One of Steve Howe's several obscure pre-Yes projects, Bodast filled the gap between his stint in Tomorrow and his recruitment for Yes. Apart from Howe, the line-up consisted of Clive Skinner (vocals, guitar), Dave Curtis (vocals, bass), and Bobby Clarke (aka Woodman) (drums).
Curtis and Clarke had previously played together in ex-Searcher Chris Curtis's short-lived group Roundabout, comprising the portion of the band that didn't end up in Deep Purple, and Clarke's history in rock 'n roll went back to playing in the house band (playing skiffle) at the legendary 2 I's coffee bar in Soho during the late 1950's, and subsequent gigs with Screaming Lord Sutch and Vince Taylor's band. Curtis's previous work had included recording backed by his own band, the Tremors.
As a psychedelic-cum-progressive rock outfit, Bodast was a strange link between those skiffle and early rock 'n roll roots and early '70s art-rock. Bodast slogged around the underground circuit in 1968 and 1969, never releasing any official product; some interest on part of Deep Purple's label (Tetragrammaton) came to naught, and they seldom played live, although they spent lots of time writing and rehearsing original material. Howe actually turned down offers from the Nice and Jethro Tull out of loyalty to the group, but finally gave up after the Tetragrammaton deal failed to come through.
They did record some unreleased material in 1969 with ex-Tomorrow vocalist Keith West producing. These tapes, eventually released in the 1980s, showed them to be an average band reflecting the transition of British underground rock from psychedelia to progressive rock; it's of interest mostly to Howe fans, and even then it isn't among his more notable work.
Tracks
1. Do You Remember - 3:37
2. Beyond Winter - 2:53
3. Once In A Lifetime - 3:26
4. Black Leather Gloves - 3:17
5. I Want You - 3:20
6. Tired Towers - 3:06
7. Mr. Jones - 3:06
8. 1,000 Years - 2:40
9. Nether Street - 3:00
10. Nothing To Cry For - 4:06
The story is well-known: south Wales pop group, the Iveys, are discovered by the Beatles' aide-de-camp Mal Evans, who not only signs them to Apple Records but produces their first sessions. Their first single, the glorious Bee Gees-like ballad "Maybe Tomorrow," is released in November 1968, yet it unaccountably stiffs. Disheartened, Apple shelves the planned U.S./U.K. release of the Iveys' debut album, though it does eventually sneak out in Japan and Germany.
The group replaces bassist Ron Griffiths with Liverpudlian Joey Molland and, at label exec Neil Aspinall's suggestion, changes their name to Badfinger, swiped from Paul McCartney's working title for "With a Little Help From My Friends." (John Lennon wanted to call them "Prix," preferably with the final letter pronounced.) Despite their early success, Badfinger goes on to become probably the unluckiest and one of the most tragic bands in pop music history.
However, very few people have ever heard the Iveys' Maybe Tomorrow album; copies of the original Japanese and European pressings were hens-teeth rare, and even the 1992 CD reissue with bonus tracks was seemingly in print for about 35 seconds. This is a shame, because Maybe Tomorrow ranks with Badfinger's best; in some ways, it's actually preferable to Badfinger's albums, because the production (four tracks by Mal Evans, the rest by a then-unknown Tony Visconti) is much fresher and less precise than it would be on Badfinger's slicker later albums. (Even the six tracks that eventually ended up in remixed form on Badfinger's debut, Magic Christian Music, sound better here.)
Though the party line has always been that the Iveys sounded like the Beatles, in reality, these 12 tracks have much more in common with the minor-key mopery of the early Bee Gees, from the heartbreaking "Dear Angie" (Griffiths' only writing contribution, which ironically would show up again on the first Badfinger album after he was kicked out of the group) to the frankly rather silly music hall-style "They're Knocking Down Our Home," a Pete Ham exercise in maudlin sentimentality that makes "She's Leaving Home" look subtle, though it does feature a nice clarinet part. Mike Gibbins' Kinks-like "Think About the Good Times" is the album's undiscovered gem, though the Ham and Tom Evans co-write "Yesterday Ain't Coming Back," with its weird staccato reeds section and unexpectedly aggressive middle eight, complete with burping, frog-like bass vocals, is probably the best track.
