Big Whiskey & the GrooGrux King

Last updated
Big Whiskey & the GrooGrux King
BigWhiskeyGroogruxKing.jpg
Studio album by
Dave Matthews Band
ReleasedJune 2, 2009
RecordedNovember 2007 - February 2009
StudioHaunted Hollow, Charlottesville, Virginia; Studio Litho, Seattle, Washington; Studio X, Seattle, Washington; Piety Studio, New Orleans, Louisiana; Electric Lady Studios, New York City; Lightning Sound Studios, Hidden Hills, California; Capitol Studios, Hollywood, California
Genre Alternative rock
Length54:30 (Main CD)
16:48 (Super Deluxe Bonus CD)
Label RCA
Producer Rob Cavallo
Dave Matthews Band chronology
Stand Up
(2005)		Big Whiskey & the GrooGrux King
(2009)		 Away from the World
(2012)
Singles from Big Whiskey & the GrooGrux King
  1. "Funny the Way It Is"
    Released: April 14, 2009
  2. "Why I Am"
    Released: July 13, 2009
  3. "You and Me"
    Released: August 24, 2009

Big Whiskey & the GrooGrux King is the seventh studio album by the American rock band Dave Matthews Band, which was released by RCA Records on June 2, 2009. [1]

Contents

It is the band's first release since the death of saxophonist LeRoi Moore. Guitarist Tim Reynolds played on the album, marking his first recording with DMB since 1998's Before These Crowded Streets . Rashawn Ross makes his first appearance on a DMB studio album since joining as a regular touring member in 2006 as well as Jeff Coffin, who has taken Moore's role since June 2008. The album was the first to be produced by Rob Cavallo. [2] [3]

The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling 424,000 copies in its first week of release. This marked the group's fifth consecutive studio album to open with a sales week of at least 400,000 copies. [4]

Exactly six months after its release, Big Whiskey & the GrooGrux King was nominated for two Grammy Awards: Best Rock Album and Album of the Year, [5] but lost to Green Day's 21st Century Breakdown and Taylor Swift's Fearless , respectively.

Recording

Work on the album began in November 2007 at Haunted Hollow in Charlottesville, Virginia. [6] [7] Production moved to Seattle, Washington in February 2008 at Studio Litho, and continued from October to December 2008 at Studio X. [8] In January 2009 the sessions that would complete the album began at Piety Street Studio in New Orleans, Louisiana. [9] [10]

The album was originally slated to be released on April 14, 2009, [11] but it was moved to June 2. The title of the album was announced on February 26, 2009. [12] The album cover artwork and all the liner note artwork was hand drawn by Dave Matthews. [13]

The album cover artwork and all the liner note artwork was hand drawn by Dave Matthews. [13] Matthews said he "had good fun making it." The cover illustration featured a drawing of his recently deceased bandmate LeRoi Moore. Dave's original idea for the cover was not to depict LeRoi but to simply illustrate a Mardi Gras scene. As Dave worked on the art he found that the face of the character in the center gradually began looking more and more like LeRoi until it morphed into his likeness. [14]

The album cover was fully revealed on April 13. In the previous four days, sections of the cover were slowly revealed; the cover was divided into nine pieces and revealed one piece a day for the first several days, and then several pieces the last two days before the final reveal. The art was ultimately revealed by shuffling the pieces in a digital sliding puzzle, where the person has to rearrange the puzzle correctly. Once correct, the center piece was revealed to show the full picture.

Title

In an April 2009 interview with MTV, Dave Matthews and Carter Beauford described the origins of the two-pronged name of the album.

Beauford described the word "GrooGrux" as not only a nickname for LeRoi Moore, but also a nickname for himself, Tim Reynolds, and former collaborator Tim Wicks. Beauford said the made-up word was used to describe the "vibe" and "energy" of their "wild-sounding rhythms" they made when they started playing music together. Beauford also mentioned that Matthews, bassist Stefan Lessard and violinist Boyd Tinsley were now graduates of "The GrooGrux Academy." [15]

Matthews said the origins of "Big Whiskey" came from a chance encounter with a local New Orleans drunk during a photo shoot for the new album. When the band was shooting promotional photos outside of Preservation Hall in the French Quarter of New Orleans, they encountered a local man playing harmonica who was asking tourists for money so he could buy "a big whiskey." Lessard gave Matthews a $20 bill to hand the man, who walked off in celebration. Trumpet player Rashawn Ross then suggested the phrase for the title of the album, which Matthews liked because people would not have to call the album by the more difficult to say "GrooGrux". [16]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 67/100 [17]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [18]
The A.V. Club C [19]
Chicago Tribune Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [20]
Entertainment Weekly B [21]
Los Angeles Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [22]
Mojo Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [23]
Q Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [24]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [25]
Spin 7/10 [26]
USA Today Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [27]

