Jubilee Offer: Patriotic Classics for £2.50 |
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
|
Track Listings
| 1. I Can't Take It (2010 - Remaster) |
| 2. I Don't Mind (2010 - Remaster) |
| 3. Love Me Do (2010 - Remaster) |
| 4. Midnight Caller (2010 - Remaster) |
| 5. No Matter What (2010 - Remaster) |
| 6. Without You (2010 - Remaster) |
| 7. Blodwyn (2010 - Remaster) |
| 8. Better Days (2010 - Remaster) |
| 9. It Had To Be (2010 - Remaster) |
| 10. Watford John (2010 - Remaster) |
| 11. Believe Me (2010 - Remaster) |
| 12. We're For The Dark (2010 - Remaster) |
| 13. I Can't Take It (Extended Version) |
| 14. Without You (Studio Demo Version) (Mono) |
| 15. Photograph (aka - Friends Are Hard To Find) |
| 16. Believe Me (Alternative Version) |
| 17. No Matter What (Studio Demo Version) (Mono) |
Product Description
Brilliant 1970 album on Apple label newly remastered with 5 bonus tracks
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
`Writing about music is like dancing about architecture' Frank Zappa once said, or at least he said something like that, and he had a point. In Badfinger's case he had an especially pertinent point because this was a band capable of coming up with perfectly-crafted pop gems which, thanks to the music writers of the late 1960s / early 1970s became saddled with a debilitating `new Beatles' tag in much the same way as Steve Forbert got landed with the `new Dylan' tag at a time -the late 1970s- when `kids in the know' were signing up for the white riot of punk. As it is, ND originally came out in November of 1970, when perhaps a fair percentage of the known world was pining for the four who were "fab" on their Apple label. Fate plays such funny games...............
But what did those music writers know anyway? Evidently not enough to realise that Badfinger guitarist / vocalist Pete Ham's "Midnight Caller" is so fine because it's free of every contrivance and performed in a manner which lets the song do the talking, as opposed to an overwrought vocal or fussy arrangement.
Admittedly the band had the dubious distinction of getting a hit with McCartney's "Come And Get It" which of course made it a little easier for those small-eared writers, but the perfect riposte is here with Ham's "No Matter What" replete with crunchy guitar intro and harmonies that some bands would have paid an extortionate price to get.
So all in all labelling Badfinger the British Big Star smacks of laziness similar to that displayed by those writers who bandied that `new Beatles' tag around. Oh and the original reading of Ham and bass player Tom Evans's "Without You" is the best, simply because it's so well balanced.
Looking for great, time-honoured song craft? Well it's here in abundance with performances to match, so pay no mind to the lazy comparisons, including this reviewer's.
But what did those music writers know anyway? Evidently not enough to realise that Badfinger guitarist / vocalist Pete Ham's "Midnight Caller" is so fine because it's free of every contrivance and performed in a manner which lets the song do the talking, as opposed to an overwrought vocal or fussy arrangement.
Admittedly the band had the dubious distinction of getting a hit with McCartney's "Come And Get It" which of course made it a little easier for those small-eared writers, but the perfect riposte is here with Ham's "No Matter What" replete with crunchy guitar intro and harmonies that some bands would have paid an extortionate price to get.
So all in all labelling Badfinger the British Big Star smacks of laziness similar to that displayed by those writers who bandied that `new Beatles' tag around. Oh and the original reading of Ham and bass player Tom Evans's "Without You" is the best, simply because it's so well balanced.
Looking for great, time-honoured song craft? Well it's here in abundance with performances to match, so pay no mind to the lazy comparisons, including this reviewer's.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
While ELO cashed in big-style on the legacy of The Beatles, it was Badfinger who inherited the spirit. ELO had many good tunes but the Apple proteges, Pete Ham in particular, displayed a natural flair for songcraft. 'No Dice' is no imitation, but it does contain recordings with a similar feel to material such as 'Hey Jude' and the 'Abbey Road' album. Certainly, the main strength here is in the songwriting. There are some great performances, but the arrangements are occasionally erratic. Perhaps the best example of this is their original version of the famous 'Without You'. After hearing Harry Nilsson's version (forget Mariah Carey) you're struck by the weakness of the vocal, yet the lengthy fade-out winds up into something memorable.
Ham's compositions would prove to be the band's best but they were a songwriting democracy and, with the exception of 'Love Me Do' (no relation to the Lennon/McCartney song) the material is impeccable. The hit, 'No Matter What' is one highlight, Ham's touching ode to a prostitute, 'Midnight Caller', is another and 'We're For The Dark' is a suitable ending to an atmospherically-intense album. The five bonus songs all have something to commend them, notably 'I'll Be The One', though they don't hit the bullseye.
'No Dice', like all of Badfinger's albums up to 'Wish You Were Here', hasn't been heard by enough people. Buy it and hear for yourself.
Ham's compositions would prove to be the band's best but they were a songwriting democracy and, with the exception of 'Love Me Do' (no relation to the Lennon/McCartney song) the material is impeccable. The hit, 'No Matter What' is one highlight, Ham's touching ode to a prostitute, 'Midnight Caller', is another and 'We're For The Dark' is a suitable ending to an atmospherically-intense album. The five bonus songs all have something to commend them, notably 'I'll Be The One', though they don't hit the bullseye.
'No Dice', like all of Badfinger's albums up to 'Wish You Were Here', hasn't been heard by enough people. Buy it and hear for yourself.
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Not as polished and well produced as the later 'wish you were here' album but this has the classic songs on. the sound is so raw, the vocals so tight. It's an album that you want to listen to again and again. 'without you' is superb as is 'no matter what' (someone should cover this) and 'we're for the dark' is amazing. the bonus tracks are superb. This is an album that people should listen to if they wanna know how to write good songs. a skill so sadly lacking in this day and age. the badfinger tale is a sad one but an inspiring one. Listen to them........
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Where it all started !- my first Album !
Is it really 40 years since i bought my first Lp ?- Yeah i'm afraid it is and , even allowing for the nostalic aspect to me buying this , i still love it . Read more
Published 17 months ago by Gdshelbourn
"...Knock Down The Old Grey Wall...Be A Part Of It All..."
*** THIS REVIEW IS FOR THE 2010 REISSUE ***
Monday 25 October 2010 has seen 14 of the 'Apple' label albums remastered and reissued alongside "Come And Get It" - a... Read more
Monday 25 October 2010 has seen 14 of the 'Apple' label albums remastered and reissued alongside "Come And Get It" - a... Read more
Published 19 months ago by Mark Barry, Reckless Records, London
BADFINGER ENIGMA
I bought this from Amazon the other day, having had it on vinyl some years ago. To be honest, I've found it a bit disapointing. Lots of mechanical power pop and limp balladry. Read more
Published on 27 Feb 2010 by MG Russell
Great Power Pop Classic
No Dice was Badfinger's first masterpiece ( and my first Badfinger album!). The inspiration from The Beatles can be heard on most of these songs, but this album shows that they're... Read more
Published on 17 Sep 2006 by Morten Vindberg
Masterful
1970 was not such a bad year for Beatles fans or it least it's that way in hindsight. We had decent albums from all four Beatles, a grand total of six if you don't count the Jam... Read more
Published on 22 May 2006 by John Heaton
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Listmania!
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
