CoronaVinyl Day 90 (Welsh): Straight Up by Badfinger

For an explanation of CoronaVinyl, click here.

Today's CoronaVinyl category is Welsh, and I have to go with Badfinger, which was formed in Swansea.

One of the biggest acts on the Apple label not named The Beatles, Badfinger was one of the pioneers of power pop, but I feel like sometimes they get overlooked.  1971's Straight Up was the band's fourth studio album, and it was co-produced by Todd Rundgren and George Harrison.  In addition to those two legendary names on production, there were some solid cameos on a few of the songs, like Harrison and Leon Russell on "Day After Day," Russell and Klaus Voorman on "Suitcase," and an uncredited Gary Wright on "Name of the Game."  Three of the band's four members handled lead vocal duties on the album, with lead guitarist/pianist Pete Ham and rhythm guitarist Joey Molland each singing lead on five songs, and bassist Tom Evans singing lead on the remaining two songs, leaving no room for drummer Mike Gibbins to show off his vocal abilities.

The album went to #31 on the Billboard album chart, which would prove to be the band's last album to crack the Top 100.  It features two of the band's most recognizable songs, "Baby Blue" and "Day After Day."  Both songs were big hits, with the former going to #14 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the latter going to #4.

Sadly, in the following years, the band would go through some infighting, legal battles with their post-Apple label (Warner Brothers), and shady management that essentially left the band broke.  In 1975, Ham committed suicide, joining the infamous 27 Club.  The band broke up after that, and re-formed in the late '70s to make two albums before Evans committed suicide in 1983.  Good times.

The Spotify version of the album is a deluxe version with six bonus tracks.

Favorite song from Side 1:  "Baby Blue"
What a great, catchy rock song.  The guitar riff draws you in, and then Ham's vocals and Gibbins's "Be My Baby"-esque drumbeat keep you there.  It's just an easy song to like.

Favorite song from Side 2:  "Sometimes"
"Sometimes" is an up-tempo, kind of honky-tonk rocker that sounds like it could have easily been on one of The Beatles' last couple albums or certainly either one of Harrison's or Paul McCartney's early solo albums.