The Best of What's Around Vol. 1

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Dave Matthews Band chronology
The Best of What's Around Vol. 1

Compilation album by Dave Matthews Band
Released	November 7, 2006
Recorded	1994-2006
Genre	Rock
Length	2:07:42
Label	RCA
Producer(s)	John Alagia, Steve Lillywhite, Glen Ballard, Stephen Harris, Mark Batson
Weekend on the Rocks (2005)	The Best of What's Around Vol. 1 (2006)

The Best of What's Around Vol. 1, also known as TBOWA Vol. 1, is a greatest hits compilation album by the Dave Matthews Band that was released on November 7, 2006.

This two-disc set is the Dave Matthews Band's first ever compilation album, featuring twelve studio tracks on the first disc, and eight previously unreleased live tracks on the second disc. Out of the 20 tracks featured on the best-of compilation, only fourteen of them were released as singles, and only ten of the featured singles appeared on the chart. As the band itself is known as a "live band" many of the songs on the album were chosen due to their popularity among live set lists, rather than radio airplay.

In July 2006, an email was sent out to members of the Dave Matthews Band's mailing list, informing fans that a compilation was to be released in September, and they were asked to chose ten of their favorite live songs (and their specific dates). The ten most popular live songs were to be featured on the second disc of the compilation; however, only eight tracks are featured on disc two. The band also claimed in the message that the reason for this release was due to contractual obligations, rather than by choice. With the rising popularity of the band's latest live release, Live Trax Vol. 6, the compilation's release date was pushed back to November 7, 2006. Inside the CD case of Live Trax Vol. 6 an advertisement for The Best of What's Around Vol. 1 was featured, falsely claiming that "Where Are You Going" was to be among the studio tracks appearing on disc one, and that the album was to be released on November 6, not November 7. Sony BMG Music Entertainment released an advanced billing of the album, also falsely claiming that it was to feature a live version of "The Dreaming Tree."^[1]

1 Cover art
2 Track listing
3 Notes

[edit] Cover art

The album's cover art, designed to look like a concert ticket, features several hidden references:

1241998 — reference to December 4, 1998, the date the Warehouse Fan Association began
Saturday, April 20, 1991 — the date of the band's first ever show, performed at the Earth Day festival in Charlottesville, Virginia
Section 34, Row 36, Seat 41 — reference to three of the band's "numbered" songs:
- "#34" (from Under the Table and Dreaming)
- "#36" (from Live at Red Rocks and Listener Supported)
- "#41" (from Crash)
the barcode printed on the ticket is the UPC code of the album

[edit] Track listing

[edit] Disc one

"The Best of What's Around"
"What Would You Say" (Listen (help·info))
"Crash Into Me" (Listen (help·info))
"Too Much"
"Rapunzel"
"Crush"
"So Right"
"The Space Between"
"Grey Street"
"Grace Is Gone"
"Hunger for the Great Light"
"American Baby"

[edit] Disc two

All tracks feature Butch Taylor.

"Don't Drink the Water" (Live 7/16/05, Sound Advice Amphitheater, West Palm Beach, FL)
"Warehouse" (Live 7/2/06, Alpine Valley Music Theater, East Troy, WI)
- with Rashawn Ross
"Say Goodbye" (Live 7/5/00, Comerica Park, Detroit, MI) (Incorrectly listed as 7/25/00)
"Stay (Wasting Time)" (Live 7/19/03, Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, Selma, TX)
"Everyday" (Live 6/17/06, Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, NY)
- with Vusi Mahlasela and Rashawn Ross
"Louisiana Bayou" (Live 6/26/05, Nissan Pavillion, Bristow, VA) (Incorrectly listed as 9/2/05)
- with Robert Randolph
"Ants Marching" (Live 3/26/05, State Theatre, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia)
"Two Step" (Live 6/11/01, Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ)

[edit] Encore CD

A bonus disc was also available as a free incentive to anyone who pre-ordered the album online. After the album's release, the bonus disc was available with the album for an extra price.