Sorrows – Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow
When I last saw Bobby Waxman (or Bobby Dee as he was known back then), he was living the suburban life as a salesman in central NJ. Paddy Lorenzo was giving guitar lessons. Their attempted return to music in the mid 90’s never took hold. But that’s a story for another day.
Waxman, Arthur Alexander and Lorenzo (also living in Jersey as I recall) were 3/4 of a pretty good power pop band called The Poppees. The Poppees were known for having signed with Sire Records around the same time as Talking Heads and The Ramones. They put out a couple of decent singles, one of which I still have somewhere around here.
Post Poppees Plans
After the demise of the band, Alexander would take them in a different direction without Bobby and Paddy. The new band, Sorrows, had a bit more of a punk influence but maintained many of the characteristics that one would equate with power pop. Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow is their third album, originally recorded in 1981. Thankfully, it has finally been released by Big Stir Records.
With the opening track, “Never Mind”, the band gives us an early Beatles vibe with a punk attitude. It’s tuneful and highly enjoyable. The bouncy (and wonderful) “Out of My Head” takes a similar approach with the highlight being Alexander’s expressive vocal delivery.
Punk, Pop or Rockabilly
A great rockabilly song is as exhilarating as any power pop tune. So when I heard “Let Me Know”, imagine my delight. It rocks as hard and anything I’ve heard in quite a while. Speaking of rockabilly, there’s a great cover of Eddie Cochran’s “Something Else” toward the end of the record. Don’t miss it. It’s killer. And the rockabilly tinged “That’s Your Problem” is red hot. It moves at a Jason & The Scorchers type pace. I think it may be my favorite track of 2025 thus far.
Get Your Copy of Sorrows’ Parting
The Sorrow’s Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow might have had a real impact had it been released back in ’81. These guys were quite obviously at the top of their game. Arthur Alexander should be a household name. But as luck would have it, he isn’t. Thanks to Big Stir for shining the light of day on this release. Get your copy at the Big Stir Bandcamp page. NOW.
