Before These Crowded Streets | 
 enlarge | Artist: Dave Matthews Band
Label: RCA
Category: Music
List Price: $18.97
Buy Used: $1.55
You Save: $17.42 (92%)
New (44) Used (102) Collectible (5) from $1.55
Rating:  634 reviews
Sales Rank: 2526
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
MPN: 67660
UPC: 078636766027
EAN: 0078636766027
ASIN: B00000638Q
Release Date: April 28, 1998
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Tracks:
| • | Pantala Naga Pampa | | • | Rapunzel | | • | The Last Stop | | • | Don't Drink the Water | | • | Stay (Wasting Time) | | • | Halloween | | • | The Stone | | • | Crush | | • | The Dreaming Tree | | • | Pig | | • | Spoon |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
The Dave Matthews Band moves its music forward by increments on Before These Crowded Streets. While the album offers more of the folkish melodies and vaguely internationalist rhythms that made this Charlottesville, Virginia, group a major record and concert draw, it also finds them adding new colorings to the mix. Alanis Morissette guests on two cuts, "Spoon" and the disc's first single, "Don't Drink the Water," and banjo whiz Bela Fleck sits in, too. More interesting, though, is the modernist string arrangement played by the Kronos Quartet on the driving "Halloween." Matthews's obvious hopes to lead something other than a jam band are at least partly fulfilled here; at the same time, Streets should keep his customers satisfied.--Rickey Wright
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| Customer Reviews:
 More Personality But Not Enough Development July 17, 2008
Untitled (nowhere)
I didn't have high hopes for this album, but I didn't think it would be like this. This album has high potential. Really high potential. Consider what they have here:
A vocalist that can't be imitated (despite the criticism, I like his vocals). Acoustic guitar and it's range of dynamics and flavors (I dig his playing). The grooving, peaceful, graceful, can do anything rhythm section of Carter and Steffan. A full time wind player and violinist. Tim Reynolds on every track playing electric guitar (in a great way instead of the the way that bogged down Everyday). And pianos, banjos, and organ the Chapman Stick, a trumpet, soulful background vocals from the Lovely Ladies, and the Kronos Quartet. A great variety of atmosphere and mood.
But it's too bad that this album wallows in unbearably repetitive. Some of the material here is excellent, but the rest of either too undeveloped and runs or unbearabley soft, unemotional, and BORING. The ballads are awful, muzak worthy with not enough melody and absolutely no conveying of emotion in Dave Matthews' voice. And a lot of the tracks on here run on too long with no real ideas and no real progression giving their time length. A lot of the songs end with jams, and they are interesting, but it's kind of hard to get to them with an endless flotation of weak melodies. Dave is also not very good at being angry in his vocals, and, for me, it's pretty bad. His lyrics sometimes are questionable to begin with, and it's apparent on this album as well.
But the good things? Well, they are there, and there are some great songs on here worthy if you like the band. The intro, of course, is fine, along with some of the other tracks, like Stay, Rapunzel (though the bridge jam part is boring), and The Last Stop. Crush is a great song, and it justifies the time length, which is what many of the songs should have been like, or at least an example: a variety, great jams like speaking, the like. Don't Drink The Water starts out great, though it kind of fades at the end with repetition. IT's not terrible, but there's a lot of material on this album not worth your time.
It's kind of sad really, that Dave Matthews Band would even be worse with the release of their next album, the craptastic everyday. You might like it more than I did, and I think you should at least check it out, along with their first albums.
5.5/10
 Before these Crowded Streets - Dave Matthews Band June 13, 2008
Tabbatha Cavendish (Atlanta, GA)
I always love their live stuff better, but this is still a worth while studio album purchase.
 Music Oddyssy or Oddity December 11, 2007
BAISAFE (NewBrunswick)
The test of time has passed, and this stands out to be the best I`ll ever hear since the 90`s.
Progression [sometimes] is not necessary when something is so perfect to start with as `Crowded Streets` has proven to be indeed.
It`s the most complex and eclectic work by Mathews , and like lot of music back in 1998, it has unrestraint in being orthodox or easily categorized unto one approach in music conception whether in its titles or tempo.
