No Dice

Badfinger

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 30, 1992)
• Original Release Date: November 9, 1970
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Capitol
• ASIN: B000006MVI
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #33,045 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Roll the dice with Badfinger!, December 27, 2003

By	J. A Lizon "James Lizon" (Bristol, CT United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Less than 6 months after Badfinger's debut "Magic Christian Music" was released, the public is treated to the first real(with the new lineup) Badfinger album--"No Dice." The change is instantly noticeable. Gone is the silly dated Brit-pop that was the Iveys, replaced by the harder edged power pop that is Badfinger. "I Can't Take It" is the nonsensical raver that starts the disc off in fine fashion with Pete Ham shouting it out. The boys would use this song in their live act for years. "I Don't Mind" comes floating into the speakers next. Tom and newcomer Joey Molland do a good job vocally. It's a good song, handled with great feeling by the singers. "Love Me Do" is another song in the rocking mode. Also used in their stage show for the next few years, one can see why--lots of energy, good guitars. "Midnight Caller" is a nice mournful ballad with the drums mixed surprisingly high. The backing vocals shine while Pete Ham delivers a sterling lead vocal. Ham shows why many people referred to him as the best songwriter in the band as he shifts gears next and brings us the classic "No Matter What." All you have to do is hear the opening chord to know that it's Badfinger. Joey Molland plays a very fitting lead guitar. "Without You" is next and it's the one that got away. Badfingers version really sounds like a demo compared to the version that Harry Nilsson made and created into the monster that now stands as the definitive one. "Bloodwyn" is up next and it shows the boys can handle different types of music. Here the boys work the country angle with Pete again doing a tremendous vocal job. His slightly nasal readings give his songs an edge to them. Also, his lead guitar in this song is nothing short of perfection. Joey's "Better Days" is up next. While more of a shuffle than an out and out rocker, its nice to have. I like the way the acoustic guitars keep time, almost buried in the chorus. "It Had to Be" is the song drummer Mike Gibbins wrote although Pete Ham sings it. This is probably the song with the least to commend it. His writing would grow alot stronger in the future. "Watford John" is a song written by all four but sung by Pete. Nice guitar work here although the song as a whole fails to impress. "Believe Me" marks the first solo written number by Tom Evans who wrote much of the material on their debut disc. Highly impassioned vocals, while kept in check for the first couple of verses, erupt, then lead us to dueling guitars leads, then back into the song again. Tremendously impressive. "We're For the Dark" finishes the disc proper with Pete Ham and his mates on their trusty acoustic guitars. Of course, it helps that the
lush orchestra cradles this beautiful tune. Regarding the bonus cuts: "Get Down" sounds like an idea they're working on but its not coming together for them. "Friends Are Hard to Find"(Originally titled Photograph), is one of the first songs to be recorded with new memeber Joey Molland. Its interesting, but the same time its easy to see why it wasn't used. "Mean, Mean Jemima" however is a really, really good song. the interplay between guitarists(which wasn't a factor on the previous album)really stands out on this song and this disc. "Loving You" is a slow song sung by Mike Gibbins. Interesting and nice to have but also, easy to understand why it wasn't originally released. "I'll Be the One" is a puzzle. It sounds like a radio hit. Amazingly catchy and very singable. Yet this is the first time it's appearing anywere. Another point I'd like to make is that newcomer Joey Molland's presence, writing-wise, on the bulk of the disc. Not many bands would allow a new person to be involved so heavily so early. Improved vocals(both harmony and backing, a harder edge(due to Joey Molland) and improved songwriting(mainly Pete Ham) gave Badfinger one the best discs of 1970.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic Badfinger, February 8, 2003

By	Steve Vrana (Aurora, NE) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

While most critics cite STRAIGHT UP as Badfinger's best album, this is the album I return to time and time again. Though technically their second album, it's the first to feature the classic lineup of Pete Ham, Tom Evans, Mike Gibbins and new guitarist Joey Molland. Peaking at No. 28 in the US (none of their albums charted in the UK!), it was their highest charting album.

