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Re: B.A.D. Observations Thread

Posted: 21 Aug 2019, 1:07pm
by Marky Dread
Heston wrote:
18 Aug 2019, 6:15am
Marky Dread wrote:
18 Aug 2019, 5:50am
Kory wrote:
02 Aug 2019, 3:59pm
Flex wrote:
02 Aug 2019, 2:34pm
Listening to a couple lesser-played albums this morning: Higher Power and F-Punk. Probably could have put together a decent-ish EP out of Higher Power with a lot of judicious editing, but I remember now why I haven't listened to it since, probably, high school.

F-Punk has always been a bit underrated I think. Some decent Mick vocals and just getting back to some music with guitars is refreshing compared to a lot of the noodling Mick had been up to. This probably could have been a gem of a record with better production and, as is always the case with BAD, judicious editing.
I mentioned a couple months ago after listening to Higher Power for the first time in ages that it's not so bad—and then got shouted down by (I think) Marky (maybe Heston).
I like Higher Power so it wasn't me sunshine!
Yeah, was probably me. A weak album.
Heston chooses Higher Power for his album of the weak.

Re: B.A.D. Observations Thread

Posted: 21 Aug 2019, 6:34pm
by TeddyB Not Logged In
Some of you might recall my story about Sony, when they were trying to resign BAD, suggesting they build an EP around Looking For A Song, and then cull the remaining cream of F-Punk and Higher Power into one album. It may have happened if Sony hadn't blown the negotiation, opening the door for Gary K to swipe them for his MCA label.

Re: B.A.D. Observations Thread

Posted: 21 Aug 2019, 7:11pm
by Kory
TeddyB Not Logged In wrote:
21 Aug 2019, 6:34pm
Some of you might recall my story about Sony, when they were trying to resign BAD, suggesting they build an EP around Looking For A Song, and then cull the remaining cream of F-Punk and Higher Power into one album. It may have happened if Sony hadn't blown the negotiation, opening the door for Gary K to swipe them for his MCA label.
Wow, that would have been interesting. How did Sony screw it up?

Re: B.A.D. Observations Thread

Posted: 21 Aug 2019, 7:14pm
by Heston
TeddyB Not Logged In wrote:
21 Aug 2019, 6:34pm
Some of you might recall my story about Sony, when they were trying to resign BAD, suggesting they build an EP around Looking For A Song, and then cull the remaining cream of F-Punk and Higher Power into one album. It may have happened if Sony hadn't blown the negotiation, opening the door for Gary K to swipe them for his MCA label.
This would have been a good idea. The best of those two albums with a decent production could have a winner. As it stands I think those two albums are bitty and poorly recorded.

Re: B.A.D. Observations Thread

Posted: 21 Aug 2019, 10:27pm
by TeddyB Not Logged In
Kory wrote:
21 Aug 2019, 7:11pm
TeddyB Not Logged In wrote:
21 Aug 2019, 6:34pm
Some of you might recall my story about Sony, when they were trying to resign BAD, suggesting they build an EP around Looking For A Song, and then cull the remaining cream of F-Punk and Higher Power into one album. It may have happened if Sony hadn't blown the negotiation, opening the door for Gary K to swipe them for his MCA label.
Wow, that would have been interesting. How did Sony screw it up?
A Sony exec lowballed the offer when the boss, excited by the "Punk" demos, had authorized twice as much. The group took insult. This was when The Globe was still their latest release. They expected to sign with Sire, but Seymour Stein sold the company. Not sure if the production would have wound up any different though. As it was, Sony had Michael Brauer remix half of Higher Power, but the group rejected his mixes.

Re: B.A.D. Observations Thread

Posted: 21 Aug 2019, 11:01pm
by MarkyJacobs
I had always assumed it was simply a case of Sony 'dropping' the band.

Wasn't there talk of getting Paul Oakenfold involved at one point?

Re: B.A.D. Observations Thread

Posted: 22 Aug 2019, 3:12am
by TeddyB Not Logged In
Sony did not drop the band. After things went south, a very highly placed exec flew to London to make the case that they considered Mick a Columbia legacy artist, but Mick had made up his mind to leave and wouldn’t meet with them. As for Oakenfold, he continues to be close to Gary Stonadge and I think they may be working on something together. Did he do that single with Kris Needs and Bobby Gillespie that Mick played on? He was around the group but i never heard anything from Mick about him being discussed as producer. Everything the post-Don band did was produced in house (for better or worse),until Entering was remixed by an outsider, and that didn’t get a release. Oops, there was the Arthur Baker track for The Flintstones.

