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Desert Island Disc - Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds - VH1 Storytellers

Way back in the day, I was pretty savvy with the computer and accompanying music software.  I had my stereo system complete with turntable hooked into my computer.  I could take vinyl and cassette and turn into a digital form.  Before I left college, I was lucky enough to help digitize some live music for my favorite band from college Disco Bitch and the Funk Machine.  But it was annoyance of not having a VCR after college that turned out my biggest "recording" success.

I sat down with a borrowed VCR and my friend Greg's VHS copy of VH1 storytellers, Dave Matthews episode.  I laid it down into larger than necessary .wav files, and soon started the editing process.  I laid the 44 minute episode down into tracks.  Now there were only five full songs plus parts of two others mixed with stories about the songs and other various stories, but I ended up splitting it up into 16 complete tracks.  Doing it this way, I split out each song from story, even splitting 'Bartender'/'Don't Drink the Water' into two individual tracks.

VH1 Storytellers - Dave Matthew & Tim Reynolds -
Chapters
1. 'Satellite' (quick :48 version)
2. Naked Story
3. 'Tripping Billies'
4. Talk About 'Crush'
5. 'Crush'
6. Favorite Drink
7. Talk about 'Crash'
8. 'Crash'
9. Starving
10. 'Bartender'
11. 'Don't Drink the Water'
12. Talk about 'Don't Drink the Water'
13. 'Spoon'
14. Cave Crickets
15. Amazon Tree
16. 'Ants Marching'

In this post, I go into a quick synopsis chapter by chapter.  Please listen to the stories, most of them are quite hilarious.  Stories of setting the bath on fire after a "hanger on", of the worship of women, and eliminating ones enemies.  

After a quick version of 'Satellite' (which I'm assuming was only done to start off the show), Dave Matthews immediately starts into the stories.  He leads off with a story about a drunken night in which he ended up naked and stuck outside of his hotel room. It's a must hear, and one I think of every time I see the "..complimentary USA Today."

A Naked Story told by Dave Matthews



After a rendition of 'Tripping Billies' which features Tim Reynolds' incredible technical guitar playing, Dave goes back to the stories.  He leads into 'Crush' after a little story explaining his muse for the song, explaining it is about "the worship of women".  'Crush' is phenomenal combining Dave Matthews' passion with Tim Reynolds' excellent guitar playing. 

'Crush' by Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds


After 'Crush' Dave Matthews then has a somewhat creepy explanation for 'Crash', followed of course by 'Crash'.  Included at the end of 'Crash' is an extrapolation of 'Dixie Chicken'.   After 'Crash' is an excellent story, including our exaggerated connotation over the word "starving".

'Crash' by Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds, followed by a Starving story @5:56 featuring Big Voiced Jack



'Bartender'/'Don't Drink the Water' is one of my editing masterpieces.  I had to split the song down to the split second right at the perfect point, as each song rolls into the other.  In the clip below, the break is approximately at 2:22.  But as you can see, it goes so quickly into the next song, showing how hard it was to find the perfect split.

This acoustic version of 'Don't Drink The Water' saved the song for me.  I never quite liked the album version on  Before These Crowded Streets even with Alanis Morissette helping out at the end of the song.  However this live stripped version is incredible.  Tim Reynolds has some of the coolest guitar effects, and the crescendo at the end is outstanding.  Finally, the simplified version is pure enough that you really understand the song at it's depths, including Dave's observation that "a little bit of our history has got a lot of poison in it."

After a deep explanation of 'Don't Drink the Water' Dave Matthews has a funny moment, where he messes up the words & song to 'Spoon' breaking out into laughter. 

'Bartender' by Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds, immediately followed by
'Don't Drink the Water' by Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds  followed by
Talk about 'Don't Drink the Water' and @ 9:43 an attmpt at 'Spoon' by Dave Matthews


Two more stories wrap up the Storytellers portion.  The Cave Cricket story, is one of the most hilarious stories I've ever heard, the imagery is incredible.  Finally Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds complete the show with 'Ants Marching'

Cave Cricket & Amazon Tree stories followed by 'Ants Marching' by Dave Matthews &Tim Reynolds


So, how does a five song album with an abundance of stories turn into a Desert Island Disc?  The stories are fresh, and endlessly entertaining.  The songs are incredible with Tim Reynolds supporting.  Overall, it's just a fantastic album that I can listen to over and over again.

For the latest on the Dave Matthews Band, check out dmbcaravan.com or davematthewsband.com

For Tim Reynolds, try timreynolds.com

Enjoy

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