Album Review: Pete Ham – Acoustic

The cache of previously unheard Badfinger-related music seems to never end. And far from that being a complaint; it’s all greeted with appreciation here. But it’s still fascinating that more than a half century after his tragic death, listeners are still experiencing new-to-us music from the man. Acoustic is (I think) the seventh collection of Pete Ham solo material released in the years since his death.

Acoustic isn’t the cleverest title for an album, and the quickie artwork and packaging suggest a modest and low-key collection. But there’s nothing modest about a 30-song set of songs featuring Pete Ham’s voice and acoustic guitar. The spare, demo-like setting presents his original songs in a way that highlights his songwriting skills. There are plenty of tantalizingly undeveloped cuts like “Little Bit of Rock And Roll” and “I Need Your Love” that underscore the fact that Ham had more good musical ideas than one person could be expected to possess.

The carefully-constructed demos (like “Midnight Sun,” with double-tracked Ham vocals) show that he knew where his songs were going even early in the process of development. Embryonic versions of “Perfection” (here titled “I Can’t Forget”) and “We’re for the Dark” shine a light into Ham’s songwriting process; the grandeur of the finished tracks is previewed even in these simple, unadorned demo takes. The Pete Townshend pastiche “Can You See” shows a side of Ham’s artistry that was largely unexplored with Badfinger.

The songs on Acoustic date from throughout Ham’s creative period; some were made as Iveys demos, and others date from the Badfinger era. A bit of hiss here and there doesn’t detract from the charm and power of these tunes. Of course these are recordings never designed for hearing by the wider public, but hear them we should. Badfinger fans will find Acoustic another essential piece of the musical tapestry that makes up the group’s story. But the album is perfectly accessible for those new to Ham’s work. There’s a friendliness, charm and joy to tracks like “Rusty Sunday” that invites the listener into Pete Ham’s world. And possessing perhaps the greatest voice in rock (or at least among the greatest), Pete Ham left behind intimate recordings that never, ever fail to move that willing listener. (And the unlisted track is a lovely bonus.)