New York Dolls- S/T LP

When the New York Dolls released their debut album in 1973, they managed to be named both "Best New Band" and "Worst Band" in Creem Magazine's annual reader's poll, and it usually takes something special to polarize an audience like that. While New York Dolls clearly came from a very specific time and place, this album still sounds fresh and hasn't dated in the least - this is one of rock's greatest debut albums, and a raucous statement of purpose that's still bold and thoroughly engaging. The New York Dolls formed in New York City in 1971. Along with the Velvet Underground and the Stooges, they were one of the first bands of the early punk rock scenes. Although their original line-up fell apart quickly, the band's first two albums-New York Dolls (1973) and Too Much Too Soon (1974)-became among the most popular cult records in rock.

• 1 Personality Crisis 3:41
• 2 Looking for a Kiss 3:18
• 3 Vietnamese Baby 3:38
• 4 Lonely Planet Boy 4:08
• 5 Frankenstein 5:58
• 6 Trash 3:08
• 7 Bad Girl 3:03
• 8 Subway Train 4:20
• 9 Pills 2:47
• 10 Private World 3:38
• 11 Jet Boy 4:40

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 vengance. 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 was 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