Straight Up - BADFINGER****

Take It All/Baby Blue/Money/Flying/I'd Die Babe/Name Of The Game/Suitcase/Sweet Tuesday Morning/Day After Day/Sometimes/Perfection/Its Over

Straight Up was the follow up studio album from the melodic Welsh power pop group Badfinger, who were signed to The Beatles Apple label. Includes the US and UK top ten hit Day After Day. (US:31)

“Once again, the band borrows heavily from the Beatles psychedelic stage, the songs here are well done and the album has little or no filler.”

Led by the hit Day After Day and the melancholy Take It All, this is Badfinger's best album. It's tuneful and varied. Crisp and melodic power pop doesn't get much better.”

“A happy and light pop album from the 70s. There really isn’t a lot to praise here, except for the fact that it is a catchy release, good enough for a few fun moments.”

“History has shown that, while some of the tunes could have benefited from the harder sound of No Dice, it's overall a brilliant album that just happens to lean more toward a straight pop direction. The unfortunate thing about the sound is not that it does Badfinger's vision no justice, it's that it pushed them further into the shadow of The Beatles.”

With George Harrison and Todd Rundgren in the production office, this album was destined to garner some respect, and it is well deserved. The power pop tag here has never been more accurate. Each song is well crafted, harmonies nailed down, slide guitar where appropriate, and overall great songwriting.”

“An unfairly overlooked album, where Badfinger realise all their early promise in this assured collection of quality songs, sumptuously produced by the separate forces of George Harrison and Todd Rundgren. Not surprisingly then there are plenty of glowing guitars and tasteful strings but it's the songs that shine through, particularly from Pete Ham. Stately, elegant ballads counterpoint power-pop classics.”

“Probably the band's zenith in terms of creativity, Straight Up is their most consistently good effort. The production continues to improve from previous albums, and we find that their material is no longer consistently pop. But the song writing quality is still top notch, and they manage to pull off a variety of styles with ease.”