Joey Green's Cleaning Magic 2,336

Joey Molland's solo albums aren't as well-known as his work with Badfinger, which is regrettable because the singer has done some worthwhile things on his own. The Pilgrim, one of Molland's solo recordings, is a decent release that was recorded when he was 43. While Badfinger fans can appreciate this collection of melodic rock & roll and pop/rock, one shouldn't think of The Pilgrim as a Badfinger tribute album (which it isn't). Like the solo albums of Blondie's Deborah Harry, Kiss' Ace Frehley, or The Go-Gos' Belinda Carlisle, The Pilgrim must be accepted on its own terms and on its own merits – this CD would have been noteworthy even if Molland had never been a member of Badfinger. Much of The Pilgrim is reflective and contemplative, although some outright rockers are included as well, most notably "Hard Time" and the angry socio-political smoker "You Make Me Sick."

Joey Molland's group Badfinger was one of the great power pop bands of all time. Before the Raspberries, the Dwight Twilley Band, and other tunesmiths found the magic of energetic car radio melodies, Molland and crew led the way. This Way Up continues that work and is one of the best solo discs that ex-members of the Beatles never made. It bears repeating – This Way Up contains the essence of what was great about those early solo Beatles albums, not surprising because Molland played on some of them.