Hard-to-find Blessid Union rarities -- Limited Edition CD's with Sports-Themed Content -- Great Stuff!
JDR
Their music has touched the lives of countless people across the
country, and their chart-topping success has included songs people
know, like:
I Believe - their biggest hit (near the top-played song of 1997 and Top
10 chart hit)
Let Me Be The One (a Top 40 success)
I Wanna Be There (another Top 10 hit - one of my personal favorites)
Light In Your Eyes (another Top 10 chart-er)
Hey Leonardo (She Likes Me for Me) (yet another top 10 - comparable to
the best of a group like Barenaked Ladies, with great tongue-in-cheek
lyrics)
Standing On The Edge of the World (their last Top 10, in 2000 -- should
have been on the Armageddon soundtrack if the Aerosmith "I Don't Wanna
Miss A Thing" hadn't taken it's place ... )
Without a major record deal and no new albums to promote, their old
label (Capitol) released "The Singles" which did produce a Top 40 hit
"Storybook Life" in 2001. BUOS has not stopped touring, but they did
record and release a new album in 2005 entitled "Perception" that has
received favorable reviews if not matching sales.
You may think that BUOS did not record or release any music between
2001 and 2005, but you would be wrong. Did you know that they recorded
a great album of baseball-themed music for their hometown Reds in 2003,
when the Great American Ball Park opened in Cincinnati? Did you know
that not only did they make that album but they also revamped those
songs with fresh lyrics and backing hooks to make an album geared
toward the Minnesota Twins in 2005? My guess is that your answer to
both questions is probably "no," but I do have more to tell you...
The 2003 album was called "Play Ball," and it was sold exclusively at
the Reds' gift shop when the park first opened. However, the gift shop
has since stopped selling the album (no surprise, since they looked at
it only as a one-season item), but they overlooked the quality of the
music on that disc.
Here is the track listing from that recording:
* National Anthem - sung very nicely by Eliot Sloan
* Play Ball - a great baseball song, with a Reds-inspired theme
* Go Home (see below)
* Rounding Third Heading For Home (see below)
* Field of Dreams (see below)
* Guys Like Me (see below)
* Get To Know Em (see below)
* Me, Marty, Joe - great memories for a Reds fan
* Can't Wait Till Summer (see below)
* (Bonus) Road Construction - a fun little "ditty" that the band threw
in at the end
The follow-up baseball-themed disc to "Play Ball" was the equally
unheralded, but no less fun, "Soul Patrol." This album captured
everything that was great about the first album, and it possibly did it
better.
Here is the track listing from that recording:
* Soul Patrol
* The Sandman
* Get To Know Em (2005)
* Go Home
* Roundin Third (Soul Patrol Remix - 2005)
* Field of Dreams
* Can't Wait Till Summer (2005)
* Guys Like Me
* National Anthem
NOTES:
* The disc leads off with "Soul Patrol" -- a tribute to the trio of
Hunter, Jones, and Stewart. It features a retro-soul sound and was
previewed by the three (with their blessing) before inclusion.
* "The Sandman" follows as an original R&B/rap style for Johan Santana
and his "lights out" strikeouts. A very cool song that Johan himself
gave a big thumbs up.
* "Get To Know Em" is a who's-who of the current Twins' roster. Just
like the original "Play Ball" version, except that one showcased the
Reds roster with Eliot on lead vocals throughout. Jake Jacobson does
the lead vocals on the verses while Eliot has the refrain in the "Soul
Patrol" version.
* "Go Home" is a fun baseball taunt in classic BUOS style to "relieve"
the opposing pitchers of their duty. Witty lyrics and enjoyable. The
version is the same on both albums.
* "Roundin Third (Soul Patrol Remix)" is a solid rap for revving up the
team and the crowd before a game. Both versions are unique and
enjoyable - the "Soul Patrol" version is funkier.
* "Field of Dreams" is a classic pop song that all fans should enjoy.
Very much a *top 40* type song to be heard. The version is the same on
both albums.
* "Can't Wait Till Summer (2005)" is a reggae effort featuring the best
of both leagues in MLB. An All-Star classic song.
* "Guys Like Me" is another great pop song about the "little guy" who
isn't the big star on the team but comes through in the clutch. The
version is the same on both albums.
* "National Anthem" needs no explanation, although it is notable that
this is the classic operatic version featuring a great voice.
Where can you listen to and/or buy this music?
http://clubhouseconnection.net
Under the Music section, there are samples of tracks on the discs for
your listening pleasure. Additionally, under the For Sale section, you
can buy this music for sale at a reasonable price ... music you may not
find elsewhere.
Thanks for reading,
JD Rentz
Website Developer for http://clubhouseconnection.net
MLB web journal at
http://clubhouseconnection.net/blogs/ramblings_reds_fan_rentz.html
NASCAR web journal at
http://clubhouseconnection.net/blogs/rentz_racing_nascar.html