The Heartbreakers were their own worst enemies. Hailed as something of a pioneering group of the late seventies punk scene, Johnny Thunders and Jerry Nolan were the ex-compatriots of the infamous New York Dolls and set about forming a group that was more attuned to their street roots and traditional rock and roll style. Joining forces with Richard Hell(ex-Television) and adding ex-Demons guitarist Walter Lure, the group began making rumblings around the NY area, but by late summer '76, Hell was ousted from the band(claimed by the others that he simply didn't fit in), giving way for bassist Billy Rath and allowing Johnny to take center stage, visually and vocally. The band had left the U.S. for England and began to establish themselves as elder statesmen of the burgeoning genre of  punk rock. They managed to join the infamous "Anarchy" tour, which included up and coming acts such as the Damned, the Clash and the Sex Pistols,  allowing them a chance to show the younger bands a thing or two about show business.

​

Later on, in 1977, the Heartbreakers hunkered down into the studio to begin recording their full fledged debut album. Signing with Track records,(a company started by Who associate Chris Stamp), the deal provided the band a lucrative contract that was bound for bankruptcy even before the album was able to be issued. There were also endless problems with the mixing of the record and the group spending too much time deliberating and laboring over the sound quality that mired the album as inferior and the result was a sludgy, muddled mess. L.A.M.F. has been remixed and re-issued in numerous forms over the years and this particular re-issue via Jungle records, provides an expanded edition of this punk rock classic and I feel, is about as good as one can get when listening to this underrated masterpiece.

​

Born to Lose kicks things off in proper fashion with the central sound of the Heartbreakers; it's loose, fun and unadulterated rock and roll music and also is cocky, belligerent and full of "Nu Yawk" attitude. One cut after another, in the forms of Baby Talk, Get Off the Phone, I Wanna Be Loved, One Track Mind, Let Go and Goin' Steady displays a group that expands upon Johnny and Jerry's roots from the New York Dolls and gives an expansion of how simple and direct rock music could and should be. There are a few "slower" numbers on offer, such as It's Not Enough and Jerry Nolan's Can't Keep My Eyes On You, but it never slows down the momentum of fire and spirit that permeates throughout this inspiring and classic disc. Chinese Rocks was a Dee Dee Ramone original that the Heartbreakers adopted as their own anthem; they certainly lived out the lyrics, which describe a day in the life of a drug user. Unfortunately, like the Dolls before them, the Heartbreakers' offstage behavior affected their live performances and inner band dynamic and sadly would be their ultimate undoing. Despite this, in the meantime, the Hearbreakers were certainly unsung heroes of the punk movement and had it not been for the fatal flaws within the band's extracurricular activities, they very well could have been the quintessential punk band of the genre.

​

Additionally, this 2 disc collection offers the hardcore fan some insightful liner notes and the second disc gives alternate takes and demo versions of tracks like London Boys, Too Much Junkie Business, Get off the Phone, All By Myself and a cover of the Contours Do You Love Me?, which gives the listener some great gems to discover within its feature. The Heartbreakers remain a cult phenomenon, and this remastered/reissued edition of their only studio album is quite a treasure to discover in terms of the punk rock genre. Essential. 

​

Rating Grade- A+

​

​