 "needing a remaster" | 2008-03-11 |
| - Reviewed By pfanne0707 |
| I'm assuming this is a straight reissue of the import that was released on Apple in the '90s. If so, I have that import, and it was really poorly remastered. I have the original LP released in 1973. That LP was poorly remastered, but sounds eons better than the Apple CD. I wish that someone would get hold of the original multitracks (if they still exist) and give this album the sound it deserves. It still does not have the quality of songs or performance that Straight Up (or No Dice, for that matter) has, but if the sound was improved it would be a solid 4 star album. Until then, you must have it if you are a Badfinger fan (it has a handful of really great songs), but be forewarned the sound just isn't up to snuff. |
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| "Essential for Badfinger fans - but non-fans should start elsewhere" | 2007-10-23 |
| - Reviewed By johnkosowicz |
| This album is not the dog that many would have you believe. Blind Owl, The Winner, and Constitution are great rockers. Apple of My Eye and I Can Love You are very decent ballads. Cowboy is a goof, but quite listenable. Timeless is a nice song with both quiet and louder elements. Badfinger fans will undoubtedly find much to enjoy here, but those who are unfamiliar with the band would be better to start off with No Dice and Straight Up. |
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 "It's a winner! Badfingers best" | 2007-02-27 |
| - Reviewed By lexhibit |
Highlights of this great groups 4th album for Apple are...
Apple of My Eye - The late Pete Hams bitter farewell song to Apple
Winner - Joey Mollands open letter to John Lennon who often critisized the band, Joeys best song
Blind Owl, Constitution double shot from the underrated bass player singer writer late great Tom Evans
Cowboy - even the drummer Mike Gibbons writes songs, amazing group
Timeless - Pete Hams best song, unfortunately not many have ever heard it, should have been a hit.
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| "Badfinger's Final Apple Album Is Hit And Miss Affair" | 2004-08-06 |
| - Reviewed By svrana |
Long unavailable, ASS was Badfinger's fourth and final album for the Apple label. Their self-titled debut for Warner Bros. would be released a mere three months after ASS. That, coupled with the fact that Apple did little to promote the album, resulted in an album that failed to chart. Despite the album's poor chart showing, it is not without it's highlights.
The album is bookended by two first-rate efforts from Pete Ham. The opening track is a kiss off to their former label. [Badfinger left Apple on acrimonious terms.] The closing track is the majestic "Timeless." [At nearly eight minutes it is the longest song in the Badfinger canon.]
Co-founder Tom Evans also turns in two equally fine songs. First, the uptempo "Blind Owl" and the lovely "When I Say." Mike Gibbins lone contribution is the country-flavored "Cowboy."
The remaining five tracks (along with the bonus track "Do You Mind") were penned by Joey Molland. The rockers like "Get Away," "Winner" and "Constitution" are serviceable, but the highlights are the love songs "Icicles" and "I Can Love You."
