Take one nerdy-looking guy (think Paul Atkinson, Tom McGuinness, Freddie Garrity and the like … NO OFFENSE INTENTED!!!), representing the intelligent-pop side of things, a cool, garagey type (think dark-haired Brian Jones / Michael Clark look-alike) and a not-so-cool-looking-supertight rhythm section, and what you get is the perfect mid sixteez beat combo …
It’s just that everything is happening in the mid ‘80s, seen through the paisley-patterned slide of four Hartford based moptops. When I first heard about The Broken Hearts, I thought of them only as Michael Mazzarella’s pre-Rooks outfit, where he’s learned his craft.
I can’t tell you how wrong I was … This is up there with The Rooks’ best efforts! Besides Michael, who delivers the usual FABulous mid’60s Lennonisms like While You Were Having Fun or When I See You Looking My Way.
Guitarist/vocalist Tom Bittel and bassist/vocalist Jamie Beckett also contribute such jangly pop jewels like Better Start Now and Just Love Ya (Bittel) or the sped-up-78rpm-Merseybeat treatment of an unknown Motown track You Won’t Find Me (Beckett/Mazzarella) and another piece of blue-eyed soul called Play That Song Again, which you surely will, after being attached to it’s “cheap tricks”.
Along with the original ’85 album, there is also no less than 11 (!) bonus tracks, featuring early demo versions of The Rooks’ Circle Of Fools and Always You And Me (showing that Michael had already had an idea about his future band’s sound, 7-8 years before they were even formed).
Though of varying sound quality, more than worth the mention are also the Arthur Alexander inspired Do Or Say (Bittel), as well as a couple more of those that are sure to “break a heart” or two like Stephanie (Beckett), Want To Be Sure (Mazzarella) or That Kind Of Girl (Beckett/Mazzarella), all of which could have not only find their place in the released album, but could have been among it’s highlights.
Want One?!?! …. I want every single one of them!!! ……. Over and over again !!!
[Released by Paisley Pop Label 2003]
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