All Star United - Revolution - Circa 2002

I decided to give this disc one more spin before sentencing it to the dreaded trade-in pile. Unfortunately, my decision was not swayed. Don't get me wrong, Ian Eskelin, the band's wizard/frontman extraordinaire, is a talented songwriter, producer and entertainer. It's just that between ASU's sophomore album, International Anthems for the Human Race, and Revolution (the band's third release), the outfit's line-up completely changed (with the exception of Mr. Eskelin, of course). I guess I'm partial to the guys that I saw live when they opened for Third Day back in the day -- back before either band's debut hit stores -- and then again when they toured with Fold Zandura and Kosmos Express. I'll never forget that show (with Fold Zan and Kosmos). There's just something special about an eccentric keyboardist who ducktapes his keyboard to the stand! (Plus, they played at one of the coolest venues I've ever been to, The Underground, in Grand Rapids, Mich.) After IAFTHR, the All Star United I knew died, and Ian tried to repackage it.