Rolling Stone called Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King the band's "best album yet" on the cover of their June 2009 issue, [28] and editor David Fricke awarded the album a rating of four out of five stars. [25]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Grux"
  • Beauford
  • Lessard
  • Matthews
  • Moore
  • Tinsley
1:11
2."Shake Me Like a Monkey"
  • Beauford
  • Lessard
  • Matthews
  • Moore
  • Tinsley
  • Ross
4:00
3."Funny the Way It Is"
  • Beauford
  • Lessard
  • Matthews
  • Moore
  • Tinsley
  • Reynolds
4:28
4."Lying in the Hands of God"
  • Beauford
  • Lessard
  • Matthews
  • Moore
  • Tinsley
  • Reynolds
5:13
5."Why I Am"
  • Beauford
  • Lessard
  • Matthews
  • Moore
  • Tinsley
  • Reynolds
3:53
6."Dive In"
  • Beauford
  • Matthews
4:26
7."Spaceman"
  • Beauford
  • Lessard
  • Matthews
4:08
8."Squirm"
  • Beauford
  • Matthews
5:32
9."Alligator Pie [n 1] "
  • Beauford
  • Lessard
  • Matthews
4:00
10."Seven"
  • Beauford
  • Lessard
  • Matthews
  • Moore
  • Reynolds
4:17
11."Time Bomb"Matthews3:59
12."Baby Blue"
  • Beauford
  • Lessard
  • Matthews
  • Moore
  • Tinsley
  • Reynolds
3:41
13."You & Me" (includes the hidden instrumental track "#35")Matthews5:40

The track listing was made available on April 14 on the Dave Matthews Band website, [29] and the first single from the album, "Funny the Way It Is", was made available for free download on the Dave Matthews Band website for the week of 14 April 2009.

Little Red Bird and bonus songs

Little Red Bird

With the super deluxe boxed set version of the album, the band included Little Red Bird, a four-track EP of songs that were recorded during the sessions, but were not included on the final cut.

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."#27"Matthews5:03
2."Beach Ball"Matthews4:11
3."Little Red Bird"Matthews2:53
4."Write a Song"Beauford, Lessard, Matthews, Moore, Tinsley3:50

European CD bonus songs

The European cut of Big Whiskey featured two extra songs after "You and Me": "Write a Song," from the Little Red Bird EP, and "Corn Bread," a song the band had been playing live for two tours. The studio version of "Corn Bread" features guest banjoist Danny Barnes.

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Write a Song"Beauford, Lessard, Matthews, Moore, Tinsley3:50
2."Corn Bread"Matthews, Mark Batson4:54


"Corn Bread" and "#27" are the only released songs from the sessions that the band had played live before the sessions began.

iTunes bonus songs

iTunes released two versions of Big Whiskey: a standard version containing the 13 tracks from the album plus a live version of "Corn Bread", and a more expensive iTunes pass. The pass included videos, exclusive live tracks, and a few songs from the album that were released ahead of the official release date. The pass was active from April 21, 2009 until September 22, 2009, and tracks were automatically downloaded as they became available. On September 9, with the release of iTunes 9, came the Big Whiskey LP, where one can play the music while reading the lyrics, as well as new art by Dave Matthews.

No.TitleRelease dateLength
1."Funny the Way It Is" (lead single)April 214:29
2."Dave Talking About the Art" (video; included album cover art in .pdf file)April 280:55
3."Big Whiskey & the GrooGrux King" (Trailer)April 281:53
4."Scenes from Big Whiskey, Pt. 1" (video)May 54:10
5."Scenes from Big Whiskey, Pt. 2" (video)May 127:36
6."Shake Me Like a Monkey"May 194:00
7."Lying in the Hands of God"May 265:13
8."Cornbread (Live)" (released with the album)June 25:32
9."Funny the Way It Is" (music video)June 164:27
10."Scenes from Big Whiskey, Pt. 3" (video)June 235:08
11."Scenes from Big Whiskey, Pt. 4" (video)June 3012:11
12."Write a Song" (bonus song)June 303:50
13."Shake Me Like a Monkey" (Live At the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, 6/13/09)July 284:04
14."Alligator Pie" (Live at Beacon Theatre, 6/1/09)August 44:22
15."Beach Ball" (Live at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, 5/1/09)August 116:36
16."Why I Am" (music video)August 254:04
17."You & Me" (Acoustic version)September 14:19
18."Lying in the Hands of God" (Live at SPAC, Saratoga Springs, 6/12/09)September 16:27
19."Time Bomb" (Live at Comcast Theatre, Hartford, 6/6/09)September 15:29
20."You & Me" (Live At SPAC, Saratoga Springs, 6/12/09)September 14:34
21."iTunes LP: Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King" (interactive iTunes LP)September 9n/a

