As Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers, the band only released one studio album. That album, L.A.M.F. was originally released in 1977 and remains today as a true punk rock classic. I have the original vinyl LP I bought at a record store in Vancouver in the mid-80's and I was disappointed with the sound quality and mix of the record as it sounded dull and lifeless. Apparently, I wasn't alone with this option as the record has been re-released several times to improve the sound through re-mixes, lost mixes and alternative versions from the original album. L.A.M.F. Revisited, L.A.M.F.: The Lost '77 Mixes (released 1994) and L.A.M.F. Definitive Edition (2012) which featured the original album, the lost mixes, demos and alternative tracks. Thunders went on to record a handful of solo studio albums, but the legacy and true appeal of the Heartbreakers was in their live performances. For a band with only one official studio album, they released several live albums capturing the Heartbreakers, especially in the late 70's at their peak. Johnny Thunders shows in the 80's were at best uneven and sometimes unpredictable. With the right mix of intoxication and preferably shows with Waldo (Walter Lure) on guitar, his live shows could also be brilliant with some classic Thunders stage banter and loose, but inspired playing. (Unfortunately, when I finally saw Thunders live it was towards the end of his life/career and the concert was a mess, he was strung out and the musicians around him weren't very good, including a pickup drummer from the crowd, sad) Anyways, many very good sounding live recordings from the Heartbreakers prime era in the mid-late 70's have been available on LP, cassette and CD in both bootleg and semi-official releases and whenever something new (unreleased) gets unearthed from someones collection it's always worth a listen.
I was in Minneapolis last June scouting out record stores and stumbled upon, Live At The Village Gate 1977 on CD. It was brand new in a slick package with a beautiful b & w gatefold CD cover, that I hadn't seen before. (I heard that the vinyl version is hot pink!) And because I'm always looking for unreleased Heartbreakers shows I bought it. The sound quality is only okay, it's a step up from a audience live recording, but it has a bit of an digital sounding enhancement to it. Once you get past that, the show itself is very good, with a solid performance and great songs. I would suggest seeking out Live at Max's, D.T.K. (Live at the Speakeasy) or even Live at the Lyceum Ballroom first before buying Live at the Village Gate. It's a nice addition to the Heartbreakers live album collection and I shouldn't complain because anything unreleased (or unheard) that is new to me, is always a welcome listen at any time.
Happy New Year!!
Enjoy!
Please do NOT sell or transfer to lossy formats (except for personal use)
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JOHNNY THUNDERS & THE HEARTBREAKERS
L.A.M.F.
Live At The Village Gate
August 18 & 20, 1977
(released in 2015)
01. Chinese Rocks
02. Pirate Love
03. Get Off The Phone
04. All By Myself
05. Let Go
06. Can't Keep My Eyes On You
07. Chatterbox
08. One Track Mind
09. Take A Chance On Me
10. Born Too Loose
11. Boppin The Blues
12. Do You Love Me
13. I Wanna Be Loved
JOHNNY THUNDERS & THE HEARTBREAKERS- LAMF Live at the Village Gate FLAC. rar
3 comments:
ThanXXX very much. Great punk from back when punk still was punk.
I wonder if you have any Brandos stuff?¿?¿?¿
Lotsa greets
MiTcH
big thanks !!!!!
Thank you, bless you, thank you! Like you, always love finding more JT! The Easy Action reissues of 'HURT ME' and 'IN COLD BLOOD' (2013 & 2015) are both beautifully packaged double CD gatefolds and highly recommended. Interesting to hear you've been doing set decorating; I've a good friend that's been doing it for years and I've helped him out a little.
Thanks again
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