New York Dolls is a seminal punk rock band and their 1973 self-titled debut laid the groundwork for bands like The Clash, Ramones, and Sex Pistols to send punk rock into the stratosphere later in the decade. Borrowing elements from glam rock (if the cover art featuring the entire band dressed in drag didn’t give it away), New York Dolls celebrated subculture and shock value during a period of American history where homophobia was prevalent and music production was becoming more considerate of commercial viability. New York Dolls attempted to turn all of that on its head, and while it was critically celebrated but struggled to sell, its campy sensibilities and focus on themes of isolation and urban night life became bedrocks for the punk rock bands that would follow.
The recording of the album followed those punk ideals– it was recorded on a shoestring budget of $17,000 in a mere eight days, and comprised of songs that the band selected simply because they were well-received at their raucous live shows. At one point during the frantic recording sessions, famed producer Todd Rundgren yelled at the band to “get the glitter out of your asses and play!” when the band wasn’t taking the session seriously. An example– when recording “Personality Crisis” lead singer David Johansen famously went into the control room and unironically asked Rundgren if his vocals “sounded ludicrous enough”. If that doesn’t perfectly summarize the band’s laissez-faire approach (and their appeal) I don’t know what else does.
The results spoke for themselves. New York Dolls is a racuous rock and roll record that captured the essence of punk rock in both spirit and style, setting an aesthetic in motion that still reverberates to this day.
Standout Songs: “Personality Crisis”, “Trash”, “Pills”
