Baseball (album)
Encyclopedia
Baseball: An Album By Say Anything is the debut album from the American band Say Anything
.
on vocals, guitar, and keyboard, Coby Linder
on drums, and Michael Levin on bass. Although the album was recorded in 2001, most copies were not sold until May 2003 when 200 copies were pressed and sold on Say Anything's website. Thus, some sources cite the album's release year as 2003.
The album has never attained any commercial success, though it has remained a consistent cult favorite
. However, in a move reminiscent of Weezer
frontman Rivers Cuomo
's rejection of his band's Pinkerton
album, Say Anything frontman Max Bemis has all but disowned the recording, until very recently refusing to play any of its songs live. At an acoustic show on May 11, 2008 at the Chain Reaction, after fan requested he play "Into the Night," Max stated "I promise we will start playing Baseball songs again. Some day. However, today is not that day."
There have been rumors of reissuing the album. Mostly because it is fairly unknown, yet still a notable debut.
Since the album had a limited pressing, no commercial success and none of the songs are ever played live, many fans and the media do not know of this album's existence. Because of this, many people mistakenly credit the band's second album ...Is A Real Boy
as the band's debut album. However, ...Is A Real Boy
is still in fact their 'major label debut'.
On July 5, 2009, Max Bemis announced via twitter that he was "Feeling thankful towards say anything fans so I played a song from baseball for the first time in 7 yrs and made a video.Posting this week." The video was an acoustic version of "Colorblind".
On their fall 2010 tour with Motion City Soundtrack
and Saves the Day
, Say Anything began playing "Colorblind" again, after nearly ten years of no Baseball material being played live at their shows.
July 2011, Max stated that Say Anything has signed with Equal Vision Records
and that they had acquired the rights to the bands present, and past releases. Max stated this includes a move to potentially reissue Baseball.
Say Anything (band)
Say Anything is an American indie-punk band from Los Angeles, California, fronted by Max Bemis. The band was formed in 2000 with Bemis and four of his friends. Within two years, they self-released two EPs, Junior Varsity and In Your Dreams, and the full-length Baseball: An Album by Sayanything.In...
.
History
At the time of the album's release, the band was known as Sayanything, which is the name that appears on the album. During the time of recording in 2001, the band consisted of Max BemisMax Bemis
Max Bemis is the lead singer and primary lyricist of the band Say Anything. He is also co singer along side Chris Conley of the supergroup Two Tongues, which features members from Say Anything and Saves the Day.-The Early Years:...
on vocals, guitar, and keyboard, Coby Linder
Coby Linder
Jacob "Coby" Linder in Skokie, Illinois is best known as the drummer of the band Say Anything. He lists his influences as Travis Barker, Tony Williams, Vinnie Colaiuta, Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins, and Bryan Newman. According to Say Anything's website, his favorite genres include emo, "death-core...
on drums, and Michael Levin on bass. Although the album was recorded in 2001, most copies were not sold until May 2003 when 200 copies were pressed and sold on Say Anything's website. Thus, some sources cite the album's release year as 2003.
The album has never attained any commercial success, though it has remained a consistent cult favorite
Cult following
A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a specific area of pop culture. A film, book, band, or video game, among other things, will be said to have a cult following when it has a small but very passionate fan base...
. However, in a move reminiscent of Weezer
Weezer
Weezer is an American alternative rock band. The band currently consists of Rivers Cuomo , Patrick Wilson , Brian Bell , and Scott Shriner . The band has changed lineups three times since its formation in 1992...
frontman Rivers Cuomo
Rivers Cuomo
Rivers Cuomo is an American musician, best known as the lead singer, lead guitarist, and principal songwriter of the alternative rock band Weezer. Raised in an Ashram in Connecticut, Cuomo moved to Los Angeles at age 19, where he participated in a number of rock bands before founding Weezer in 1992...
