Dave Matthews Band - Live At Red Rocks 8.15.95 (1997)

Like a lot of his jam-band compatriots, Dave Matthews's personality can come off as muted in the studio, but really spreads out live--which makes this a must-have for fans who don't already have the bootleg, or nineteen more from the same period. But absent a hits sampler, Live at Red Rocks could also be the best Matthews album for more tentative listeners. It draws heavily from the Under the Table and Dreaming material, as well as from the then-upcoming Crash. "All Along the Watchtower," previously only available on an indie EP, ends the set. --Gavin McNett