Under the Table and Dreaming

Dave Matthews Band can really claim to be one of those bands who came out with a sound they could call their own. Heavily influenced by South-African music Dave Matthews and company create a very different sound which comes out very strongly in their first major record release called “Under the table and dreaming”. The compositions and the mix greatly complement the picture they have on the album cover where there is a stream of people traveling on a dream carousel. The album is a good ride with the rich blend of music that the band has thrown in which complements the carousel effect. Quite a few numbers are swingers and literally set your feet tapping. It’s a mix of heady beats and nice punch of jazzy renditions. Dave Matthew’s voice also adds to the uniqueness. A lot of individual virtuosity has been shown by the people who contributed to the music of the album. Tim Reynolds who plays excellent acoustic guitar, which is quite prominent throughout the album deserves a special mention. There are a few tracks where John Popper the famous shredder from Blues Traveler does his little bit. The song “dancing nancies” quite nicely blends a lot of styles of music, including superb violin solos and nice acoustic runs, and is the closest to the jam renditions of the so called jam bands. The song warehouse also adds some spice to the album. A little bit of Afro music thrown in-between the jaunty song really makes it very lively. There is also a unique thing about the album which might be interest a few. The last instrumental piece is called #34 which is actually the 34th track in the album. The titles from 17 to 34 are all empty tracks. It can be quite amusing if you have your player thrown into the shuffle mode. Try listening to this when you are driving, it might give you a different experience, an experience which befits the album cover. Overall a very nice album and does no harm to any collection. Good buy.
~Aviroop

Band - Dave Matthews Band
Album - Under the Table and Dreaming (1994)