Walking Out On Love: The Lost Sessions

Alive Records continues to please garage, punk and power-pop fans with the release of digitally re-mastered recordings by the Breakaways, another flash of brilliance headed by Paul Collins (the Beat) and Peter Case (the Plimsouls). Before Case and Collins formed their respective bands, and after the demise of the groundbreaking Nerves, the duo spent a year in L.A. trying to sculpt the perfect power-pop band out of a variety of musicians and material. The songs here — demos, rehearsal sessions, etc. — pulse with the enormous talent of these two mavericks, each undoubtedly struggling for leadership. They never released a record or toured, but it’s clear from future Beat and Plimsouls tracks (“I Don’t Fit In,” “Walking Out On Love,” and “USA” for the former, “Everyday Things,” the latter), to raucous and raw Breakaways originals like “Radio Station,” “Little Suzy” and “Will You Come Through,” that the duo had a golden touch. Melding new punk energy with a vintage, Everlys-meets-British Invasion sensibility was sheer genius; precious few bands have rivaled the artistry of the Collins/Case partnership since then.