"I Can't Take It" - The album kicks off with a straight-ahead Pete Ham rocker.

"I Don't Mind" - A lovely Evans-Molland ballad, glorious harmonies.

"Love Me Do" - A great rock 'n' roll song, but it didn't do anything to stop the Beatles comparisons when Molland titles his song with the same title as the Fab Four's first single!

"Midnight Caller" - A lovely Pete Ham ballad.

"No Matter What" - Another Pete Ham song, and the only single released from the album. (Peaked at No. 8.)

"Without You" - Co-written by Ham and Evans. Could have been a huge single, and it was...for Harry Nilsson, who also won a Grammy for it.

"Blodwyn" - This is one of my favorite songs, although I have no idea why a spoon would be "a token of my love." Ham's guitar work gives this song a distinctive country feel.

"Better Days" - Another Evans/Molland collaboration.

"It Had To Be" - Drummer Mike Gibbins is the underappreciated songwriter of the band. This is a lovely tune.

"Watford John" - This little rocker is credited to the entire band.

"Believe Me" - A wonderful Evans-penned ballad.

"We're For the Dark" - A classic Pete Ham song which closed the original album on a somber note with its acoustic guitar. Best line: "But it's not enough to be/ If you gotta look, then you have to see."

Then there are the five bonus tracks. [The final three were produced for a follow-up album to NO DICE that was never released.

"Get Down" - A rocker written by the entire band.

"Friends Are Hard To Find" - Another rocker penned by Molland. [Again he references the Beatles with the opening line: "Well, I had to laugh, I saw the photograph."}

"Mean Mean Jemima" - Molland contributed this mid-tempo rocker.

"Loving You" - Another gem from Gibbins.

"I'll Be the One" - A final band collaboration and easily the best of the bonus tracks.

With this album and its follow-up, 1971's STRAIGHT UP, Badfinger were establishing their own identity as a band and were poised for greatness. Tragically, it never happened. Label changes and bad business decisions and mismanagement saw declining record sales. "Baby Blue" and "Day After Day" from STRAIGHT UP would be their final Top 40 hits. WISH YOU WERE HERE only reached No. 148. By 1975 a despondent Pete Ham took his own life and brought a premature end to one of the most gifted bands of the era. This album serves as a testament to that greatness. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Power Pop Classic, February 10, 2004

By	Morten Vindberg - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

No Dice was Badfinger's first masterpiece ( and my first Badfinger album!). The inspiration from The Beatles can be heard on most of these songs, but this album shows that they're much more than just a Beatles rip off. Some changes had been made since the recording of Magic Christian Music. Geoff Emerick (known from his work with The Beatles) produced most of the album; the rest of it was produced by Mal Evans who also produced some of Magic Christian Music. Ron Griffiths had already left before the release of the previous album so Tom Evans had now taken over the bass. Joey Molland ,who had played with Gary Walker, was chosen for a new guitarist. The material (the songs) on this album is very strong. "Without You" written by Tom and Pete has become an all-time classic - here's the original version - superior to any version I've heard so far. Enjoy Pete's organ line at the end of the song - sounds like something Matthew Fisher of Procol Harum could have done. "No Matter What", "Midnight Caller" and "We're For The Dark" all show what a brilliant songwriter with an unique sense of melody Pete Ham had already become. The album is a perfect blend of ballads, rockers and a bit of country ("Blodwyn"), generally performed with more rocking feeling than their earlier recordings. Though the album is obviously dominated by Pete Ham's songs all other members contribute to it. The bonus-tracks are all very good - 4 of them hail from the never-released follow-up album to "No Dice" recorded early 1971. The strongest of them is the group-composition "I'll Be The One", which at a certain point was considered as a single - I believe it had the hit-single potential.

My favourites: Midnight Caller, Without You, No Matter What, We're For The Dark and I'll Be The One