Badfinger

Don't stop at the hit "No Matter What" on this one -- the second half of No Dice is some of the best Power Pop/post-British Invasion r&r to come out of the '70s. New guitar player Joey Molland adds some much needed muscle and the Evans/Ham duo delivers some of its strongest songs. For starters, try "Believe Me."

With their new album No Dice, Badfinger has to their credit one of the best records of the
year. This album is literally a quantum jump over their uneven debut album Magic Christian
Music, and Badfinger is certainly on the way to fulfilling their enormous promise. To be
sure, the types of songs that Badfinger excelled on before are here once again: great
rockers ("I Can't Take It," "Love Me Do," "Better Days," and "Watford John") and g... More >

I don't think these guys imitate the Beatles just so Paul will give them more hits--they've got hits of their own. But from the guitar parts (play "Better Days" right after "I Feel Fine") and harmonies (the Paul of "I've Just Seen a Face" atop the Paul of "Long Tall Sally") to concept and lineup, an imitation is what this is, modernized slightly via some relaxed countrification. They write almost well enough to get away with it, too. But somehow the song that stands out is "Blodwyn," a simulated (I think) English folk ditty about a swain and a spoon that has nothing to do with the Fab Four at all. (Grade - B)