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**Badfinger - No Dice**
★★★★☆

In the grand tapestry of rock and roll tragedies, few bands have been dealt a crueler hand than Badfinger. Yet before the lawsuits, the suicides, and the bitter contractual disputes that would ultimately destroy them, there was a brief, shining moment when these four Welsh lads seemed destined for Beatles-level stardom. That moment crystallized perfectly on their 1970 masterpiece, "No Dice" – an album that stands as both a creative peak and a haunting reminder of what might have been.

The seeds of "No Dice" were planted in the fertile soil of Apple Records, where Badfinger had landed after being personally selected by Paul McCartney. Originally called The Iveys, the band had been kicking around the Welsh club circuit for years before their demo tape found its way to the Fab Four's fledgling label. McCartney was so impressed that he not only signed them but gave them "Come and Get It," a song he'd written and demoed himself, as their debut single. The track shot to number seven in the UK, and suddenly everyone was paying attention to these four young men from Swansea.

But success came with strings attached – namely, the expectation that they'd be the "next Beatles." It was a burden that would prove both blessing and curse, as "No Dice" demonstrates with startling clarity. Produced by Mal Evans, the Beatles' loyal roadie-turned-producer, the album captures Badfinger at their most confident and creative, crafting power-pop perfection while struggling to establish an identity beyond their famous patrons' shadow.

The album's crown jewel is undoubtedly "No Matter What," a slice of melodic heaven that showcases Pete Ham's extraordinary songwriting gifts. With its chiming guitars, soaring harmonies, and irresistible hook, it's the kind of song that makes you believe in the transformative power of three-minute pop music. Ham's voice carries a vulnerability that cuts straight to the heart, while the band's instrumental interplay demonstrates a musical telepathy that most groups spend years trying to achieve. The track deservedly became their biggest hit, reaching the top five on both sides of the Atlantic.

Equally impressive is "Without You," co-written by Ham and Tom Evans. While their original version is a gentle, melancholic ballad, it would later become a massive hit for Harry Nilsson and subsequently Mariah Carey, generating millions in royalties that the band would never see thanks to their predatory management deals. Hearing Badfinger's tender original now feels like discovering a lost treasure, intimate and heartbreaking in ways the more bombastic cover versions never quite captured.

The album's musical palette draws heavily from the Beatles' playbook – hardly surprising given their Apple connection and the era's zeitgeist. Yet Badfinger possessed their own distinctive voice, one that leaned harder into guitar-driven arrangements and showcased a grittier, more working-class sensibility than their mentors. Tracks like "I Can't Take It" and "We're for the Dark" reveal a band comfortable with both delicate acoustic balladry and full-throttle rock, often within the same song. The production, while occasionally dated, captures the raw energy of a group hitting their stride.

Joey Molland's guitar work throughout deserves particular praise, providing both delicate fingerpicking and searing lead lines that perfectly complement Ham's rhythm playing. The rhythm section of Tom Evans on bass and Mike Gibbins on drums creates a rock-solid foundation that allows the melodies to soar without ever feeling untethered.

"No Dice" stands today as a masterclass in power-pop songcraft, influencing everyone from Big Star to Teenage Fanclub to modern indie darlings like The Shins. Its legacy is complicated by the tragic circumstances that followed – Ham and Evans would both take their own lives in the following decades, victims of the music industry's most ruthless machinations. Yet the music itself remains untainted by these later sorrows, a testament to the pure joy of creation and the timeless appeal of a perfectly crafted pop song.

In an alternate universe, "No Dice" launched Badfinger into the stratosphere alongside Led Zeppelin and The Who. In our timeline, it serves as a bittersweet reminder that talent alone isn't always enough. But what a glorious reminder it is.