Badfinger

One of my favourite bands of all time are Badfinger. Apple Records have recently re-released their back catalogue, which includes their 1971 masterpiece "Straight Up".

A more complete collection of Power Pop just isn't available. And I'm a connoisseur of the works of Big Star, The Raspberries and The Move.

The story of Badfinger is without doubt the most sad and tragic in the entire history of Rock. The band were royally screwed by their business manager to such a degree that it ended with the suicides of Pete Ham. aged just 27, in 1975, and Liverpool's own Tommy Evans, aged 36, in 1983. It's such a cautionary tale that anybody wanting to get involved in the music business would do well to heed.

But back to "Straight Up". Produced at separate sessions by both Todd Rundgren and George Harrison, it's Badfinger at the peak of their powers. Beginning with the towering ballad "Take It All" which alone proves that the previous year's "Without You" wasn't just a one-off. Followed by the power pop-standard "Baby Blue". Evans' "Money" and "Flying" hark back to Abbey Road-era Beatles. "I'd Die Babe", "Suitcase" and "Sometimes" all written by Joey Molland show the band's Rock side - the latter track a tantalising taster to what Merseybeat could've become. Ham's "Perfection" is just perfection itself - marvellous piece of raga-style power pop topped with an emotive Ham vocal.

Just wonderful! The reissue, a far more welcome release than any of the Beatles' current output, is joy itself.

And while we're on the subject of Power Pop, the great Roy Wood is 64 today. His protegees, Cheap Trick, lie in wait for me on Thursday.......