\n

5. Everyday<\/i> (2001)\"davematthews_everyday\"<\/a> <\/b><\/p>\n

Essentially, this is where the DMB reinvented itself on record to start their next decade of performing, and it\u2019s more or less the template every album has followed since. But the original remains fresh and entertaining, if different from what fans were used to at that point. As said earlier, the band stepped away from their songs recorded with Steve Lillywhite to find a new producer and pursue a new direction. The result was shorter, tighter songs with almost none of the improvisation and extended instrumental sections from those first three albums. Many of the songs are electric \u2013 \u201cI Did It\u201d is the hardest the group has rocked since \u201cToo Much\u201d \u2013 and the first half of the album zips by in a blur of creativity and energy. From the unsettling \u201cWhat You Are\u201d to the pop sheen of \u201cThe Space Between\u201d to the Latin infusion of \u201cMother Father,\u201d featuring a guest spot from Carlos Santana, the change of scenery and songwriting approach revitalized a band that wasn\u2019t quite sure where to go after Before These Crowded Streets<\/i>. It turned out to be an anomaly, and it\u2019s an individual album in the DMB discography worth seeking out. \u00a0<\/p>\n

\"davematthews_before\"<\/a> 4. Before These Crowded Streets<\/i> (1998)<\/b><\/p>\n

The trend toward established alt-rock bands in the late \u201990s was toward louder, longer, and looser songs. Oasis did it, the Verve did it, Live did it, Radiohead did it and the DMB did it as well\u2026 only, in their case, it wasn\u2019t wholly unexpected, as Before These Crowded Streets <\/i>is more indicative of the band\u2019s sprawling live show than any other album. Seven of the 11 songs are seven minutes or more, with the others above five minutes, all with extended introductions, outros and\/or instrumental breaks. Given the band\u2019s propensity to jam on stage and allow all the members to shine as a collective, it\u2019s the one that most captures this spirit of adventure, but it is expectedly messy and meandering, an album that clearly represents an end of sorts to this particular sound (at least, on record). The downside is that there aren\u2019t a lot of hooks; it\u2019s the kind of album that pleases fans but may be a head-scratcher to others who aren\u2019t swept up in the moment, especially on songs like \u201cRapunzel,\u201d \u201cThe Stone,\u201d and \u201cHalloween.\u201d Still, \u201cStay (Wasting Time),\u201d \u201cCrush,\u201d and \u201cDon\u2019t Drink The Water\u201d are mellow and lovely, and \u201cThe Last Stop\u201d is a dramatic Middle Eastern-influenced song about religious fundamentalism, with some great emoting from Matthews (particularly the line \u201cNailing good to a tree \/ Then saying forgive me,\u201d followed by an anguished howl). It, along with \u201cThe Dreaming Tree,\u201d may be two of the most underrated tracks in the DMB canon. Still, by the end, the album is just a little too much of a good thing.<\/p>\n

3. Big Whiskey And The Groo Grux King<\/i> (2009)\"davematthewsband_groo_150\"<\/a> <\/b><\/p>\n

Not only the best DMB album since 2001\u2019s Everyday <\/i>but their best outside of the first two classics, Big Whiskey <\/i>is a tribute to Leroi Moore in sound and spirit, and the band rises to the occasion, shaking off the doldrums to turn out an energetic, compact, adventurous set of songs. A revitalized DMB on record is a welcome sound indeed, and the band weaves through the horn-laden rave-up \u201cShake Me Like A Monkey,\u201d the pensive \u201cFunny The Way It Is,\u201d the thoughtful pop of \u201cWhy I Am,\u201d and the unsettling menace of \u201cSquirm\u201d like they have something to prove. The new-look DMB also moves away from the long jams (only one song drifts over five minutes), retaining the spirit of Everyday<\/i> but infusing with a maturity and melancholy not available eight years prior. Starting a family and losing a best friend will do that to you. And if the album loses focus and hooks in the last few songs, it all comes together on the effortlessly lovely acoustic ballad \u201cYou And Me,\u201d which is nominally a love song but could be read as a tribute or elegy to a friend. Great stuff.<\/p>\n

\"davematthews_crash\"<\/a> 2. Crash<\/i> (1996)<\/b><\/p>\n

Although Under The Table And Dreaming <\/i>is the better album, the opening four songs of Crash <\/i>are the best opening sequence on any DMB album\u2026 hell, maybe on pretty much any album from 1996. This is the disc that broke the band through to a larger audience, especially on college campuses, based mostly on the strength of those opening four songs. The tricky acoustic guitars, sax fills, and upfront rhythmic drumming of \u201cSo Much To Say\u201d aptly sums up the band\u2019s mission statement, while \u201cCrash\u201d is a sly and fairly dirty ballad (the first of many Matthews would write, that horny bastard), and \u201cToo Much\u201d is flat out rock and roll, with both the guitars and the horns attempting to be the lead instrument. The real accomplishment is \u201cTwo Step,\u201d with the most dramatic and hypnotic introduction of any DMB song ever and the inspired choice to actually record a serious two-step; seriously, I don\u2019t know how Carter Beauford keeps that beat so well, but the song is utterly fantastic, especially in the transition from the chorus back to the verse and Matthews\u2019 plaintive \u201cThings we cannot change,\u201d which gets more urgent on each go-round. The band\u2019s jam sensibilities then kick on longer songs that are no less arresting, especially \u201c#41,\u201d the slight worldbeat of \u201cSay Goodbye,\u201d the energetic \u201cDrive In, Drive Out,\u201d the hopeful \u201cCry Freedom,\u201d and \u201cTripping Billies,\u201d which is slightly reworked from its original appearance on 1993\u2019s live Remember Two Things. <\/i>The only real dud is \u201cProudest Monkey,\u201d which meanders along for 10 minutes with no real point; live it would probably be cool, but on record it\u2019s kind of an annoying end to an otherwise great album.<\/p>\n

1. Under The Table And Dreaming<\/i> (1994)\"davematthews_under\"<\/a> <\/b><\/p>\n

One of the best albums of the decade. Nobody else sounded like the Dave Matthews Band when they arrived on the scene; they had elements of jam bands but brought equal measures of jazz, world music, pop, and a touch of funk\u2026 plus, they were a multicultural band that added sax and violin to the standard acoustic guitar\/drum\/bass format. All these years later, this album retains a signature sound, one that is alluring and inviting and hypnotic, and there is not one bad song on the entire disc (although \u201cPay For What You Get\u201d is remarkably dull, considering). Some went on to become radio hits, others live favorites, others fan favorites; the album track \u201cLover Lay Down\u201d was even used as the couple\u2019s song at a wedding I attended in 2008. Given how the band would play on stage, they showed an impressive self-control here, infusing the songs with what they need to work but not overdoing it, the way they would only a few years later on Before These Crowded Streets<\/i>, but with less economy than Everyday<\/i>. From \u201cWhat Would You Say\u201d to \u201cAnts Marching\u201d to \u201cWarehouse\u201d to \u201cTypical Situation,\u201d the songs are catchy, dramatic and deep, lush without being overbearing and wholly original. This album just gets better with age. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dave Matthews Band Albums Ranked Worst To Best<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":45,"featured_media":49341,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"feature_type":[32],"class_list":["post-47795","feature","type-feature","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","feature_type-feature"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/feature\/47795","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/feature"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/feature"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/45"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/49341"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47795"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"feature_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/feature_type?post=47795"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}