JOEY MOLLAND
Return To Memphis
Gonzo 2013
Now I don’t know what a “Breaking Bad” is, but apparently the ill-fated Badfinger got a Journey-esque boost by having a tune placed in the final episode of the aforementioned programme. Whether any of them will know that Joey Molland was a founder member of the band is open to question, but at least this new album, “Return to Memphis”, his first new solo project in twelve years might get a extra wee boost.
Recorded in Memphis and was produced by Stax Records veteran Carl “Blue” Wise who has worked with artists from Eddie Floyd and Rufus Thomas to Bruce Springsteen, Molland says “The sound is very different … there’s no real Badfinger power chords or anything like that. No real jamming guitars … I do play some slide on it. I had four girls come in to sing ‘oohs and aahs’ and harmonies which was nice, and I played with a lot of three piece rhythm sections down in Memphis. So it’s a really simple sounding record and I’m just hoping that people will like it.”
Which is true. There’s not much here for Badfinger folk of yore. However, his take on classic rock meets Memphis soul does have its moments. You can tell he’s been a working musician (as he still tours with Joey Molland’s Badfinger), so there isn’t a feel of someone trying to remember how to do it, and on songs like ‘Walk Out In The Rain’, ‘Ship To Mars’ and the one standout track ‘Got A Feeling’, you can hear he still has something to offer.
His backup band are good enough, and even if his voice sometimes reflects his age, this is still worth a listen.
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