As promised, our album of the week is Badfinger’s last album, Wish You Were Here. I am featuring it, not because it is their best album but because it is their last album with Pete.
As you listen, I want to you think about the fact that this is the third album that they cranked out in less than a year. The boys were being driven to constantly work by their management and record company commitments. All during this time, they were living in near poverty while everyone else was getting rich based on their blood, sweat, and tears. By this time, it was finally becoming clear to the boys that they were being screwed and the band was starting to come apart at the seams.
With that in mind it is amazing that the album, although not their best is actually very good and certainly worth a listen. My favorite songs are Just A Chance, Got To Get Out Of Here, and Meanwhile, Back At The Ranch/Should I Smoke. Let me know what you think.
Just A Chance
You’re So Fine
Got To Get Out Of Here
No One Knows
Dennis
In The Meantime/Some Other Time
Love Time
King of the Load
Meanwhile, Back At The Ranch/Should I Smoke
So….the moral to this story, and so many others, is that greed destroys the deserving while rewarding the financial vampires of the world. In this case, it drove two of the most talented musicians of their generations to commit suicide and destroyed one of my favorite bands of all time. I don’t know if it will ever happen, but I hope that one day Badfinger will make it into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I can’t think of a better tribute to Pete and Tom.
So…while we are talking about greed, let me point out that it is alive and well here in the United States. Just take a look at the tax proposals being made by Mitt Romney and the Republicans in Congress which can be summarized is cut the taxes of the rich and pay for those cuts by milking those that work for a living. Checkout the video below for the details and vote.