Look, I recognize that these folks are historically important, and there's no gainsaying their obvious musicianship. And I'm happy for them that -- vis a vis the recent Fanny: The Right to Rock documentary that's been showing on a PBS channel near you, and is well worth watching --
...they're finally getting what might be justly described as their due.
And I always -- really always -- wanted to like them, I really did, honest.
But the fact is that -- well, listen to the "Badge" cover and tell me you feel the need to ever hear it again. Like the rest of Fanny's recorded output, it's just not terribly memorable; if you'd seen a male bar band doing something similar back in the day, you'd probably have had a moderately good time, but not much more.
Or as I said in 1973 in the pages of CREEM...
Incidentally, having now seen the documentary, I just wanna say that I stand by the review's comments on drummer Alice de Buhr.
16 comments:
They suck. In a mundane way with too much tooth.
VR
They should still be at the Troubadour opening for Shelley Berman.
VR
https://powerpop.blogspot.com/2021/09/you-go-girls.html
So much for that.
Steve, how could you? That Hey Bulldog has been fixed, neutered.
BTW, I can't read the Creem article. It opens in a separate window but it won't blow up with any clarity. If you cab fix it, it'd be cool. Or maybe it's on my end.
VR
Hey Sal — it’s a woman’s prerogative to change her mind.😎
VR --
The photo enlargement thing should work, but if it doesn't here's a transcript of the review.
https://powerpop.blogspot.com/2021/05/if-i-wrote-this-today-i-would-be-boiled.html
Ok, 19 years old when this first came out -IMO, best song George ever wrote.
That said - Fanny did a credible job with piano intro later Lee Michael's type B3 - young lady on guitar did not embarrass herself, but, go back and listen to Badge on Goodbye Cream.
It's no wonder Clapton us God!
His tone is jawdropping - the clarity at his peak.
A desert island song for me
rob
I think Fanny may have better live than their studio output would suggest.
Case in point:
https://fannyrocks.com/gal/fanny-videos/aint-that-peculiar-video/
Fanny was a good solid B level band. Nothing more, nothing less.
Captain Al
'Badge' has got excellent, memorable hooks- so this is a winner, but they didn't write it.
I sent a friend several links to Dea Matrona and he wrote back that the difference between them and Fanny was that Fanny just didn't have the songs.
Steve-
Thanks for providing me with the transcript. I've got something for you too. It’s the Wild Honey Orchestra’s tribute to the Kinks. Same download instructions apply.
https://www.imagenetz.de/j4Nmz
MJConroy – Here’s some things you might like
June Millington put these videos online herself a year or so ago. It’s cool that she shares and trades music. A friend of mine sold her a ’57 Les Paul Goldtop years ago when he needed money. He settled for 500 bucks. There’s more to the story but not now.
https://mega.nz/folder/lbRz1KZQ#mYKbzeTWDIecXPUZJgKqZQ
The stuff below is audio from TV appearances on Beat Club, Old Grey Whistle Test and others.
https://www.upload.ee/files/15289915/Fany_1971-1973_LveonTV_atse.zip.html
Alzo – You’re so right. They didn’t have the songs. That's why were talkin' about the covers. But their take on Badge leaves me cold. Ain’t That Peculiar is better, the slide playing is pretty good, but there’s still something lacking, IMO. They never let it carry them away and get lost in it. It feels too stiff and rehearsed. Not loose enough. It doesn’t swing.
Had to sit through their lifeless crap when they opened for Procol Harum in ‘71. The Kinks too.
BTW Steve, Alice de Buhr was already out as gay before she joined the band. The whole band is gay except for the bass player. I think. Besides you left her the Marvelettes’ number.
Enough of this Fanny shit.
VR
A question, Mr. Simels. Would you (COULD you) have written such a review about an all-male band? I'm sorry, but I think it's insultingly sexist however I might feel about Fanny.
Their glam-informed cover of the pre-Beatles greaser classic "I've Had It" is pretty good. Again a cover. Just bought Lonnie Mack's version of the song yesterday and it's fabulous.
All these old bands getting a "victory lap" because they were the "first" or "iconic" blah blah blah is getting old. Like the use of "iconic;" all the meaning is stripped from the word. These days "iconic" is used to describe the golden arches or the Notre Dame Cathedral.
This band has been on my radar for years, especially the California scene of the early '70s. Caught the documentary and totally enjoyed watching their history. Are they Zeppelin? No. Were they a band that has a history? That's what I like about them!
paulinca
Oddly enough, this is the first version of Badge that I ever heard. Might have had something to do with being in junior high in Lawton, OK when it came out.
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