Reviews (page 3 of 8)
One of the most important glam rock bands ever, despite their small discography and lack of big success. While they may not have brought anything new to the musical table, their impact on the style of the entire 1980s metal scene makes it pretty irrelevant.
2.8/5
okay, niet geweldig
I understand why they were important in the grand punk scheme of things, but there's a reason why they don't get mentioned in the same hushed tones as some of the British punk bands, or later American ones. They just didn't have the tunes.
wow, this did absolutely nothing to me. except maybe causing overwhelming boredom.
Just another below average anglo rock band I didn't need to hear. I wonder if there's a Turkish rock band that's created something better, as it couldn't be that hard.
They give me Rolling Stones vibes. Average album. Didn't knew the group.
I dig the vibe and band aesthetic, and the band themselves are putting in good enough work. Damn that guy can't sing though. It's not grating, but it's that screaming-in-your-speaking-voice-near-the-note type deal that I can't get with often. It's not an all out scream, just near it. But not near a note value. I wouldn't call it dad/yacht/easy rock which is often a lot softer in texture, it's more like a glam psuedo-punk. That's getting specific, but really it's pretty basic rock that'd be the precursor for similar acts through the 70s and 80s. Kiss and Sex Pistols, etc. I dunno. It's alright. Lot of the songs are quite samey. I like Private World. Goddamn there is a lot of classic rock on this list.
Good old rock n roll. Still the best genre, very hard to go wrong. This reminds me a bit of the Stones, but with a bit more of a punk edge.
Front loaded asf. Just feels like a bunch of songs with no real connection whatsoever.
This is #day586 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… here's to another seminal proto-punk, aka glam punk, record from the early '70s. Because this is where it all starts, right? I mean, look at these gals on the cover. Pretty shocking for the time. I've always loved that pink lipstick against the grainy grey background. On the flipside, I'm not a huge fan of the vocals; they kind of sound a little like KISS to me. Otherwise, this is as punk as it can get. I'm giving it a 4 out of 5. Looking forward to #day587.
Like the raunchy honk tonk era rolling stones with the gain turned way up, performed on speed and in high heels. This is the raw spirit of rock and roll delivered as a glammed up mess, it's full of swagger and snarl. Makes for a pretty clear stepping stone between Little Richard and Johnny Rotten. Big dumb debauched fun.
Ni fu ni fa. Puedo entender que hayan sido unos adelantados para la época, ejerciendo una influencia cultural y musical como precursores del punk rock, pero no siento que este álbum sea nada impresionante... Igualmente, me gustó. ↑: Personality Crisis, Vietnamese Baby, Frankenstein, Jet Boy ↓: Lonely Planet Boy, Bad Girl
It lies in the very nature of punk, garage, and rock ’n’ roll that every generation produces (and requires) its own heroes. Punk-adjacent guitar music - if we think of it more as an attitude toward making music than a strict genre - is immediate. Its relevance is like a meteorite: moving fast and fiercely, only to burn out in an instant, not seldom accompanied by the early demise of its protagonists. So it makes perfect sense to me that, for a long time, I only listened to the derivatives of the derivatives of the primal punk scream of the New York Dolls without really cherishing the “originals.” For a punk band; or their records; to become part of your DNA, you usually have to be there when it happens. That’s why I tend to see the self-titled debut of the New York Dolls as some kind of artefact… more of a holy grail than a record to spin when I’m angry, or when I want to remind myself of my careless, angsty youth. But that’s not to say the album isn’t impeccable. Because, well, it is. What’s remarkable is how its influence still lingers, continuously reincarnating itself in new circles again and again. If you like punk-based music, then - even if you’ve never consciously listened to the New York Dolls - you’ve heard them. Or rather: you’ve heard their ghosts in the strings of your favourite New York punk band. It won’t take long to figure out why that’s the case. Simply put, it’s because “The New York Dolls” f@*#ing rips! It’s at its best when the band fully succumbs to rawness and lets its unfiltered emotions soar.
I understand why this album was important but it’s not for me.
At last , one I would actually listen to again .
Pas un mauvais album de hard rock, pas un super album non plus. C'est très attendu, aucune chanson ne nous surprend. Bien sûr, ça s'écoute et on passe pas un mauvais moment, mais je n'ai pas spécialement envie de faire une écoute active de cet album, plutôt en fond sonore. Note : 3 À réécouter : Oui
Je vois l'idée mais c'est mal exécuté, ça manque d'intensité, de panache
could be better but most of the time i like my punk not proto 3.5/5
First and only time I'll bother listening to this one. Not my jam. Too aggressive and obnoxious.
