Rating:
Genre:
Rock
Release Date: 10/25/1990
There are hints of
girl group pop and more than a hint of
the Rolling Stones, but
The New York Dolls doesn't really sound like anything that came before it. It's
hard rock with a self-conscious wit, a celebration of camp and kitsch that retains a menacing, malevolent edge.
The New York Dolls play as if they can barely keep the music from falling apart and
David Johansen sings and screams like a man possessed.
The New York Dolls is a noisy, reckless album that rocks and rolls with a vengeance.
The Dolls rework old
Chuck Berry and
Stones riffs, playing them with a sloppy, violent glee.
"Personality Crisis," "Looking for a Kiss," and
"Trash" strut with confidence, while
"Vietnamese Baby" and
"Frankenstein" sound otherworldly, working the same frightening drone over and over again.
The New York Dolls is the definitive
proto-punk album, even more than anything
the Stooges released. It plunders history while celebrating it, creating a sleazy urban mythology along the way.
~Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
;)
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