"...Knock
Down The Old Grey Wall...Be A Part Of It All..."
Monday
25 October 2010 in the UK saw 14 of the 'Apple' label albums remastered and
reissued (see list below) - alongside a first-time-ever label 'Best Of'
compilation CD not surprisingly called "Come And Get It" (named after
a huge BADFINGER hit penned by Paul McCartney specifically for the band). This
zippy little expanded CD reissue of their 2nd album "No Dice" is one
of them.
Apple
5099990580727 breaks down as follows (57:42 minutes):
1.
I Can't Take It
2.
I Don't Mind
3.
Love Me Do
4.
Midnight Caller
5.
No Matter What
6.
Without You
7.
Blodwyn
8.
Better Days
9.
It Had To Be
10.
Watford John
11.
Believe Me
12.
We're For The Dark
Tracks
1 to 12 are the Stereo LP "No Dice" by BADFINGER released 27 November
1970 in the UK on Apple SAPCOR 16 and on Apple SKAO-3367 in the USA (it reached
number 28 on the American Billboard Top 100). Note: "Love Me Do" is
not Beatles cover but a Joey Molland original and "Without You" is
the song made famous by NILSSON (Number 1 in the UK in February 1972).
Tracks
13 to 17 are all previously unreleased and exclusive to this 2010 reissue:
13.
"I Can't Take It" is an Extended Version - 4:14 as opposed to
2:55minutes
14.
"Without You" is a Studio Demo Version
15.
"Photograph (aka "Friends Are Hard To Find')" is a Previously
Unreleased Version
16.
"Believe Me" is an Alternate Version
17.
"No Matter What" is a Studio Demo Version
Requiring
extra payment there are also 2 more tracks available via Digital Download from
iTunes or Amazon - an Instrumental Version of "Love Me Do" and an
Extended Stereo Version of "Get Down" (see either site for details).
BOOKLET/PACKAGING:
The
gatefold sleeve of the original vinyl LP is reproduced while noted writer and
music lover ANDY DAVIS does the new liner notes for the booklet (they're all a
disappointingly weedy 12 pages long - EMI pushes the boat out again people).
But with what little text he has been afforded, Davis does at least fill it
with properly informative details - and there are 4 superb colour portraits of
the band - PETE HAM, TOM EVANS, JOEY MOLLAND and MIKE GIBBINS. It's cute, but you do wish there was more...
PLAYERS/CONTENT:
The
original album was produced by GEOFF EMERICK of Beatles/Abbey Road fame (except
for "No Matter What", "Believe Me" and the bonus tracks
from 14 through to 17 which were produced by MAL EVANS). Unlike so many of the
sessions of the time, the recordings 'didn't' include a number of The Beatles
and their talented friends - so the band got to shine all by themselves.
SOUND:
The
same team that handled the much-praised 09/09/09 Beatles remasters have done
this too - GUY MASSEY, STEVE ROOKES, SAM OKELL and SIMON GIBSON. The audio
quality is BEAUTIFUL - a massive improvement - makes you reassess a lot of the
songs.
The
album opens strongly with a Pete Ham original "I Can't Take It" -
rocking guitars and pumping brass - it sounds really great. It's followed by
the Big Star feel of "I Don't Mind" co-written by Tom Evans and Joey
Molland - a song that starts out gently and then builds into an impressive
melodious tune - it's excellent. Not so I'm afraid with "Love Me Do"
(no relation to The Beatles song) - it's a poor man's rocker and doesn't really
work. But then you're hit with a double-whammy of Badfinger excellence -
"Midnight Caller" and the sublime "No Matter What" (lyrics
above). Both stand the test of time - especially "No Matter What" -
surely a contender for a Top Ten position in the list 'best 7" single ever
released'.
"Without
You" would of course be taken by NILSSON and transformed into one of the
most extraordinarily powerful cover versions ever made. I heard in a car on the
radio a few weeks back in the early morning on the way into work - and to this
day it moves me - its opening chords still capable of calling up a shivering
memory. "Blodwyn" is a ditty while the excellent "Better
Days" turned up as the B-side to the UK 7" single of "No Matter
What" (Apple 31) in November 1970 - they used "Carry On Till
Tomorrow" as the B on the USA 7" (Apple 1822) - a track off their
debut album "Magic Christian Music". The Mike Gibbins penned "It
Had To Be" is a lovely song, while the band-composed "Watford
John" is a rocker written about an Apple Studio Engineer called John
Smith. The last two on the album are huge favourites among fans - Tom Evans'
sweet "Believe Me" and Pete Ham's acoustic "We're For The
Dark" - accomplished playing, melody builders - both define that certain
'Badfinger' sound. They end the album proper on a definite musical high note.
But
like the other issues in this series, the best seems to be kept until last.
Having grown used to the short album cut of "I Can't Take It" - I
must say that I love the way it's spread out more on the fantastically rocking
'Extended Version'. You can see why it was cut, but in 2010 I'll take the
'indulgent' version any day of the week. Then fellows the 'Demo' of
"Without You" which I find more affecting than the finished track -
more akin to what Nilsson did with it - it's a gem. "Photograph" is a
rough rock song - it's good, but it's eclipsed big time by a sweet-as-honey
Alternate Take of "Believe Me" with more Piano and Electric Guitar -
what a treat. The 'Demo' of "No Matter What" is close to the finished
track, but without that killer electric guitar that made it. I must say that
the bonus tracks are impressive rather than being superfluous. Very, very good
indeed...
Niggles
- the 2 download tracks will be desirable to fans and making them pay extra
dollars for them via Download is cheapskate and crappy - and as you can see
from the playing time above, there was plenty of room to include them on here
(they're available as hardcopy on the double-CD that comes with the "Apple
Box Set"). The gatefold card sleeve is nice to look at for sure, but the
booklet and overall packaging feel lightweight (what EMI could get away with).
The CD should also have one of those gauze inner bags to protect it - a problem
that no record company seems to want to acknowledge (scuffing and damage).
They're minor points I know, but they're worth making...
One
star or Five - Badfinger have always divided people - many calling them one of
the great overlooked bands of the period - others calling them lightweight. I'd
say that if you're coming to them cold in 2014 then it's probably somewhere in
between. But fans will see it differently - they will eat this reissue up big
time. To sum up - I still see "No Dice" as a great album - with
songmanship that shines through even now. And they repeated that craft and
warmth on their next album "Straight Up" too.
Recommended
- especially given the massive improvement in sound quality and those
shockingly good bonus tracks.
The
October 2011 Apple CD Remasters are (I've reviewed most):
1.
Magic Christian Music - BADFINGER (January 1970)
2.
No Dice - BADFINGER (November 1970)
3.
Straight Up - BADFINGER (1972)
4.
Ass - BADFINGER (1974)
5.
Postcard - MARY HOPKIN (1969)
6.
Earth Song - Ocean Song - MARY HOPKIN (1971)
7.
Is That What You Want? - JACKIE LOMAX (1969)
8.
Under The Jasmine Tree / Space - THE MODERN JAZZ QUARTET (1968 and 1969 - 2LPs
on 1CD)
9.
That's The Way God Planned It - BILLY PRESTON (1969)
10.
Encouraging Words - BILLY PRESTON (1970)
11.
The Radha Krishna Temple - THE RADHA KRISHNA TEMPLE (1971)
12.
The Whale / Celtic Requiem - JOHN TAVENOR (1970 and 1971 - 2LPs on 1CD)
13.
James Taylor - JAMES TAYLOR (1968)
14. Doris Troy - DORIS TROY (1970)
14. Doris Troy - DORIS TROY (1970)
