SONG SELECTIONS

The second album from the Badbeats.

Here Are The Badbeats, an album of unreleased Beatles songs was a strong debut. The Badbeats Again is as strong and then some. The top flight producing team of Barry Knoedl and Bill Kern didn’t merely return to the well. The band evolved, expanding on their roots to sustain their own style.
Bill and I were introduced because we were both Beatles collectors. The real connection was made when we realized that we were both songwriters and multi-instrumentalists. After Death Records released my single, we offered The Badbeats' first single to Death Records. When they turned it down, we decided to start our own record company.” Just like that, they rolled up their sleeves and made magic. Turns out Death Records missed a good bet. The Badbeats first single, “Tip Of My Tongue” b/w “One And One Is Two” was a limited release, yet moved nearly 3000 units.
“When I put The Badbeats Again together”, Knoedl recalls, “‘Night And Day’ was a demo reel Bill recorded. I thought it was a Buddy Holly song, some other early ’60s songwriter. After playing it for a bunch of folks, who said they’d never heard it before, I realized it was an original and would fit nicely on the album.” It’s easy to understand his mistaking the song. Kern’s keen ear harked to Buddy Holly’s bag to pen “Night And Day”, a rockabilly gem. Sparse, nice and tight with a sharp, hard-edged vocal. For that matter, he covers “Everyday” in fitting tribute. The arrangement’s inventive with sweet flourishes, yet completely faithful. Kern’s vocal is spot-on, spiritedly revisiting Holly’s style with his own fresh quality. He gives The Moments’ R&B ballad “Love on a Two Way Street” a heartfelt turn that improves on the original with warm feeling put across with beautifully nuanced phrasing and turns in a rousing rendition of “Lies (You’re Breaking My Heart)” by The Knickerbockers. All said, Kern is nothing if not versatile.
Barry Knoedl ingeniously channels The Zombies ‘Tell Her No’, honing in on early pop-jazz at its sweetest. Perfectly captures the feel of the original while subtly, almost imperceptibly making the song his own. Paul McCartney’s “So Bad” is another brilliant Knoedl offering. Wistful with lush, seamless harmonies and bell-like clarity smooth as velvet, it’s one of those vocals that take you back to when sentimental songs made a difference in your day.
The Badbeats Again, for some of us, is marvelous revisiting of yesteryear. For others, this excellent, artfully crafted collection will give the younger set cause to quit rolling their eyes on hearing the words, “They don’t make music like this anymore.” Audiences, period, are in for a world of good listening.

Dwight Hobbes Mpls/St. Paul Magazine, Minnesota Reformer

CD - $10.00 (US) each.

Plus $7.30 Media Mail shipping (shipping discounts for multiple copies).

Additional costs for international shipping.

Also available for digital download and streaming at iTunes • Amazon Music • Spotify • and all digital platforms

Produced by
Barry Knoedl & Bill Kern

Engineered by
Barry Knoedl

Recorded & Mixed at Kno Studio, Patchogue, NY

Bll Kern - Vocals, Drums, Guitars, Bass
Barry Knoedl - Vocals, Keyboards, Bass
Ray Knoedl - Guitars
Joe Schillace - Acoustic Guitar on TELL HER NO

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