Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds

Updated June 26, 2020 | Infoplease Staff

Live at Luther College

• Bama Rags/RCA

Continuing his efforts to beat bootleggers at their own game, Dave Matthews has released another live set, designed to satiate devotees between his band's studio discs. This one is an all-acoustic, generally subdued double-CD, recorded at Luther College in Iowa in February 1996. Matthews is teamed here with Tim Reynolds, whose fluid guitar playing complements the singer magnificently. What's most surprising is how well a lot of the songs hold up when stripped away from their full band arrangements. Whether it's his call to live for the moment (“Tripping Billies”), the captivating “Satellite” or the gentle melody of “Two Step,” the songs sound revitalized. The 23-track album also includes some fascinating lyrical efforts, especially the second disc pairing of the biblical “Christmas Song” and the rippling spiritual wonder “Seek Up.”