Before power pop heroes PETER CASE led the PLIMSOULS and PAUL COLLINS fronted the BEAT, they were two-thirds of the legendary NERVES (the long-lost JACK LEE being the third wheel). That band’s rare 70s recordings, prized amongst collectors like slivers of the true cross, were reissued last year on Alive as One Way Ticket. What a lot of us didn’t know was that there was a transitional band – after the Nerves dissolved, Case and Collins stuck together to form the short-lived BREAKAWAYS. Walking Out On Love (The Lost Sessions) collects the demos recorded by the duo (plus assorted sidemen, many of whom would follow Collins to the Beat). Continuing on the same punked-up garage pop path of the Nerves, Case and Collins bang out a baker’s dozen power pop gems (“Everyday Things,” “Little Suzy,” “USA,” “Radio Station”) with sharp melody, tight skill and unabashed enthusiasm. Due to budgetary concerns and multiple locations, the fidelity is all over the place – it’s only by the grace of the songs and performances that tracks like “I Don’t Fit In” and “Will You Come Through?” are salvageable at all. But there’s not a duff tune in the bunch – Collins obviously agreed, as many of his tunes (including the popular “Walking Out On Love” and “Working Too Hard”) ended up in the Beat’s repertoire. Case’s songs, strangely, were never re-recorded, not even with the Plimsouls, whose catalog seems to be the natural repository for a song like “House On the Hill.” While that means Case diehards definitely need this, arguably any power pop fan, especially of the late 70s/early 80s variety, would love to add this to his or her library.
http://petercase.com
http://thepaulcollinsbeat.com
http://alivenergy.com