Of the four bonus tracks, the extremely silly "Looking for My Baby," from the Iveys' 1967 Apple demo, and the Creation-like rocking flip of the "Maybe Tomorrow" single, "And Her Daddy's a Millionaire," are the best, with "No Escaping Your Love" and the previously unreleased "Mrs. Jones" there for completists' sake.
by Stewart Mason
Tracks
1. See-Saw Granpa (Pete Ham) – 3:33
2. Beautiful And Blue (Tom Evans) – 2:38
3. Dear Angie (Ron Griffiths) – 2:39
4. Think About The Good Times (Mike Gibbins) – 2:21
5. Yesterday Ain't Coming Back (Ham, Evans) 2:57
6. Fisherman (Evans) – 3:09
7. Maybe Tomorrow (Evans) – 2:52
8. Sali Bloo (Ham) – 2:35
9. Angelique (Evans) – 2:26
10.I'm In Love (Ham) – 2:25
11.They're Knocking Down Our Home (Ham) – 3:41
12.I've Been Waiting (Ham) – 5:15
13.No Escaping Your Love (Evans) - 2:12
14.Mrs. Jones (Ham) - 2:15
15.And Her Daddy's A Millionaire (Ham, Evans) - 2:08
16.Looking For My Baby (Ham) - 2:08
Badfinger's second album No Dice kicks off with "I Can't Take It," a rocker that signaled even if Badfinger still played pop and sang ballads, they considered themselves a rock band. What gave Badfinger character is they blended their desire to rock with their sensitive side instead of compartmentalizing. Even when they rock on No Dice, it's never earthy, like, say, the Stones.
Badfinger's very sensibility and sound is modeled after the early British Invasion, where bands sang catchy, concise love songs. Yet there's a worldliness to their music absent from that of their forefathers, partially because Badfinger styled themselves as classicists, adapting the sound of their idols and striving to create a similar body of work. No Dice bears this out, boasting old-fashioned rockers, catchy pop tunes, and acoustic ballads. On the surface, there's nothing special about such a well-crafted, sharply produced, straight-ahead pop record, but the pleasure of a power pop album is in the craft.
No Dice is not without flaws -- a byproduct of an all-writing, all-singing band is that some songs don't measure up -- but it does achieve the right balance of craft, fun, and emotion, due in no small part to Pete Ham's songwriting. Ham dominates the record, providing note-perfect openers and closers, along with the centerpiece singles "No Matter What" and "Without You," the latter a yearning, painful ballad co-written with Tom Evans.
Collaborating with new guitarist Joey Molland, Evans wrote two other excellent songs ("I Don't Mind," "Better Days"), while Molland's own "Love Me Do" chugs along with nice momentum. Still, the heart of the album lies in Ham's work.. He proves that songcraft is what separates great power-pop from good, and it's what makes No Dice a superb pop record.
by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Tracks
1. I Can't Take It (Pete Ham) - 2:56
2. I Don't Mind (Tom Evans, Joey Molland) - 3:14
3. Love Me Do (Joey Molland) - 2:59
4. Midnight Caller (Pete Ham) - 2:49
5. No Matter What (Pete Ham) - 3:01
6. Without You (Pete Ham, Tom Evans) - 4:43
7. Blodwyn (Pete Ham) - 3:27
8. Better Days (Tom Evans, Joey Molland) - 4:00
9. It Had To Be Me (Mike Gibbins) - 2:28
10.Watford john (Tom Evans, Mike Gibbins, Pete Ham, Joey Molland) - 3:23
11.Believe Me (Tom Evans) - 3:00
12.We're For The Dark (Pete Ham) - 4:02
13.I Can't Take It (previously unreleased extended version) (Pete Ham) - 4:14
14.Without You (previously unreleased studio demo version-mono) (Pete Ham, Tom Evans) - 3:58
15.Photograph (AKA Friends Are Hard To Find) (previously unreleased version) (Joey Molland) - 3:25
16.Believe Me (previously unreleased alternate version) (Tom Evans) - 3:04
17.No Matter What (previously unreleased mono studio demo version) (Pete Ham) - 2:57
Straight Up winds up somewhat less dynamic than No Dice, largely because that record alternated its rockers, pop tunes, and ballads. Here, everything is at a similar level, as the ballads are made grander and the rockers have their melodic side emphasized. Consequently, the record sounds more unified than No Dice, which had a bit of a split personality.
Todd Rundgren's warm, detailed production makes each songwriter sound as if he was on the same page, although the bonus tracks -- revealing the abandoned original Geoff Emerick productions -- prove that the distinctive voices on No Dice were still present. Frankly, the increased production is for the best, since Badfinger sounds best when there's as much craft in the production as there is in the writing. Here, there's absolutely no filler and everybody is in top form.
