The story of Sorrows begins with the Poppees, a New York City band that encountered an ample amount of local attention for a couple of years before biting the dust in the autumn of 1976.
Shortly after the Poppees expired, two of the band’s ex-members – lead singer, songwriter and guitarist Arthur Alexander and drummer Jett Harris – formed Sorrows, along with guitarist Joey Cola and bassist Ricky Street.
Apart from scoring steady gigs, Sorrows produced a pair of albums (Teenage Heartbreak and Love Too Late) which hit the shops in 1980 and 1981, respectively. Fetching positive reception, it appeared as though the band were candidates for mainstream success. But their record label insisted on grooming them into something they were not, resulting in despair and frustration.
Despite the disappointment, Sorrows retained a dedicated fan base and carried on until the mid-’80s. The band’s reputation grew as the decades ticked on, marking them as one of the guiding lights that graced the East Coast’s bustling music scene back in the day.
Comprised of top picks from the band’s catalog, as well as previously unissued cuts, Bad Times Good Times (Bomp! Records) provides a spectacular summary of Sorrows.
Rippling with potent hooks and unified harmonies, “Can’t Go Back,” “I Want You Tonight” and “Can’t You Tell a Lie” ideally illustrate the band’s forte for playing the type of melodically structured guitar pop linked with groups like Raspberries and Blue Ash.
On numbers such as “Teenage Heartbreak,” “I Want You So Bad” and the title track of the collection, Sorrows inject a healthy dosage of punk-fueled energy into the program that brings to mind certain elements of the Flamin’ Groovies, while “That’s Your Problem” shakes and shudders to a rumbling rockabilly beat.
A fidgety new wave feel fosters “Television,” where the psychedelic atmospherics of the fluttery “Silver Cloud” projects a John Lennon vibe. Those with a yen for power pop boasting a slightly rough edge, but is consistently tuneful and engaging, are guaranteed to give Bad Times Good Times a mighty high rating.
Interestingly enough, Sorrows have recently been enjoying a bit of a revival. Big Stir Records retrieved the original tapes of the band’s second LP and re-dubbed the effort Love Too Late … The Real Album.” Now available in its initial context – not the released version where the band was aided by studio musicians and forced to glossy up their sound – the reissue makes a fine companion to Bad Times Good Times.
So if you missed Sorrows the first time around, here’s your chance to dig in and rock it good!
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