Music Review: Badfinger - "Apple Records CD Reissues"

The story on the British band Badfinger usually goes as follows…

Badfinger was a great band but never achieved the success they deserved because of bad management, poor record label support, band member infighting and subsequent deaths.

After listening to the newly remastered versions of the band's most popular albums: "Magic Christian Music," "No Dice," "Straight Up," and "Ass," I am here to tell you that the real reason the band never attained huge success is because they stink!

Does Badfinger have some great songs? Yes they do. They have 5 unbelievable songs. The first one is "Come And Get It" written and produced by Sir Paul McCartney. Every time I hear this song I am amazed that McCartney gave this song away as it would have been a perfect song for his post-Beatles band Wings.

Next, we have "No Matter What" a song so good that it has been often covered by other bands, most notably The Knack and Def Leppard.

Number 3 is "Without You." Originally not released as a single by Badfinger it became a #1 hit on both sides of the Atlantic in 1972 for singer Harry Nilsson -- but the bands' version is just as good.

Number 4 is "Day After Day." Produced by George Harrison, this track became Badfinger's highest charting single and peaked at #4. The song is also notable for its guest performances by Harrison on slide guitar and Leon Russell on piano.

Finally, we have "Baby Blue" produced by the American pop-wunderkind Todd Rundgren.

Anyone reading this will agree that those songs are, as I said before, unbelievable. And let's give credit where credit is due… of the 4 original songs listed above Badfinger guitarist Pete Ham wrote 3 and co-wrote the 4th. So obviously Ham had the power to churn out a great pop rock song.

So why is Badfinger well… bad? Because, to get to those 5 classics you have to wade through 4 albums worth of mediocrity; boring, uninspired songs that plod along endlessly. And given the talented producers on hand for these albums: Tony Visconti (David Bowie, T-Rex), Chris Thomas (Pretenders, Elton John), Geoff Emerick (Legendary Beatles engineer), plus McCartney, Harrison & Rundgren -- if 5 songs is all you can get, then the blame lands solidly on the shoulders of Badfinger themselves.

To put this in perspective… The Bay City Rollers arguably also have 5 great songs plus 10 top 10 UK hits and they are never spoken with the reverence given to their English brothers Badfinger.

The 5 classic songs:

Drumroll please… 10 out of 10 drumsticks!!!

The 4 remastered Apple CDs:

Drumroll please… 2 out of 10 drumsticks!!

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Blade Kitten Takes Side-Scrolling Platform Gaming to a Whole New Level

From Steve Stamatiadis, creator of Ty the Tasmanian Tiger comes this cell-shaded side-scrolling Action/Platform game that would make Mario, Samus, Link, Lara Croft and Sonic the Hedgehog wince in jealousy. Blade Kitten is the best game you've never played. In a desert of mediocre downloadable games, it's a lone oasis. Come and feast on the sweet fruit and drink of the cool water that is Blade Kitten

Don't let the title dissuade you from trying this game, being a human-cat hybrid is not without it's advantages as you are able to double-jump, multi wall-jump, run, backflip, pounce on opponents, slide-attack, grapple, heck you even get a blade that flies around and acts as a projectile weapon. Unlike most platformers, Kit is able to climb on and break through walls. This feature adds a new depth of adventure as you will constantly be looking at every nook and cranny for hex which are the currency that allows you to buy stamina upgrades, new costumes and new blades with varying attack purposes. While running through levels you might notice a foreground and background, when this is visible, you will find a portal to the background in that surrounding area. Along her adventure, Kit makes new friends with a rideable mount and a cute little flying friend named Skiffy. 

The heroine of the story, Kit Ballard (voiced by Kelly Fuller), fled her home world during the genocide of her people and made a new home on Hollow Wish. One of the last her species, Kit works here as one of the best bounty hunters in the business. You'll find many side-missions throughout the game. During gameplay you will hear familiar voice-over veterans Jennifer Hale who voices Justice and Dave Mitchell who voices Hundert Tonne.

