This is one cd that
AOR aficinado have been rubbing their collecting little hands together in anticipation for quite some time. Paul Sabu's "Heartbreak" is a love letter sent from the early 80s that has just arrived in our mailboxes for the 2000s. Lush harmonies, snappy pop sensibilities that make you crave wearing your sunglasses at night and more keyboards than found on a bad 80s movie soundtrack populate the disc en force. Smooth vocals with just the right touch of richness add a layer of depth and with MTM Classix's remastering job, all the nuances come out as clear as a bell. Along with the recent
Alexa release, it has recieved one of their best efforts in terms of not just restoring the overall sound of the disc, but actually improving it. Sabu never sounded better, a great incentive for those that own the LP to upgrade to the CD-age.
An appreciation for melodic music of the decade is a must when approaching "Heartbreak". It's all about the fluff and puff with a strong catchy vibe that leaves you wishing for sandy beaches, Long Island iced teas and red hot sports cars with the top down. Upbeat to the point of gleeful, it is definitely the 80s wrapped up in one package. That means throwaway filler and all, but this CD is so rare in its original printing that those waiting for this piece of the Sabu puzzle will not care at all.
But don't let that turn you away, for this is one seriously awesome slab of melodic music with a generous slab of hard rock on the side. Songs like the showpiece opener
Angeline use the synthesizer to create a powerful backdrop, yet the guitars are what kill. Sharp and biting, with lots of gang vocals to back them up, it is reminiscent of the heavier moments of Foriegner from the "4" album. That was a classic, and this disc follows in its footsteps at times.
Call of the Wild shines the focus more on the vocals with spritzes and sprays of keys. Then there's the bridge that is pulsating with 80s synth goodness. Chorus-wise the lyrics rely on
"call on the wild...oohhh whoaaa ohhhh" and as cheesy as that seems, somehow it manages to pull it off.
Shake, Rattle, Roll could be Golden Earring's "Radar Love" pulled into the Me-Decade.
Just For the Moment calms things down with a nice smooth midtempo approach.
The title track is a flashback to the powerful melodic rock of
Angeline. Very Foriegner-esque, again. Sabu's vocals even seem to be trying to pull off the Lou Gramm thing and it works for the most part.
Tuff Stuff is a straightforward rock n roller that has alot of
Y&T in its nature. Naughty but oh-so nice. Not masterpiece material but fun music nonetheless.
Breakin' Out is a classic over emotive ballad...or is it? Slamming it down with drama and vocals that lay it down on the line with a Sammy Hagar feel it slinks and slides around, a sense of urgency brewing in the background.
With
New Girl In Town you would think it all comes to an end, but MTM Classix holds up their tradition of giving the buyer some extras to sink their teeth into. You get some great stuff to top off a pretty nice slice of
AOR rock here.
Cassie is reminiscent of Europe's wimpier post-"Wings of Tomorrow" days and has a much lighter, more sensitive touch than anything found on the original ten tracks from "Heartbreak".
Shake It Out just has that 80s sound pulsating through, kind of like New Wave clashed with melodic rock. There is no confusing this with something of the modern variety. Not anything approaching terrific, but a decent piece, especially for a "lost" extra.
Street Angel is another straight up rock song with pounding drums, simmering guitars, a full throttle chorus that is infatuated with a creature of the two long legged variety.
It's all sex and rock n roll with "Heartbreak", oh and a generous helping of
AOR along the way. Keys are in full effect but everything comes together pretty well. It might not always be up to task of keeping up with Foriegner's "4" but Sabu's solo effort offers alot of great songs. Most worth the price of admission is
Angeline and the crankin' title track. Not a perfect disc by any means, there are a handful of songs that are little more than filler, such as Hot Flash, but for those looking for another ride down memory lane, there are few re-releases that deliver as nicely as "Heartbreak". MTM has definitely managed to unearth another quality piece that is worth your time and cash. Is it essential? Likely not, but it sure is alot of fun.
Written by
Alanna Thursday, May 18, 2006
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