An Album You Should Know
Broken Homes — Self-titled debut — 1986
Broken Homes — Self-titled debut — 1986
There are typically five ingredients for any musician or band to rise above the fray, regardless of genre: guitar, bass, drums, vocals, and talent.
Broken Homes had all five, tenfold.
I realize you’ve probably never heard of them.
But you should.
Los Angeles in the mid-80s was awash with hair metal bands. And every day cars and busses loaded with every half-wit to the right side of California getting dropped off on Sunset Blvd. to be a rock star… or any celebrity.
However, on the outskirts of the Aqua Net, Heavy Metal blight on Sunset Blvd were bands like X, Jason and the Scorchers, Lone Justice, The Unforgiven, and Broken Homes hammering out a different kind of sound.
These bands all had a sound rooted in more traditional rock and roll, rockabilly, country, and punk — some called it cowpunk, some called it roots rock, there are many things to call it. I call it rock, and it was more natural and honest than what was happening within the specter on the Sunset strip.
Unfortunately, that vortex of the Aqua Net set grew into a bona fide tornado that would run roughshod over the world for a few years — really until the Grunge revolt of the early 90s. In any event, the damage left in this wreckage would be our ears and bands like Broken Homes.
However, before it all went tits up, Broken Homes did get a deal with MCA Records; and their self-titled debut was released in 1986.
The band first tweaked the ears of MCA’s A&R guy, Michael Goldstone. If you recognize the name, it’s because he would go on to sign bands like Pearl Jam and Rage Against the Machine, et. al.
Produced by Jeff Eyrich (The Blasters, T-Bone Burnett), it’s got a big “American” sound. I mean that it is straight-up rock and roll sound — guitar, bass, drums, vocals …and talent. Lots and lots of talent.
Eyrich produced the band so that the record’s sound aims for the arena’s around the United States. A bold move for a freshman band, but not that uncommon for the time. And it works for these songs.
To be clear, this isn’t mind-melding music or brain-shattering lyrics; it’s just good straight-ahead rock music.
Thematically, these songs are what you would expect from four guys in their 20’s. Love, heartache, boozing, cheating, etc. — there’s nothing new here. The beauty of these songs is their simplicity… and it’s also what makes them timeless.
Like t-shirts, jeans, and Chuck Taylor’s good rock and roll never goes out of style — they get knocked down, but they get up again — no you’re never gonna keep them down.
Sonically, Broken Homes’s debut is a kissing cousin to R.E.M.’s Life’s Rich Pageant.
College radio, and even mainstream radio, latched on to Life’s Rich Pageant, but neither really cottoned to Broken Homes.
But this was back in a different radio age when it wasn’t just two monoliths that owned all of terrestrial radio. The radio stations had Program and Music Directors who did things — like help discover new bands. And for whatever reason, Broken Homes struck a chord with the rock station in Dayton, Ohio, where I was.
I rushed out and got the album as soon as I could. A fan was born.
Unfortunately, in the mid-’90s, my dog, Duke, chewed up that original album from 1986. It wasn’t available on CD (that I found), and I want to say Napster had it, but I can’t recall. Nonetheless, it took me about seven years to find a replacement record. When I finally got a replacement vinyl copy of Broken Homes, my cat, Lulu, chewed the edge of the album sleeve.
Anecdotal evidence suggests house pets either love or hate that debut album's look, which is fine because the important stuff is on the black vinyl.
To this day, Broken Homes remains one of my desert island albums and is firmly embedded in my top ten of all time.
Sadly, this debut is out of print, and it’s not available on a streaming service. Not that I can find anyway. There may be some stuff on YouTube. I’ve included a link to the first single, “In Another Land,” and the video for “Steeltown Bluestown” below.
If straight-up rock is your jam, this is a great record.
MCA held on to Broken Homes for two more records, Straight Line Through Time (1988) and Wing and A Prayer (1990), a testament to how much they believed in the band. Although the band landed some soundtracks, sadly, they never really took off. I think each record did worse than its predecessor.
I reached out to bass player Jimmy Ashhurst on Twitter to ask if the Broken Homes masters had been lost in the massive 2008 Universal fire. He was kind enough to reply and confirm that was the case. Broken Homes is just one of many artists whose work perished in that fire — the artistic loss there is truly incalculable.
There is no logic why some bands make it, and others don’t. I guess that is true of almost any creative endeavor. We all want to believe that it is the talent that will get singled out and help lift an artist, but sometimes, that’s not the case — as it is here for Broken Homes.
Honestly, this self-titled debut by the quartet of rockers from LA, Broken Homes is one of the best rock records of the mid-80’s you’ve probably never heard. Frankly, it’s one of the best rock records of any era. Full stop.
If you’re curious about what became of the band ….
Michael Doman — I just read that Doman passed away on December 17, 2020. I couldn’t find any other details. Best thoughts to his friends and family.
James ‘Jimmy’ Ashhurst — went on to play with Izzy Stradlin and the JuJu Hounds, The Black Crowes, and Buckcherry and a host of guest appearances.
Kregg ‘Craig’ Ross — he’s been working with Lenny Kravitz for over 25 years has has co-written several of Kravitz’s hits. Ross has also played with artists like Mick Jagger, B.B. King, Eric Clapton, The Black Crowes, and others.
Craig Aaronson — went on to have a successful A&R career signing successful bands like Jimmy Eats World and Less Than Jake before succumbing to cancer in October of 2014.