Personnel

Dave Matthews Band [30]

Featured musicians [30]

Additional musicians [30]

Production [30]

Charts

Chart performance for Big Whiskey & the GrooGrux King
Chart (2009)Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA) [32] 64
Canadian Albums (Billboard) [33] 2
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [34] 99
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [35] 74
Portuguese Albums (AFP) [36] 24
UK Albums (OCC) [37] 59
US Billboard 200 [4] [38] 1

Notes

  1. ↑ Also listed as "Alligator Pie (Cockadile)" in the liner notes.
  2. ↑ Moore died during pre-production of the album

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dave Matthews Band</span> American rock band

Dave Matthews Band is an American rock band formed in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 1991. The band's founding members are singer-songwriter and guitarist Dave Matthews, bassist Stefan Lessard, drummer and backing vocalist Carter Beauford, violinist and backing vocalist Boyd Tinsley, and saxophonist LeRoi Moore. As of 2024, Matthews, Lessard, and Beauford are the only remaining founding members.

<i>Under the Table and Dreaming</i> 1994 studio album by Dave Matthews Band

Under the Table and Dreaming is the debut studio album by the American rock band Dave Matthews Band, released on September 27, 1994. The album's first single was "What Would You Say", featuring John Popper of Blues Traveler on harmonica. Four other singles from the album followed: "Jimi Thing", "Typical Situation", "Ants Marching" and "Satellite". By March 16, 2000, the album had sold six million copies, and was certified 6× platinum by the RIAA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeff Coffin</span> American saxophonist, composer, and educator.

Jeff Stanley Coffin is an American saxophonist, composer, and educator. He is a three-time Grammy Award winner as a member of Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, with whom he performed from 1997 until 2010. In July 2008, Coffin began touring with Dave Matthews Band and joined the group in 2009 following the death of founding member LeRoi Moore. He also leads his group Jeff Coffin & the Mu'tet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim Reynolds</span> American musician

Tim Reynolds is an American guitarist and multi-instrumentalist known as both a solo artist and as lead guitarist for the Dave Matthews Band. AllMusic critic MacKenzie Wilson has called Reynolds "an under-rated master".

<i>Listener Supported</i> 1999 live album by Dave Matthews Band

Listener Supported is an album by the Dave Matthews Band, released on November 23, 1999. It was recorded live at Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey on September 11, 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LeRoi Moore</span> American musician

LeRoi Holloway Moore was an American saxophonist. He was a founding member of the Dave Matthews Band. Moore often arranged music for songs written by Dave Matthews. Moore also co-wrote many of the band's songs, notably "Too Much" and "Stay ".

<i>Live at Folsom Field, Boulder, Colorado</i> 2002 live album by Dave Matthews Band

Live at Folsom Field, Boulder, Colorado is the fourth live album released by the Dave Matthews Band. It was recorded in Boulder, Colorado at Folsom Field, the football stadium of the University of Colorado Boulder on July 11, 2001. It was released on the RCA Records music label on November 5, 2002 on Compact Disc, VHS, and DVD. The DVD was directed by Fenton Williams of Filament Productions. In promotional material prior to the release, the album was originally titled Open up the Curtains, a reference to the song "I Did It."

Peter Griesar is an American musician, known for playing keyboards, harmonica and providing backing vocals with the Dave Matthews Band from August 1990 to March 1993. He grew up in Westchester County, New York and moved to Charlottesville, Virginia to attend the University of Virginia. He met Dave Matthews, later joining his band. After leaving the band in 1993, he continued playing, releasing several solo albums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dave Matthews Band discography</span>

The American rock band Dave Matthews Band has released ten studio albums, eighty-five live albums, three compilation albums, eight video albums, two extended plays, thirty-six singles, and twenty-one music videos. DMB has sold over 33 million albums in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rashawn Ross</span> Musical artist

Rashawn Ross is an American trumpeter and arranger. His contributions in the Dave Matthews Band, as first a touring member and now a full-time member, have gained him visibility. Ross is an accomplished session musician. Ross has worked with artists in many different genres of music ranging from funk, pop, rock, jazz, hip hop, gospel and country music. Some of the notable artists whom Ross has supported include Yerba Buena, Soulive, Lettuce, The 1975, and DJ Quik.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Everybody Wake Up (Our Finest Hour Arrives)</span> 2006 single by Dave Matthews Band

"Everybody Wake Up (Our Finest Hour Arrives)" is a song recorded and performed by the Dave Matthews Band from their sixth studio album studio album, Stand Up (2005). The song was released as the third radio single in support of the album.

