The Heartbreakers: L.A.M.F.: The Found '77 Masters (RSD Essentials, neon pink & white vinyl) [JUNGLE]

Why you'll love it

This RSD Essentials pressing on neon pink & white vinyl was Direct Metal Mastered from a 24-bit transfer of the analogue tapes, with a yellow obi and new notes by Simon Wright. It's the Johnny Thunders band at full tilt, the New York sound landing in London in 1977.

This edition

• RSD Essentials series
• Neon pink & white vinyl
• Direct Metal Mastered from the analogue tapes
• Obi strip
• Inner sleeve with new notes by Simon Wright
• Remastered
• Stereo mix

About the album

Johnny Thunders and Jerry Nolan left the New York Dolls, teamed up with Walter Lure and Billy Rath, and found that England wanted them more than home did. Malcolm McLaren brought the Heartbreakers over for the Sex Pistols' Anarchy tour in December 1976, they arrived the day the Pistols swore on live television, and Track Records signed them soon after.

Speedy Keen and Daniel Secunda produced, with sessions at Essex Studios and The Who's Ramport Studios, where Pete Townshend invited the band to appear as extras in Quadrophenia. "Born to Lose" is the anthem, "Chinese Rocks" the one everybody covers, and "Baby Talk," "Pirate Love," "One Track Mind" and "I Wanna Be Loved" are pure rock and roll played at punk speed. The band spent the summer of 1977 chasing the perfect mix; Jungle later went back to the reels and found it.

Clem Burke of Blondie lends a line to the obi, which is the punk equivalent of a reference from the headmaster. Christgau counted it among his favourite 1970s imports, and these masters let you hear it as the band played it.

Also at Kops: more The Heartbreakers on vinyl · browse Punk

Tracklist

Listen

On Jungle Records (cat# TRACKLP77), a reissue of the 1977 album.