Categories : Music Reviews, Rock + Pop.
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Rating: 4/5 Released: August 14, 2007 Reviewer: David Coats |
Radio City is the second live acoustic album put together by superstar Dave Matthews and guitar virtuoso Tim Reynolds. The first, Live At Luther College, was recorded in February 1996, just as DMB’s popularity was about to explode, and featured early versions of songs that have since been featured on so many live records they have become stale. Fortunately, Radio City manages to buck the trend.
Of the twenty-six songs on this two-disc set, less than half are DMB songs, and even those are mostly re-imagined in such a way as to seem fresh, helped as always by the guitar mastery of the duo and Matthews’ strong vocals (in particular see the standout version of ‘Bartender’ and a surprisingly revitalized ‘Two Step’). Most of the other songs come from Matthews’ underrated 2003 solo record Some Devil; ‘Gravedigger,’ ‘Oh,’ and especially ‘So Damn Lucky’ all translate well to their simplified arrangements.
Also included are covers of two legendary Canadian artists, Neil Young (‘Down By The River,’ which you can tell Matthews has always wanted to do), and Dan Lanois, whose classic ‘The Maker’ has been recorded by DMB before. Even so, it is the DMB classics – ‘When The World Ends,’ ‘Crush,’ and, of course, ‘Crash Into Me’ – that are the real crowd-pleasers, and their enthusiasm helps to make these songs sound impacting again. New song ‘Eh Hee’ and Reynolds original ‘Betrayal’ also impress. The atmosphere expertly balances the formal and informal, a tribute to Matthews’ ability to relate to audiences, and Reynolds’ ability to tastefully make songs sparkle.
Matthews’ last three records with DMB were lacklustre, and though he is clearly past his peak, Radio City recaptures Matthews’ talent and versatility, and offers an invigorating revisiting of old songs while introducing enough quality new material to make this his best and most worthwhile live release in a decade.
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