Rating: 
Summary: Very Informative
Review: I am a huge DMB fan. I am from Hampton, Va. which is about two and one-half hours from Charlottesville, Va. where this all started, and I think people around here are starting to get an idea of what a great band this is! This book covered everything about the band. The interviews that were included in the writing were very nicely added by Mr. Martell and they flowed with the rest of the story that he was telling. I found out things about Dave and the rest of the band that I probably wouldn't have anywhere else. From the background of all the members of the band, to explaining the meanings of the songs, and what Dave and the band had in their minds when writing them. To all of the web sites mentioned and the list of all the CDs with all the songs listed too. If you are a huge DMB fan like myself and you want to get more inside info on the band I strongly recommend this book! I also strongly recommend seeing DMB in concert! It is well worth it because it is the best show around from the best entertainers around! Enjoy! I did and still do!
Rating: 
Summary: Good in its intentions...
Review: Being someone who picks up everything that is Dave Matthews Band, I purchased "Music for the People," hoping that it would be what "Step Into the Light" strived for but didn't quite reach. Unfortunately, I was even more disappointed with this read than I was with the band's first book. Nevin Martell's writing is the main downfall of "Music for the People," as his authoring is plain and seems amateur-ish. I was also appalled by the number of errors found in this book -- I'm sure most people would buy this book to learn about the band, so it scares me that this text has probably over two dozen mistakes involving song titles, dates and other somewhat-useful trivia about Dave Matthews Band. Although hands down I would recommend "Step Into the Light" over "Music for the People," this book does beat its predecessor in several aspects. First and simple, the book contains updated info about the band through Spring 1999 ("Step Into the Light" left off sometime around late '97, prior to the release of the "Before These Crowded Streets" album). "Music for the People" also contains several appendices, which include a "DMB gigography," discography, complete listing of almost every DMB concert in the band's history, and more (this is the book's strong point, but not solely worth the purchase price). Finally, this book is thankfully missing the "essay" format found in "Step Into the Light."Fans looking for a lone book about Dave Matthews Band will fare better with "Step Into the Light," but a diehard fan who craves for DMB would most likely not regret buying "Music for the People."
Rating: 
Summary: Horrible Book
Review: Being a fan of The Dave Matthews Band, I purchased this book hoping to find out more insight to the backgound about the band. I was surprised to find many inaccuracies. One would think that they would check the facts before pulishing it. If you want accurate information of the Dave Matthews Band than I would suggest you read "Step Into the Light".
Rating: 
Summary: Explicit Information!
Review: I am writing this review from Boston, MA. My Boyfriend is a true fan to say the least of the DMB! He is the same age as Dave and they have alot of the same background. When I stummbled upon Nevin Martell's book "Music For The People"I wanted to read it before passing it along to my boyfriend to see how it was. It was fabulous. It had explicit information in it from where you could purchase boot leg CD's (which my boyfriend was thrilled about, e-mail address's, fantastic pictures, jokes, stories about each of the band members, and so on. It was filled with such excitement and enthusiasm, it made my boyfriend feel more in tune with the DMB! Thank you Nevin Martell for a FAB BOOK! Keep writing.... If any one out there is reading this and you have interesting information on the DMB (like were he is playing next and his latest music, etc. I would love a response....
Rating:
Summary: Decent Book but definatly nothing special
Review: This book gave very good insight into the history of the Dave Matthews Band, and especially Dave Matthews. The things I did not like about the book is that the author tries to emphasize the it is an entire band, but he focuses most of his writing on Dave himself. The author also uses very few primary sources for his history. Everything he writes about is taken from previous interviews with the band and other magazines or television shows. The author should have atleast had a personal interview and shared some of his own thoughts.
Rating: 
Summary: Great for the new DMB Groupie
Review: This book is a great book for the fan that has recently become enchanted with the unique and exquisite sound of the Dave Matthews Band. It includes biographies on the entire band, including the story of how they all came together. Find out how Dave, a native of S. America, moved to the U.S. permenately after being served papers to join the S. African army. The back of the book is the most useful, listing every album, every gig, and also micellaneous covers that the band has played throughout the years. The only down-side to this book is its redundancy. Throughout the chapters, every song is listed with it's length in time. Basically, every chapter reads like the last. On the positive, the book gives the stories behind nearly ever song. A must have for the TRUE DMB fan.
Rating:
Summary: Who can forget the soothing bass interludes of Doug Scoones?
Review: A book that isn't afraid to peer through the rosy gloss that has surrounded DMB for much of its meandering journey, Martell's 'Music For The People' offers a pleasant alternative to the tedious drivel heaped on most popular bands in the way of guides and insider studies. Martell brings an informal, conversational tone to the book that works nicely, particularly in contrast to the stuffy and institutionalized format of other DMB puff pieces like Light. In particular, the book is a joy to read while actually listening to DMB; a quality that should not be lost on true fans.
Rating:
Summary: Good in its intentions...
Review: Being someone who picks up everything that is Dave Matthews Band, I purchased "Music for the People," hoping that it would be what "Step Into the Light" strived for but didn't quite reach. Unfortunately, I was even more disappointed with this read than I was with the band's first book. Nevin Martell's writing is the main downfall of "Music for the People," as his authoring is plain and seems amateur-ish. I was also appalled by the number of errors found in this book -- I'm sure most people would buy this book to learn about the band, so it scares me that this text has probably over two dozen mistakes involving song titles, dates and other somewhat-useful trivia about Dave Matthews Band. Although hands down I would recommend "Step Into the Light" over "Music for the People," this book does beat its predecessor in several aspects. First and simple, the book contains updated info about the band through Spring 1999 ("Step Into the Light" left off sometime around late '97, prior to the release of the "Before These Crowded Streets" album). "Music for the People" also contains several appendices, which include a "DMB gigography," discography, complete listing of almost every DMB concert in the band's history, and more (this is the book's strong point, but not solely worth the purchase price). Finally, this book is thankfully missing the "essay" format found in "Step Into the Light." Fans looking for a lone book about Dave Matthews Band will fare better with "Step Into the Light," but a diehard fan who craves for DMB would most likely not regret buying "Music for the People."
Rating:
Summary: Awsome Book
Review: I LOVE DAVE MATTHEWS AND THIS BOOK MADE MELOVE HIM MORE. IT HAS ALL THE INFO ON THE BAND, THEMEMBERS IT'S ALL GOOD. LATEZ-CHELSEA
Rating:
Summary: Informative, yet poorly written
Review: I found this book on the most part, informative, but the writing sytles of Nevin Martell caused the book's information to be scatter and poorly organized. Thus making the book extremely less worthwhile than it could of been. The best part of the book was the setlists, complete cover song list, and the favorite bootlegs of the author. These reasons alone are not enough to purchase the book, as the setlists can be found on the DMB webpage, and bootleg favorites are best left up to the individual, and their personal taste.
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