Calipari and the GrooGrux King
Two things I’ve wanted to blog about lately has been John Calipari becoming UK’s coach and the Dave Matthews Band’s newest album – Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King.
On Calipari
I will admit to not being a big Calipari fan before his arrival at UK. There was always something about him that wouldn’t let me fully like the guy. Was it his reputation? Probably. However, in the short time he’s been UK’s coach, I have become a huge fan. Not because of his mad recruiting skills, but because he is a human being.
In his short time in Lexington, he’s proven himself to be far more accessible than the previous coach. Calipari bought a house on one of Lexington’s most traveled streets. He jogs around campus. He eats at local restaurants (and not just the expensive ones). He embraces all parts of the University of Kentucky – highlighting student academic achievements on his Twitter account, as well as visiting former UK athletes and students. He goes to church. He tells us what books he’s reading. All in all, he’s a regular guy that just happens to be on an extremely large stage.
Ok. I guess bringing in one of the best recruiting classes ever doesn’t hurt my respect for the guy.
Opponents of Calipari are still riding on his negative reputation. They say he bends the rules. Some would say he’s broken rules and just hasn’t been caught yet. Maybe so. But, none of us are perfect. I just like that he seems to be a personable, down-to-earth dude, which isn’t common for some of these mega-head coaches in college and professional sports.
On Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King
Maybe one of these days, I’ll get around to posting a full, song-by-song review of the album. For today, I’ll stick with a general review. I’ve been really happy with this album. I don’t think it’s their best work, but I’m pleased with the effort.
I’m not one of those fans that hates the Everyday album, but it was different. Not a typical DMB album, but I’ve come to enjoy it over time. Stand Up was an album I never fully enjoyed. Parts of it were good, but it is definitely my least favorite of their albums. On both of these albums, the band found themselves trying to go in new directions and create new sounds.
Big Whiskey finally gets back to the “classic” Dave Matthews Band sound. Dave playing odd riffs on the acoustic (“Spaceman”), Carter going nuts on the drums (…entire album), funky horn lines (“Shake Me Like a Monkey”) and what I think is a key element – Tim Reynolds – beefing up the band’s sound. They’re not trying to sound “different” with this album like they did for the previous two studio efforts. And that’s what I like most about the album. They’ve realized what works for them and have returned to that formula.
Now, if we could only get the studio versions of “Idea of You,” “Shotgun,” “Sugar Will,” and whatever else they recorded for these sessions. That would be nice.
