The Heartbreakers - Classic US Punk

Heartbreakers - Discography

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It's sad that any discussion about the Heartbreakers recorded output revolves around the supposed murkiness of the mix of LAMF. In my view this is a red herring. If noone had mentioned it then would anyone really have noticed it?

The sound? Pure 100% authentic classic rock'n'roll. Infectious, simplistic and totally apolitical with lyrics that Thunders described as "love songs for objects". Substitute 'heroin' for objects and you get the picture. Add a few American staples like cars and girls and you've got the lot!

Chinese Rocks / Born To Lose (Track 1977)

The all time classic penned by messrs Hell, and Dee Dee Ramone but appropriated by The Heartbreakers. All time classic riff and ode to the delights of the brown stuff. As if that isn't enough you get double delight with the classy loser anthem Born To Lose on the flipside. As close to rock'n'roll single perfection as you can get. Later The Ramones did the song but IMHO this one is definitive. Period!

Click to hear clip of 'Chinese Rocks'

LAMF - (Track Records 1977)

Classic sleeve, classic album. If you ain't got this you are missing out! Reached No55 in the charts of the time.

"(The) Sound on this ..is more of an amphetamine driven Rock "n" Roll, with the swagger of the Rolling Stones, which the Dolls also had, but much faster! There is even a Ramones penned track Chinese Rocks which was a single at the time along with Born to Lose, which were favourites of Sid Vicious. Every track on this album we hit you like a speeding train, Bang after Bang! and is more "Punk" then any of the so called Punk acts of today. Most people will probably not understand this, but the people who know what Punk means will love it!" Mike Bond. Amazon.co.uk

Julie Burchill's review
NME 8.10.77

On what LAMF stands for..."That stands like for "Like A Mother Fucker", If you wrote the name of your gang on the wall, it was customary to write LAMF underneath it - to show you meant business. If you wrote the name of your gang in a rival gang's territory, you wrote DTKLAMF which stood for "Down To Kill Like A Mother Fucker"...that let the rival gang know you weren't scared of them, to show that you didn't feel intimidated to be on their turf."
Jerry Nolan Zigzag74 July 1977.

That clears that up then!

Click images left and right to view larger readable ones.

John Savage's review
Sounds1.10.77

One Track Mind /Can't Keep My Eyes On You / Do You Love Me
(Track Records 1977)

Another pull of songs from LAMF. Sadly this also got nowhere. Another mid paced gem and more allusions to junk and "tracks up my arms". The flip side show the bands roots with the sixties style call and response tune of Do You Love Me.