I've used the phrase, "you probably had to be there" several times while commenting on these albums, and I'm going to apply it again for this one but with a slight adjustment - see if you can spot it: You DEFINITELY had to be there. I'm pretty certain that if I was fourteen in 1973 and living in a gloomy suburban housing estate, peering out of the window into the misty, grey, rainy, horizon, and Personality Crisis or Trash came on the transistor radio, it might very well have been a life-changing moment. They're the missing link between the Stones and punk - there's a lot of mould-busting energy in this record, and I bet they were great to see live in the early days. I get that they were a precursor for punk, and loads of the indie/alternative bands that I grew up with, but they're probably also responsible for an awful lot of poodle rock guff that should not be allowed to exist. I'm ultimately glad this record is out there and that it had the impact it did - it's just not for me.
This came at just the right moment. It's not big and probably not clever but a great fun slice of dirty rock n roll. Personality Crisis and Looking for a Kiss are great dollops of sleazy fun which are I was already familiar to me. Trash is a surprise new favourite.
The cover is pretty 70's punk Rock.
Solid album, I don’t know that I’ve actually ever listened to the New York dolls, but I noticed their influence that they have on many punk bands that I have listened to 3.5 stars
I think the first 2 tracks were the strongest, and I would need to revist to get a clearer opinion. For now its a solid 3.
Glam-jams with the hammiest personality ever
I already liked this record. Incredible and raw piece of influential rock. Fun and sleazy.
I perhaps don’t love it quite as much as I want to, but I still think it’s pretty great. There’s really not a bum song, but “Personality Crisis”, “Lonely Planet Boy”, “Trash”, “Subway Train”, “Pills”, and “Jet Boy” are favorites in particular. 4/5
Some solid punk
Fun album.
Some kind of midway point between The Rolling Stones and I dunno, The Clash, kinda. It’s actually crazy how much they exude a punk sound and image years before punk “started.” I dig the drag element. Gotta say, though, in general the songs are pretty typical and basic 70s constructions. As a listen it just feels mostly familiar for anyone familiar with 70s rock at all. So I guess I admire it more than I enjoy it.
Not my thing. It’s very loud!
First thought: Is this just Kiss? Jet Boy! Wow didn't expect to hear a familiar song on this album but this was a nice surprise to finish on. Overall I enjoyed the music and vibes.
not a great lifespan track record for these guys, huh? I guess I can appreciate the foundations and paths these guys set for future rock / punk but my comments still stand on not liking early or current punk rock. The first songs off the album didn't set up me on the right foot, either.
How I imagine every Rolling Stones record before I actually listen to it. 1.5 I understand that one is supposed to hear this album as a crucial forerunner of punk rock, and, granted, there is something obnoxious going on beyond the band merely being bad at their instruments. Two days after Beggars Banquet though, I really struggled to hear the New York Dolls as anything but a shit Rolling Stones. The songs themselves were exhausting. If there’s innovation here it is in the art of making 3 minutes seem like 10. I shouldn’t single anyone out because a record this bad is always the result of a team effort but the drummer here might be the worst we’ve encountered yet on this list. 1/5
Rockin glam Personality crisis Lonely planet boy Trash
I didn't think I'd like this but it actually worked really well. I don't really get punk - it just sounds too deliberately raw. But this was raw without being over the top.
Certainty one of the albums of all time.
Big city Barbies?
Its good fun. I had heard Personality Crisis and Jet Boy before. That said other bands do similar things but with a bit more depth. If I want a bit more menace and edge I can listen to the Stooges or if I want greater songwriting skill but with the same sort of teetering on the edge of collapse energy there's the Replacements for that. Nearly a four but not quite.
didnt finish, im sure they are worth listening to but the general sound felt overplayed
Ihan ok. Ei herätä suuria tunteita
#288/1001. Basic sleazy punky rock and roll. It sounds like they could have improved the sound and the imact with better production but disn’t want to do it. There is a story by the Finnish bass player Sami Yaffa: as the band was reunited somewhere in the 2006 or so, in the beginning practised a lot, and when went to do some gigs in Japan the singer David Johansen looked worried. It wasn't that the band played bad, in fact the opposite: "no more practice!" was the verdict. Ugly and raw, not for me.
gostosineo :DD
Groupe inconnu. Rock assez dynamique mais peu original. Pas désagréable (+1), mais rien ne me donne envie d'y retourner. =>2/5
This was pure fun! I would have loved to see this band live back in the 70s. I'm a fan of the mix of proto-punk and glam rock, so this hit all the right marks for me.
Enjoyable
Early proto-punk-glam-rock isn't my thing. I'm sure there's some out there that will love this though.
Skvelý album. Vo svojej dobe to muselo byť veľké.
Excellent punk.
