Maybe Tomorrow - The Iveys

 

Maybe Tomorrow

The Iveys

Audio Clarity ACL 0056

1969

This is a Russian bootleg of Badfinger's debut album originally released in West Germany, Italy and Japan by Apple Records under their original name, the Iveys.  This version features a 2016 copyright for Universal Music, which used to operate in Russia, but I can't believe that this is an authorized release.  I have a couple of other albums put out by Audio Clarity and they are decently made although presumably none of them were generated from the original masters, but more likely from CDs.  I consider myself a passionate record collector but not a fanatic.  If I were a fanatic I would shell out the hefty price that original copies fetch (sometimes more than $1000 in collectible condition.)  It would not be a bad investment, a little over a decade ago you could get one for about $300 to $500 and it will likely keep going up.  Even though I have been a fan of the band since I was a child I've never seriously considered buying an original.  For most of my early life I couldn't afford it and now I just don't care enough to spend that much on a record, particularly when half of it appeared on the easy to find Badfinger album "Magic Christian Music" and even more particularly because I have it on a CD.  Logically I don't need it, but my record collecting is based more on passion than logic.  When I came across a reasonably priced version of this album, I couldn't resist it.  I have no regrets because it is a really good record and it deserved a wider release.  Apple really screwed these guys for reasons I don't understand but I'm inclined to blame Allen Klein.  Anyway I like having a decent facsimile of it on vinyl because that's the kind of nutty record collector I am.  The album opens with "See-Saw, Granpa" by Pete Ham.  It is a rollicking rocker with a power pop flavor and a hot guitar solo.  It was not included on "Magic Christian Music" but it is better than many of the songs on that album.  It gives this album an energetic opening.  Tom Evans wrote "Beautiful and Blue" which did make it onto "Magic Christian Music."  It is a stately ballad that sounds like a retread of the band's single "Maybe Tomorrow" but not nearly as memorable.  It is followed by Ron Griffiths' "Dear Angie" which was the band's second single.  Griffiths would be expelled from the band following "Magic Christian Music" but his sole songwriting contribution to the band is a quality one.  The song is a romantic ballad with a punchy arrangement but a mildly sultry feeling.  It reminds me of "Butterfly" era Hollies.  Mike Gibbins contributes "Think About the Good Times" which is a slight but fun song that reminds me of the Easybeats.  "Yesterday Ain't Coming Back" was written by Ham and Evans and it is another romantic ballad that sounds like Paul McCartney.  It benefits from an elaborate arrangement that makes it seem deeper and richer.  "Fisherman" is a folky tune by Evans.  This was last track on side one of the original pressing but on this version of the album the concluding song is Ham's "They're Knocking Down Our Home" which originally appeared near the end of side two.  It reminds me of Paul McCartney's music hall type songs.  I consider it the worst song on the album, but I guess the folks at Apple disagreed because they stuck it on "Magic Christian Music" as well.  Side two opens with Evans' "Maybe Tomorrow" which was the debut single by the Iveys.  It flopped but it is such a good song that I expect at least some of the blame must lie with the chaos and ineptitude at Apple.  It is one of my favorite Badfinger songs although I prefer the re-mixed version on "Magic Christian Music."  It is followed by Ham's punchy McCartneyesque rocker "Sali Bloo."  It features the guitar intro that is supposedly missing from the legitimate CD issue of this album although it does appear on my CD version of the album which is a bootleg.  I like the song very much and it provides some welcome energy but it was omitted from "Magic Christian Music" to that album's detriment.  Evans' "Angelique" was on the English version of "Magic Christian Music" but dropped from the American version.  It's a romantic ballad with chamber pop flourishes.  It borders on sappiness but I like it anyway.  Ham's "I'm in Love" did make it on to the record presumably because it is so poppy and commercial.  It was originally followed by "They're Knocking Down Our Home" which would be a rough stretch for me, so I'm not all that upset that the Russkies moved it to side one.  Instead we get the original album closer "I've Been Waiting" which is a terrific majestic song featuring dynamic guitar work in the instrumental break.  It is my second favorite song on the album after "Maybe Tomorrow" and I'm flabbergasted that it was not included on "Magic Christian Music."  It is doubly misfortunate that it was omitted because it showcases a heavy side to the band that seldom surfaced on their later albums.  It gives the original album a powerful finish.  There are a two bonus tracks at the end of this record.  Evans' "No Escaping Your Love" was the b-side of the Ivey's second single and it is a pleasant slice of bubble gum.  The second bonus track is Evans and Ham's "And Her Daddy's a Millionaire" which was the b-side to the "Maybe Tomorrow" single.  It is a very engaging power pop track that reminds me of the Kinks.  I like both songs but I wish the Russkies had stuck to the original album's format.  It is a a strong enough album that I resent them tampering with it.  Nonetheless I'm happy to have this album even though the songs that are also on "Magic Christian Music" sound better there.  This record sounds a little thin to me, almost tinny in places and other times it sounds muddy.  "Magic Christian Music" sounds cleaner and more defined in its sound.  Maybe this is attributable to Audio Clarity using inferior sources although people have complained about the sound on original pressings as well.  In any case I'm no audiophile so I'm content with this album but if the bean counters at Universal Music ever decide to do a proper re-mixed vinyl reissue of this album I will happily buy it.  I think you can argue that it is at least as good as "Magic Christian Music" (especially the truncated American version) and a significant album in its own right that deserves more respectful treatment.  Recommended to Bee Gees fans who wish they weren't so sappy.

