The Very Best of Badfinger

by Badfinger

Overview

Long before Beatlemania hit these shores, this British foursome were turning heads with their own "incredible simulation" of the Fab Four's sound -- a trait that proved to be their trump card and their undoing. Yes, their debut hit, "Come and Get It," sprang from the pen of Paul McCartney, but Pete Ham, Tom Evans, and company had remarkable pop savvy of their own, as evidenced by such instantly memorable follow-ups as "No Matter What." The band soon proved that their reach extended beyond the upbeat pop of those hits by storming the charts with introspective ballads such as "Day After Day" and "Without You," which subsequently hit number one in the capable hands of Harry Nilsson. It's not unfair to say that Badfinger were at their best on that sort of ornate ballad -- for proof, check "Maybe Tomorrow," originally issued under their previous name, the Iveys, and the melancholy "Midnight Caller." Still, there are plenty of out-and-out ravers, such as the full-tilt "Rock of All Ages," and even a few left-field surprises, including the country-tinged "I'll Be the One." Their chart reign may have been brief, but this stellar collection proves that mere sales figures can't possibly tell the full Badfinger story.

Product Details

Release Date:	09/12/2000
Label:	Capitol
UPC:	0724352697427
catalogNumber:	26974
Rank:	722

Tracks

1. No Matter What
2. Day After Day
3. Baby Blue
4. Name Of The Game
5. Maybe Tomorrow
6. Come And Get It
7. Rock Of All Ages
8. Carry on Till Tomorrow
9. Midnight Caller
10. We're For The Dark
11. I'll Be the One
12. Without You
13. I'd Die Babe
14. It's Over
15. When I Say
16. Dennis
17. Lonely You
18. Love Time
19. Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch/Should I Smoke

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Badfinger   Primary Artist
Joey Molland   Guitar,Keyboards,Vocals
Tom Evans   Bass,Guitar,Vocals
Pete Ham   Guitar,Keyboards,Vocals

Technical Credits

Andy Davis   Liner Notes
Badfinger   Composer
Paul McCartney   Producer
Todd Rundgren   Producer
George Martin   String Arrangements
Paul Atkinson   Executive Producer
Roger Ball   Horn Arrangements
Geoff Emerick   Producer
Mal Evans   Producer
Tom Evans   Composer
Mike Gibbins   Composer
Pete Ham   Composer
Harry Robinson   Orchestral Arrangements
Graham Russell   Composer
Tony Visconti   Producer,String Arrangements
Chris Thomas   Producer
Dan Matovina   Creative Consultant
Phil Smee   Art Direction

Editorial Reviews

The difference between 2000's The Very Best of Badfinger and 1995's Come and Get It: The Best of Badfinger is a simple one -- the 1995 collection concentrated on the group's Apple recordings, where the 2000 collection runs all the way until 1974's Wish You Were Here, the band's final album with Pete Ham. Not only does the collection benefit from the expanded timeline, but it has a sharp selection of songs from the classic Apple years -- yes, "Flying" is absent and Ass is bypassed (perhaps understandably so), but "We're for the Dark" is a more than welcome addition. The 19 tracks may not be in chronological order, but the sequencing packs a real punch and, in this context, the best of the Warner material more than holds its own with the Apple cuts. Inevitably, there are some fan favorites missing, but apart from "Flying," all the classics are here and this compilation is unquestionably the most thorough (and arguably the best) overview of Badfinger's entire career yet assembled.

All Music Guide - Stephen Thomas Erlewine