Badfinger Magic Christian Music CD

Tracks 11, 13, 15 and 16 do not appear on the original release of MAGIC CHRISTIAN MUSIC. "Give It A Try" and "Angeligue" originally appeared on the British version of the LP. "Storm In A Teacup" was originally issued as part of promotional sampler for Wall's Ice Cream.
Badfinger: Pete Ham (vocals, guitar); Tom Evans (vocals, bass instrument); Joey Molland (guitar); Mike Gibbons (drums).
If Badfinger's debut album Magic Christian Music sounds patchy, there's a reason why: It was assembled from three different sources. Although the title suggests that the record is a soundtrack to The Magic Christian it isn't. It's a hodgepodge, containing the group's three contributions to the film, six highlights from the band's pre-Badfinger album Maybe Tomorrow (released when they were known as the Iveys), an alternate take from Maybe Tomorrow, and four new songs. It's little wonder that it doesn't hold together, winding up as a document of Badfinger's unharnessed potential. Since their breakthrough hit "Come and Get It" was written by Paul McCartney, Badfinger was dogged by comparisons to the Beatles but they were hardly copyists. Elements of the Hollies, the Kinks, and very mild psychedelia are discernable throughout Magic Christian Music, all part of the band's search for their own voice. Apart from the lovely pop tune "Dear Angie" and Tom Evans' stately, yearning "Maybe Tomorrow," the Iveys numbers aren't particularly distinguished pop but they are, by and large, pleasant period pieces. On the newer material, Badfinger sounds stronger and their craftsmanship surfaces. Pete Ham emerges as a fine songsmith, with the convincing rocker "Midnight Sun" and the gentle "Walk Out in the Rain." Still, the true standouts among the newer songs are "Crimson Ship" and "Carry on Till Tomorrow," both co-written by Ham and Evans. They're two sides of the same coin - dreamy post-psych pop tunes driven by strong hooks and harmonies. They might not always deliver on that promise on Magic Christian Music, but with its appealing melodies, lite psychedelic flourishes and, yes, Beatlesque harmonies, it's an enjoyable artifact of its time. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Originally released in 1970, MAGIC CHRISTIAN MUSIC was Badfinger's debut album for The Beatles' Apple Records label. (It is issued now as a Badfinger album, though the disc is actually a compilation of songs recorded between 1968 and 1969 when the band was still known as The Iveys.) It features little of the gutsy power pop that Badfinger would perfect on their later albums, but MAGIC CHRISTIAN MUSIC is nevertheless an exquisite late-60s pop album that captures the group exploring many styles.
The album's best-known track is "Come And Get It," an insidiously catchy pop hit that was written and produced by Paul McCartney. Other highlights include the haunting, Simon and Garfunkel-inspired "Carry On Till Tomorrow" and "Maybe Tomorrow," a soaring big-beat ballad that was a minor hit for The Iveys in 1968. The rest of the album covers everything from the Little Richard-inspired rave-up "Rock Of All Ages" to melodic psych-pop gems like "Beautiful And Blue." With the inclusion of three rare tracks that were not on the original American album, the re-issued version is a treasure: proving MAGIC a wonderful, underrated album with a good deal to offer.

Live Recording

Uncut (p.120) - 3 stars out of 5 - "It honed their sound and helped define a whole sub-genre, namely power-pop - ascending melodies, contagious hooks and signature Beatle-esque harmonies."