Pete Ham's "Baby Blue" is textbook power-pop -- irresistibly catchy fuzz riffs and sighing melodies -- and with its Harrison-esque slide guitars, "Day After Day" is so gorgeous it practically aches. "Perfection" is an unheralded gem, while "Name of the Game" and "Take It All" are note-perfect pop ballads. Tom Evans isn't as prolific here, but the one-two punch of "Money" and "Flying" is the closest Straight Up gets to Abbey Road, and "It's Over" is a fine closer.
Still, what holds the record together is Joey Molland's emergence as a songwriter. His work on No Dice is enjoyable, but here, he comes into his own with a set of well-constructed songs. This fine songwriting, combined with sharp performances and exquisite studio craft, make Straight Up one of the cornerstones of power-pop, a record that proved that it was possible to make classic guitar-pop after its golden era had passed.
by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Most 1960s garage rock obsessives collect singles rather than albums for a good reason: While plenty of snarling teenagers could come up with two decent songs at a stretch, a precious few seemed able to brainstorm a dozen tunes without reaching to the bottom of the barrel or resorting to covers of other people's hits.
But there were exceptions to this rule, among them the Sonics, the Litter, and, especially, the Remains, who never enjoyed much success on the national charts but were fabled heroes in their home town of Boston. the Remains' 1966 album for Epic is a classic, packed with great songs from singer/guitarist Barry Tashian, bassist Vern Miller, and pianist Bill Briggs, and boasting exciting, fiery performances, and if the full firepower of their legendary live shows didn't always come through on tape, even the album's weakest moments made clear the Remains were tougher, smarter, and tighter than the vast majority of their competition.
The Remains is mid-'60s American rock & roll at it's best, and you don't have to own any paisley clothing to enjoy it. [When Epic/Legacy reissued the album in 1991 (with the band's name augmented to Barry and the Remains), they added a handful of non-LP singles and unreleased tracks and gave the album a crisp digital remix, and against all odds, Epic actually improved a masterpiece.
If the old analog version sounds harder and dirtier (a good thing for garage rock), the CD allows you to hear more of the details, and nearly every one of the 21 cuts on board is killer stuff (their cover of Don Covay's "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" shows them beating the Rolling Stones at their own game, and after you've heard "Don't Look Back," you'll always wonder why it wasn't a Top Ten hit)
by Mark Deming
Tracks
1. Heart (Georges Aber, Tony Hatch) - 2:36
2. Lonely Week-End (Charlie Rich) - 3:22
3. Don't Look Back (Billy Vera) - 2:38
4. Why Do I Cry (Barry Tashian) - 2:48
5. Diddy Wah Diddy (Ellas McDaniel, Willie Dixon) - 2:31
6. You Got A Hard Time Coming (Barry Tashian, Vern Miller) - 2:05
7. Once Before (Vern Miller, Chip Damiani) - 2:06
8. Thank You (Barry Tashian) - 3:13
9. Time Of Day (Barry Tashian) - 2:15
10.Say You're Sorry (Bill Briggs) - 2:16
11.Mercy, Mercy (1966) (Don Covay) - 2:35
12.I Can't Get Away From You (Single A-side,1965) (Vern Miller) - 2:32
13.But I Ain't Got You (Single B-side,1965) (Vern Miller) - 2:07
14.Me Right Now (Single B-side,1966) (Barry Tashian) - 2:25
15.My Babe (Single B-side,1965) (Willie Dixon) - 2:05
16.I'm Talking About You (1965) (Chuck Berry) - 2:08
17.Ain't That Her (1965) (Barry Tashian) - 2:07
18.Baby, I Believe In You (1965) (Barry Tashian) - 2:32
19.When I Want To Know (1965) (Barry Tashian) - 2:07
20.All Good Things (1965) (Vern Miller) - 2:13
Tracks 1-10 Original album (Stereo) 1966
Bonus Tracks 11-20
The Remains
*Billy Briggs - Electric Piano, Vocals
*Chip Damiani - Drums, Vocals
*Vern Miller - Bass, Vocals
*N.D. Smart II - Drums, Vocals
*Barry Tashian - Guitar,Vocals
A double-CD, 52-track box set that proves there was a lot more to The Troggs than "Wild Thing" and "Love Is All Around." This archetypally primitive British Invasion quartet scored many hits in the U.K. that barely dented the charts in the U.S., like "With A Girl Like You," "Night Of The Long Grass," and the notoriously racy "I Can't Control Myself." They're all here, along with notable album cuts, B-sides, and worldwide post-1968 flops.