<i>Live at Mile High Music Festival</i> 2008 live album by Dave Matthews Band

Live at Mile High Music Festival is a live album by the Dave Matthews Band from the 2008 Mile High Music Festival outside Denver, Colorado. In its first week of sales, the album debuted at #97 on the US charts. The concert featured many old songs such as "Don't Drink the Water", "Two Step" and "#41", as well as more recent songs such as "Corn Bread" and "Eh Hee".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds</span> American musical duo

Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds or Dave and Tim is a musical act composed of Dave Matthews, member of Dave Matthews Band, and Tim Reynolds, member of TR3 and Dave Matthews Band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Funny the Way It Is</span> 2009 single by Dave Matthews Band

"Funny the Way It Is" is the first single from Dave Matthews Band's album Big Whiskey & the GrooGrux King. Matthews said that it "talks about the world of opposites that we are in." The single reached number 37 on the Billboard Hot 100, number 22 on the Modern Rock Tracks, and number 17 on the Hot Digital Songs chart in its first week of release. It is also their first number one on the AAA chart since 2002's "Where Are You Going".

"Why I Am" is the second single from American rock band Dave Matthews Band's album Big Whiskey & the GrooGrux King. It hit radio stations on July 27, 2009. The song is a tribute to former band member LeRoi Moore, who died on August 19, 2008. The song discusses death and the urgency of living. It was written before Moore's death and features his playing on it.

"You and Me" is the third single by American rock band Dave Matthews Band from their seventh studio album Big Whiskey & the GrooGrux King (2009). It was written by Dave Matthews, produced by Rob Cavallo, and released in 2009.

<i>Europe 2009</i> 2009 live album by Dave Matthews Band

Europe 2009 is a live album and video release by the Dave Matthews Band from several 2009 concerts in Italy and London. The concert on the three CDs was held during the Lucca Summer Festival in Lucca, Italy, on July 5, 2009. The concert featured on the DVD was at Brixton Academy in London, on June 26, 2009. Tim Reynolds, who resumed touring with the band in 2008, appears on both the audio discs and the DVD.

<i>Live in Las Vegas</i> (Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds album) 2010 live album by Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds

Live In Las Vegas is a live album by Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds. The recorded show was performed on December 12, 2009, at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. This album is the acoustic duo's third official release.

<i>Live in New York City</i> (Dave Matthews Band album) 2010 live album by Dave Matthews Band

Live in New York City is a live album by Dave Matthews Band recorded on July 17, 2010 at Citi Field in Queens. The album was recorded on the second night of a two night stint at the venue. Released on two CDs, the show contains a mix of new surprises and older fan favorites.

<i>Come Tomorrow</i> (album) Album by Dave Matthews Band

Come Tomorrow is the ninth studio album by the American rock band Dave Matthews Band, and was released on June 8, 2018. The album is their first since 2012's Away from the World.

