Ass

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Artists: Badfinger.

Lowest new price: $17.48.

6 customer reviews.  4.5 out of 5 stars.

I'm assuming this is a straight reissue of the import that was released on Apple in the '90s. If so, I have that import, and it was really poorly remastered. I have the original LP released in 1973. That LP was poorly remastered, but sounds eons better than the Apple CD. I wish that someone would get hold of the original multitracks (if they still exist) and give this album the sound it deserves. It still does not have the quality of songs or performance that Straight Up (or No Dice, for that matter) has, but if the sound was improved it would be a solid 4 star album. Until then, you must have it if you are a Badfinger fan (it has a handful of really great songs), but be forewarned the sound just isn't up to snuff.

This album is not the dog that many would have you believe. Blind Owl, The Winner, and Constitution are great rockers. Apple of My Eye and I Can Love You are very decent ballads. Cowboy is a goof, but quite listenable. Timeless is a nice song with both quiet and louder elements. Badfinger fans will undoubtedly find much to enjoy here, but those who are unfamiliar with the band would be better to start off with No Dice and Straight Up.

Highlights of this great groups 4th album for Apple are...
Apple of My Eye - The late Pete Hams bitter farewell song to Apple

Winner - Joey Mollands open letter to John Lennon who often critisized the band, Joeys best song

Blind Owl, Constitution double shot from the underrated bass player singer writer late great Tom Evans

Cowboy - even the drummer Mike Gibbons writes songs, amazing group

Timeless - Pete Hams best song, unfortunately not many have ever heard it, should have been a hit.

Long unavailable, ASS was Badfinger's fourth and final album for the Apple label. Their self-titled debut for Warner Bros. would be released a mere three months after ASS. That, coupled with the fact that Apple did little to promote the album, resulted in an album that failed to chart. Despite the album's poor chart showing, it is not without it's highlights.

The album is bookended by two first-rate efforts from Pete Ham. The opening track is a kiss off to their former label. [Badfinger left Apple on acrimonious terms.] The closing track is the majestic "Timeless." [At nearly eight minutes it is the longest song in the Badfinger canon.]

Co-founder Tom Evans also turns in two equally fine songs. First, the uptempo "Blind Owl" and the lovely "When I Say." Mike Gibbins lone contribution is the country-flavored "Cowboy."

The remaining five tracks (along with the bonus track "Do You Mind") were penned by Joey Molland. The rockers like "Get Away," "Winner" and "Constitution" are serviceable, but the highlights are the love songs "Icicles" and "I Can Love You."

While not up to the high standards of their previous LP STRAIGHT UP, this is still a necessary purchase for Badfinger fans. RECOMMENDED

While Badfinger's Straight Up and No Dice albums are widely and deservedly considered classics, their Apple swan song, "Ass" gets so little attention that it's never even been released domestically. Few people outside the core of die-hard fans even know it exists. Too bad, because they're missing some stellar moments. While power-pop was the buzzword that surrounded much of the rest of the band's catalog, "Ass" doesn't come off quite as sweet and is all the better for it. "Ass" was Badfinger stretching out and showing that they were more than recycled Beatle hooks and harmonies. While "Apple Of My Eye", Ham's achingly appropriate tip of the hat to the band's soon to be ex-label, captures the band's sound of old, several of the other songs seem to come from a harder edged, refreshingly different vein. "Timeless" is quite possibly Pete Ham's finest recorded moment with it's slow-building intensity, harrowing guitar and fade to infinity ending, and if nothing else shows just how huge a talent the world lost a short time later. Pete was not only a gifted songwriter, but as this song also shows, a brilliant guitarist. These two songs along with "Constitution", "Icicles", "Blind Owl" and "I Can Love You" are the albums undoubted highlights, but only Mike Gibbins' "Cowboy" seems out of place on the album. Despite it's thrown together, admittedly rushed feel, Ass is a great Badfinger album that has never recieved a fair shake. It's nice to see this import only re-release for those who missed it the first time around, but I have my doubts as to whether this will wake people up to what they've been missing. Again, too bad.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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