Reviews & Spotlights
Various Artists: Badfinger: No Matter What - Revisiting The Hits
Badfinger were an amazingly successful group who emerged with a string of hits that almost rivaled the chart-topping prowess established by their most ardent supporters - The Beatles. But, something happened along the way and their association with Apple Records and the music industry in general left the original quartet of Pete Ham, Joey Molland, Tom Evans and Mike Gibbins bruised, battered and rotted to the core. So much so that the two main principle members and songwriters would both end up so frustrated and alienated by their shared unpleasant experience that they would hang themselves eight years apart from each other in 1975 and 1983.
With such a daunting and dark history in his rear view it's amazing that one member - Joey Molland - was able to keep the band's legacy and happy memories alive up through the present more than a half a century after their magical debut album Magic Christian Music landed them in the Top 10 of the U.S. and UK Singles Charts with the catchy and upbeat Paul McCartney-produced "Come and Get It". He probably deserves an award for doing so and it's likely that his most recent album Badfinger: No Matter What - Revisiting The Hits will stand the eternal test of time as that accolade to the group's high quality material and superbly sublime music.
If you need a reminder of just how good Badfinger was this album will absolutely do the trick. The band's glorious catalogue is revisited with help from a star-studded cast that includes Matthew Sweet, Todd Rundgren, Rick Wakeman, The Legendary Pink Dots, Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson, Rick Springfield, Sonny Landreth and more! For his part, Molland sounds rejuvenated, refreshed, vindicated and validated as his friends join in recreating the magic of songs like "No Matter What", "Come And Get It", "Day After Day", "Baby Blue" and "Without You". In many ways, Badfinger got a bad rap due to bad breaks and decisions early in their career. Many of which that were out of their hands. Perhaps this project is Molland's way of getting the last laugh while giving the finger to those critics who think Badfinger peaked and died in 1975. Because, it's delicious, defiant and career defining all at the same time.
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Review by Rockin' Rich Lynch |
Badfinger
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