Greatest Hits Compilation Planned

In an e-mail to fans, Dave Matthews Band has announced that they'll be releasing a great hits album before long. The disc will feature both studio and live songs. They're seeking fan input into which live songs should be featured, and even have a web-based survey soliciting submissions of specific performances that should be included.

Unusually for DMB, they mention -- in the first sentence of the announcement -- that the release is "in order to fulfill an obligation to their label." That likely indicates that the band or band management isn't thrilled at the prospect of a greatest hits album, or at least that they fear that fans won't be happy with it. They signed a new contract in 2004, and there was every indication that the band was in an excellent bargaining position. Presumably, then, this obligation was something that was written into the contract at the time of that renegotiation.