December 15: This next song comes from an excellent duo that met back in the 80s. One was a bartender; the other had a band that played in the bar. Today I pull out the Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds recording of Christmas Song in honor of Tim Reynolds 57th birthday! Back in the 1980s, Tim Reynolds was playing the Charlottesville scene while experimenting with different sounds. His sound would bounce between Jazz, Jazz Fusion, and Sixties Psychedelic; usually finding a medium in-between. As Reynolds’s music began to make its way through the college town, word of his band, The Tim Reynolds Three found its way to a college friend who suggested the TR3 perform at a local bar called Miller’s. It was there that Reynolds was introduced to the bartender, Dave Matthews. While Reynolds told Matthews that TR3 had a sound, and that Tim liked that sound, he suggested Dave form his own band and introduced him to some folks he had played with in the past, including LeRoi Moore and Carter Beauford. Dave Matthews then presented the men with a demo tape and asked for some help adding additional instrumental sounds to the songs. What was created was more than a simple demo tape. Dave Matthews Band formed in 1991 and went on to become one of the greatest live acts in history. But Dave and Tim never lost touch. This next song, Christmas Song, comes from an acoustic set between Dave and Tim and can be found on the album Remember Two Things by DMB or Live at Luther College by Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds. One thing I like most about this song is its simplicity. The chords seem to follow Dave’s lyrics throughout the song, as opposed to the other way around. And the message of the song seems to stubbornly refuse to take a political side – echoing love throughout and giving testament to Jesus. I have read a few boards prior to this song’s post and have not seen where Dave or Tim comment on the meaning behind this song, but that doesn’t keep the commenters from building cases on all sides of what this song is and is not about. Is it anti-religion? Is it pro-Christianity? I see the song as a picture of heaven on earth and the contrast between the two. Christ is the light of love in a world of darkness and pain. And what better symbolic comparison than Christmas, when in the midst of darkness and winter, the world is given a glimpse into heaven when we are filled up with the light of love, generosity and joy? But if you have taken away anything from these past posts, it is that songs can mean very different things to each person. So enjoy this next song in whatever way you see fit: https://youtube/watch?v=x33XlnWWfaI
Posted on: Mon, 15 Dec 2014 06:18:19 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015