Search - Dave Matthews Band :: Live at Folsom Field - Boulder, Colorado

Jim M. (deaddoon) from SEMINOLE, FL
Reviewed on 3/9/2010...

Great Live CD

Do we really need another live DMB album? YES, we do!

S. Grgas | Syosset, NY United States | 11/07/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Another year, another live Dave Matthews Band CD. I like his many of his live albums better then the studio albums, and was extremely excited about this release. I saw the set list and felt that it was very strong, although there is a tad too much "Everyday" material, an album I felt that wasn't up to regular DMB standards. Nonetheless, I was ready for another smashing success.Let me start with this then: "Live at Folsom Field" DOES NOT DISSAPPOINT. Every track is good, and many are spectacular. CLASSIC DMB MATERIAL("Under the Table and Dreaming" to "Live in Chicago" and everything in between): "Don't Drink the Water" has a very high energy level and Dave is screaming throghout much of the song. Definetly a promosing start to the CD. There's another version of "Crash" on the CD, and it isn't any better or worse then any other version of the song. "Dixie Chicken" ending is present! A great "Warehouse" graces the second set and it is excellent, although not as good as the "Live at Red Rocks" version. Dave seems to be having fun with the vocals and there is some nice violin work."Recently" is nice and tight. Very soft and care-free, just the way this song should be played. Dave's voice is very soft and pleasant. The best version of this classic track."What Would You Say" is sub-par and the studio version is much better. A little to lazy. Still, it's not terrible and is worth a listen."All Along the Watchtower" Another version of this Dylan classic? Yes, but this time it doesnt close the show. A little different placement in the setlist is nice and Dave hits a electric guitar solo in this version! Almost worth the price of admission alone. But I still miss Tim Reynolds...The encore of "Two Step" and "Ants Marching" is fabulous, especially "Two Step". Dave messes around with some of the words at the beginning and adds it adds a nice twist. NEWER DMB MATERIAL ("Everyday" and "Busted Stuff"): All of the "Everyday" songs are good, with "Everyday" highlighting. A long nine minute version of the best song from the album. A lot of vocals between Dave and the Lovley Ladies. "The Space Between" is decent, but sounds much too much like the studio version: no solos or variations. Just stick with the studio version.The "Big-Eyed Fish" into "Bartender" is very good: its hard to mess up such a great a song as "Bartender" though. Everything else from "Busted Sutff" is pretty standard, and "JTR" makes its first "official" DMB appearance.Although "Live at Folsom Field" is really dynamite, there are a few problems. Firstly, the crowd is much too loud and prominent at times. I'd rather hear Dave then some fans yelling his name, thank you. Also, there should definetly be an Intro track before "Don't Drink the Water" because there is about 2 minutes of crowd noises that you have to wait through to get to the song itself. Other then those few complaints, this is another great Live album from Dave Matthews and company."

3.5 Stars..... Avoid If You Don't Like the "Everyday" Album

Paul Allaer | Cincinnati | 02/14/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This is DMB's 4th 'official' live release, from a July 2001 concert in Boulder, Colorado. DMB was touring behind the then recently released "Everyday" album.



"Live at Folsom Field" (2 CDs, 21 tracks, 151 min.) starts off on CD1 (73 min.) with the excellent "Don't Drink the Water" and then delves straight into the newer songs, including "JTR" from the Lilywhite sessions, and making its first appearance on a DMB release. If you don't like the "Everyday" album, it's gonna be a long night, as 8 tracks from that album are featured, including among others "When the World Ends", "So Right", and the fab title track, here in a 9 min. workout, with some great crowd singalong. CD1 also has an excellent "Bartender" and "Big Eyed Fish" (eventually released on "Busted Stuff"). After all the new songs in the first half of the show, CD2 (78 min.) returns DMB to mostly more familair terrain, including a nice "Recently", "Warehouse" (another crowd-pleaser and singalong), the ever-trusty Dylan cover "All Along the Watchtower", and the one-two punch of "Two Step" and "Ants Marching" as the encore.



This is a pleasant live album, no question, but otherwise really not all that remarkable. In my opinion other DMB live releases like "Live at Red Rocks", "Central Park" and even the most recent "The Gorge" are a better choice."