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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good Songs on an Uneven Album, February 7, 2004
Airwaves from 1979 was the first Badfinger album to be released without Pete Ham, who tragically committed suicide in 1975. Of course he is sadly missed on this album, which only feaures two earlier members ; Tom Evans and Joey Molland. After Pete's death the group disbanded and both Tom and Joey were in other bands.
In 1978 they felt like reuniting and drummer Mike Gibbins were also to a rehearsal before this recording. Unfortunately Mike quickly left again and he is therefore not on this album. The line-up is: Tom Evans: bas vocals; Joey Molland: guitar, vocals; Joe Tansin: lead guitar; Ken Harck: drums; Andy Newmark: drums and Nicky Hopkins: keyboards. Ken Harck left during the recording and he was replaced by Andy Newmark to finish the album. Joe Tansin left soon after the final recordings. Nicky Hopkins only work a session musician; he was not a member of the band.The popular pop/rock music had changed during the 5 years since the last Badfinger album, so obviously the album had to be different from their earlier albums. Producer David Malloy has often been critizised for poor production on this Badfinger album. "He had not been able to find the real Badfinger-sound". I think that's an unfair and wrong concluson. Actually a lot of the album is really good. Tom Evans' songs Lost Inside Your Love and Sail Away are true highlights. Joey's Love is Gonna Come at Last is a very commercial number and it was released a single; it did not do very well, though. The Dreamer, also by Joey, is a nice ballad, a track you may not discover the first two or three times you listen to the album; but it gets better every time. Joe Tansin wrote two songs for the album; Sympathy and The Winner. Sympathy is too commercial for my taste, almost disco-like; The Winner is a rocker similar to many of Joey's songs. Tansin shows on several tracks that he's a fabulous guitarist and some of the weaker tracks are helped a lot from his guitarplaying. The original playing time was rather short, so luckily this CD version feature 5 bonus tracks of which "Send Me Some Love", "Can You Feel The Rain" and "One More Time" are very good.
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Sometimes the signal gets a little lost or garbled, November 4, 2000
Without Pete Ham Badfinger floundered. The founding member's suicide in 1975 saddened fans of the band and put a creative strain on the remaining members. It also sapped their creative energy. Reportedly both Evans and Molland had their doubts about continuing the Badfinger name. The expectations would be high for their work even without Ham. Still, it did guarentee an audience in the form of the band's fans. Remaining members Joey Molland and Tom Evans () are joined by guitarist/ vocalist Joe Tasnin. Mike Gibbins had been invited back, but fired shortly before recording of Airwaves began. He is sorely missed although session player Andy Newmark and temporary member Ken Harck do an admirable job on most of the songs. Inspite of all this Airwaves succeeds more often than it fails.While the songs are catchy and well written, the arrangements are a little MOR and reflect the lost vitality and uncertainity of the band. Producer David Malloy is frequently criticized for his "over the top" production style, but, in all fairness, it does recall the detailed production work by Todd Rundgren and George Harrison from Straight Up. He seems to be compensating for some of the weaker material. Sail Away, Look Out California amd Love is Gonna Come At Last all would have fit right in with the quality material on Straight Up or No Dice. The late session ace Nicky Hopkins helps to flesh out the band's sound. Despite the evident flaws on this album, it's nice to have Airwaves back after a twenty year absence. The follow up Say No More would boast sharper songwriting from Evans and Molland. Say No More had considerable spark despite pedestrian production due to the inclusion of Yes keyboardist Tony Kaye as a full time member of the band. That album also benefited from Richard Bryans who replaced Mike Gibbins briefly when Gibbins quit in the 70's.Both albums should be added to any fan's collection although they might not be the place to start for new fans.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Badfinger In Pristine Digital...(with a touch of 70s kitch), June 27, 2000
So, 1979...not the greatest year for 'rock and roll'...but with the release of Airwaves, the boys proved that rock was not dead, but alive in those groovy enough to remember how to do it, and do it well. From the opening track (an acoustic snippet, leading into Look Out California) we hear vintage Tommy Evans, belting out a fabulous rocker. And it doesn't slow down there...Lost Inside Your Love has a sweet, almost 'yesterday' like string arrangement, and the vocals (and harmonies) are pure Apple-days. The best, in my opinion, are two Joey Molland tunes, Love Is Gonna Come at Last (which could be a hit today) and The Winner (actually a Tansin number, but sung by Molland)...All in all, a fab collection (with Evans' Sympathy, though a bare production, sounding very clean and punchy). And on a remastering note: it rocks. Unfortunately, the 'Apple' Badfinger catalog was marred by early 90s Abbey Road engineer Ron Furmanek's over-use of No-Noising and as a result, high end (and even low presence) suffered. Not on this release...The cymbals and voices are clean and bright (without being harsh) and the Kick drum and Tommy's bass actually are VERY audible. I'd have to say that the Tansin bonus tracks simply DON'T belong. Decent songs, but clearly recorded in the mid-80s with an Alesis Drum Machine...save for his Evans tribute "Can You Feel The Rain..." Check this one out...It won't disappoint you.
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