 "New York Dolls 1st Album rocks!" | 2008-09-07 |
| - Reviewed By User: A35L2LI2UUKF4Z |
I'd heard talk about a band from the 70's named New York Dolls, referred to as the seminal punk glam band, also credited as a major influence for Slash and Izzy of Guns N' Roses, one of my favorite bands. I first ordered their 2nd album, "Too Much Too Soon" having never heard any of their music, only knowing of David Johansen as the 80's Buster Poindexter and the cab driver in the movie Scrooged.
After listening to it for a couple of days, I knew I had to have more Dolls! This album, their first, is every bit as good as "Too Much Too Soon". I've heard comments that this one is not as good, but I couldn't disagree more. There's not a track on this album I don't like. "Personality Crisis", "Looking For a Kiss", "Trash", "Subway Train", and "Pills" jumped right out as great rockers, but after listening to the album a few times, the tracks that didn't jump right out to me at first started to get their hooks into me. I found myself singing "Jet Boy" in the shower and humming "Lonely Planet Boy" on the way to work.
This is raw, three to five chord, two guitar, music with blistering quick guitar leads and driving drum beat. The subjects covered by the music range from loneliness to addiction to heartbreak, all the basics of great rock & roll.
I would whole heartedly recommend this album to any New York Dolls fan who doesn't already have it (is that even possible?) or to anyone interested in discovering who the New York Dolls are and how they influenced rock & roll as we know it today. |
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| "Rock in its purest state" | 2008-07-16 |
| - Reviewed By radioactiveman12 |
| Loud, crude, dirty, obnoxious, drug-addled, and cool as hell, the Dolls are the missing link between the Clash, T. Rex and Keith Richards: David Johansen sounds like an American Joe Strummer, but guitarists Johnny Thunders and Sylvain Sylvain crank out the distorted, Chuck Berry-esque riffs that Richards made his career off of. And their songs have titles like "Personality Crisis" and "Lonely Planet Boy" which, along with the album cover, probably say something about their preferences. Anyway, what makes this record really work is the combination of Thunders and Sylvain, who add remarkable riffs ("Vietnamese Baby," "Personality Crisis," "Bad Girl"), and David Johansen, who camps it up memorably and hilariously on several tracks ("Looking for a Kiss," "Private World"). I'm not sure how it works when the group tries stuff other than Stonesy, sleazy hard rock: the acoustic-and-sax "Lonely Planet Boy" isn't exactly a favorite of mine, though it's worth noting that Tom Petty's huge hit "Free Fallin'" is based on those chords. But when they rock, they rock: "Frankenstein" is a dense, loud masterpiece with Keith Richards riffs, pounding piano, pounding piano, high-pitched harmonies, darkly humorous lyrics, and screams; "Trash" is a hilarious '50s rock parody/tribute; and there's even a tempo shift on "Subway Train," something neither the punks nor the Stones did much of. Then there's the frenetic cover of Bo Diddley's pills, which adds a wailing harmonica to the proceedings and adds to the already lovable cacophony. Okay, so it's not the most listenable record in existence. So what? Fans of the proto-punk scene will be glad to know it easily ranks up there with Fun House and Back in the U.S.A. |
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| "MISLEADING" | 2008-07-07 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1DOW62HSLEO0Z |
| I'm a big fan of cool eighties bands like Motley Crue, Warrant, Poison, Disneyland After Dark, Europe etc. I saw this cd by the New York Dolls band from a link. I saw the cover and thought they look wicked cool in their cranked out gear so I checked out the comments and everyone said how cool it was. I bought it and I have to say it is definitely NOT cool. I listened to it. At first I checked the cd cover to see if I got the wrong cd by mistake and got a demo album of the New York Dolls instead. Nope. This was the right cd.The guitar screeched and blared while a bass hiccupped over a drumbeat leading the patient of an insane asylum that screamed and shouted the lyrics. All the songs sound alike too.They all clunk and grind and shunt into each other like a multiple car crash. This is not like any of the cool bands I said at the beginning. It is not like any band. The New York Dolls band is misleading. They are not from New York. They are from Mars. |
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 "required" | 2008-06-20 |
| - Reviewed By chrismacdermott |
I hardly listen to this album anymore because I've kind of worn it out, but it's an alltime classic. If you don't have it already, get it pronto!
