New York Dolls
“One Day It Will Please Us To Remember Even This”
ROAD RUNNER RECORDS
(Out Of 5)
After 30 years, a revamped lineup of the New York Dolls has released a third studio album, “One Day It Will Please Us To Remember Even This,” an effort that puts to rest omnipresent accusations of the band’s poor musicianship but fails to capture the attitude that made the Dolls icons.
The new New York Dolls, born out of a reunion at London’s Meltdown Festival in 2004, features only two original members – singer David Johansen and guitarist Sylvain Sylvain.
Johansen’s vocals aren’t as high-pitched as they used to be and there isn’t much in the way of shock value, but the group – a self-proclaimed “dancing, singing work of art” – has come out with a solid album of vintage rock.
With the exception of two ballads, most of the album is straight-ahead three-chord rock ’n’ roll, heavy on harmonica and shout-along choruses.
Lyrically ranging from the serious to the absurd, “Dance Like A Monkey” addresses the evolutionist/creationist battle but avoids getting bogged down in philosophy – Johansen tells us to “Stomp your hands / And clap your feet,” snatching its opening riff from Iggy Pop’s “Lust for Life.”
Pop makes a guest appearance on the vocals of “Gimme Luv & Turn on the Light,” the closest the album gets to punk, though the song is driven more by Johansen’s blues harmonica than pounding percussion.
However, there is something missing from the album. Perhaps the anarchy of punk rock or the decadence of hair metal has made us jaded, but this album doesn’t have the edginess of the ’70s albums. The I-may-wear-makeup-but-I’ll-still-cut-you attitude of original guitarist Johnny Thunders has been replaced with the Day-Glo cartooniness of aging glam punks who require more wrinkle cream than eyeliner.
Poppy, punky – call it what you like, “One Day” is fun and catchy rock ’n’ roll. But it was never the music that made the Dolls famous: It was the attitude.