New York Dolls - One Day It Will Please Us to Remember Even This
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Free Music Notes for One Day It Will Please Us to Remember Even This
Free Music Review: What to do with the Unexpected
Hit: 4 Stars
When I heard the New York Dolls were coming out with a new album, a seasonal dream-like sequence developed. For me, the Dolls are a beloved thing, and the prospect of an addition to their portfolio conjured up a haze of intrigue, wonder and concern.
Configured centrally in this most wonderful of dilemmas was the passage of time. As the forthcoming album drew near, I had no firm guess as to what it would possibly be like.
Try as I may to foretell or forewarn, any instinctual proneness was completely vacant.
I thought they were maybe putting themselves in a little-win situation because even if the album turned out well, there was just no way it could sound that much like their previous efforts.
As I listened through for the first time, the experience wasn't necessarily this, like, ultimate experience as their first two cd's are. It was probably the most bizarre time I've had listening to a cd for the first time, mainly because of the inability to have surmised at all what I was in for, in comparison to what had been.
Even after listening to it a lot by now, it's still weird in that it's very different than their earlier music (even though I knew it would be) that the whole experience reminds me that there's nothing you can do about the takings and givings of time.
However you want to look at the new studio results, it's good and does a pretty good job of coming across Dollish (except at obvious points) even if in quite different ways than the originals. There really isn't even a hint of tunes like 'Personality Crisis' or 'Human Being' and while that is disappointing, that was 32 years ago and David Johansen's smoked a lot of cigarettes since then.
With the circumstances surrounding the band as is, I think they came through well enough, but with some question marks. Why didn't 'Beauty School' (which you hear about 30 seconds of on the dvd) make the edit. That tune sounds sweet and would have joined a number of other songs on the album that I would expect from a band calling themselves the New York Dolls.
Meantime, 'Dancing on the Lip of a Volcano' and 'I Ain't Got Nothing,' should have easily been left off the album. The lyrics in these two songs are good but the music is boring and surprisingly tame. I guess there are more Buster Poindexter/Harry Smith similarities here than I thought there would be.
Because there are several songs that I'm wondering about, this greatly separates the feel of this disk with that of their two others, both in which the songs run together so completely that it's amusing, and those records are more consistently wildly fun.
Also, 'before,' the Dolls parodied the Rolling Stones in a way that upped them in such a sophisticated, dumb way. What's curious now is that there are times when they appear to be acting intently just like them, most notably on 'Beast of Burden,' I mean 'Take a Good Look at My Good Looks.'
There are more times than not when the music unexplainably cooks, and this time around the guitars sound like they were purchased from a music store rather than as castaway finds off of a pirate ship.
With as many as 13 songs, it's hard to keep a strong, tight vibe throughout. 'Gotta Get Away From Tommy' and 'Gimmee Luv and Turn on the Lights' are two good songs to use in attempts to more specifically explain away the album.
They're both great songs, the former is about as foolishly cool and fun a rock n' roll song can get while the latter is messily perfected blues-rock R & B. There are more songs geared towards the spirit of 'Gimmee Luv' than 'Tommy' and I wish it was the other way around. Tunes like 'Rainbow Store,' 'Dance Like A Monkey,' and 'Runnin' Around' coincide well with the vibe of 'Tommy' and I would prefer this more goofy side of the record be more dominant than the other. But hard-nosed blues-based rock n' roll is still great; I just think the less obviously bluesy the blues-based New York Dolls are, the more 'right on' their music sounds for them.
For those who really like the New York Dolls, it will be interesting to see how they respond to this record. I'm grateful for the effort and think there is some great fun to be had for the most part. The existence of this album in my car will remain dreamy, bizarre and good for a very long time.
