Ranking the Dave Matthews Band Albums

There aren't many bands I've been listening to longer than Dave Matthews Band. I was not a day-one convert, seeing as I was still quite young when they first made their way onto the scene. But I was there when "Crash" became a sleeper hit, so we're talking about at least twenty-five years of the band being a part of my life. So which albums have made the longest-lasting impression on me? Let's find out.

1. The Lillywhite Sessions*

I put an asterisk on this one, since it isn't actually an album. I really don't care that much about the technicalities, so I'm counting it. Of all the music Dave has made, none of it speaks to me the same way this collection of songs does. I know it was 'sad bastard' music they thought was too dark and miserable, but that's exactly why I love it. For those times when the world is grey before my eyes, not much else captures the mood like this album. It's a rare magnum opus that doesn't get celebrated, because it is in many ways still shunned.

2. Before These Crowded Streets

I remember buying this as soon as it came out, and I was struck by the weird tangents the band would take. The odd segues, the hypnotic drones, the genre-hopping ecclecticism. This record might not be the revelation it once was to me, but it's a rainbow of ideas that refract to illuminate an interesting journey. "Crush" remains one of my favorite songs, "Halloween" a thrilling blend of raw anger and gorgeous strings, and the second half of the record outweighs the first. I'm amazed by the patience I showed as a youth for this difficult record.

3. Everyday

I know why so many people hate this album. They're not wrong about how wildly different it is. That said, the shorter, more concise, and more electric songs work well for me. I like hearing Dave fully focused for once on writing songs, without the band's immense talent there in the background to bail him out when the composition is a bit weak. Yes, it's DMB gone pop, you could say, but Dave pulled it off far better than I would have thought he could. I think if "So Right" had an extended jam, it could easily have been a highlight on the "Crash" album. I still listen to this one quite often.

4. Away From The World

What I consider the band's 'comeback' after a bit of a lull, this marks the band at their quietest and most introspective. Sure, we get "Belly Belly" as one of the most upbeat, catchiest songs in the catalog, but most of the record is content to brood and smolder. In the quiet, there are lovely little melodies to be found, as Dave's guitar sits more in the forefront than at any time since the debut. I wasn't sure they still had it in them.

5. Under The Table & Dreaming

A classic for a reason. Of course the big hits are great, even if some of the lyrics are truly awful. What makes this record work so well, though, is the sense of atmosphere. There isn't any unnecessary polish thrown on the mix, just the band playing as if you're listening to them in the room. You can't go wrong with "The Best Of What's Around" and "Satellite" as slightly deep cuts.

6. Crash

An album of extremes. This one offers up a couple of the band's greatest songs in "Two Step" and "#41", that alone would make it a winner. "So Much To Say" and "Too Much" are fun, albeit dumb. The good is tempered by the not-so-good, where Dave falls into his penchant for meandering on a slow groove for too long. A few of the longer tracks could easily cut some time, or pump up the melodies. It's a perfect album for a single's band, which DMB never was.

7. Busted Stuff

I like "Busted Stuff", I really do. The problem is that it's mostly a re-hashing of "The Lillywhite Sessions", and I like this version less in every repsect. The extra polish and happier attitude? Not as good as the misery. The new songs? Not as good as "JTR" and "Sweet Up & Down". I could go on, but that makes the point. It's a good album that unfortunately has to live in the shadow of a better version of itself.

8. Big Whiskey & The Groogrux King

This middle era of the band's career is weird. They started trying to rock harder, which was not at all what they were ever good at. This record is still solid. "Shake Me Like A Monkey" is a lot of fun, and "Lyin' In The Hands Of God" is a beautiful song. But then we get unlistenable claptrap like "Alligator Pie", and the record really loses me in the second half. I think they were trying to illustrate the fun of their live show, but it gets lots in the studio sheen.

9. Come Tomorrow

The band's second rather brooding album, age doesn't sound as good this time around as it did on "Away From The World". The songs just sound smaller than they used to in the past, whether that's a function of the writing, or if the band doesn't have the energy anymore in the studio. Regardless, when the most memorable thing about an album is the cover art, we're in for a bit of a disappointment. There is still enough here to make it a devent listen, but it gives me concern about the band's future.

10. Stand Up

The one DMB record I will flat-out call bad. I never have, and never will, quite get what they were doing with this one. To me, this sounds like "Everyday" does to most other people. It sounds contrived, flimsy, and devoid of anything that sounds like DMB. I won't say more, because I've never thought enough about the record to have a deep, philosophical take on why I don't like it.