With the Euro 2012 tournament going on, what better time for some football related music. This new album features 22 football related songs – the perfect soundtrack when you mute the sound on the TV while the pundits waffle endlessly and annoyingly in the pre-match buildup.
There are three songs on the album sung by England World Cup squads – but they’re all from the 1970 squad, which probably tells you a lot about the standard of world cup teams musical contributions in recent years (anyone remember the awful John Barnes rap?). The songs we get from the 1970 squad are “There’ll always be an England”, “Lily the pink” and Ob-la-di-obla-da”
As well as the pop type songs there’s a healthy mix of a more classical style of music in the album such as “Jerusalem”, “Land of hope and glory”, “Rule Britannia”, and “The Dam busters” – the patriotic classics that get played before most England games and often during the match. The performance of “Land of hope and glory” is particularly stirring.
We get a couple of TV themes – from Sportsnight, and Match of the day. It’s surprising how much the Match of the day theme sticks in your mind – even people who don’t tend to watch football will almost certainly recognise it as soon as they hear it.
The most notable omission from the album is “Three Lions” by Baddiel, Skinner and the Lightning seeds, but there’s enough good stuff on the album that it doesn’t really matter.
Definitely a great album for all football fans, particularly those supporting England in the Euro 2012 tournament, and when you can get it for under £4 online then that’s a bargain.
Track listing:
1. Match Of The Day Theme Sacre
2. Football, Football (Calypso) Edmundo Ros & His Orchestra
3. Mas Que Nada Sergio Mendes
4. Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da 1970 England World Cup Squad
5. Que Sera Sera Geno Washington
6. Sportsnight The Tony Hatch Orchestra
7. Keep On Running The Spencer Davis Group
8. On the Ball John Schroeder Orchestra
9. Jerusalem Royal Choral Society
10. Rule Britannia Della Jones
11. Land of Hope and Glory – Arr. from ”Pomp and Circumstance” March No.1 Royal Choral Society
12. If The Kids Are United Sham 69
13. Saturday’s Kids Jam
14. Lily The Pink 1970 England World Cup Squad
15. World Cup Willie Lonnie Donegan
16. Turandot / Act 3 – Nessun dorma! Luciano Pavarotti
17. The Dam Busters Philip Jones Ensemble
18. The Great Escape London Festival Orchestra
19. Celebration Kool and The Gang
20. Come On Eileen Dexys Midnight Runners
21. Best In Football The Tony Hatch Orchestra
22. There’ll Always Been An England 1970 England World Cup Squad
