The Very Best of Badfinger

I have slogged thru all the available domestic and import Badfinger discs, including all the Japan mini-sleeves. Without a doubt, the remastered audio on this disc is superior to anything else out there.

It sure would be great if whoever remastered this collection would go back and do the rest of the catalog.

As evident by the other reviews, there are a lot of fabulous tracks that didn't make this compilation. However, the great audio makes this CD certainly worth the purchase.

The biggest advantage of this single disc set is that it brings together the Apple & Warner Bros. recordings together. Like most groups that have been contracted to more than one label in their career, the fan wasn't able to get a best of or greatest hits collection that covered their entire career. It would always be split down the lines of the songs that were recorded for whichever label. In recent years, though, many labels have come together with their competitors to give the fan comprehensive collections that include songs from more than one label. Such is the case here. I would very much like to commend the recording industry for coming together in this manner, I feel, at the very least, that this cooperation had the fan in mind.

I was never a big fan of Badfinger, never owned anything that was issued in their name. Oh, I knew who they were, their early period has some monster hits. Of course, being a big Beatle fan, I knew this group was closely associated to them. It was, in fact, Paul McCartney who suggested that they change their name to Badfinger, it was McCartney who wrote & produced their first major hit "Come and Get It". Badfinger was also signed to the Apple label which was the Beatles own. Even George Harrison served as a producer for them. I remember when they first hit it big, it was discussed how similar Joey Molland & McCartney looked & the slight similarity that Pete Ham & John Lennon shared. In one way it's sad that Badfinger would have the misfortune to be compared to the greatest rock group ever.

Badfinger is, perhaps, the first group that got tagged as being power-pop, nothing wrong with that. And though they suffered in comparison to the Beatles, they were, nevertheless, a talented unit in their own right. Pete Ham was the principal vocalist & writer, very capable in both capacities. Ham wrote most of the hits that were products of the group. All the big hits are here: "No Matter What" (Ham) #8 on the charts, "Day After Day" (Ham) #4 on the charts, "Baby Blue" (Ham) #14 on the charts & "Come and Get It" (McCartney) #7 on the charts. Those were the BIG hits. Charting also was "Maybe Tomorrow" (Evans) #67 on the charts (actually recorded by the Iveys). They actually had two more songs that received chart action but aren't included here: "Love Is Gonna Come at Last" (Molland) at #69 & "Hold On" (Evans, Tansin) at #56.

Unless you're a big fan of Badfinger many of the songs beyond the four major hits won't be familiar. The only other song in this collection that will be familiar is "Without You" (Ham, Evans). This song wasn't ever issued as a single by Badfinger but Harry Nilsson would record it later & have a huge hit with it going to #1 in 1972. Comparisons between the two versions leaves one without little doubt as to the why one was a hit & the other wasn't. "Without You" is actually two songs put together (another unfortunate similarity to Lennon & McCartney); Ham wrote the verses & couldn't finish it & Evans wrote the chorus but couldn't finish it. So, they did as Lennon & McCartney sometimes did, put their two pieces together in order to make a complete song.

The only other outstanding song on this cd is "Carry on Til Tomorrow" (Evans, Ham). There are some songs here that won't particularly interest the casual fan of Badfinger. The booklet has some decent liner notes & has several photographs including two of the Iveys.

Great but gloomy thinking about how the leader, Hamm, hanged himself and then one of the other members did the same. Joey is the only one that is doing well today. Had this group not had such a horrid manager that would not buy them equipment or repairs nor give them money to live on, they would probably still be around.

Timeless music...there are just no other words. Badfinger is one of the most under-appreciated bands. You know many of their songs, you just don't realize it's them.

Badfinger is the 1st rock band I ever saw when I was just 14. I had the pleasure of seeing the last living member Joey this summer in concert. Since then I've been wanting to get one of their CD's. The Very Best of Badfinger is a great CD!!! It has all their hits & famous songs. It brought me back to a very happy time in my life.

If you buy the cd you won't be disappointed. I only hope that Joey will be on tour again.

Debbie
Waterbury, CT