With 19 levels of non-stop action, Blade Kitten entertains for hours and hours and is a must-have for any Platform Gamer. At it's price $15, it's a steal. (Right now it's on sale at XBOX Live Arcade for only 600 MS Points). Blade Kitten is available on XBOX Live Arcade, Playstation Network and ($9.99) PC via Steam.

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Music Review: Neil Diamond - "Dreams"

On this, his 28th studio album, Neil has decided to once again record a collection of songs made famous by other artists. Diamond has done this twice before with 1993's "Up on the Roof: Songs from the Brill Building" and 1998's "The Movie Album: As Time Goes By." Both of those releases were spotty at best and sad to say, so is "Dreams." But that can be said of almost any album made up of "cover songs." Sometimes they work (James Taylor's "Covers" and Shaw/Blades "Influence") and sometimes they don't (Poison's "Poison'd").

Diamond adds nothing new to his versions of classic songs such as the Eagles "Desperado" or the Beatles "Blackbird" and "Yesterday." And while I'm on the subject…

"Attention all recording artists! Please STOP covering Beatles songs!!!

The original versions of these songs are so etched into our subconscious that trying to better what the Beatles did is almost sacrilegious. There's really only one time I can remember a Beatles song being done as well as the original and for that one we have to go all the way back to 1978 for Aerosmith's exceptional version of "Come Together."

So what's good about the CD? For one thing Diamond's voice sounds great. Gone is the raspy voice that sometimes plagues his live performances and by keeping the quiet stripped down production style that Rick Rubin used on "12 Songs" & "Home Before Dark," some of these songs take on a whole new life.

How do you top Gladys Knight and the Pips' "Midnight Train To Georgia?" Well to be honest… you can't. But, Diamond's acoustic take on this classic song had me really listening to the lyrics more than I ever have and I found his version to be almost hypnotic.

Of the handful of songs I did like the two written by Randy Newman: "Feels Like Home" & "Losing You" and Leon Russell's "A Song For You" were some of the best -- though this might be because I was not familiar with the original versions.

But by all means stay away from Gilbert O'Sullivan's "Alone Again (Naturally)." This song actually had me cringing and laughing at the same time -- a feat that should not be done while driving.

Now, before I give my final word on this CD, I want you to know… I am a HUGE Neil Diamond fan. Neil Diamond has been in my life since my older brother brought home a copy of "Beautiful Noise" in 1976. Since then I have purchased every single Neil Diamond album on the day of release. I am a true fan. But, I'm also one who won't let my favorite artists off the hook every time.

Drumroll please… 5 out of 10 drumsticks!!!

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Music News: New Michael Jackson Album Announced!

Just in time for the holidays comes Michael, the first (I'll venture to say not the last) posthumous release from King of Pop Michael Jackson.  The album is scheduled to be released on December 14th.

For more information visit the official site of Micheal Jackson.

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DVD Review: "Jackson Browne: Going Home"

Rock and Roll documentaries are usually a mixed bag with few rarely achieving greatness such as "Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers: Runnin' Down A Dream." After viewing quite a few mediocre "rock docs" this year I can finally say that "Jackson Browne: Going Home" is one of the best.

After being disappointed with this year's "Legends Of The Canyon" DVD that failed to include Jackson Browne as one of the pioneers of the Southern California music scene, this re-release of "Jackson Browne: Going Home" DVD rectifies this oversight and then some.

Originally shown on the Disney Channel in 1994, this award-winning documentary shows Jackson Browne in concert promoting his then new CD release "I'm Alive" -- which in my opinion is one of, if not "the" best collection of songs Jackson has ever recorded.

This documentary finally lets the casual music fan in on what the true believers have always known… Jackson Browne is to Southern California what Bruce Springsteen is to New Jersey. Not to mention that he has rocked that feathered pageboy haircut for almost 40 years. Yes, even at 62 years of age, he still exudes a boyish charm and a knack for writing heartfelt impassioned lyrics set to music that can be danceable one minute and emotionally melodic the next.