While not up to the high standards of their previous LP STRAIGHT UP, this is still a necessary purchase for Badfinger fans. RECOMMENDED |
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| "The unjustly forgotten Apple album" | 2004-07-07 |
| - Reviewed By wallyum |
| While Badfinger's Straight Up and No Dice albums are widely and deservedly considered classics, their Apple swan song, "Ass" gets so little attention that it's never even been released domestically. Few people outside the core of die-hard fans even know it exists. Too bad, because they're missing some stellar moments. While power-pop was the buzzword that surrounded much of the rest of the band's catalog, "Ass" doesn't come off quite as sweet and is all the better for it. "Ass" was Badfinger stretching out and showing that they were more than recycled Beatle hooks and harmonies. While "Apple Of My Eye", Ham's achingly appropriate tip of the hat to the band's soon to be ex-label, captures the band's sound of old, several of the other songs seem to come from a harder edged, refreshingly different vein. "Timeless" is quite possibly Pete Ham's finest recorded moment with it's slow-building intensity, harrowing guitar and fade to infinity ending, and if nothing else shows just how huge a talent the world lost a short time later. Pete was not only a gifted songwriter, but as this song also shows, a brilliant guitarist. These two songs along with "Constitution", "Icicles", "Blind Owl" and "I Can Love You" are the albums undoubted highlights, but only Mike Gibbins' "Cowboy" seems out of place on the album. Despite it's thrown together, admittedly rushed feel, Ass is a great Badfinger album that has never recieved a fair shake. It's nice to see this import only re-release for those who missed it the first time around, but I have my doubts as to whether this will wake people up to what they've been missing. Again, too bad. |
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| "Ass is good" | 2004-05-25 |
| - Reviewed By User: A3GLXW8FZSJFH3 |
| A darn good album and a brilliant song is "Apple Of My Eye". Pete Ham's beautiful voice and a fantastic sentiment about leaving behind the Beatles label. has there ever been anyone like him since? Hopefully this reissue is remastered. All the material is great. Ham's guitar at the end of "Constitution" is excellent. Molland's "I Can Love You" is another favorite of mine. Too bad he turned out to be such a dip, putting out that atrociously produced not-really live LP, a let's-make-a-quick-buck collection of some demos of his that was shoddy, and his horribly embarrassing covers CD's of many Badfinger classics that take away from people buying the legitimate stuff. Joey --- Come back to reality!! It's not about the money--- Granted this album isn't perfect, like "Straight Up," but it's my second favorite Badfinger LP. Thanks to Mike B. for turning me on to it. |
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| "Badfinger`s Goodbye to Apple" | 2004-05-24 |
| - Reviewed By mvindberg2 |
| The story behind the release of Ass is in several ways similar to that behind "Straight Up". The first recordings for this album, that turned out to be their last for Apple Records, began in January 1972; and the final recording took place in April 1973. The album was not released until late 73 in the USA and in March 74 in Europe. Their change of record company from Apple to Warner Brothers was one among other reason for the delay. Actually a first version of the album had been completed by the end of 72, but it was rejected by Apple. The original version of Ass had been produced by the band themselves, and they were going for a more basic rock album. In early 73 Apple called in Chris Thomas to produce new recordings and to look through, what had already been finished. A similar situation had occurred when Todd Rundgren had been recruited for finishing "Straight Up". The two earliest recordings on this album were in fact ("The Winner" and "I Can Love You") produced by Rundgren. Pete's "Apple Of My Eye" and "Timeless" were re-recorded and two new Molland songs ( "Icicles" and "Constitution") with Chris Thomas were added. The rest of the album are leftovers from the scrapped version. The album turned out to be a commercial failure; not because of the music but because of other things like little promotion, bad timing, the change of record company, lack of recent hit-single etc. The album was different from their earlier albums - they had wanted to do basic rock album representing the music they performed live, and that is mainly what "Ass" became. People who'd expected and hoped for another album similar to "No Dice" and "Straight Up" were obviously disappointed. Pete Ham only contributed 2 songs, of which only "Apple Of My Eye" was a typical Ham composition. Tom Evans wrote two very strong tracks, "When I Say" and "Blind Owl" - the first a lovely ballad and the second a wonderful rocker, which became a live favourite. Mike Gibbins wrote "Cowboy", a country styled song, which sound somewhat unfinished and which does not fit very well into the concept of the album. The rest of the album was written by Joey Molland. 3 straight ahead blues/rockers and two ballads. The album is the first where Pete Ham really gets a chance to demonstrate what a great lead guitarist he was, f. ex. on tracks like "Blind Owl", "Constitution" and "Timeless". The only bonustrack "Do You Mind" is an outtake from the first version of the album - it's written by Molland and it's one of his best early Badfinger songs. My favourites: "Apple Of My Eye", "Blind Owl", "When I Say", "Timeless" and "Do You Mind" |
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![Badfinger - Ass [Bonus Track]](http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000006SN9.01._AA220_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg)
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![Badfinger - Badfinger [Warner Brothers]](product_images/1369000/1369673_thumb.jpg)
