This one's for Roi
P. M. Gunther | 06/06/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"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."
Must for ANY DMB fan!
J. Davis | Woodbridge, VA USA | 06/05/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"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."
Track Listings (13) - Disc #1