Check out Mighty High...In Drug City |
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| "Must-Buy" | 2008-05-27 |
| - Reviewed By User: AOJCKDZXKJZZD |
| Only after the passage of time can one determine whether or not an LP is a classic. Well, time has been awfully good to the New York Dolls as both of their official LPs have more than held up on the test of time. Their first LP is a confident sounding release chock full of good rockin' catchy tunes. The band plays with a sense of wild abandon that is infectious. David Johansen's werewolf-in-heat vocals ride atop a heavy kinetic surge of cross-firing guitars, bass and drums. This is an LP that can't be missed and should be a part of your CD collection if you have an insatiable taste for classic garage/punk rock. |
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| "rock and roll" | 2008-03-15 |
| - Reviewed By User: A3R8IAEVIYU633 |
| The genesis of punk rock. If you don't own this album I question your sanity, really it's that good. |
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| "New York Dolls" | 2008-03-08 |
| - Reviewed By mortonsguitar |
New York Dolls *****
Easily one of the all time greatest rock n' roll albums and bands, not to mention one of the most influential albums of all time. The New York Dolls came on like culture shock on high. The mixture of raw, raunchy, true-blue rock n' roll and drag was just more then some could take. Concidered by many to be one of the main precurcers of punk along with The Stooges, The MC5, and The Velvet Underground among a few others, and this is not far concidering the attitude, the fast, sharp delivery, JoHansens vocals, and well Johnny Thunders. But when it comes down to it, the Dolls are just a really great rock band and this is their self-titled debut album.
The model like David JoHansen handling vocals, the silent Arthur Kane lending some bass, JT soulmate Jerry Nolen on drums, the fantastic showmen that is Sylvain Sylvain on guitar, and of course Johhny Thunders (JT) on lead guitar. With a line up like that you just can not go wrong. The writing team of Thunders and JoHansen brought us such classics as the bands signature 'Personality Crisis' as well as 'Bad Girl,' 'Subway Train' which JT would later redue, and the live favorites 'Private World' and 'Jet Boy.' Sylvain also lent writing credits to such classic as 'Frankenstien' and the anti-smack song 'Trash' which is among the bands best songs. 'Looking For A Kiss' 'Vietnamese Baby' and 'Lonely Planet Boy' were all penned by JoHansen. Plus the one cover 'Pills' which the Dolls made their own. These are the songs that fill up the majority of the bands set list in concert and are the songs that they are known for more then they songs on their second album, Too Much Too Fast, and later with a second lineup.
Growing up very much in love with the sounds of sixties girl-groups, especially those produced by the crazy, yet brilliant Phil Speckter and basic three minute don't-bore-us-get-us-to-the-chorus rock n' roll the New York Dolls tried to fuse the two into one and as a result we have one of the most important albums of all time influencing everyone from David Bowie to Sid Vicous to Aerosmith to just about every late 1980's band to come out of L.A. This is very much one of the greatest albums of all time, and is one album that desearves to be in EVERYONES collection. |
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| "Killer Androgeny!" | 2008-02-03 |
| - Reviewed By freedombash |
| I don't care whether you call it punk or glam or just plain old rock n' roll, New York Dolls's self titled album is thoroughly fun and enjoyable! From punk rockers like "Personality Crisis," to hard rock like "Frankenstein," to the oldies vibe on "Lonely Planet Boy," this is just a great album chock full of non-stop rock n' roll. |
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| "Nevermind the corporate sisses" | 2007-07-31 |
| - Reviewed By onceuponatimecraig |
"[T]hey're not very good players and that bloke can't sing" - Mick Jagger, Creem, August '74.
A mascaraed Frankenstein, this: Back In The USA w/o the chops; Exile On Main Street w/o the soul - pumping up Stooges' slouch, anticipating Ramones raunch. Cruddy sublime fun, the eternal bar band on Route 66. Like the Pistols, the Dolls' liabilities and limitations ARE their hippest attributes. There IS a reason everyone Hail Mary's this album! "Personality Crisis," "Trash," "Pills" and "Private World" are nothing short of Chuck Berry.
And the much maligned production? Hey, considering "The Locomotion," it coulda been a WHOLE lot worse!
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| "thanks, new york dolls." | 2007-04-12 |
| - Reviewed By catrinka@citilink.com |
| i had just lost my little boy, my husband of 19 years had recently left me for a woman 22 years my junior, and i had a horrible rash all up and down my left side. i was DEPRESSED! i wasn't the old me anymore. kicked by life one too many times, if you know what i mean. then i heard this album. and suddenly i wanted to wear lipstick again. i wanted to put on lipstick and go out dancing. i was back! thanks, new york dolls. |
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