Rating: 
Summary: How to make great music and make no money
Review: The quintessential tragic story of a group of young talented musicians who get riped off at every twist and turn during their career. Great photographs. Only objection is the decidedly pro Pete Ham/Tom Evans slant and the impression left that Joey Molland and his wife were somehow guilty of all the wrong doing that went on. Mike Gibbins is given minimal attention. A wonderful CD accompanies the book that provides insight to the creative process of the boys.
Rating: 
Summary: Immense talent gone horribly wrong.
Review: The story of a rock band with the means and talent to gain superstardom. What happens when shady management and internal squabbling destroy perhaps one of the most talented groups of all time? This book covers it all in captivating detail, from the innocent beginnings to the sad and tragic end. This book is a must read for anybody thinking of a career in the music businsess or anyone interested in the inner workings of a Rock and Roll band. These talented musicians show what can happen by placing their faith in others rather than learning the business end of the music business. Badfinger released four hugely successful singles (Come and Get It, No Matter What, Day After Day and Baby Blue). Songwriters Pete Ham and Tom Evans' Without You was a number one hit for Harry Nilsson and a huge hit for Mariah Carey. Despite this, bad management decisions and non-existent promotion from their record companies brought the group little income and eventually led to the suicides of Ham and Evans. The group's music lives as a testament to Badfinger's talent, and this book brings forth the dark pitfalls of the recording industry. Very possibly the best biography ever written on a musical act and an informative look at the hazards of the industry. Ken Phillips
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining and Well Reserched
Review: This biography is so far the only one on Badfinger, but writer Dan Matovina has written the story so well and well-reseached that it will be hard for other writers to live up to it. Based on interviews with most of the people in and around Badfinger, Matovina tells the exciting but tragic story of a band that created so much great music. It's a story about friendship - love - musical ambition - bad promotion - corrupt managers - economic ruin - suicide and much more. To be highly recommended!
Rating: 
Summary: Outstanding job on examining tragic story behind Badfinger
Review: This exhaustively researched book gives a full picture of the band during their peak. The word tragic shows up in descriptions of Badfinger quite a bit, but it doesn't detract from the wonderful musical legacy of the band. Nevertheless, the inside look at the manipulators and sharks in the music business is a very good cautionary tale for modern musicians. Matovina does a terrific job of drawing a full picture of Pete Ham the most talented singer/songwriter in the band. Ham is a complex figure who, when under emotional distress, habitually puts out cigarettes on his hands. Ham commuicates his emotions through his songs, and is a good friends to everybody but, unfortunately, no one is able to get close to Ham and help him with the enormous burden of trying to keep Badfinger together. A highly recommended book.
Rating:
Summary: Classic 70's band Shines on inspite of their misfortunes
Review: This exhaustively researched book gives a full picture of the band during their peak. The word tragic shows up in descriptions of Badfinger quite a bit,but it doesn't begin to do justice to this terrific band's sad story. This second edition of the book cleans up a handful of minor errors and misstakes that appeared in the text of the original version. It also includes an additional chapter on the recent court case that involved the original members (and the estates of two decease members). There are also a number of photographs that didn't appear in the original edition and a complete discography that includes the latest reissues of the band's material. Nevertheless, the inside look at the manipulators and sharks in the music business is a very good cautionary tale for modern musicians. Ultimately, this is a tale all too common in the music business. Although all four members of Badfinger were talented songwriters and singers, Matovina focuses accurately portrays Pete Ham as the driving force behind the band. The unique chemistry of the four members was still an important factor in this fine band and Matovina doesn't sell the other members short. If there is a villian in this story it was the short sightedness of the band and the person they chose to manage them in the United States. If the band had a flaw it was its inability to look past the bs of the business and their trusting nature. Matovina does a terrific job of drawing a full picture of all the members of the band. He manages to provide the best insight into Pete Ham (the most talented singer/songwriter in the band). Ham is a complex figure who, when under emotional distress, habitually puts out cigarettes on his hands. Ham commuicates his emotions through his songs, and is a good friend to everybody but, unfortunately, no one is able to get close to Ham and help him with the enormous burden of trying to keep Badfinger together. Matovina also manages to capture the other members of the band with the same detail. The chapters on the band's post-Ham years are both as tragic and compelling as those written about the first incarnation of Badfinger. Evans and Molland's struggle to revive the band and the indifference they faced is particularly interesting given the band's previous success. Eventually the pressures caught up with everyone in Badfinger. It's impact was sharp and explosive for two members of the band resulting in their suicide. In many respects the aftermath of the implosion of this great band resembles a messy divorce; all the participants had their own agenda and couldn't get past their own personal issues. The inclusion of the 71 minute CD provides a series of snapshots of the band from beginning to the very bitter end. Most of these tracks haven't been available before (with the exception of poor sounding bootlegs). We get to hear one of Pete Ham's first demos for the band along with their first offical studio recording made under the supervision of the Kinks' Ray Davies. We also get to hear a number of Iveys' demos that were never performed by the band after their name change. These demos range in quality from interesting (Take Good Care of My Baby) to terrific (She Came Out of the Cold and a live version of Maybe Tomorrow sans the overbearing string arrangement on the original). Included on this disc are 5 interviews with Ham and original member Tom Evans. It provides further insight that compliments the book. We get to hear (in their own words) both the highs and lows that drove the band to produce some of their most enduring work. The CD ends with one of Ham's last demo recordings (the powerful Ringside which Matovina produced for the posthumous Pete Ham solo album 7 Park Avenue) and an unreleased pair of Tom Evans demos from his brief post-Badfinger career. Matovina provides more than one smoking gun in the book demonstrating that the forces that tore this band apart wasn't jealousy as much as the vultures in the music industry. Without You is both a powerful reminder of the evil in the music industry and the talented individuals that are victimized by these vultures.
