Dave Matthews Band: Busted Stuff

by Laura Tulchin, MHS 2004

(October 3, 2002) For those who were too absorbed in summer activities to notice the new Dave Matthews Band CD, it's time to pay attention. Labeled Busted Stuff, it was released July 16th. In its first week, the CD claimed the number one spot on the billboard charts, selling a remarkable 621,000 copies, even though most of the songs had already hit the internet.

The Dave Matthews Band goes back to 1991 in Charlottesville, Virginia, when Dave Matthews decided to record some songs he had written. Instead of going solo, Dave brought in drummer Carter Beauford and saxophonist LeRoi Moore. Sixteen-year-old Stefan Lessard came on board with his bass. Boyd Tinsley, who gives Dave albums much of their explosive quality with his remarkable electric violin, joined as well.

The group started as any band does - playing small gigs and clubs. Soon, the band's fan base was increasing at an unprecedented rate. By November 1993, the band released its first album, Remember Two Things, on an independent label. Remember went on to certified gold - no small feat for an
independent album. Soon after that success, the band signed with RCA and by September 1994 released Under The Table and Dreaming - another instant
success. The rest is history.

Their latest offering, Busted Stuff is a collection of previously written and recorded songs with a couple of new tracks. Nine out of the eleven songs had been previously recorded on the band's old record label. Though the group broke from the label before the CD was released, the songs found their way onto the internet where they were known as the Lilywhite Sessions. The band took these songs, perfected them, and rerecorded them onto the new CD.

Busted Stuff is a departure for the group, being their first album without any guest appearances. The first single released, Where Are You Going,
gained instant success, partly due to the publicity it received being on the soundtrack of the summer movie Mr. Deeds. It was the most frequently played song on their summer tour, followed by two songs sure to be hits, Grey Street and You Never Know. Interestingly enough, the title track of the CD was never played on the summer tour.

The album is by far the group's most simplified CD. It features only 11 songs, but each one seems tuned to perfection. Most of the tracks are soft and quiet and lack the powerful melodies of earlier collections.

The consensus among reviewers is that this is the band's most graceful album yet. Critics say the band is swaying too close to "pop" with their soft and lengthy melodies. But the fans say Dave has reached a new level of musicianship.

Laura Tulchin in a Sophomore at Mamaroneck High School and a music reviewer with the school newspaper, The Globe.

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