Magic Christian Music - Badfinger

Magic Christian Music
Badfinger
Apple ST-3364
1970 

This was the debut album by Badfinger unless you want to count "Maybe Tomorrow" which they made under the name, The Iveys, in 1969.  Six of the tracks on this album were actually lifted from that earlier album although arguably they didn't select the right six.  "I've Been Waiting" in particular is better than nearly all the tracks they selected.  The British version of this album contains two extra tracks - what's up with that?  Apple records taking a page from the Capitol Records playbook and screwing American music fans?  You'd think after the way Capitol butchered the Beatles' albums that they'd be sensitive to that sort of tampering.  It was probably Allen Klein's idea.  Anyway if you can find an import copy of this album, that is probably the way to go, particularly since the two missing tracks, "Angelique" and especially "Give It a Try" are better than many of the tracks remaining on the album.  Another curious element to this album, is that although the band was a quartet only three of the members are depicted on the back cover.  The reason for that is probably that founding member Ron Griffiths had left the band after this record was recorded (to be replaced by Joey Molland).  Molland is mentioned in the text on the back but does not actually play on the record.  The only mention of Griffiths is in the song credit for his song "Dear Angie."  The most notable cut on the record is the opening track "Come and Get It" which was written and produced by Paul McCartney for the film "The Magic Christian."  It was a hit single for the band and fully displays McCartney's knack for writing insanely catchy pop fluff.  His original demo version was released on the Beatles' "Anthology 3" album and is practically identical to the Badfinger version, vocalist Tom Evans even sounds like Sir Paul.  It has the crispness and drive of McCartney's power pop songs with the Beatles.  It is followed by Evans and Pete Ham's "Crimson Ship" which also has a very McCartneyesque sound, particularly in the chorus, although it sounds more like Paul's solo work than the Beatles.  "Dear Angie" comes from the Iveys' album.  It is sung by Ron Griffiths and is a slow love song with a slightly retro feeling.  The pace increases with Pete Ham's rocking "Midnight Sun" which is driven by crunchy guitar lines.  Evans' majestic "Beautiful and Blue" with its strings and lush singing reminds me of the Bee Gees.  It is another Iveys cut.  The aptly named "Rock of All Ages" comes from "The Magic Christian" soundtrack and was written by Evans, Ham and drummer Mike Gibbins.  It is an all-out rocker with a 1950s influence that resembles McCartney's own efforts in that vein.  It is arguably the hardest rocker in Badfinger's Apple catalog and one of my favorite songs on the album.  Side two opens with "Carry On Till Tomorrow" which is another one of my favorites.  It is also from the movie soundtrack and was written by Evans and Ham.  It is a delicate song with a lovely string arrangement and pretty vocal harmonies but it also features a couple of noisy guitar breaks that disrupt its tranquil feeling.  The song is about always moving forward and not giving up, a rather noble message for an obnoxious film that is mostly about greed and degradation.  Ham's "I'm In Love" is an Iveys song with a bubblegum quality to it.  Ham also wrote the gentle and melodic "Walk Out In the Rain" which is about heartbreak.  Evans' "Fisherman" comes from the Iveys album.  It is a folk flavored song with charming pop flourishes.  Ham's "Knocking Down Our Home" sounds like it should be a rocker, but instead is a retro song with a fussy band arrangement over a bossa nova type rhythm.  It sounds like something you'd hear some guy croon in a music hall, the worst song on the album.  The album's final song, Evans' "Maybe Tomorrow," was the best song on the Iveys album.  It has a classic pop melody married to lyrics about surviving heartbreak.  It also reminds me a bit of the Bee Gees minus their sappiness.  Would have been a great song for Dusty Springfield to cover.  Despite its hodge podge construction this is an impressive debut album with several first rate songs.  Ham and Evans were both quality songwriters and the band's lush pop sound is very appealing to me.  The knock on Badfinger was that they sounded too much like the Beatles, but I don't consider that a knock, that's a virtue.  Recommended to people whose favorite Beatle was Paul.

No Dice - Badfinger

No Dice
Badfinger
Apple SKAO 3367
1970 

Badfinger’s second album is my favorite.  I've always thought these guys got a raw deal and should have had a better fate.  They deserve a lot of credit for championing traditional pop values in an era of rock excess and self-indulgence.  There are no long crappy guitar solos or macho posturing on this record, just short tuneful songs that are well-crafted and consistently enjoyable.  The longest song on this record is 4:42 and all the rest are considerably shorter.  “No Matter What” is a great single, one of the best of the era.  It is punchy and loaded with hooks.  It sounds great on the radio and even better on the turntable.  Admittedly nothing else on the record comes close to the excellence of “No Matter What” but there are no bad songs with “Without You”, “I Can’t Take It” and “Better Days” being particularly fine.  Badfinger are often cited as being derivative of the Beatles, as if that is a criticism, it ought to be a compliment - it automatically makes them better than most of their peers.  This often sounds like a long lost Paul McCartney solo record, although Paulie himself wouldn’t even come close to equaling this album for 3 more years.  It is a lot better than “McCartney” or “All Things Must Pass” and is more enjoyable than “Let It Be”.  One of the best albums of 1970.  Recommended for people who think Graham Nash was better off in the Hollies than hanging out with David Crosby.