A highly anticipated new CD by the Dave Matthews Band, Busted Stuff, was the next studio release after the disappointment of Everyday to fans. People felt that the CD Everyday was not the Dave Matthews Band, but an album by Dave Matthews and Glen Ballard (the new producer). Dave Matthews Band had to scrap a nearly finished album produced by Steve Lillywhite because of the depression and lack of upbeat music. So, in order to produce a better album, the Dave Matthews Band was forced to drop long time friend, Lillywhite, who had produced Under the Table and Dreaming, Crash, and Before These Crowded Streets.

Glen Ballard is responsible for being able to produce media wave music, and such artists like Alanis Morissette who had worked with the band before. In order to release Everyday, they had come up with 9 songs in a very short period of time, leaving no room for jams and making organized music. If anyone is familiar with the older albums, you'll know that they are respected for their long jams and spontaneous-ness. Those are the characteristics that make so many fans flock to their concerts whenever they can.

The cult following of the Dave Matthews Band had begun to loose there faith until the studio sessions with Lillywhite was leaked widely across the internet. They started titling the CD, the Lillywhite Sessions, or the Summer So Far (which I just learned, I never heard it until the Rolling Stones Cover on them.) The Lillywhite Sessions were preferred to Everyday, and even I agreed although I felt that Everyday was not a complete loss.

Luckily, on the new album, Busted Stuff, the Dave Matthews Band Re-Recorded nine out of the 12 songs from the Lillywhite Sessions. The words are almost unaltered except for a few phrases, which in most cases just improved the songs. The problems with the Lillywhite Sessions, which were recognized in the remaking, were that Dave was hardly understandable and although the songs were great, they had a sadness about them.

Around the time of that album, 2000, Matthews was drinking heavily and most every song was written with drunken woes. It was very difficult to understand what he was singing, especially in Raven. It's near impossible to decode.

On Busted Stuff, you can tell that the vocals for Dave are made louder and the music is lower but you can definitely hear the lack or sadness encountered in the Lillywhite Sessions. There are still the depressed songs on there, but it does not sound like a drunken person singing it. It sounds more like a wise person reflecting on his problems.

Such songs from the Lillywhite Sessions like JTR, Sweet Up and Down, Monkey Man, and the Kit Kat Jam was turned into a jam session instead of a song as to prove their still jamming roots. Replaced for those songs, are Where Are You Going and You Never Know. Both notable songs, and Where Are You is featured in the movie, "Mr. Deeds", with Adam Sandler and Wynona Ryder.

Many are happy with the new release but also disappointed with the lack of JTR and Sweet Up and Down, but hey, beggars can't be choosers. It was the shortest time to make an album the Dave Matthews Band had ever encountered. Something like 6 weeks and the CD was ready to be sold.

So here is the new studio album for Dave Matthews Band, Busted Stuff, not as good as the Lillywhite Album, but sticking to the "True Dave Matthews Band."

Busted Stuff – This is the title song for the CD. It is a song that seems to be about Dave having his heart broken by a girl who leaves him. I think that he is referring to his ex-girlfriend, Julie Grey, who he asked to marry him 3 or 4 times and always receiving a negative answer. This seemed to be part of his depression in 2000 and he expressed it. Now he has his wife Ashley and two baby girls Stella Busina and Grace Anne and hopefully he no longer reminisces about her.

Grey Street - After having a conversation about this song with a friend about the meaning of the song, we noted the fact that the way he spells gray. Grey, possibly referring to Julie Grey and his very “gray” relationship with her. This is one of a few songs that I really like on this CD although I feel that the Lillywhite version is better.

Where Are You Going- The first radio release, which is a very good song. It’s a short song but with a good feel to it. It seems as though it’s another breakup song and that even though he wants to be, he can’t be everything she needs him to be.

You Never Know- It is among one of the interesting songs on the CD. Basically, as the title says, you never know what is going to happen. Jesus might just pop down to say hello kind of thing, was the impression I got. Dave admires Jesus, not that he is a religion freak, but he feels that what happened to him was unfair and he respects what he did and what he brought.

