Music is the wine that fills the cup of silence - ROBERT FRIPP.
Information is not knowledge;
knowledge is not wisdom;
wisdom is not truth;
truth is not beauty;
beauty is not love;
love is not music;
MUSIC IS THE BEST - FRANK ZAPPA.
I think we're a little happier when we have a little music in our lives - STEVE JOBS.
Music in the soul can be heard by the universe - LAO TZU.
Rock and Roll is fire, man. FIRE. - DAVID BRIGGS.
Music grips you, gets into your soul -
GEORGE MARTIN
BadfingerWish You Were Here(Vinyl - Warner Bros, 1974) ****
Genre:Apple/ Dark Horse Records (yes, I know it's not on either of those labels, but I group all the related stuff under that umbrella 'genre'). Places I remember:Real Groovy Records (Auckland) Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Know One Knows (yes - that's how it's spelt on the album)
Gear costume:Dennis (another Pete Ham classic) Active compensatory factors: Maybe their best album, and pretty much know one knows it (sic). Their second album of 1974 was withdrawn soon after being released and its appearance on CD is severely limited. Blame naff lawsuits for this travesty. My copy was a great find at a second hand shop in Auckland way back at the end of the seventies. It has a 'Promotional Copy: Not For Sale' pink sticker and originally came from the USA. The album stands as Pete Ham's last contributions to the much loved, but badly treated Badfinger. His vocals alone are worth your time. Like The Beatles, the band had a number of song writers and so variety of approach (and quality) can be an issue on their albums. All contributions here are strong and stand the test of time. Where do they all belong? Wish You Were Here was a peak; afterwards - heart breaking suicides, patchy records with various combinations of old and new band members, live and lost recordings. A sad slow winding pathway for a once magnificent band.
Genre: Apple/ Dark Horse Records Places I remember: Marbecks Records Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: So many wonderful songs on the classic five star Straight Up. Picking one stand out is grossly unfair but Day After Day was my first ever taste of Badfinger power pop on the radio (and Solid Gold Hits) so... Ass' best moment is Pete Ham's heartfelt Apple Of My Eye natch.
Active compensatory factors:Straight Up is peak Badfinger on Apple Records. Not that it's clear cut. No Dice is a wonderful record but, for me, the songs/ production/ playing/ harmonies on Straight Up are beyond great! From the classic Beatle's style cover, to the classic Beatle pop inspired sound, to Beatle George's involvement, Straight Up is all class! Sadly, though, Ass was the final Badfinger album on their beloved Apple Records. Although patchy (only a few Pete Ham songs), as a band, they got their shot and they took it and their legacy lives on! Where do they all belong? Leaving Apple, Badfinger were given a home of sorts on Warner Brothers and the greatness (and sadness) was not done yet! Rest in peace Tom, Mike and Pete.
