What was the point of American Baby Intro?

[Josh.0]

Just heard this on DMBR.

It’s four notes. I think seven total lyrics. And by lyrics I mean the sum of the random words Dave...sings?

She
Said
A
Hundred/Thousand
Times
Yeah

Yet somehow, live, it would blow Dave’s voice out without delivering any message whatsoever while hardly showcasing the band as musicians in any notable way.

Immediately after it finally ended on DMBR a D&T OSW from ‘96 came on and it was such a stark difference in musicianship and, as pretentious as this sounds, artistry. It made me think that ABI may personify DMB when they’re at their worst: painfully lazy, uncreative, and worst of all a masterwork in force-feeding something terrible to your fans.

I know not many ever loved ABI from the get go, such as myself. Some loved teh energy. But seriously, in retrospect, what the fuck were they thinking and doing with this song? Particularly live? Simple songs can be made well (such as Proudest Monkey). But is ABI their worst effort ever?

And if the point - as someone will surely point out - was to be an intro leading into AB (lol), why would it occupy its own spot on set lists away from AB?

[Tomacco]

Who the hell knows. At least the 9/12/05 one was good.

[bassplayer22]

Has it ever even segued into AB? Lazy title too. I think it’s ok as a segue song but goes on too long.

[Tomacco]

Originally Posted by bassplayer22 Has it ever even segued into AB? Lazy title too. I think it’s ok as a segue song but goes on too long.

Yeah in 2011 it segued.

[jeff1818]

It needs more explosives and machine gun fire to truly become great. Maybe Bateson can remix it.

[Wildcats82]

I dunno but I certainly enjoyed it the one time I've seen it live

[gweeps]

I believe it was inspired by an Iraqi woman who was asked how she felt about the invasion. I can't remember the exact context anymore.

I've always liked ABI. The buildup is great. And I like that weird noise Butch (?) makes.

I'm listening to the version from 5/25/07 and holy shit this is powerful. The repetitiousness of the song fits the theme.

That studio cut is their worst effort ever though.

[Josh.0]

Hey to each his own.

But I have often wondered if as a joke they challenged themselves with trying to write a song in less than 10 minutes and out popped ABI.

[Josh.0]

I believe there are more chords in PNP than notes and lyrics combined in ABI. Think about that for a second. PNP is 40 seconds long.

[gweeps]

Go listen to the ABI studio cut again. You'll cringe. The sound effects are atrocious. They gotta be right off some free demo CD.

[Wildcats82]

my enjoyment of that may have been because it was on the Stand Up Tour and most of the show was awful. The highlight was #34

[Wildcats82]

Originally Posted by gweeps Go listen to the ABI studio cut again. You'll cringe. The sound effects are atrocious. They gotta be right off some free demo CD.

yep the studio version is terrible. That entire album is terrible

[gweeps]

Originally Posted by Wildcats82 yep the studio version is terrible. That entire album is terrible

I like a few things from it, but mostly holy hell what a travesty of professionalism.

[gweeps]

Speaking again of that show I mentioned... wow, what a clunker. There was energy, I guess.

Dave Matthews Band
May 25, 2007
Pavilhão Atlântico, Lisbon, PRT

Everyday
Dreamgirl
Crash into Me
Hunger for the Great Light
Louisiana Bayou
When the World Ends
Grey Street
Idea of You
So Much to Say »
Anyone Seen the Bridge »
Too Much
Sister
Lie in Our Graves
#41 »
American Baby Intro
Two Step »
Ants Marching
-----------------------------------
Gravedigger
Jimi Thing
Stay (Wasting Time)
-----------------------------------
Don't Drink the Water
Pantala Naga Pampa »
Rapunzel

[timh.]

it's an abomination

[soups]

Everything on stand up is horrible. Even the good songs find a way to be horrible. It’s hard to believe that it was Thy King’s last studio album.

What kinds of fucked up do you have to be to make that album. And then release it for people to hear?

[SomeDevil17]

So I have no idea if this is actually true or not. But this was the story on it back in the day.

Originally they had a song called She Said recorded in the stand up sessions. They eventually split it into two songs Abi and ab. I have no idea why, as this is me recalling posts from message board talk 15 years ago.

Anyways their is one show from 05, where they play an instrumental jam 6.7.05. These are the notes from the almanac “ lyrics are based around the American Baby Intro, but the music is entirely different; played while Dave's IEM was being fixed.” This was thought at the time to be the original She Said song but I don’t think it ever got confirmed.

[gweeps]

Roi is sweet on that improv intro. The crowd sucks.

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[Josh.0]

Originally Posted by soups Everything on stand up is horrible. Even the good songs find a way to be horrible. It’s hard to believe that it was Thy King’s last studio album. What kinds of fucked up do you have to be to make that album. And then release it for people to hear?

Yeah I had the same thought about Roi today. What a shame.

Regarding your second paragraph, I’ve wondered the same. Like, it’s not just bad. Green is a bad Weezer album, for example, especially following Blue and Pinkerton, but it’s not straight up a head-scratcher and totally embarrassing. Bad albums happen to bands over time, but Stand Up is truly one that makes you go “you know, I already get a lot of shit for liking you DMB, and then you go and do this.”

It’s also how I feel about TGIY as a song. I appreciate the band trying to be adventurous, but where was someone with the shoulder tap to Dave? The “nah man let’s skip that one” friend-taking-care-of-a-friend?

Stand Up the album and TGIY as a song are the hardest things for me to defend when people dump on DMB. They bring any of that up and it’s game/set/match. I have better luck defending gkk in the politics thread.

[Tomacco]

Big Whiskey is Roi’s last album.