Heartbreakers

L.A.M.F. The FOUND '77 Masters

(Jungle Records)

A canonized artifact of 1970s Punk, L.A.M.F. was reissued by Jungle in 2022 with its intended sound quality in place. 

I bought the LP upon its initial issuance by England's Track Records. Like international legions of other teenaged Rock'n'Roll insurgents, I was at once floored by mini-classic after mini-classic and disappointed by the muffled mix.

The intended potency of the sleek material and performances, though evident before, is still more robust in this more distinct production. The iconic line-up of singer / guitarists Johnny Thunders and Walter Lure, bassist Billy Rath, and drummer Jerry Nolan tossed off rambunctious tunes with the deceptive ease of specialists (albeit ones who kept works at hand).

The band earned adoration for its dynamic verve, technicolor fashion sense, and instrumental proficiency far above that of the safety-pinned neophytes who followed.

Though famously shambolic, global gigs attracted committed disciples. Onstage disjointedness fast became a trademark. 

In 2023, the songs preserved on L.A.M.F. attest handily to the storied group's caliber. Like fellow New York legends the Ramones, they profoundly impacted Rock'n'Roll of that era and beyond. 

The jagged influence of those two bands, both of whom thrilled English adherents on numerous occasions, begat the Sex Pistols, Clash, Damned, and countless other rip-and-stitch musical anarchists.

On Jungle's online page, Blondie drummer Clem Burke is quoted as pronouncing: "L.A.M.F. is one of the most brilliant Rock'n'Roll records ever made."

No dispute from this quarter.

Recommended: "Born To Lose," "Baby Talk," "All By Myself," "I Wanna Be Loved," "It's Not Enough," "Chinese Rocks," "Get Off the Phone," "Pirate Love," "One Track Mind," "I Love You," "Goin' Steady," "Let Go," "Can't Keep My Eyes On You," "Do You Love Me"

Video: "Baby Talk"

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