Free Music Review: One Day It Will Please Us To Remember Even This
Hit: 4 Stars
New York Dolls-One Day It Will Please Us To Remember Even This ****½
Released in 2006, almost 35 years after their last album, which was only the bands second album. Both of those albums, New York Dolls, Too Much To Soon went on to become classics. This, One Day It Will Please Us To Remember Even This isn't far off from those two. True, this is not the original line up of the Dolls. Obviously Johnny Thunders and Jerry Nolen have died, and honestly I am not too sure what happened to Arthur Kane, whether he is alive or dead is a mystery to me and most fans I think. But what is important here is not who is playing it but what they are playing, besides there is still Johanson and Sylvain. Plus they brought in members of The Libertines, a great British punk band, and members of early 1980's glam band Hanoi Rocks, so it is a pretty solid line up of musicians.
Most of the songs on the album have gone on to dominate most of the bands set list. From the sentimental opener `We're All In Love' and the oh-so-true-to-every-musicians-heart, `Plenty Of Music' and the Michael Stipe guest filled `Dancing On The Lip Of A Volcano.' All beautiful songs which the band has worked into their set along with the punky-funk fun of `Dance Like A Monkey' which evokes memories of `Stranded In The Jungle' off Too Much Too Soon. The hard rocking `Gotta Get Away From Tommy' has also worked it's was in reminding us all why the Dolls are considered one of the very first punk bands. The wonderful rocking love songs of `Rainbow Store' and the sassy yet classic Sylvain/JoHansen `Fishnets And Cigarettes' are both among the best songs that the two have ever written together or on their own solo career.
The rest of the songs on the album haven't made it to the bands live set but that doesn't mean they are any less good. `Gimme Luv & And Turn On The Light' features Iggy Pop on backing vocals which is super cool, and comes across wonderful. It was sort of like a class reuinion for the founding fathers of punk. `Maimed Happiness' plays like a 1950's fountain shop ballad with some of JoHansens most enduring lyrics ever. While `Maimed' is slow and subdued, "Runnin' Around is a rockin' blues number, and one of the better tracks on the album.
The extended album comes with a bonus track `Seventeen' written by David Johansen and Sylvain Sylvain as a sort of tribute to one of their idols Bo Diddley, who is also one of the greatest and most important guitarists in the history of the instrument and in all of rock n' roll. It is a great song and a nice little gem to pull out every once in a while. Also with the album comes a bonus dvd of the band recording the album which is extremely cool! This extended version costs a few dollars more but it is more then worth the price of the album.
One Day It Will Please Us To Remember Even This is a great rock n' roll album. While it may not be the classic the bands debut was or a strong as Too Much Too Soon it is still a damn fine album, and easily one of the best rock albums to come along in the last twenty years. Even though it is only David and Sylvain it is still worth owning and I am just glad that the two are both playing together again. Before I end the review I feel I must note that both Sylvain and David's solo work is worth checking out.
Free Music Review: The Latest New York Dolls Take Their Place
Hit: 4 Stars
The New York Dolls return with their first new studio LP in years and it's a good thing. Founding members David Johansen and Sylvain Sylvain are joined by capable rockers, guitarist Steve Conte, ex-Hanoi Rocks bassist Sami Yaffa, drummer Brian Delaney and keyboardist Brian Koonin. After a year of touring, all are in top form and ready to blister your ears with some real rock n' roll. The strength of this release is illustrated by the fact that many of the tracks here have already become solid live selections, mixing well with tried-and-true Dolls favorites.
