Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds: Live at luther college

I am always suspicious of a live CD, especially when it's the second one released by a group in less than a year. It's usually just a scam to get fans to shell out another 15 bucks for recycled songs. What's worse is that Dave Matthews knows he has millions of khaki-clad, dirty-white-hatted, Abercrombied fans eager to fork over the cash to hear another round of "Ants Marching." With these caveats in mind, but also
with the small hope that possibly I would hear something new, I gave Live at Luther College a shot--and was pleasantly surprised.

What makes this album different from other other live chaff is that it's a completely acoustic show. Fans get the chance to hear some of their favorite songs performed in ways they haven't heard before. Even better is the fact that there are no songs from Before These Crowded Streets, a CD with which many Dave Matthews fans, including me, were disappointed.

This is Dave Matthews the way he was before he became so popular and angry. The highlights are lesser-known songs: "#41" is strong, as are "Christmas Song" and "Say Goodbye." Guitarist Tim Reynolds' stylistic idiosyncrasies add new twists to many songs. In particular, he infuses "Dancing Nancies" with a Spanish feel, making it even better than the studio version.

Live at Luther College will make you remember why you first liked Dave, when he was just a bar-room college rocker and not the man Spin magazine called "the reigning king of rock." This is vintage Dave. (RCA)

--Chad Golder

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