Artiste: DAVE MATTHEWS BAND
Label: Warner Music
Rating: 4/5
Besides the songs, which can be considered Dave Matthews’ best till date, there’s one more thing that generates quite a lot of curiosity – the rather mysterious or incoherent name Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King. It seems, the word “GrooGrux” was not only a nickname for LeRoi Moore (who passed away due to an accident), but also a nickname for Dave, Tim Reynolds, and former collaborator Tim Wicks. The band had made up the word to describe the ‘vibe’ and energy of their wild rhythms which they made when they started playing together. In an interview, 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 where 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 ‘Big Whiskey’ which Matthews liked because people wouldn’t have to call the album by the more difficult to say “GrooGrux.” Hmmmm. Lets move to the tracks now.
Coming to the album, Big Whiskey is the first album by the band in four years – certainly a big moment for the Dave Matthews Band since the band had started the work on this album way back in March 2008, but work progressed slowly after the sudden death of founding member and Saxophone player Le Roi. This album is a must have for DMB fans – it doesn’t really take long to get hooked to the DMB tunes. Highlights are songs like the funky ‘Shake Me Like a Monkey’ with showering DMB scoops, the middle-eastern flavored ‘Squirm’ – an interesting experimental piece. Alligator Pie gets you in a gyration mode with its intresting variations, while Lying in the Hand of God is relaxing – something that brings instant silence. Baby Blue shouldn’t be me missed for it defines simplicity – you know how Dave Matthews sounds with his acoustic. The band pours grief into the swelling tune of â€?Dive In’. In sum, Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King is a celebration. Matthews’s lyrics are thoughtful; the music is a mix of aggression, grief and soul (for Le Roi). Nothing more, just go hear it.
Total no. of Tracks: 15
Price: Rs 395