Primitive they may have been, but The Troggs -- who wrote most of their own material -- did not lack a flair for hard pop hooks, and could display a surprising delicacy in their ballads. Several of their obscure singles and album tracks are equal in worth to their hits, like the gothic but pretty "Cousin Jane," and the witty light psychedelia of "Maybe the Madman" and "Purple Shades." Some of the '70s hard rockers and glammish novelties are unimpressive, and 52 songs is arguably excessive. But there are a fair number of obscure gems to be found on this well-annotated package.
by Richie Unterberger
Tracks
Disc 1
1. Lost Girl (Reg Presley) - 2:34
2. The Yella In Me (Reg Presley) - 2:42
3. Wild Thing (Chip Taylor) - 2:38
4. From Home (Reg Presley) - 2:21
5. With A Girl Like You (Reg Presley) - 2:10
6. I Want You (Colin Fretcher, Larry Page) - 2:19
7. Jingle Jangle (Reg Presley) - 2:31
8. Our Love Will Still Be There (Reg Presley) - 3:12
9. I Just Sing (Reg Presley) - 2:12
10.I Can't Control Myself (Reg Presley) - 3:07
11.Gonna Make You (Colin Fretcher, Larry Page) - 2:51
12.Any Way That You Want Me (Chip Taylor) - 2:59
13.66-5-4-3-2-1 (Reg Presley) - 2:37
14.Give It To Me (All Your Love) (Reg Presley) - 2:17
15.I Can Only Give You Everything (Mike Coulter, Tommy Scott) - 3:27
16.You Can't Beat It (Reg Presley) - 2:25
17.Last Summer (Reg Presley) - 2:58
18.I Want You To Come Into My Life (Reg Presley) - 2:27
19.Cousin Jane (David Matthews, Larry Page) - 2:28
20.Night Of The Long Grass (Reg Presley) - 3:10
21.Girl In Black (Colin Fretcher, Larry Page) - 2:04
22.Too Much Of A Good Thing (Terry Fogg, John St. John Gillard) - 2:50
23.Seventeen (Reg Presley) - 2:42
24.Her Emotion (Reg Presley) - 2:32
25.My Lady (Reg Presley) - 3:01
26.All Of The Time (Reg Presley) - 2:11
27.Somewhere My Girl Is Waiting (Artie Wayne) - 2:50
Disc 2
1. Love Is All Around (Reg Presley) - 3:01
2. When Will The Rain Come (Ronnie Bond) - 2:43
3. Little Girl (Reg Presley) - 2:59
4. Maybe The Madman (Chris Britton) - 2:14
5. Surprise, Surprise (I Need You) (Reg Presley) - 2:50
6. You Can Cry If You Want To(Reg Presley) - 2:53
7. Hip Hip Hooray (John Carter, Geoff Stephens) - 2:19
8. Purple Shades (Reg Presley) - 2:26
9. Heads Or Tails (Chris Britton) - 3:44
10.Evil Woman (Larry Weiss) - 2:57
11.That's What You Get Girl (Reg Presley) - 2:02
12.I Don't Know Why (Reg Presley) - 2:53
13.Easy Loving (Valerie Avon, Harold Spiro) - 3:01
14.Lover (Chris Britton) - 2:28
15.Come Now (R. Bond, C. Britton, T. Murray, R. Presley) - 2:22
16.The Raver (Reg Presley) - 2:49
17.Everything's Funny (Chris Britton, Reg Presley) - 2:14
18.Feels Like A Woman (Reg Presley) - 3:34
19.Queen Of Sorrow (Richard Moore) - 2:43
20.Strange Movies (Reg Presley) - 2:57
21.I'm On Fire (Richard Moore) - 2:15
22.Good Vibrations (Mike Love, Brian Wilson) - 3:21
23.Summertime (Ronnie Bond, Tony Murray, Reg Presley) - 3:23
24.I'll Buy You An Island (Chris Britton, Reg Presley) - 3:12
25.Get You Tonight (Richard Moore) - 2:48
Troggs
*Ronnie Bond - Drums
*Chris Britton - Lead Guitar
*Reg Presley - Lead vocals
*Peter Staples - Bass
First released in 1967, this album really does invoke the spirit of the Swinging Sixties with it's soft-rock folk-psychedelic feel throughout. Featuring 'Love Is All Around', 'My Lady' and 'Little Red Donkey' and 12 bonus tracks (including both sides of solo singles from Trogg's drummer Ronnie Bond and leader Reg Presley!).