Re: B.A.D. Observations Thread

Posted: 22 Aug 2019, 4:09am
by Marky Dread
I like both albums as they are. They have both grown on me over the years. I don't agree they are weak but just different to what came before. Different mixes and less samples may have made the initial impact stronger and more immediate but I like the albums way more now than on first hearing.

Re: B.A.D. Observations Thread

Posted: 24 Aug 2019, 4:33pm
by BitterTom
Is there a more joyous sound than the final chord to Applecart? Finishes like a great ham shank.

Re: B.A.D. Observations Thread

Posted: 25 Aug 2019, 12:22pm
by NoMoreHugh
Marky Dread wrote:
22 Aug 2019, 4:09am
I like both albums as they are. They have both grown on me over the years. I don't agree they are weak but just different to what came before. Different mixes may have made the initial impact stronger and more immediate
100% - i couldnt agree more. I just love all the Bad Albums and i totally get it with BAD II.

Sorry Marky i kind of edited your post a little bit to match my opinion more but its always so good to hear a common appreciaten for BAD II

Re: B.A.D. Observations Thread

Posted: 25 Aug 2019, 5:11pm
by TeddyB Not Logged In
Higher Power is Hal Wilner’s favorite BAD album.

Re: B.A.D. Observations Thread

Posted: 26 Aug 2019, 1:11am
by Chairman Ralph
Higher Power is Hal Wilner’s favorite BAD album.
It's one of my personal faves, too. Looking at what I said about it on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Higher-Power-Big ... merReviews

...I don't think anything has changed my mind. I liked it a lot then, and still do now. Lucan, in particular is my favorite track, because of the mood and the vibe -- I was going through a real rough patch in my life then, and that's it how sounded to me at the time. Extra points, too, for the subject matter.

Conversely, I drew a great deal of inspiration from Looking For A Song and Modern Stoneage Blues, which I consider the top two killers, in terms of the BAD canon. Those two tracks made me feel like things were going to get better, even if I didn't know where or when or how. That's part and parcel of what Mick has always done well, I think.

I think Higher Power fell between two chairs for two reasons -- the band didn't play out much that year, for one, and it was out of step with the trends, notably the Britpop wave, that was about to become the flavor of the day. But I still like a lot.

F-Punk is a notch down, to me -- I like the emphasis on immediacy, and putting the guitars back upfront. I just think the production sounds a bit undercooked, at times, and a couple of stronger songs would have helped, but overall, it's not the total disaster that one Amazon reviewer tabbed it ("I Turned Out A Dud"). Like its predecessor, it works well enough on its own merits, if you're in the right mood.

Re: B.A.D. Observations Thread

Posted: 26 Aug 2019, 4:57am
by Marky Dread
TeddyB Not Logged In wrote:
25 Aug 2019, 5:11pm
Higher Power is Hal Wilner’s favorite BAD album.
Eclecticism rules.

Re: B.A.D. Observations Thread

Posted: 27 Sep 2019, 10:27am
by oliver
I like to listen to podcasts when driving or doing chores so I'm often seeking out new ones. I found one called "2600 Off The Wall" which sounded interesting so downloaded it.

After an intro, their theme music kicked in and it's "Much Worse" - and not just 20 seconds of it but close to 2 minutes. Of course, that inspired me to find some BAD stuff instead of listening to the podcast so I never got round to finding out if it's worth sticking with but it's such a thrill to hear BAD in unexpected places. Not only that, but kind of obscure BAD too - someone must be a big fan.

Re: B.A.D. Observations Thread

Posted: 27 Sep 2019, 2:03pm
by Marky Dread
oliver wrote:
27 Sep 2019, 10:27am
I like to listen to podcasts when driving or doing chores so I'm often seeking out new ones. I found one called "2600 Off The Wall" which sounded interesting so downloaded it.

After an intro, their theme music kicked in and it's "Much Worse" - and not just 20 seconds of it but close to 2 minutes. Of course, that inspired me to find some BAD stuff instead of listening to the podcast so I never got round to finding out if it's worth sticking with but it's such a thrill to hear BAD in unexpected places. Not only that, but kind of obscure BAD too - someone must be a big fan.
Much Worse is a great fun track.