Chill out DMB Fans!

Of course I pre-ordered the Dave Matthews Band CD Stand Up. In fact I had it delivered to my grandparents' house in Florida last Tuesday and since I had a 20 hour trip back to IL, I've listened to it beginning to end about a dozen times now. So here are some thoughts... 1. DMB fans need to chill out! I haven't exactly heard any complaining yet, but after one listen, I knew that it wouldn't be long before the long-time fans start complaining that it doesn't sound like the DMB that they like. Here's the deal...all of us change, grow, experiment, etc. GET OFF THEIR BACKS! This album sounds different than anything else they've done because as individuals, they aren't the same people that they were in 1993 when they released Remember Two Things. I'm not trying to convince you to like something that you may not like, but let's stop throwing words around like "sell-outs," and recognize that more important to DMB than pleasing you was to please themselves and do something that they could live with. 2. After watching the DVD on the other side of the Dual-Disc (which is a cool format -- I also have John Mayer's Heavy Things in the Dual-Disc format), the word that I have for this album is TRUE. Here's what I mean: in literature there are all kinds of literary rules that one may or may not follow that are kind of the techinical aspects of a work. But, some of the greatest works of all time don't follow the rules. Instead you hear critics speak of a work being "true" in that it is consistent with reality/the author's experience/etc. I think this CD is "true" in the sense that it genuinely reflects who the DMB is. Take or or leave it -- you don't have to buy their CD's or go to the concerts! Personally, I believe this may be the "truest" CD they have released in a while. Everyday seemed like Glen Ballard made them into something that they weren't, but I think Busted Stuff was back in the opposite direction as a way to appease the fans. 3. If this disc wasn't a DMB dics, I would still listen to it...it's a great summer, windows down kind of CD, that isn't at all morose like Dave's Solo disc Some Devil. I'd bet that a lot of the songs on Stand Up, when done in concert without being so processed will be a party! Seriously, one of the things that I love about DMB is the diversity. There are days that I feel like Some Devil, but there are also days that I feel like Stand Up. PS...if you want a really fair review (in my opinion), check out this RollingStone review.