Two Step - In Depth

Below is my analysis of my favorite Dave Matthews Band work of all time. It's a song called "Two Step", played live in this case, at Central Park in New York City in September of 2002. The piece runs for just under 20 minutes, clearly having a distinctive A, B, C, and D parts.
Keep in mind that this masterpiece is played in front of 9 acres of people. I'm writing this blog as an extension to one of my previous blogs to dig a little deeper into describing the versatility of the band.
The piece beigns with violin player Boyd Tinsley strumming his violin like a guitar at about 100 bpm. This continues for just under a minute before bass player Stefan Lessard accompanies him for a lengthy bass solo. Lead singer Dave Matthews comes in with guitar and voice just before we're two minutes into the song. That's a pretty lengthy intro (and feels like forever when you're playing a solo on a stage in front of a crowd). The drums, saxophone, and piano all come in at about 2:20 for the entire band's pre-determined syncopated hit sequence bringing us to the intro and first verse. The pace moves along rapidly in a country/rock aggressive beat that drives the song forward. The beat sounds like a train chugging along at full speed. The chorus is played at half the speed of the verse, led by Carter and goes through twice before the band does an instrumental break where Boyd plays a striking violing chord staccato every third beat. A drum fill rolls around the drumset and the song is back to the chugging of the verse and eventually a repeat of the chorus, only lengthier this time, 6:40 in and the band makes a striking, sudden transition to a new section of the song.
Butch Taylor, keyboardist, leads us into a smooth piano solo backed by a sparse, wavy bass line and scarce drums that perfectly match Butch's every move. Dave is lightly finding notes to play on the guitar while Boyd and LeRoi Moore remain out of the spotlight for the time being. Butch's solo continues with guitar, bass, and drums backing him for almost five long minutes, coming to a climax at 12:21. At 12:38, we enter a dreamy bass line and repeating chord progression from the keys while Carter backs with a quiet beat. At 13:31, Carter officially breaks into his solo, starting quietly and carefully going around his drumset, exploring the sounds each tom and cymbal can make. His solo is clearly playing off the repeating bass line and chord progression coming from the keys. It couldn't work out more perfectly. Carter is a master behind the drums, ambidexterous, and comfortable on and off the beat. What's most remarkable about the first part of this drum solo is his use of his cymbals. Boyd comes back in strumming his violin along with the now fast tempo of the song. The most exciting part of Carter's lengthy drum solo is one of his signature moves (15:37) where he rolls on the snare drum with both hands, but after each beat with each hand, hits (alternately) his china boy cymbal on his right and his ride cymbal on his left. This combination continues, gets off the beat on purpose (the beat is held by the band while he goes), and arrives back on the beat at the sequence's completion at 16:01, 24 seconds later. (That's forever in musician time when you're trying to do something that hard.) When the song and beat collide again here, the piece goes back to the rapid train chugging of the verse through a calculated number of sequences until it reaches the entire song's climax at 17:30 where a rapid, syncopated snare beat pulls the entire rest of the band (bass, guitar, keys, sax, and violing) through and then leaves the band behind, speeding the song faster and faster and faster, yet in control, until the song comes to a sudden close that leaves both musician and listener fulfilled and breathing a sign of relief.
The rollercoaster ride of this song is one display of great control of tempo, time signature, and dynamics. It is also a very satisfying display of improvisation and musicianship by every member of the band.
enjoy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hhc-iM73Yds
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J86-qwxJDjM

(note: the times in the blog and on the videos might not match up exactly)