Badfinger: Pete Ham, Joey Molland (vocals, guitar, keyboards); Tom Evans (vocals, guitar, bass); Ron Griffiths (vocals, bass); Mike Gibbins (drums, percussion).
Producers include: Mal Evans, George Harrison, Todd Rundgren, Paul McCartney, Chris Thomas.
Recorded between 1970 & 1974. Originally released on Apple & Warner Brothers. Includes liner notes by Andy Davis.
Digitally remastered by Rom McMaster (Capitol Mastering).
Easily one of pop music's greatest would-be success stories and most well-known tragedies, Beatles proteges Badfinger wrote some of the definitive tunes of the power-pop era. There is considerably more to the story of Badfinger than the 18 tracks on this concise best-of would have it, yet as a primer on this most bittersweet of bands, it certainly does its job. Included here is the Paul McCartney-penned hit single "Come and Get It," the power-pop gem "No Matter What," the pensive "Day After Day," and "Without You," arguably the band's biggest hit, as it would prove to be a smash for both Harry Nilsson and, decades later, Mariah Carey. That such wonderful music didn't prevent the band members from ending up destitute and miserable only adds to the songs' emotional impact. THE VERY BEST is an excellent introduction to Badfinger, but once a taste has been had, a deeper investigation is essential.