Reviews Written by Gabriel
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April 25, 2006
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May 11, 2005
DMB Light
4 of 5 Yahoo! Users found this review helpfulPros: Its a new DMB album
Cons: Its not what you might expect
There is nothing wrong with doing something different, and God knows that I respect DMB for trying something new……but you know what, this is easily the weakest album that they have released. With Everyday I was worried that DMB was walking the line of being a bit too poppy, but with Stand Up they have jumped over that line and the result is something that just doesn’t feel very Dave Matthews. Not to say that Stand Up is terrible, because it is not, but when your talking about a band of the caliber of Dave Matthews you might expect a little more. Yes, this album will grow on you with more listening, and believe me I have already put it through its paces, but that doesn’t change the bottom line which is that DMB has made much better music in the past. The slow, plodding pace that many songs on this album take just make me cringe a bit, as does the overproduced poppy sound. There are standouts, American Baby Intro, American Baby, Smooth Rider, and Hunger For The Great Light are some of the best this disc has to offer. In the end, there is good music on this album, but DMB has always been above good in my book so I cannot help but feel a bit disappointed. DMB is one of the finest bands of our time so hopefully they will rebound from this somewhat disappointing album and turn in something just a bit more up to their standards in their future. ...
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Finally, its Mars Live
Pros: Brilliant, surreal, and progressive; forging new ground
Cons: Some just won't get it
On the subject of Mars Volta there are really only two different opinions. One side of fence hears them for the first time and are blown away. They absolutely love Mars; they think that they are an amazing mix of progressive rock, Latin flare, and screeching hair raising vocals that are reminiscent of a rock generation gone by. They love the lyrics that mix surrealism, pragmatism, and on eerie grunge. The others of you, well the others of you won't get it. But that’s ok because if you do fall in the first group, you should run out and buy this album immediately. For you others, well go on listening to Maroon 5 on the radio. So what is so special about this album you ask? To start it's new Mars music which for any fan is reason enough. But more specifically this album is the first taste of live Volta music. Those who haven't been lucky enough to witness a live concert will surely realize upon listening to this album that Mars is even more amazing when they have a spontaneous environment to work with. This album is technically a live show, but Omar, acting as producer once again, has noticeably mixed, edited, and added here and there. There have been some who call this album overly produced because of the added “noise” and ambiance. To those I just say bah because if Mars Volta as a band listened to the feedback of you people who want easier and nicer music to listen to then they surely wouldn’t be the band they are today. This is not your vision guys, just listen to it and have fun....if it’s too much for you then listen to something tamer, like the above mentioned alternative. As is, this album will absolutely remind you why it is you listen to music in the first place. There are parts in this album that are more powerful and more deeply thought provoking then pretty much anything else that is brought to the market today. If you have never heard Mars Volta before this will be a good opportunity to learn about what makes them so special. It’s not something that you can necessarily explain, at least not with my spotty writing ability, but it is a difference you will hear from the very first track on to the fantastic finale. And if you are a fan of this band, then well I expect that you already own the album and have listened to it more then anything else in your collection. It is not easy to digest but it has more substance then pretty much anything else out there. ...