Dave Matthews Band
"Big Whiskey And The GrooGrux Kin"
© RCA/Bama|Rags/B>
March 24 - 30, 2024
Year of Release: 2022
Rating:
Grux
Shake Me Like A Monkey
Funny The Way It Is
Lying In The Hands Of God
Why I Am
Dive In
Spaceman
Squirm
Alligator Pie
Seven
Time Bomb
Baby Blue
You And Me
# 35
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The Dave Matthews Band returns this week with their 2009 release (and another #1 album to their credit), Big Whiskey
And The GrooGrux King.
Is it Jazz or Rock, on "Grux" ? Either, as it's just a short intro. However, "Shake Me Like A Monkey"
has the Rock overtones (maybe even Alternative Rock). It's a bit different sound from previous DMB songs. If you're
familiar with DMB's past albums, "Funny The Way It Is" has the sound that fans of DMB are used to. Likewise,
"Lying In The Hands Of God" is another familiar DMB sounding track, and a good one. "Why I Am" is definitely
a good rocking tune for DMB. Slowing things down a bit (and in a good way) is the next track, "Dive In." And, it
has a good sound, just as previous released DMB tracks. It also has a mystery sound towards it's ending.
"Spaceman" also has the past DMB sound, and updated for this album. "Squirm" has Matthews' vocal range
in the more higher range than usual in some parts. However, it's another updated sound for the album (Rock/Alternative),
as it has been over 15 years since DMB's existence. "Alligator Pie" is another good track, as it keeps updating
the DMB sound. "Seven" has the "different vocal range" you're familiar with, like in "Squirm." Again,
it's updating the DMB sound for 2009.
"Time Bomb" has a much calmer sound, and, is also another good track, and is better than most others, both
musically and vocally. (It sure kicks it up towards it's end, Alternative Rock style.) "Baby Blue" is another
calm sounding track, and has the familiar sound of DMB past. It's a calm sounding track, throughout. Just as "Baby
Blue," "You And Me" is another good track. A hidden (short) instrumental track is heard afterwards, "# 35"
and it has a more Jazz style. It's that horn that makes it Jazz.
The Dave Matthews Band updates their sound throughout Big Whiskey And The GrooGrux King. You can call this
album a Rock album, or even Alternative Rock. It's the Alternative Rock style heard in their songs here, where it catches
your attention, being more familiar with the band's earliest albums. Good songs throughout the album, as it would become
another #1 album for the band. Their next two studio albums would also reach #1 - Away From The World (2012) and
Come Tomorrow (2018). Their most recent studio album was released in 2023, Walk Around The Room>, which
reached as high as #5.
So, how did the title of this album come forth? From the
album's Wiki Page:
In an April 2009 interview with MTV, Dave Matthews and Carter Beauford described the origins of the two-pronged name of
the album.
Carter Beauford (druumer/percussionist) described the word "GrooGrux" as not only a nickname for LeRoi
Moore (former saxophone player for DMB, who passed away in 2008), but also a nickname for himself, Tim Reynolds (lead
guitarist), and former collaborator Tim Wicks. Beauford said the made-up word was used to describe the "vibe" and "energy"
of their "wild-sounding rhythms" they made when they started playing music together. Beauford also mentioned that Matthews,
bassist Stefan Lessard and violinist Boyd Tinsley were now graduates of "The GrooGrux Academy."
Matthews said the
origins of "Big Whiskey" came from a chance encounter with a local New Orleans drunk during a photo shoot for the new album.
When the band was shooting promotional photos outside of Preservation Hall in the French Quarter of New Orleans, they
encountered a local man playing harmonica who was asking tourists for money so he could buy "a big whiskey." Lessard gave
Matthews a $20 bill to hand the man, who walked off in celebration. Trumpet player Rashawn Ross then suggested the phrase
for the title of the album, which Matthews liked because people would not have to call the album by the more difficult to
say "GrooGrux".
Back in 2009, this is what the Dave Matthews Band's (updated) sound was like. If you enjoy their music, you'll enjoy
their latest album from that year.
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