Volume 1: Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails

The Baseball Project | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 8, 2008)
• Original Release Date: 2008
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Yep Roc Records
• ASIN: B00197U10C
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #12,196 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #25 in Music > Alternative Rock > Indie & Lo-Fi > Jangle Pop

Editorial Reviews

Review

Scott McCaughey and Steve Wynn share a fanatical interest in America's national pastime and have formed The Baseball Project, whose debut,''Vol. 1: Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails'' (****, out July 8 on Yep Roc), is filled with their clever songs about such stars as Jackie Robinson, Ted Williams and Satchel Paige.

Whether writing about the famous or obscure, Wynn (Dream Syndicate, Gutterball) and McCaughey (The Minus 5, R.E.M.) display an obvious love for the sport, and they get some notable backup from their longtime friend, guitarist Peter Buck of R.E.M. And yes, two Detroit Tigers do get name-dropped along the way: Denny McLain and Jim Bunning. At press time, the album was being streamed in its entirety at yeproc.com/artist_info.php?artistId=12539. --Detroit Free Press

Move over, ''Tessie.'' Take a rest, ''Sweet Caroline.'' Rock n roll loving baseball fanatics are in store for an extra-base musical hit courtesy of the Baseball Project, a quartet of Steve Wynn (Dream Syndicate) and Scott McCaughey (Young Fresh Fellows, the Minus 5, R.E.M.), who wrote all the songs, and R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck and drummer Linda Pitmon. The music is cool, but the fanboy lyrics are where the action is. There are songs about Harvey Haddix s unfair exclusion from the list of perfect game hurlers, Jack ''Black Jack'' McDowell flipping the bird to Yankee fans, Willie Mays facing Sandy Koufax, others about Fernando Valenzuela, Jackie Robinson, Satchel Paige, Curt Flood and Mark McGwire, and mentions of Rick Wise, Minnie Minoso, Oscar Gamble and many more. And, oh yeah, there s one about Ted Williams , uh, attitude. Too bad the title can t be printed in a family newspaper. --The Boston Herald

This is not your father s baseball album. No album with a song like 'Ted Fucking Williams' could be. Instead, Scott McCaughey, Steve Wynn, Peter Buck and Linda Pitmon have crafted a 13-song set about baseball from a hardcore fan s perspective, filled with songs like the harmonica-backed standout 'Satchel Paige Said,' the very humorous 'Harvey Haddix' and the album-opening 'Past Time, which
begins with the line ''Campy Campaneris played all nine positions in a game.'' Baseball devotees will know that with lines like that there s
definitely intrigue to be found here. It s also clever how the quartet use
some period piece music, like Beach Boys styled harmonies to dress up the
1960 s-based 'Sometimes I Dream of Willie Mays.' Not everything is perfect and the writing is occasionally a little
forced ('The Yankee Flipper') but it s a very ambitious recording, unlike
any other that s been laid down for the love of the game. --Newhouse News Service

Product Description

Rock n' roll vets Scott McCaughey (The Minus 5, R.E.M., Young Fresh Fellows) and Steve Wynn (The Dream Syndicate, Gutterball, Danny & Dusty, Miracle 3) have an unhealthy love for music undermined only by an even more unhealthy love of baseball. The compatriots blend their two passions with The Baseball Project -- Volume 1: Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails, an album of buzzing guitars and baseball back stories. The heroes and villains of America's (in)famous pastime are explored with cutting wit and fanboy detail in songs that satisfy both the summer's need for rock anthems and sweltering afternoon double-headers. Drummer Linda Pitmon (Miracle 3, Golden Smog) and R.E.M.'s Peter Buck round out the squad, as they spin tales of ill-fated drinking binges ('The Yankee Flipper', 'The Death of Big Ed Delahanty'), near mythical icons ('Ted Fucking Williams'), folk heroes ('Fernando', 'Satchel Paige Said') and, on 'Gratitude (For Curt Flood)', the overlooked man who changed the game. A passionately funny and sarcastically reverent commentary on the state of the sport, The Baseball Project provides a hip soundtrack to the backstage party at America's game.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Stand-up Triple, July 18, 2008

By 

P. Goode - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Volume 1: Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails (Audio CD)

The brainchild of Seattle musicians Steve Wynn and Scott McCaughey (with assistance for REM's Peter Buck and drummer Linda Pitmon), this CD is way more than a cute exercise in nostalgia. In turns ribald ("Ted F---ing Williams"), bitter ("Gratitude [for Curt Flood]), nostalgic ("Sometimes I Dream Of Willie Mays"), and rueful ("Long Before My Time"), Frozen Ropes successfully and accessibly makes the case that baseball isn't that much different from everyday life, reminding us in "Harvey Haddix" that "We're drawn to tragic stories/The ones that suit us best." Incidentally, the title refers to baseball slang for line drives and pop flies.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Please let there be a Volume II, December 2, 2008

By 

Susan Petrone (Cleveland) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Volume 1: Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails (Audio CD)

What is it about baseball that would make a group of otherwise successful musicians form a side band that's basically a baseball research project? No other sport has inspired so many books, songs, and films, and The Baseball Project's Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails is a worthy addition to the lineup. The music is great--let's get that out of the way first. They're good tunes. But the lyrics are what lift this from just another side project to something greater. The lyrics are alternately witty, poignant, funny, and dirty (sometimes all at the same time). On what other CD can you actually learn a bit of baseball history? Want to learn the origins of free agency and the players who benefited from the courage of Curt Flood? Ever wonder how Big Ed Delahanty died? Want to learn the names of every pitcher who's ever pitched a perfect game in the majors (including one who should be included in that list)? Ever wonder if Ted Williams had an ego problem? It's all here. This may be my favorite album of 2008.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not just Baseball!, November 15, 2008

By 

The hunterian - See all my reviews

This review is from: Volume 1: Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails (Audio CD)

I'm an European, and Baseball means nothing to me, at least until now. But this album's not just about Baseball, it's about great stories, social history, racial history and life. Like good literature these stories can be generalized into stories of the human condition.

The song writing duties are shared between Steve Wynn and Scott McCaughey, and both have contributed an almost equal amount of the albums best songs. The song writing styles are very compatible and this album has a very distinct album feel to it. Most of the tunes are very melodic and hooky (just what I needed for my running). It's like what you would get if you mixed an equal amount of Eagles and a noisy Neil Young.

Half a year ago I discovered how good Steve Wynns output in this century has been. This album confirms that he's really on a roll.