The Broken Homes — 624

ALBUM: Broken Homes (1986)

MVC Rating:  4.0/$$$

                                                                                       

Here’s one. Here’s one if you want to be cool and pull out of your collection  this  album featuring this  very 80’s looking band wearing dark clothes with some  leather.  Kinda big hair.

You’re friend says ‘ha ha’ who is that? Just another band  gone to obscuredom. But hey, let’s give  it a spin.

Let’s give it a spin.

Broken Homes. Not sure what happened to them, probably obscurification. But they rock  like  they had a future and didn’t care if they did. Tuneful, good vocals, tight band. One of those best bands you’ve never heard of.

”I’ll Be Wearing Blue’ lays out a  bluesy lament of a reluctant groom.

“Soon we will be married,” he sings, “Soon we will be done, soon we will drive to town,  and  we’ll pick out the perfect suit and tie. Your mama’s going to give  me the money, I hope I cannot find  my size.”

It was about 1986 or ’87 and several of my  Birmingham News colleagues and I drove to Atlanta to see Tom Petty (RIP), the Georgia Satellites, and the Del Fuegos. Big show. Bob Carlton, Rick Bragg and Dennis Love, I believe were on this particular road trip.

Between sets waiting on Tom Petty they played, like they do, on the speakers a recording of this debut album from Broken Homes. It immediately caught my attention.  I learned later Petty said in an interview he loved the band. But in the wacky world of the entertainment biz they never made it.

Counting down my 678 vinyl records before I die of brain disease.