I.A. 1999 / Gonzo 2014
Demos Old And New
Also known as “Basil”: odds and sods from BADFINGER man’s lean years.
Given the rareness of Joey Molland’s releases and the man’s talent, it’s no wonder that, over the years, he accumulated a rich cache of songs. This disc collects sweet sixteen of these, but only three made it onto a record, while the rest fell through the official discography cracks, and only two – acoustic “Miss Misunderstood,” in two rough versions here, and “What You’re Doin'” – come from the early ’70s. The later pieces aren’t less interesting, albeit they’re of varying quality.
Ranging from the guitar-and-voice majesty of “Moonlight” to the fully arranged “Mirror” from 1995 whose ivories-driven stereo panorama, a sonic realization of its title, betters the arrangement on "This Way Up", and ordered for the most part alphabetically as if in a catalogue, they hardly land on any particular concept. Yet there’s a few gems such as the raw boogie of 1992’s “Birdsong” or 1984’s harmonica-helped rumble of “Borderline” with the glossy “Cadillac Blues,” laid down in between the two, lagging slightly behind. “Walkin’ The Floor” is facing forward, though, and could have been deemed a grunge piece if it weren’t cut on a simple electric riff back in 1983, that reminds the listener what a nice guitarist Joey Molland is.
But this listener should be a fan to cherish it all, so the demos’ appeal – as always with demos – is limited.
**3/4