References

  1. ↑ "Dave Matthews Band Summer Tour Dates". davematthewsband.com. 2009-02-18. Archived from the original on July 28, 2011. Retrieved 2009-02-27.
  2. ↑ "Rob Cavallo Produces Upcoming Dave Matthews Band Album with Special Guest Tim Reynolds". Weekly DaveSpeak. 2008-03-07. Archived from the original on 29 January 2009. Retrieved 2009-02-27.
  3. ↑ "2008 Summer Tour Announced and Producer Named". AntsMarching.org. 2008-03-06. Archived from the original on 3 March 2009. Retrieved 2009-02-27.
  4. 1 2 Caulfield, Keith (June 10, 2009). "Dave Matthews' 'Big' Debuts At No. 1 On Billboard 200". Billboard.com. Archived from the original on June 6, 2013. Retrieved 2009-06-10.
  5. ↑ "The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards Nominees List". Archived from the original on 5 December 2009. Retrieved 2009-12-02.
  6. ↑ "Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King Sessions, Haunted Hollow Studio, Charlottesville, VA". AntsMarching.org. Retrieved 2009-06-04.
  7. ↑ "A Band's Resurgence". CBS News. Archived from the original on 3 June 2009. Retrieved 2009-06-04.
  8. ↑ "Studio X". Studio X, Inc. Archived from the original on 28 February 2009. Retrieved 2009-02-27.
  9. ↑ "DMB Begins Recording in New Orleans". WeeklyDaveSpeak. 2009-01-05. Archived from the original on 26 January 2009. Retrieved 2009-02-27.
  10. ↑ "Dave Matthews Band Recording in N.O." AntsMarching.org. 2009-01-04. Archived from the original on 20 March 2009. Retrieved 2009-02-27.
  11. ↑ "Dave Matthews Band Announces Album Release and Spring Dates of the 2009 Tour!". dmband.com. 2008-12-15. Archived from the original on 2011-07-28. Retrieved 2009-02-27.
  12. ↑ "Dave Matthews Band Album Title Announced!". davematthewsband.com. 2009-02-26. Archived from the original on 2011-07-28. Retrieved 2009-02-27.
  13. 1 2 Serpick, Evan (2009-06-10). "Dave Matthews Shares the Stories Behind "Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King"". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2023-04-01.
  14. ↑ Dave Matthews on Q TV , retrieved 2023-04-01
  15. ↑ "Carter Beauford Tells the Story Behind The GrooGrux King". MTV News. 2009-04-21. Archived from the original on 24 April 2009. Retrieved 2009-04-21.
  16. ↑ "Dave Matthews Explains Big Whiskey". MTV News. 2009-04-21. Archived from the original on 24 April 2009. Retrieved 2009-04-21.
  17. ↑ "Reviews for Big Whiskey And The GrooGrux King by Dave Matthews Band". Metacritic . Retrieved November 2, 2016.
  18. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Big Whiskey & the GrooGrux King – Dave Matthews / Dave Matthews Band". AllMusic . Retrieved January 16, 2012.
  19. ↑ Petrusich, Amanda (June 2, 2009). "Dave Matthews Band: Big Whiskey And The GrooGrux King". The A.V. Club . Retrieved November 2, 2016.
  20. ↑ Kot, Greg (June 3, 2009). "Album review: Dave Matthews Band's 'Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King'". Chicago Tribune . Retrieved November 2, 2016.
  21. ↑ Greenblatt, Leah (May 27, 2009). "Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King". Entertainment Weekly . New York. Retrieved November 2, 2016.
  22. ↑ Powers, Ann (June 1, 2009). "Album review: Dave Matthews Band's 'Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King'". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved November 2, 2016.
  23. ↑ "Dave Matthews Band: Big Whiskey & the GrooGrux King". Mojo . No. 188. London. July 2009. p. 94.
  24. ↑ "Dave Matthews Band: Big Whiskey & the GrooGrux King". Q . No. 276. London. July 2009. p. 127.
  25. 1 2 Fricke, David (May 27, 2009). "Dave Matthews Band: Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King". Rolling Stone . New York. Archived from the original on May 30, 2009. Retrieved May 28, 2009.
  26. ↑ Wood, Mikael (June 2009). "Dave Matthews Band: Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King". Spin . Vol. 25, no. 6. New York. p. 91. Retrieved November 2, 2016.
  27. ↑ Mansfield, Brian (June 1, 2009). "'Big Whiskey': A toast to LeRoi Moore". USA Today . McLean. Retrieved November 2, 2016.
  28. ↑ "RS Issue 1080". Rolling Stone . June 2009. Archived from the original on May 29, 2009. Retrieved 2009-05-28.
  29. ↑ "Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King Track Listing Announced and Artwork Unveiled". davematthewsband.com. 2009-04-14. Archived from the original on 1 May 2009. Retrieved 2009-05-03.
  30. 1 2 3 4 Big Whiskey & the GrooGrux King (booklet). RCA. 2009.
  31. ↑ "Dave Matthews Band Talks 'Big Whiskey'". billboard.com. 2009-04-10. Archived from the original on April 14, 2013. Retrieved 2009-04-10.
  32. ↑ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 179.
  33. ↑ "Dave Matthews Band Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
  34. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Dave Matthews Band – Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
  35. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Dave Matthews Band – Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
  36. ↑ "Portuguesecharts.com – Dave Matthews Band – Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
  37. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
  38. ↑ "Dave Matthews Band's Big Whiskey And The Groogrux King Is Certified Platinum". ultimate-guitar.com. September 9, 2009. Retrieved 2009-09-09.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.