What makes this record so good? It rocks and it's fun. Johansen and company approach rock n' roll with buckets of good humor, twisted grins, and a healthy sense of their own good fortune. The original glam-rock/punk kids, the Dolls (old and new) have always grabbed happily from the rock n' roll tree; from `50s shuffles to soaring `60s girl group harmonies, from slithering Philadelphia soul to down-and-dirty R&B stomps, the New York Dolls giddily steal all the best parts and make them their own. Does this LP capture the old Dolls' joyful chaos of "Personality Crisis", "Trash", "Babylon", "Puss n' Boots", "Human Being" and "Chatterbox"? Some yes and some no, but that's okay because the boys are older now and One Day It Will Please Us... reflects that fact. The production is better, the players more confident, and the minds a little sharper. But don't fret: the joyful swagger remains and the twisted hits keep coming. One Day It Will Please Us... opens with "We're All in Love", a tune with an infectious chorus you'll be humming all day. Both "Runnin' Around" and "Take a Good Look at my Good Looks" have Rolling Stones-like rollick, and "Dance Like a Monkey" will have you doing exactly that, complete with Johansen-patented whistles and cries that recall "There's Gonna Be a Showdown" and "Stranded in the Jungle". Moments of reflective R&B come via "Plenty of Music", "Maimed Happiness", and "I Ain't Got Nothin'". Driving rock is well represented with "Punishing World" and "Gimme Love & Turn on the Light". Two of my favorite tunes from this CD are "Fishnets and Cigarettes" and "Gotta Get Away from Tommy", both top-notch Dolls rockers. REM's Michael Stipe makes an appearance on "Dancing on the Lip of a Volcano", and Iggy Pop joins in on "Gimme Love". Critics seem to dig "Volcano" and the bouncy "Rainbow Store", but I don't know why when the disc offers plenty of stronger material than those two tracks. Oh, and there are 14 songs on this release, not 13, with hidden track "Seventeen" at the end.
Jive piano, jangly guitars, rapid-fire drumming, irony-laden lyrics, a little harmonica, doo-wop choruses and plenty of attitude - it all makes for good fun, rock n' roll that will live long past this current summer. A bonus "Making of the Album" DVD generously illustrates how they work together and why we love them. Put One Day It Will Please Us... next to your other New York Dolls CDs. It belongs.
Free Music Review: An album with a big, loud, beautiful, rock and roll heart
Hit: 4 Stars
More than 30 years after imploding, or petering out, or whatever it was they did at the end of the line, here is a new album by the New York Dolls. Its very existence is remarkable. Of course, this is not the same Dolls of yore: Johnny, Arthur, Jerry, and Billy are gone. Some reviewers have said this should have been called a David Johannsen solo record. Fair enough, but if David and Syl want to call it a Dolls record they have earned the right. So what about the music? Loud, sweet, fun, nostalgic, you can practically hear David smiling through this one. The menace and shock of the original incarnation is long gone, replaced by the graceful joy of being a rock and roll survivor. This is an album with its heart on its sleeve: a joyous celebration of great, fun, rock and roll. David's lyrics are unlike anything in rock and roll today: funny, wistful, and wise, all delivered in a mellower version of the low-voiced bray of "Babylon" and "Personality Crisis." Is there anyone else currently recording that could deliver the words of "Dance Like Monkey?" He is poking fun at a pretty young creationist, but never results to sarcasm or bad manners, but instead invites her along for the party. He seems bemused: what other current pop singer can pull off bemusement? The band rocks with a big, beautiful directness throughout: no one is trying to imitate Johnny Thunders' patented barbed-wire guitar sound, but instead blast out a rainbow of tight, hard, rock and roll. Okay, the rainbow line might be corny, but it is the Dolls we are discussing: a band that always had flash and color to spare. Did I say "had?" Get this record and you will see that they still "have" the spirit of rock and roll in spades.Free Music Review: It's good to hear from David and Sylvain again!
Hit: 4 Stars
Lets be honest, this ain't the dolls of 30+ years ago. But NO ONE could have/should have expected that! What you should expect is David, Sylvain and the Cats (as David calls them) rock, hard, and roll out a wonderful collection of songs! My personal favorite is "Dancing on the Edge of a Volcano." What fun!
There are many 70's acts who have recently re-formed, including Todd Rundgren fronting a few of the guys from The Cars and Alex Chilton and a couple of guys from The Pixies calling themselves Big Star. The novelty of these two groups mentioned is seeing the front men and nothing else. Certainly not the MUSIC/SONGS.
Unlike Rundgren (whom I worship) and The Cars with their tired re-tread or even my beloved Alex Chilton and the "new" Big Star record of a few years ago David and The Dolls actually have something musically valid to say.
If you are a hard core Doll fan you may not like this record, I don't know...but if you're like me and see JoHanson as more than a cross dressing Mick clone then I think you'll love it. And if you're just discovering the beauty of The Dolls then this is not a bad place to start!