But don't take my word for it. Just watch and listen to his peers: Don Henley, Bonnie Raitt, Graham Nash & David Lindley as they tell you what Jackson Browne means to them and to the world. Not just as a singer-songwriter but also as an activist and humanitarian.

What is especially appealing about this documentary is the way it seamlessly weaves concert footage from 1994 into vintage footage from his entire career while adding in current and classic interviews. This gives the viewer the most well rounded view of an artist in a way I have never seen done before.

It doesn't want to be just a concert film and it doesn't want to be just a documentary it wants to be "more." And, by achieving this, "Jackson Browne: Going Home" is that rare music DVD that fans will want to revisit over and over again.

Drumroll please… 10 out of 10 drumsticks!!!

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Music Premiere: Love The Way You Lie Part 2 - Rihanna ft. Eminem + Lyrics (NO DJ) HD

Don't get too excited this track pales in comparison to the first one. It's almost boring.

What a let down.

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Music Video: Pink - Raise Your Glass

Pink's new album, Greatest Hits...So Far arrives in stores November 16th.

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Rocky Horror Picture Show - World's Largest Time Warp Dance

I think this is a bit of a stretch but they got the Guinness folks to buy it so gratz.

Make sure you pick up your copy of The Rocky Horror Picture Show on Blu-ray today!

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Movie Poster: Red State

I really enjoy this poster.  Really moody and intriguing.  Makes me really look forward to this flick more so than I already am!  Kevin Smith makes his horror debut with Red State next year!

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DVD Review: "Ladies & Gentlemen: The Rolling Stones"

2010 marks the 28th anniversary of The Rolling Stones much regarded "Exile On Main St." album. Sure it seems weird to celebrate the "28th" anniversary but I guess at this stage of the game if you wait 2 more years who knows where the individual members of the band might be. Better to have the party while they're still walking above ground and able to enjoy it.

To commemorate the event, the Stones are pulling out all the stops. Early this year they released a deluxe edition CD of "Exile On Main St." and now comes the highly sought after, often bootlegged concert film: "Ladies & Gentlemen: The Rolling Stones" which features the band on the "Exile" tour.

If you are expecting one of the best concert films of all-time … don't get your hopes up. This was shot in the early 70's when filmmakers didn't quite know how to film a concert properly. There are no cutaway shots of the crowd, no steadi-cam following a stumbling Keith around the stage, no overhead shots of Charlie pounding his drum kit and no close-up shots of Taylor working the fretboard. This almost seems like a one-camera shoot done by a first year film student. That may sound harsh but really this is a point and shoot ordeal from start to finish.

If you are excited to see Bill Wyman, Mick Taylor and Charlie Watts up close and personal you can also forget it, because this is the Mick Jagger show all the way. Director Rollin Binzer turns his camera on Jagger and yells, "action" and that's just about all you get unless Mick happens to dance out of frame. Then you get, well… nothing until Mick or one of the other band members stumbles into frame. You see a little Keith here and there and a little bit of Taylor. The film was shot during 4 shows in Ft. Worth and Houston, Texas and you'll know this because the bands' clothes will miraculously change between songs; maybe even during the same song!

Now that we've discussed the technical problems you're probably thinking… "Enough already! How was the band?" The band is as raw and raucous as you might expect them to be at this point in their career. Just a 5 piece rock band plus a couple of horns and a keyboard player on a stripped down stage with no bells and whistles to hide their imperfections and not even a hint of the polished act they would become with the big stadium tours of the 80's through today.

The playing is great and Mick's rock'n'roll rooster antics are more subdued than you might expect. The set list does not disappoint. 15 songs including most of their hits and 5 stand-out "Exile" tracks: "Happy," "Tumbling Dice," "Sweet Virginia," "All Down The Line," and "Rip This Joint."

As a document of The Rolling Stones performing songs from the album most fans and critics feel is one of their best, this is worth a look. But, given its technical limitations, I doubt that anyone - even diehard fans - will want to watch this DVD more than once.

Drumroll please… 6 out of 10 drumsticks!!

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