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From the Vault...
03/03/2002
#775 |
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info
Badfinger
"Say No More"
© Real Music Records
Rating:
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track listing
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I Got You
Come On
Hold On
Because I Love You
Rock N' Roll Contract
Passin' Time
Three Time Loser
Too Hung Up On You
Crocadillo
No More
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Badfinger
"Say No More"
By 1981, the core of the Badfinger personnel had been hit with tragedy.
Pete Ham committed suicide by hanging himself in 1975. The band reformed
in 1978, with Tom Evans (founding member) and Joey Molland (who joined in 1968).
Say No More was their second album after reforming in 1978 (Airwaves
was released in 1979). Say No More would be an appropriate title for
this release, where tragedy would strike again for Badfinger -- Tom Evans also
committed suicide by hanging in 1985. 1970s Pop best describes Say No
More.
Badfinger's debut album was released in 1970 on The Beatles' Apple
label -- Magic Christian Music. With the breakup of the fab four
in 1970, it was quite obvious that Badfinger could become the next Beatles --
They definitely had the sound, and they also received help from former Beatles
Paul McCartney and George Harrison. Unfortunately, bad business deals would
overshadow the group, leading to suicides by the two main songwriters of the
band, Pete Ham and Tom Evans.
Comparing Badfinger to The Beatles is definitely heard on Say No More;
yet more compared more to the solo Beatle Paul McCartney & Wings. Songs such as
"Come On," "Hold On," easily describes the medium-tempo pop sound heard
by Wings, where "Rock N' Roll Contract" rocks a little harder, yet it
still can be compared to harder-rock'd McCartney & Wings.
Another McCartney/Beatles inspired band,
The Raspberries, can also be
compared to Badfinger; "Because I Love You" and "Crocadillo" has
a more Raspberries sound, yet The Raspberries were very much Beatles/McCartney
influenced.
"Passin' Time" defines a sound of their own for Badfinger, yet it
can be compared to The Raspberries again, and it has the sound of late 1970s
Rock. "Three Time Loser" and "Too Hung Up On You" can be
compared to another solo Beatle, George Harrison, and his early 1970s solo
works.
"No More" is a bit eerie, yet it can also be compared to the 1970s
Rock of McCartney & Wings. Surprisingly, the album's opening number, "I
Got You" can be compared to Dave Edmunds.
Badfinger's Say No More defines 1970s Pop Rock. Compared mostly to the
likes of the solo Beatles, Badfinger has always been compared to The Beatles,
from their debut to their untimely tragedies. Despite the bad business deals,
many have stated that Pete Ham and Tom Evans could have easily been as popular
as Lennon and McCartney, as a songwriting team. Instead, the bad deals lead
to suicides for both the main songwriters of Badfinger. Even after Pete Ham's
suicide, Badfinger just wasn't the same, even though at the time, Tom Evans
picked up the pieces, and reformed the group. In the end, bad deals continued,
and led to his suicide.
But for the 1970s Rock fan, Badfinger's Say No More is not a bad
album; being compared to this likes of The Beatles makes Badfinger's music
popular -- and even so, Badfinger never had another big hit after Pete Ham's
suicide, they are still remembered as a band that could just maybe have been
the next Beatles. 30 years after their breakup, there has never been such a
near comparison; The Beatles stand out as one band that will never be equalled,
despite the similarities, and possible namesake as being "the next Beatles."
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without written permission. Cover art is the
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Real Music Records
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