While in many ways, Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King is a collection of songs on the familiar Dave Matthews Band theme of “eat, drink, and be merry/for tomorrow we die,” the sudden death of saxophonist LeRoi Moore lends additional poignancy to the band’s seventh major-label outing.
Moore died suddenly in August, 2008, from injuries sustained in an ATV crash earlier in the summer. Having already recorded parts of what would become Big Whiskey, the Dave Matthews Band chose to finish the album, in some cases building around the work that Moore left behind. Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King is a tribute not only to Moore’s life (“Grux” was Moore's nickname) but also to his importance as a founding member of the Dave Matthews Band. The band was recognized for their work on Big Whiskey with a 2010 Grammy nomination for Album of the Year.
Dark DMB Songs about Life and Death
Although Moore’s death casts a pall, Matthews’ lyrics are occasionally trite, particularly on first single "Funny the Way It Is" (“Funny the way it is/if you think about it/Someone is going hungry/someone else is eating out”). Most tracks on Big Whiskey, however, shine lyrically and musically.
“Dive In,” for example, contains buoyant instrumentals mixed with dark lyrics about global warming. And on “Time Bomb,” Matthews sings calmly about living on the edge until the song explodes into a driving track, all instruments (even guitar licks from guest Tim Reynolds) competing with Matthews’ screaming meltdown and marking a gorgeous, violent climax to the album’s messages about life's fragility.
Still Here Dancing with the GrooGrux King
Moore’s saxophone is almost always front and center on Big Whiskey, from the opening track, “Grux” to the unnamed hidden “track” that completes the album—a set of notes repeated until the fade. And the lyrics to "Why I Am" make several references to "the GrooGrux King."
Yet the most poignant reminder of Moore’s importance to the unique Dave Matthews Band sound is “Lying in the Hands of God." Moore's saxophone and Matthews’ voice duet on this track, each pushing the other to exhilarating heights and relegating other instruments to the background.
A Fitting Tribute to LeRoi Moore
While the album veers from dirty funk ("Shake Me Like a Monkey," "Seven") to Middle Eastern and American country music influences ("Squirm," "Alligator Pie"), Big Whiskey appropriately ends on quiet notes both sad (“Baby Blue,” Matthews’ goodbye to Moore) and uplifting (the simple love song “You and Me”) before fading into Moore’s final solo.
With its successful melding of musical styles, both old and new Dave Matthews Band fans can find something to love on Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King. Overall, the disc features both stellar instrumental work and trademark Dave Matthews lyrics about life and death that make Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King the quintessential Dave Matthews Band album and, therefore, a fitting tribute to the band’s fallen member.
Amy Martin - Amy Martin is a freelance writer who holds a Ph.D. in English Studies from Illinois State University. She taught literature and writing ...
