Somebody's Broken Heart Become Your Favorite Song

After four albums that didn’t stray very far from their signature sound all produced by Steve Lillywhite (for the sake of this argument, I am including The Lillywhite Session, which would later become Busted Stuff, in this group), this decade, the Dave Matthews Band has teamed up with a new producer for each new album leading to a deviation in their sound. In 2001 they brought in Glen Ballard for Everyday that was very pop oriented. For 2005’s Stand Up they teamed up with Dr. Dre collaborator Mark Batson for a funkier album. For their last studio album of the decade (presumably) Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King, they signed up Rob Cavallo, best known for his work with Green Day, as producer leading to some of the heavier work that band has done since Halloween.

But the biggest change for the band since their last album was the death of founding member LeRoi Moore who died during pre-production. Moore opens the album that is named after him but it is unsure on which other tracks where he plays or if it is his stand in on the saxophone Jeff Coffin of Béla Fleck and the Flecktones. Also joining the band on the album for the first time Rashawn Ross on, who has been touring with the band in recent years, trumpet and for the first time since Before These Crowded longtime collaborator Tim Reynolds adds some electric guitar.

Aside from the extra rock vibe Cavallo brought, recording the album in New Orleans definitely brings out some Cajun flavor in which you can spot before you even press play just by looking at the cover of the album. But that still holds true as the opening with Moore’s sax highlighted with just some drums to accompany it on Grux. As the gut of the album starts with Shake Me Like a Monkey, Rosson’s brass extends that vibe, but it is Cavallo that gets Carter Beauford to bang on his drums maybe harder than he ever has and Matthews gruff voice that makes the track into a rock song.

In what seems to be a tradition for every album, there in another song where Matthews likes to get his freak on and this album Matthews gets over affectionate on Spaceman (certainly not to be confused by the recent The Killers song as DMB’s title character is just trying to get laid). Other highlights on the album and the epic Squirm, a song that just screams to be heard done by the band live. Then there is Alligator Pie that sounds like a leftover from Stand Up, but still is better than most songs on that set and is Matthews at his best incoherent. And it isn’t all rock, Baby Blue may be the sweetest song the band ever recorded.

Though we don’t know the extent of Moore’s involvement in the album, his presence is felt throughout the album. Matthews claims he is still dancing with the GrooGrux King and will see in heaven or hell when his time is up on Why I Am. And it could be deduce that the line from Funny the Way it Is, “Somebody’s heart is broken and it becomes your favorite song” is about Matthews and his fans when it comes to this album. While You & Me is a fitting end to the album that is in full that was a tribute to their fellow comrade.

Song to Download - Spaceman

Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King gets a on my Terror Alert Scale.