Captain - A song recognizing that Matthews is the one who controls him and he is the only one to control him. It is a feeling of also being an unreliable captain because of his depression and not being able to make correct decisions. “Strange, but it seems, there’s a mutiny brewing inside of me.” He doubts himself.

Raven - A very intellectual song, although this one is a great song for debate. It is very difficult to decipher if this song is full of metaphors or is to be taken literally. I think that it is mostly metaphor but the message is straight forward. A father is talking to a son, about the son having the world and to take care of it, because it’s the only one. I’m not sure who the father figure would represent, but I think that in a sense that the population of the world is the son and that we have to take care of our world. In the song, it seems that son shoots the father, maybe meaning we disobey and take the earth for granted. It is a reflection of the Dave Matthews Band’s concern for the world. A very wonderful song.

Grace is Gone - This is my second favorite song on the album. This one is most definitely referring to Julie Grey. It is a bar scene at 2:00 in the morning and Dave is telling the bartender just one drink because I want to remember this and then be able to forget it. This song is moving because you can feel his sadness and really picture him doing all that described. I’m sure he has been in a bar once or twice doing exactly that.

Kit Kat Jam - Dave Matthews Band proves their jamming skills once more by cutting the lyrics to the song and just painting music with their instruments. Not going all out makes it seem a little effortless but a good try nonetheless.

Digging A Ditch - A song about digging your own grave and how all of the depression, noise, and sadness will be gone and all will be better. Matthews says to turn off all of your distractions and continue digging your grave, which means that you all know you are getting closer to death. Although it seems like a morbid song, it just shows that Dave wants relief from all of his sadness.

Big Eyed Fish - is a song about how we can’t have outrageous dreams. He uses three examples, referring back to one of his older songs on the CD Crash, Proudest Monkey. The monkey, the man, and the big eyed fish. The monkey wanted to be like a man, but now that he went into the city, he has lost everything and is homeless in the street. The man held his breath thinking he no longer needed to breathe to live, and while still not persuaded by his friends, the man died from not breathing. The fish was bored with the lifestyle of swimming and wanted to be a bird, a huge wave threw him into the air but when he landed he was beached and died. It is more of a wake up call saying, stay within your limits or you’re asking for death. It is an insightful song.

AND

Bartender - By far the best song in my opinion is Bartender. Dave Matthews also feels that it is one of the greatest songs he has ever written. To me, this has one of those old classic feels, possible comparable to Stairway to Heaven or Dream On. This song is the tear jerker for me in a sense that so much feeling is wrapped around the song and Matthews had poured his heart in it for all to see. This song seems like a death march because Carter Beauford on the drums is playing snare rolls mostly throughout the song. After Dave sings his proclamations, the song jumps into a jam that is 2 to 3 minutes long. On the Lillywhite CD, the original jam was easily 5 or 6 minutes long. Now the jam is shorter, but still quality.

This CD is great to listen to at any time. Sometimes I’ll fall asleep to the bands music, hang out with friends while listening to the music, or even just play it when I want to think and be by myself. This CD is really going to show a strong point in the band.

The added benefit about the CD is that it has Enhanced CD included. I was excited to buy it so I could get behind the scene info kind of stuff that you expect on DVD’s. All it was good for was downloading a CD Key to access a live broadcast on the internet of one of the concerts the band did. That has passed and no use has come out of the Enhanced CD as of yet. The other added benefit is this CD has a DVD as well. The disc for the DVD includes audio and visual. There are three songs that came from the concert in Boulder, Colorado. These songs include Bartender. Also there is a 5.1 Audio Mix of Bartender, which I have yet to find the difference on the actual CD, but it’s a interesting idea.

I really admire this CD, although I will pop in the Lillywhite before the Busted Stuff album. I think it was a good move on the bands part to release the songs because they knew how admired they were. RCA Records would have a problem if they chose not to let the band release this kind of work. As fans are reassured of their faith, the band is reassured of their talent, and I am reassured that the band has what it takes to take a few hits now and then.


Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Hanging With Friends