The Baseball Project - Volume 2: High and Inside (2011)

The Baseball Project is a quartet consisting of four rock music veterans, all of whom have staked out a nice reputation for themselves in other bands. The starting lineup is Steve Wynn, founder of the 80s band, Dream Syndicate, his wife, drummer Linda Pitmon, and recent free agent, Peter Buck of R. E. M. The clean up hitter is Scott McCaughey of The Minus Five who later became an unofficial member of Buck's late, great band during their final years together. The four assembled for this side project because McCaughey and Wynn, two huge baseball fans, decided to start a band with a unique concept. All of the songs would be about their favorite sport.

Volume 1, Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails, was released in 2008 and Volume 2, High & Inside, was released last year. Of course, dedicated baseball fans with knowledge of the sport's rich history will appreciate these two albums more than anyone else. However, because the songs are also history lessons and commentaries on life it's possible that others will find something to enjoy while listening to them too.

These four are all seasoned major leaguers so the music is top notch. Volume 2 is tightly arranged, well played, modern rock, and if you ignore the lyrics the thirteen song set can be enjoyed simply as good, alternative rock music. There are guest appearances by Steve Berlin of Los Lobos, Ben Gibbard, lead singer for Death Cab for Cutie, Craig Finn from The Hold Steady, and Ira Kaplan of Yo Lo Tengo.

Lyrically, a couple of songs are on the campy side. "Don't Call Them Twinkies" is about The Minnesota Twins and "Panda and The Freak" celebrates baseball's obsession with nicknames. The title references Pablo Sandoval and Tim Lincecum of the San Francisco Giants. Those tracks are offset by more serious fare. Several songs are about players who fell on hard times. "1976" is the sad story of the late Mark "The Bird" Fidrych who had one sensational rookie season. The following year injuries ruined his career and in 2009 he died in a freak accident. "Tony (Boston's Chosen Son)" is about the late Tony Conigliaro, another ill-fated star whose career was derailed by a bean ball that severely diminished his eyesight. He died young too, the victim of a heart attack. "Here Lies Carl Mays" is a tale about the pitcher who killed hitter Ben Chapman with a pitch to the head in 1920 before batting helmets were required. Regrettably, Mays showed very little remorse and he was reviled throughout the major leagues for the rest of his life.

There have been some very successful rock concept albums released over the years but very few concept bands who have left a positive lasting impression. The latter tend to be novelty acts with short life spans, and despite the the quality stuff on Volume 2, I believe The Baseball Project is no different. However, the band members all have substantial talent and Buck is a future hall of fame member. If they choose to remain together as a unit they can continue to be successful because all involved have displayed their ability to expand their horizons beyond their current narrow song cycle.

Comments

Post a Comment

WHAT'S HOT TODAY!

Slower Than Slow: 16 RPM Records

Image
Have you ever heard of a long forgotten vinyl format, the 16 2/3 RPM record? They were half the speed of the 33 1/3 RPM albums that were the traditional standard for recorded music. Most record players in the 1950s and 1960s came with a speed setting to play these long forgotten discs that were considered novelties even during the years they were available. Because most, but not all, 16s had big holes and were 7" in diameter many of them were mistaken for 45 RPMs and at that size the speed allowed for up to 20 minutes of playing time per side. However, there was no true standard size and they were also manufactured to be 9, 10, or 12 inches in diameter, and these larger records played even longer. Just like the other speeds and formats 16s could be played one record at a time or stacked on a changer for continuous play. Radio stations often used the discs for pre-recorded radio shows containing interviews, dramas, and documentaries. More frequen
Read more

Louis Armstrong - Louis In London (2024)

Image
Louis In London is a live album of a concert Louis Armstrong and his All-Stars recorded for the BBC on July 2, 1968. It was first aired by the network on September 22, 1968. Armstrong died in 1971 and his health was already taking a a sad turn when this concert took place. It's often been called his last great performance because his health deteriorated significantly shortly thereafter, and his ability to tour was severely limited. When the great tumpeter and singer received a tape recording of his London show he marked it "for the fans" because he was so proud of it. He also made copies on his recently installed high-end Tandberg tape system for each member of the All-Stars. In 1970, nine of the thirteen tracks from this new CD were released on LP as  Louis Armstrong's Greatest Hits Recorded Live  on Brunswick Records in both America and in the UK. The CD was digitally transfered form the original BBC telecast recording and no
Read more

Why Do 45 RPM Records Have Big Holes?

Image
Today we're going to find out why 45 RPM records have much larger holes than 78s and 33s. Believe it or not I often wondered about this burning question when I was collecting hundreds of these little seven inch gems back the 1960s. According to several websites, including Answerbag , the reason for the large hole used by 45s was simple. It was difficult for the old 78s, with their smaller holes, to find their way onto jukebox spindles. The large hole effectively eliminated that problem. Strangely, seven inch 45s were often pressed with the smaller holes used for LPs in many countries outside the United States, especially in the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. Overseas the inserts (commonly know as spiders) were manufactured into the large holes at the factories but they could be punched out if desired. The Beatles' British single of "Love Me Do," pictured here, is a typical example. Why were the spiders built into English 45s? I was unable to fi
Read more

Howlin' Wolf - The London Howlin' Wolf Sessions (1971)

Image
Many blues purists site a lack of authenticity as a reason to dismiss an artist's work but I refuse to participate in such snobbery. If performed well a hybrid arrangement adds unique freshness to an old piece of music. The fact that the great blues singer, composer, and guitarist Chester Burnett (a.k.a Howlin' Wolf ) flew to London in 1970 to record with a few of the hottest British Invasion all-stars of the day - most of them heavily influenced by the blues - shouldn't make the music any less compelling. The participants on The London Howlin' Wolf Sessions include Eric Clapton on lead guitar, Steve Winwood on piano and organ, and three men with Rolling Stones connections: bassist Bill Wyman, drummer Charlie Watts, and pre-worldwide fame Stones' pianist,  Ian Stewart .  Hubert Sumlin - Wolf's devoted longtime sideman - provided rhythm guitar throughout these sessions. Even Ringo Starr proved he could play the blues on one track, "I A
Read more

It's Real Life: An Alternate History Of The Beatles - A Short Story, Radio Play And Full Length Novel By Paul Levinson (2022 and 2024)

Image
In a July 2023 blog post I discussed an alternate history of the most famous rock band of all time. It's Real Life: An Alternate History Of The Beatles was written in 2022 as a short story and radio play by Professor Paul Levinson of Fordham University. Since then, the author has expanded it into a full length novel that includes his original story as chapter one. Below my original post you'll find a link to a fascinating  podcast where Levinson discussed his book with NBC's Chuck Todd followed by an  intriguing  email question and answer session that Levinson graciously gave to Bloggerhythms. _______________________________________ In 2005, novelist, playwright and rock musician, Larry Kirwan - best known as the leader of New York City's renowned Celtic-rock band, Black 47  - used his vivid imagination to write  Liverpool Fantasy , a novel about what could have happened to each of the four Beatles if they hadn't hit the big
Read more