Rating:
Summary: A+ for book and CD
Review: Well, after attempting to write a review on a purchase I made through Amazon itself, my review was removed. Why I ask....who knows!?!
This is a wonderfully balanced book. Don't listen to the non-sense about it being biased. Both Joey and Mike have appeared with the author of this book. Apparently, somebody trying to create some sort of "Cheap Heat" to sell a little more copies.
Bottom line....awesome story of a Band which was done over, abused and a band who made some music that many people missed out on and were not able to listen to....a darn SHAME!!
If you like this Book.......please be sure to listen to Wish You Were Here LP (not to be confused with Pink Floyd) and watch the VH1 and the DVD release. Not to be missed...brilliant over-views!!!
Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Book on an Excellent Group
Review: What a fantastic book "Without You" by Dan Matovina is! I have read it through several times, and it has had such an effect on me. It is so good that sometimes it hurts to read it. I followed Badfinger in the early days and it brought back so many memories - happy and sad. I was lucky enough to know the boys when the song "Without You" was written, and Tommy gave me a rendition of his part before it was released, so I have very special memories. Quite a few of the events in the book I can remember happening, and they have been retold with great accuracy, sometimes even bringing to mind bits I had forgotten, such as Bill Collins going on a separate flight when they went to Hawaii. Obviously Mr Matovina has delved deeply into Badfinger history, and spent a long time researching and writing the book. He has contacted hundreds of people - friends, families and business associates - in order to paint a clear and true picture of the good and bad times leading to the tragic consequences. Although I believe he never met Tommy or Pete, Dan Matovina got to know them well through interviewing other people. It is clear that he put his whole heart into this brilliantly written book about the lives and work of Pete, Mike, Tommy, Joey and Bob. Truely a labour of love!
Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Book on an Excellent Group
Review: What a fantastic book "Without You" by Dan Matovina is! I have read it through several times, and it has had such an effect on me. It is so good that sometimes it hurts to read it. I followed Badfinger in the early days and it brought back so many memories - happy and sad. I was lucky enough to know the boys when the song "Without You" was written, and Tommy gave me a rendition of his part before it was released, so I have very special memories. Quite a few of the events in the book I can remember happening, and they have been retold with great accuracy, sometimes even bringing to mind bits I had forgotten, such as Bill Collins going on a separate flight when they went to Hawaii. Obviously Mr Matovina has delved deeply into Badfinger history, and spent a long time researching and writing the book. He has contacted hundreds of people - friends, families and business associates - in order to paint a clear and true picture of the good and bad times leading to the tragic consequences. Although I believe he never met Tommy or Pete, Dan Matovina got to know them well through interviewing other people. It is clear that he put his whole heart into this brilliantly written book about the lives and work of Pete, Mike, Tommy, Joey and Bob. Truely a labour of love!
Rating:
Summary: hypnotically engaging
Review: while non-fans may find the level of detail to be overkill, this is an impressive book, both as a history of the band and as a cautionary tale for aspiring artist. unlike most books of this type, without you has a real feel for creating dimensional characters--the reader feels like he really knows these people. pete ham is mostly portrayed as saintly--a generous, sensitive genius--while joey, polley and others are potrayed much less sympathetically. in all cases, however, the views are balanced; a conscious effort is made to be fair. from my perspective, this is a great read for anyone interested in the music business--the stories of the naive, self-destructive musicians, exploitative managers and unfeeling record industry strike a universal chord. those unfamiliar with badfinger's music--hugely underrated, in my view, will be tempted to check it out.
Rating:
Summary: The Truth Hurts
Review: With so many interviews and court documents to back up the reports in this book, it is obvious and expected that those who did wrong feel bad and wish to hide the information contained herein. But so goes rock and roll. This is the document that finally gives credit to where it is due and intensifies the loss of the heart and soul of one of pop songwriting's heavy hitters, Pete Ham, who co-penned one of the classics of all time "Without You." His suicide and the reasons for it are enough to make your blood boil and tears come all at once. The author features direct interviews with all members of the band (except Pete Ham, who died in the mid-70s) as well as managers, producers, roadies, family members, friends and record company types. The insight is incredible and that ever so slight glimpse of the workings of the Beatles' Apple Records (as well as some of the Beatles themselves) is worth the price of admission.
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