I enjoy the BBC performances, but there are a few live shows out there. On youtube watch the "Set of Six" programme. The band has many moments where they "Lock-in" and get Jamming! As Pete claimed in interviews the band had frequent moments of "Nervousness" getting comfortable live, on one hand the early period (1970-71) the sets would build and gel with song choices. After 1972 it's like they didn't want attention of "Hit Single", but didn't rehearse or where caught off guard by it? The later tours into 1973 and wrapping up 1974 vary with same songs from years prior, or trying to showcase some from Azz and deput on WB, Give It Up, Timeless & Blind Owl have moments, but Love Is Easy loses steam right away "Live" I am curious why they didn't do an acoustic set mid-show with "ND, SU, A, WB #1" tracks to cope with the equipment conditions they dealt with, even Take it All could have translated well acoustically!
My favourite band when I was in high school. Despite having picked up all the 2010 reissues, I hadn't really listened to them in the last few years until a week ago, when I found a TOCP-50066 of A$$, which features the now otherwise unavailable alternate take of Do You Mind? Got me relistening to them again. Wondering how I did without them.
Love, love, love Badfinger. Such a talented group, all 4 could write nice songs, and I always though Mike sounded a bit like George Harrison. Pete and Joey are both vastly underrated gutiarists IMO. After Wish You Were Here, Ass is probably my second favorite Badfinger album. It's a toss up between Ass and Straight Up anyway. But IMO Ass really dosen't have a bad track, even Mike's Cowboy has a certain charm to it. Pete's Apple Of My Eye and Timeless are, well they are timeless tunes! Tommy's When I Say & Blind Owl are both great tunes, shows his soft and hard side. I wish Blind Owl wouldn't fade out so quick, the band was really jamming on that song. And Joey really comes of age on this album, really enjoy all his songs on the album, Icicles is just a beautiful song, as is I Can Love You. And I love Joey's bonus tracks Do You Mind and Regular. Rhino/Edsel Records released a nice 2 CD set back in 2013, Disc 1 contains Badfinger & Wish You Were Here and Disc 2 is the In Concert At The BBC 1972-1973. I picked it up when it first came out for around 15 dollars and I don't think the price has changed much. Very affordable way to get a lot of quality Badfinger, it's worth it for the BBC disc alone IMO. It doesn't say that Badfinger & WYWH were remastered, but they seem to sound better than the old WB CDs I had. According to Joey's bio, Tommy named the 3 Apple albums so they would read as No Dice, Stright Up (Your) Ass. They didn't include Your on any of the album titles but that's how Tommy wanted those 3 albums to read. Also, Badfinger's S/T Warner's debut was supposed to be titled For Love Or Money but the label never recived the title from the bands management (surprise, surprise) so the label named it Badfinger. Edit: I forgot that the 2010 release of Ass has a different version of Do You Mind. I much prefer the version on the 1996 German import CD. The sound isn't as good as the 2010 remaster but the 96 version sounds like a finished song.
As I have said in many previous Badfinger threads, Apple and Warner Bros need to combine forces and put out a monumental box set. The souls of Pete Ham and Tom Evans need this.
Great little piece on Badfinger from the pen of fine Upstate New York Rock writer Stephen Lewis & "Talk From The Rock Room" titled, appropriately enough for this thread- "Now Playing: Badfinger - 'We Can Make It Better' Set of Six Live 1972". http://thefrodisroomrockblog.blogspot.com/2014/09/now-playing-badfinger-we-can-make-it.html?m=1
Apple and Warner Bros. worked together on the previous two 'best of' albums, so the possibility is there. I'm just not sure how they'd view it economically with industry-wide decreasing sales. Thankfully, all the official albums are out there on CD one way or another.
Yes, the 80's were a bitch trying to locate this music, thankfully they righted a wrong with cd's. Now, gotta get to looking for that Straight Up tour show.
I don't understand how there are two completely different Badfinger songs called "The Winner". Pretty confusing.
FWIW, Badfinger's underrated swan song, SAY NO MORE (and a bunch of Joey Molland's solo albums) are being reissued on CD in the U.K. The Molland CDs are already out. SAY NO MORE is out in February.
I know Gonzo Multimedia in the U.K. is behind the recent spate of Joey Molland reissues and are the folks re-releasing SAY NO MORE in a week or so. Wasn't aware of a Japanese release ... I need to check that out, too.
Wasabe Records in Japan are releasing SAY NO MORE and Joey Molland's 1983 solo album AFTER THE PEARL as paper-sleeved affairs on March 5th. The Gonzo Multimedia titles come in jewel cases. Same mastering.
My introduction to Badfinger, outside of the "hits" was in the early 90's. A friend of mine made a tape from the albums and to put it mildly - I was blown away. After listening to the 90 minute tape I started investigating WHY this band didn't make it and the more I looked, the angrier I got from the stories I read. My two favorite albums are Straight Up and Wish You Were Here . Their history should be a blueprint on how vicious the music industry is. The soulless bastard - don't know how he lived with himself after what he did. Boggles the mind what this band could have done with proper management.
Previously when "Say No More" came out on CD, year 2000 by Real Music (Airwaves guitarist, Joe Tansin) it was mastered with the last two songs "Crocadillo & No More" as separate tracks with no crossfade between them like the original Vinyl release. Interested to see how either the UK or Japanese "Say No More" CD's are prepared.
Interesting to hear. I got Return To Memphis, which is his recent studio album, which I enjoy a lot, been meaning to check out the remainder of his solo LPs.
Does this new release feature any bonus tracks? Or is it a straight rerelease? Great album anyway, and deserves to be in print!
One of my favorite Ass tracks. Surprising that Apple allowed the cover of the dangling carrot and title of the LP to be released. Beatles must have been busy with other issues. http://www.applerecords.com/#!/albums/Ass No Dice Straight Up ur Ass!