A musical journey that really exhibits Dave`s emotional content and humanity.
"The Dreaming Tree", is Dave Mathews Epic.
The Band's Best, A Masterpiece December 1, 2007
TheTallOne
It is hard to truly describe how amazing "Before These Crowded Streets." This is not just Dave Matthew Band's best album, but quite possibly one of the best albums in recent memory. Every song is so differnet, but they blend together so brilliantly, and anyone who says this album has production issues in a complete idiot. From the light hearted mood of "Pantala Naga Pampa," the album goes a bit darker, both musically and lyrically, with each song telling a story that can be taken many ways. There is maybe one weaker song on the entire album (Last Stop), but mostly because it is so different from all of DMB's other songs. However, "Crush," "Don't Drink The Water," "Spoon," and "The Stone," without a doubt the best songs on the album, are simply incredible. The emotion present, with the amazing backing of the band, make for a spectacular result. The only way to truly appreciate the album is to listen to it, however, and for any fan of music, this is worth many, many listens.
wow June 9, 2007
Daniel E. Miller
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
this album is amazing. i have been a fan of dave matthews band for a long time, and i never got this cd. i was hooked on under the table and dreaming, but when i got this, it became my all-time favorite cd. this cd is very different from any other of theirs. it is much more dark, and seems to have more worldly influences, which is shown a lot in "the last stop". also, the band goes into a long jam session on almost every song, which is really fun to listen to. what has always amazed me about dmb, and especially shines in before these crowded streets, is that every member of the band is just as important as the other. i personally think that everyone else in the band are better musicians that dave himself. he is, although, an amazing songwriter. here's a review of each song:
1. Pantala Naga Pampa- this song isn't much of a song, but it's good for what it is. you can find it played at the end of the D&T version of "jimi thing".
2. Rapunzel- this song shows how tight the band is together. it's played in 5:4 time, which is really tough. the whole song is tasty, and the bridge is a 6:8 turnaround with a great violin part. great song.
3. The Last Stop- this song makes a very large use of a middle-eastern scale. that's what makes it sound really egyptian, and although i really appreciate the influence, it's probably my least favorite on the cd. it is still a good song.
4. Don't Drink The Water- i really like this song. i like the live version better, because i think it has more energy, but this version is very good as well. i love the passion that the lyrics show and how the music describes it.
5. Stay- great single, although it's almost 6 min long. it's very catchy and has a black female vocal group singing in it. i love the two jams that the band goes into. dave is very good at describing feelings in terms of music, this one being love.
6. Halloween- This song is very funny. It sounds like dave is singing like he's frankenstein's monster or something. Sometimes it gets on my nerves, but it's musically a great song. really funny to listen to.
7. The Stone- halloween fades into just violins and stuff and flows into the beginning of the stone. that makes for a great intro. then the guitar comes in, and it's a very good guitar riff. this is the most dark of all songs on the album. it also has the best of all guitar riffs on the cd in my opinion, the verse, chorus, and transition back to the verse. it has a very long, awesome jam at the end and fades. amazing song.
8. Crush- I think this is my favorite of all dmb songs. again, dave describes love in the form of music very well. this is just a feel good song. the jam at the end blows my mind. tim reynolds, leroi moore, and boyd tinsley are all soloing at once. even dave has a few funky chords in the jam himself, the closest thing to soloing i think i've ever heard from him. also one of the best live songs by dmb.
9. The Dreaming Tree- I love this song. It has a great story and just a great feel to it. A great bass line (not as great as in crush) carries the song through the verse.
10.Pig- this song has a great message to not waste days away, and that we take tomorrow for granted too much. musically, it's not as good as some dmb songs, but it's still good.
11. Spoon- This song is very jazzy, and has a guest female vocalist. i'm not sure, but i think she is the girl that plays with damien rice. it's a great finale to the whole album, a great way to end it all off.
Bottom line is, this cd is great. it's a lot different from other dmb albums, but if you're more of the listener that just cranks it up and listens to it instead of playing it in the background, this is probably the one cd by dmb that is most enjoyable when you have it really loud. you have to listen to this whole cd at one time to get the full effect. if you enjoy this, i recommend sunrise over sea by the john butler trio.
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