Album Review: Badfinger — Head First

The story of Badfinger – one filled with great, enduring music and tragic heartbreak – has been well documented. The authoritative history of the band, its music, its soaring highs and devastating lows is the late Dan Matovina’s 1997 book, Without You: The Tragic Story of Badfinger. In addition to his work as journalist/biographer, Matovina was a key figure in rescuing part of the band’s music from obscurity. In 2002 he arranged the release of Head First, the original band’s final album. Recorded in December 1974, Head First would go unreleased for decades. It’s an important piece of Badfinger history, with some fine music to boot.

Working with what he had, Matovina had to content himself with a stereo dub of the two-track master. The fidelity of that 2000 release was acceptable – and far superior to the unknown-generation cassette dubs that circulated in collector circles – but it lacked the polish of a state-of-the-art release by 1970s standards, let alone what listeners would expect of a 2000 release.

The fact that Head First was ever recorded at all is something of a miracle. In late ‘75, Badfinger was reeling from the malfeasance of the band’s manager. Made under extremely difficult conditions, their then most recent outing – 1974’s Wish You Were Here – may well have been the band’s finest work, but it sank without a trace, recalled from shelves by Warner Brothers in response to the manager’s shady dealings.

Against that backdrop, it would have been quite unreasonable to expect Badfinger to re-enter the studio mere months later to craft yet another record of new material. Making matters worse, the lineup had been undergoing turmoil as well: chief songwriter Pete Ham had left the group, though he’d soon return. Multi-instrumentalist Bob Jackson had joined – initially as Ham’s replacement – and then guitarist Joey Molland quit.

Yet the reconstituted quartet – Ham and Jackson plus original members Tom Evans and Mike Gibbins – rallied to write and record the songs that would make up Head First. Recording at The Beatles’ Apple Studio, the foursome worked with producers Kenny Kerner and Richie Wise. That pair had some notable credits: Gladys Knight & the Pips, the Stories hits “Mammy Blue” and “Brother Louie,” and the first two albums from KISS – but weren’t considered in a class with previous Badfinger producers like Todd Rundgren, George Harrison, Geoff Emerick, Tony Visconti and Chris Thomas. Yet even with the deck stacked against them in so many ways, Badfinger crafted a superb album, one that would end up unreleased for decades to come.

In recent years, Bob Jackson – today the sole surviving member of ‘70s era Badfinger – managed to source the original multi-track masters of the album. Thanks to his tireless work, those tapes – long thought lost for good – were able to receive a proper mix. (Matovina’s 2000 release on Snapper used the only available source at the time, a rough stereo “reference mix” never intended for release.)

Y&T Records has brought this now properly-mixed album to release, on CD and vinyl. Joining a number of other Badfinger-related releases, the appearance of Head First reinforces Y&T’s status as the guardians (and, with Matovina’s passing, the curators) of Badfinger’s musical legacy.

Not to take away from Dan’s release, but the difference in audio quality between the Snapper set and the new release from Y&T is striking. There’s a depth and expansiveness to the sound on the new set; the songs breathe, and the layers of instrumentation and vocals are crystalline.

Ham’s “Lay Me Down” sounds to all the world like a hit single in the mold of “No Matter What” and “Baby Blue.” The guitarist’s songwriting skills were sharp, and he was able to draw from a seemingly inexhaustible well of creativity. The soaring backing vocals supporting his lead shine brightly in the new mix.

Tom Evans’ “Mr. Manager” was a cry for help against the misdeeds of manager Stan Polley, but somehow the group crafted a winning pop tune out of their despair. His frustration was so deep that he composed not one but two cris de cœur for Head First; the second, “Rock ‘n’ Roll Contract” was so good that Evans would re-cut it several years later when (with Molland) he reconstituted a latter-day Badfinger. But the original recording is far superior, a sort of powerpop precursor to The Records’ “Starry Eyes.”

New member Bob Jackson was possessed of a strong rock sensibility; he took the lead vocal on his original “Turn Around,” a song that – with its soaring harmonies and heavy central riff – fits well into the Badfinger aesthetic. Drummer Mike Gibbins had displayed his own songwriting prowess with Wish You Were Here’s “Your So Fine” [sic] and “In the Meantime.” and for Head First, he contributed the lovely, acoustic-flavored “Back Again.” The sweet, campfire-styled vocal harmonies and Jackson’s distinctive ARP Odyssey synth lines make “Back Again” a winning track.

Even with the disastrous daily dealings with which the band was contending, Ham managed to write upbeat songs. With the benefit of hindsight, “Keep Believing” sounds like Ham trying to talk himself into optimism. His slide guitar work is reminiscent of “Day After Day,” and the song carries forth on that hit’s character and vibe.

A cowrite from Jackson, Gibbins and Evans, “Moonshine” is a lovely ballad with a heart-rending vocal and swaying melody. Ham’s guitar fills elevate an already fine song. Gibbins’ “Rockin’ Machine” leans heavily into the c&w feel, with barrelhouse piano, twangy slide and gang vocals. Its presence emphasizes the musical versatility of Badfinger, even late in the game.

Evans and Jackson composed “Passed Fast,” a piano-based heavy ballad that hints strongly at the pathos and hurt with which the group was dealing. Yet out of pain, they crafted an enduring tune with lyrics that sought to look toward the future. The brief “Savile Row” closes the album. An instrumental track, it’s clearly an unfinished piece that hints at the direction Badfinger might have been able to pursue. Notably, at two minutes, it’s nearly four times the length of the snippet featured on the Snapper release.

But none of that was to be: Head First wasn’t released. Warners had all but dropped the band, Polley had robbed them blind, and the future looked bleak indeed. Pete Ham would take his life just a few short months later, and the classic era of Badfinger was over. Save for hissy cassette dubs, the songs from Badfinger’s final session with Ham would go unheard for decades.

With this new and definitive release of Head First, Y&T has righted wrongs, and brought forth an album that’s in most every way the equal of Badfinger’s best work.

UPDATE: You May Also Enjoy: Reviews of…

• Pete Ham – Acoustic
• Iveys – How Much is the Sky (Demos: 1967-1969)