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Life & Arts

Dolls' short career leaves lasting impact

Rockers that inspired the legacy of 'hair metal' too easily forgotten

By Jason Gagnon
The Daily Cougar

In the annals of music history, there are few other bands more criminally overlooked, under-appreciated and altogether disregarded as the New York Dolls. 

They are truly rock 'n' roll's forgotten boys. Even singer David Johansen's laughable stint as Buster Poindexter (remember that song "Hot, Hot, Hot"?) gets more recognition than the five sleazy, flamboyant, cross-dressing dope and sex enthusiasts who left a permanent red lipstick kiss on the face of music. 

They kick-started the New York live music scene of the early 1970s and are responsible for glam, punk and eventually hair metal (in image mostly) -- all forms of music that thrived after their breakup. 

Releasing only two studio albums before self-destructing at the hands of heroin and Malcolm McClaren, the New York Dolls eponymous debut is an essential slab of wax for any fan of rock 'n' roll. 

The songs here are often as outrageous as the band's cheap-hooker-beaten-with-the-ugly-stick look: unapologetic, hedonistic celebrations of sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll with raw, filthy guitar licks. 

In essence, the New York Dolls' sound is just traditional rock music. With its swinging piano background, the opener "Personality Crisis" could be mistaken for a Chuck Berry tune. But the Dolls are at their peak when they get down and dirty on sleazy standouts like "Lookin' for a Kiss" and "Bad Girl." The sexy swagger of legendary junky Johnny Thunders' guitar drives the songs along with Johansen's cocky yowl. 

But the party doesn't run non-stop since it would be pretty easy to overdose on the band's hot shot of pure rock ‘n' roll madness, and the more mellow tunes give the record some nice balance. 

The sweet gloom of "Lonely Planet Boy" (which was the prototype for Thunders' classic "You Can't Put Your Arms Around a Memory") allows the band to show they're capable songwriters and not just a one-note act. "Subway Train" is a lovely doom-and-depression track with some excellent lead work by Thunders as the song carefully builds to a roaring conclusion and ends up being one of the strongest efforts on the album. 

The New York Dolls were only around for a short time, but the impact of their debut record is definitely everlasting.

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