's rejection of his band's Pinkerton
Pinkerton (album)
Pinkerton is the second studio album by American alternative rock band Weezer, released on September 24, 1996. After finishing tours in promotion of their 1994 album Weezer, the band originally planned to record a space-themed rock opera entitled Songs from the Black Hole...
album, Say Anything frontman Max Bemis has all but disowned the recording, until very recently refusing to play any of its songs live. At an acoustic show on May 11, 2008 at the Chain Reaction, after fan requested he play "Into the Night," Max stated "I promise we will start playing Baseball songs again. Some day. However, today is not that day."
There have been rumors of reissuing the album. Mostly because it is fairly unknown, yet still a notable debut.
Since the album had a limited pressing, no commercial success and none of the songs are ever played live, many fans and the media do not know of this album's existence. Because of this, many people mistakenly credit the band's second album ...Is A Real Boy
...Is a Real Boy
...Is a Real Boy is the second full-length release by Say Anything.-Recording and release:After signing with the label, Bemis began writing songs for his band's Doghouse debut. With tremendous self-created pressure, he threw himself into pushing the sonic boundaries of the band and maturing their...
as the band's debut album. However, ...Is A Real Boy
...Is a Real Boy
...Is a Real Boy is the second full-length release by Say Anything.-Recording and release:After signing with the label, Bemis began writing songs for his band's Doghouse debut. With tremendous self-created pressure, he threw himself into pushing the sonic boundaries of the band and maturing their...
is still in fact their 'major label debut'.
On July 5, 2009, Max Bemis announced via twitter that he was "Feeling thankful towards say anything fans so I played a song from baseball for the first time in 7 yrs and made a video.Posting this week." The video was an acoustic version of "Colorblind".
On their fall 2010 tour with Motion City Soundtrack
Motion City Soundtrack
Motion City Soundtrack is an American rock band from Minneapolis, Minnesota, formed in 1997. The band consists of founding members Justin Pierre and Joshua Cain , along with keyboardist and moog synthesist Jesse Johnson, bassist and backing vocalist Matthew Taylor, and drummer, percussionist and...
and Saves the Day
Saves the Day
Saves the Day is an American rock band from Princeton, New Jersey, formed in 1994. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Chris Conley, guitarist Arun Bali, bassist Rodrigo Palma, and drummer Claudio Rivera....
, Say Anything began playing "Colorblind" again, after nearly ten years of no Baseball material being played live at their shows.
July 2011, Max stated that Say Anything has signed with Equal Vision Records
Equal Vision Records
Equal Vision Records is a record label based in Albany, New York, which has a focus in metal or punk-based rock genres. Equal Vision Records was founded in the early 1990s by Ray Cappo ....
and that they had acquired the rights to the bands present, and past releases. Max stated this includes a move to potentially reissue Baseball.
Track listing
- "Colorblind" – 3:36
- "Showdown at P-Town" – 3:03
- "Into the Night" – 3:48
- "All My Friends" – 2:48
- "Ants in My Pants" – 4:57
- "The Ocean Liner Incident" – 2:39
- "Mackdaddy" – 3:45
- "Shameless" – 5:45
- "That's That (Do What We Want)" – 3:23
- "Resounding" – 4:19
- "Rats" – 4:54
- "Dreaming of Manhattan" – 4:44
- "Sure, Baby...Hold Back." – 4:46
- "The Last Great Punk Rock Song" – 3:59
- "Where the Hurt Is" – 7:41
- "All Choked Up" – 7:58 (hidden song)
Band
According to the liner notes:- Max BemisMax BemisMax Bemis is the lead singer and primary lyricist of the band Say Anything. He is also co singer along side Chris Conley of the supergroup Two Tongues, which features members from Say Anything and Saves the Day.-The Early Years:...
: vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, keys - Coby LinderCoby LinderJacob "Coby" Linder in Skokie, Illinois is best known as the drummer of the band Say Anything. He lists his influences as Travis Barker, Tony Williams, Vinnie Colaiuta, Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins, and Bryan Newman. According to Say Anything's website, his favorite genres include emo, "death-core...
: drums - Michael Levin: bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Evan Span: solo on "All My Friends"
- Joey "D" Doleman: saxSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
on "Ants In My Pants"
Other Credits
According to the liner notes:- Mastered by Brad Vance
- Produced by Sayanything
- Songs by Sayanything
- Lyrics by Max Bemis