Product Description

CRASH makes good on the promise of the Dave Matthews Band'smajor-label debut, UNDER THE TABLE & DREAMING, by delivering more of the jazzy, funky folk-tinged rock that made that album a popular breakthrough. On CRASH, the spotlight is again on Matthews's literate, adventurous songwriting, which bears the influences of Afrobeat ("Say Goodbye"), Tropicalia ("Let You Down"), and music from the Balkans ("Two Step"). Matthews blends these diverse styles on a singer/songwriter palette with loose, appealing melodies and intricate, rhythmic guitar lines, making the songs on CRASH even better than those on its predecessor.
Much of the charm of Matthews's music comes from his band, with their unique (for modern rock)instrumentation (including violin and saxophone), meticulous arrangements, and notably superior musicianship. Another of the group's stylistic angles is 1970s funk, and the ensemble channels this influence overtly on the punchy, horn-driven "Too Much", and implicitly elsewhere (even the acoustic numbers seem to pop and snap intensely). With Matthews's associative lyrics and distinctive, sliding tenor over the top, all this adds up to an original and undeniably winning record.

Track Listing

1. So Much To Say
2. Two Steps
3. Crash Into Me
4. Too Much
5. No 41
6. Say Goodbye
7. Drive In Drive Out
8. Let You Down
9. Lie In Our Graves
10. Cry Freedom
11. Tripping Billies
12. Proudest Monkey

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #10057 in Music
• Released on: 2005-02-28
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Import

Amazon.co.uk Review
It's tempting to label the Dave Matthews Band as torchbearers of the Grateful Dead's moderate rock fusion and send them off on the next summer tour featuring either Blues Traveler or the Spin Doctors. But there is more at work here, particularly on the band's second major-label release. Crash pairs soothing sounds (flute, acoustic guitar, six-string bass) with a dark emotional undercurrent. The South African (by way of Virginia) frontman reveals a rare intensity on the title track and the free-form "41", while the group shows that it's not afraid to let loose on songs such as the stirring "Too Much". Producer Steve Lillywhite adds an impressive sheen to the recordings. --Aidin Vaziri

Customer Reviews

A modern classic
This is a great Dave Matthews Band album. It was the second that Lillywhite produced (which are generally considered the better DMB albums), and the production is beautiful, particularly on '#41', which is a masterpiece, and in my opinion the best studio track by DMB. The first half of the album is brilliant, with great songwriting on tracks such as 'Crash Into Me', 'So Much To Say' and 'Say Goodbye'. The second half isn't as good, but still head and shoulders above a lot of modern music.
Recommended tracks - 'So Much To Say' and '#41'.

Amazing album
I'm not sure what more you could ask for from a band. Dave Matthews is one of the few remaining "real" musicians. Wathcing him in concert is a treat. This album is one of their best and the one that put them at the top of the charts in the States. If you like this album you should also check into DMB's newest album "Stand Up" and "Live at Luther College."
Soothing a speaks to the heart. A must buy!

A remarkable achievement for Dave Matthews and Co
DMB is probably the only contemporary band that would currently make it to my top five list, so I find it hard not feel irritated by the fact that they're virtually unknown in this country (despite having a healthy fanbase in the US). For anyone wanting to give them a try, this is the album I'd definitly recommend - an unpretentious masterpiece of very listenable and moving tunes that really define the soft-rock-meets-jazz dimensions that make DMB so outstanding.

The track from which the album title is derived, 'Crash into Me', is by far the most beautiful, a soothing tune with surprisingly poetic lyrics, considering the subject matter of the song, followed immediately by the enjoyably dynamic 'Too Much'. 'Lie in our graves', in spite of its title, is a powerful and uplifting celebration of life that instantly demands to be a classic, while the final track, a lovely little ballad called 'Proudest Monkey', provides just the perfect note to close upon. Many of these tunes are pleasantly catchy, and the kind of songs you could easily catch yourself whistling to.

Right from the beautiful album cover down to the brilliant listing of quality tracks, this is an album that DMB should be proud of, and no CD collection is complete without it.