Tracks
1.Little Red Donkey - 2:13
2.Too Much Of A Good Thing - 2:47
3.Butterflies And Bees - 1:54
4.All Of The Time - 2:08
5.Seventeen - 2:38
6.Somewhere My Girl Is Waiting - 2:49
7.It's Showing - 2:54
8.Her Emotion - 2:28
9.When Will The Rain Come - 2:40
10.My Lady - 2:57
11.Come The Day - 1:52
12.Love Is All Around - 2:58
13.That's What You Get Girl - 1:59
14.I Don't Know Why - 2:50
15.Easy Loving - 2:58
16.Give Me Something - 3:25
17.Lover - 2:24
18.Come Now - 2:18
19.The Raver - 2:46
20.You - 2:32
21.Ronnie Bond - Carolyn - 2:31
22.Ronnie Bond - Anything For You - 2:35
23.Reg Presley - Lucinda Lee - 3:05
24.Reg Presley - Wichita Lineman - 3:05
The Troggs
*Ronnie Bond - Drums
*Chris Britton - Lead Guitar
*Reg Presley - Lead vocals
*Peter Staples - Bass
The Troggs were one of the great singles artists of the 1960s with a string of classics that started with Wild Thing. They never really achieved the same level of success with their albums. This debut From Nowhere was their most successful long player reaching number 6 in the UK and remaining on the chart for sixteen weeks. It contains some of the early singles and b-sides as well as additional tracks. However, this CD has a different running order to the original UK release and is more similar to the German release. However, the Kitty Cat Song, Ride You Pony and Evil were all found on the UK and not the German releases.
Chip Taylor's Wild Thing was the Troggs' breakthrough. One of the most recognisable riffs in music it prompted a cover by Jimi Hendrix. Surely this is track is unique with its ocarina solo. The band's first single Lost Girl and its b-side The Yella in Me are included. Lost Girl was originally released on the CBS label before Larry Page gained the band a two-single Fontana deal. Listening to this track now it is hard to imagine why it was not a hit as it is certainly one of the most powerful with a driving bass riff and crazy guitar solo.
The driving drums and bass of I Just Sing make it one of the album's best tracks. It stands out from the known singles and shows the Troggs could stand outside the pop market and produce more unusual or innovative tracks. The Jaguar and the Thunderbird is sung by drummer Ronnie Bond. Guitarist Chris Britton delivers the vocals on the standard Ride Your Pony.
Your Love is reminiscent of the Kinks' All Day and All of the Night. Its chopping guitar chords pushing the song forwards.
A cover of the Kingmen's Louie Louie is perfectly suited to the Troggs' style. Ironically, the riff from Louie Louie translated well into Wild Thing!
One of the benefits of reissuing the album on CD is that it provides an opportunity to include additional tracks that were not on the original album such as non-album singles and b-sides like I Want You. With a Girl Like You was the follow-up to Wild Thing and the Troggs' only number one hit in the UK although Wild Thing hit the top spot in the US at the same time.
This was almost an afterthought, having been recorded in a few minutes at the end of the session that produced Wild Thing. The song introduces the classic Troggs backing vocals that later reappeared on the superb I Can't Control Myself. The latter track was also a big hit for the band and was released on Larry Page's Page One label. This song was banned in Australia and was close to being banned by the BBC because of its second line "your slacks are low and your hips are showing." The Troggs had become at producing raunchy songs, Wild Thing possibly an example, but Gonna Make You and the later Give It To Me proved the point. Making-Time
Tracks
1. Wild Thing (Chip Taylor) - 2:34
2. The Yella In Me (Reg Presley) - 2:38
3. I Just Sing (Reg Presley) - 2:09
4. Hi Hi Hazel (Bill Martin,Phil Coulter) - 2:43
5. Lost Girl (Reg Presley) - 2:31
6. The Jaguar And The Thunderbird (Chuck Berry) - 2:01
7. Your Love (Larry Page,Michael Julien) - 1:52
8. Our Love Will Still Be There (Reg Presley) - 3:08
9. Jingle Jangle (Reg Presley) - 2:26
10.When I'm With You (Reg Presley) - 2:23
11.From Home (Reg Presley) - 2:20
12.Louie Louie (Richard Berry) - 3:01
13.The Kitty Cat Song (Jimmy Roach,Joe Spendel) - 2:11
14.Ride Your Pony (Naomi Neville; Nom De Plume Of Allen R. Toussaint) - 2:24
15.Evil (Shelby S. Singleton Jr.) - 3:13
16.With A Girl Like You (Reg Presley) - 2:05
17.I Want You (Larry Page,Colin Frechter) - 2:13
18.I Can't Control Myself (Reg Presley) - 3:03
19.Gonna Make You (Larry Page,Colin Frechter) - 2:46
20.As I Ride By (Ronnie Bond) - 2:02
The Troggs
*Ronnie Bond - Drums
*Chris Britton - Lead Guitar
*Reg Presley - Lead vocals
*Peter Staples - Bass
