Under the Table and Dreaming

Under the Table and Dreaming is the debut studio album by the American rock band Dave Matthews Band, released on September 27, 1994. The album's first single was "What Would You Say", featuring John Popper of Blues Traveler on harmonica. Four other singles from the album followed: "Jimi Thing", "Typical Situation", "Ants Marching" and "Satellite". By March 16, 2000, the album had sold six million copies, and was certified sextuple platinum by the RIAA.

Recording
The acoustic guitar tracks on the album were played by Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds. During the recording sessions, Matthews and Reynolds would sit face-to-face with a piece of glass between them, playing the same guitar part. This was done twice for each song to yield a total of four acoustic guitar tracks, two apiece from Matthews and Reynolds. Producer Steve Lillywhite frequently turned the volume down on Matthews' parts and turned the volume up on Reynolds', resulting in Reynolds' guitar playing being more prominent on the final album. Reynolds then overdubbed additional acoustic and electric guitar parts.

Matthews has stated during performances that the harmonica solo performed by John Popper on "What Would You Say" was done in only five to ten minutes, while Matthews was in the bathroom.

"Granny" was recorded for this release and Matthews wanted this to be the band's first single, but the song never made it to any of the studio albums. A studio version of this track is included on the 2014 reissue of the album.

"#34" is the only instrumental track on the album although it was played live with lyrics on nine occasions in 1993, prior to the band taking it to the studio. The band originally recorded the song with lyrics, but they were removed from the final album cut.

The album's title comes from a lyric of the song "Ants Marching": "[He] remembers being small / playing under the table and dreaming".

The album was dedicated to Matthews' older sister Anne, who was killed by her husband in 1994 in a murder–suicide. Included in the jewel case packet is a picture of Dave Matthews and one of Anne's children.

Critical reception
Stereo Review noted that "Matthews is a lucid dreamer and idealist whose folk-jazz forays call to mind Bruce Cockburn, another square peg who wins fans with a combination of artistry and perseverance." The Baltimore Sun determined that "the band has a great sense of groove, evincing all the rhythmic discipline of a jazz band without ever losing its sense of the song."

Track listing
Note: Original CD editions of the album include 22 tracks of silence between "Pay for What You Get" and "#34".

Personnel

 * Dave Matthews Band
 * Carter Beauford – drums, percussion, vocals
 * Stefan Lessard – bass guitar
 * Dave Matthews – vocals, acoustic guitar, design assistant
 * LeRoi Moore – alto, soprano, and tenor saxophone; vocals; flute
 * Boyd Tinsley – acoustic violin, vocals


 * Additional musicians
 * Tim Reynolds – acoustic guitar
 * John Popper – harmonica on "What Would You Say"
 * John Alagía, Michael McDonald, Andrew Page, Jeff Thomas – additional vocals on "Dancing Nancies" and "What Would You Say"
 * Steve Forman – additional percussion on "Typical Situation"


 * Technical personnel
 * Steve Lillywhite – producer
 * Chris Dickie – engineer
 * Andrew Page – assistant engineer
 * Tom Lord-Alge – mixing engineer
 * Rory Romano – mixing assistant
 * Dave Betancourt – mixing assistant
 * Ted Jensen – mastering
 * Thane Kerner – art direction, design
 * Stuart Dee – photography
 * Sam Erickson, Christopher Bunn, Will Kerner, Taylor Crothers – additional photography