Nyy joorkin nuket ei kyllä osunut. Rokkenrollia joka ei sellasenaan himoituta.
New York Dolls entuudestaan jokseenkin tuttu (Personality Crisis), mutta nyt kun levyä kuunteli ajatuksella niin aika moni biisi sulautu samaksi massaksi. Ei ihan sitä 70's rockia mitä yleensä tykkää kuunnella, mut eipä tästä levystä jäänyt soittolistalle mukaan kuin yks tai kaks biisiä. 3/5.
Perus rokkia ja rollia. Ilmeisesti tämäkin joku massiivinen vaikuttaja nykyrockin ja punk rockin yms. syntyyn. Itseä ei oikein säväyttänyt, kun ilman kontekstia on hankala päästä muuhun tuntumaan, kuin perus rokkia joka ei oikein säväytä suuntaan tai toiseen.
High energy transformed rock ‘n’ roll into something more gritty and dirty setting up foundation for punk to come songs are super catchy David Johansson‘s voice is so great and there’s sex sex sex thrown all over this album one of the greats. I agree that everyone should hear this album before they die OK thank you bye
convincing drag with the lipstick writing. pink really pops against the bw photography. solid cover really enjoyed it. rips and surprisingly groovy
This was a fun entry. Punky, peppy and the sound (if not content) of the vocals felt Nick Cave / TFS adjacent. Probably quite impactful at the time of coming out, though for me now it’s just some decent stuff to bop along to without setting my world alight.
It's interesting as actually blends a few styles here. "Lonely Planet Boy" has no resemblance to typical punk rock yet others are not too dissimilar to say the Sex Pistols or similar. I do like this variation as ultimately you're getting a gritty experience which is what you expect from punk. Yes its a bit glitzy at times but on balance it has the desired gruff effect. Quite a revolutionary thing for the time and enjoy listing to this. I am conflicted on the scores as was between 3/4. Bottom line for me is this does inject a genuine punk energy and for that it should be commended.
Some cool sounding proto-punk which had me nodding my head all the way through. Perhaps more noteworthy on release, it felt like this wasn't giving me anything I haven't heard plenty of times before. It is a fairly standard musical offering and some pretty repetitive lyrics. All that being said,I enjoy the genre and I enjoyed the listen.
This is a lot of fun, but I don't know if I'd ever voluntarily listen to it again. It reminds me of a SAHB knockoff. Private World is my favorite, but the album cover is the star of this album.
★★★½
Based on my research, here is an in-depth review of the **New York Dolls**' self-titled debut album, released in 1973. --- ## Overview The New York Dolls' debut stands as one of the most influential records in rock history—a raw, swaggering bridge between glam rock's theatricality and punk rock's nihilistic energy. Produced by Todd Rundgren and released on Mercury Records, the album captured a band that was simultaneously celebrating rock 'n' roll's past while destroying its future. --- ## Lyrics David Johansen served as the primary lyricist, crafting street-poetry that blended teenage romance tropes with gritty urban reality. The lyrics operate in a fascinating tension between innocence and corruption—what one critic described as "if the lyrics in *Grease* had been re-written by Bukowski" . **Key thematic elements:** - **Teen alienation and identity crisis**: The opener "Personality Crisis" establishes the album's psychological terrain, exploring neuroses and the desire for authenticity ("You got it while it was hot / But now frustration and heartache is what you got") . - **Urban decay and romance**: "Trash" presents a complex relationship dynamic using knife imagery as both threat and protection, exploring same-sex attraction with lines like "Please don't you ask me if I love you / 'Cause I don't know if I do" . - **Social commentary**: "Vietnamese Baby" stands out as surprisingly political, connecting personal impotence with imperial failure ("I'm talking about your overkill / Now that it's over, what ya gonna do?"). This track anticipated the socially-conscious punk that would emerge from Britain in 1977 . - **New York as character**: "Frankenstein (Orig.)" personifies Manhattan as Mary Shelley's monster—a "love song" about how kids arrive from outer boroughs "like whipped dogs," their "bodies and brains disoriented from each other" . - **Drug culture**: "Looking for a Kiss" contains the devastating line "Your friends all come to your house to shoot up in your room," grounding teenage romance narratives in the heroin epidemic engulfing the city . Johansen's lyrics are colloquial, ambiguous, and packed with internal rhymes and street vernacular. They reject the poetic pretensions of singer-songwriters in favor of a raw, conversational immediacy. --- ## Music & Performance The New York Dolls created what many consider the prototype for punk rock's musical vocabulary: **Guitar work**: Johnny Thunders and Sylvain Sylvain forged a "twin-guitar attack" that was sloppy, chaotic, and electrifying. Thunders' guitar sound—described as "chainsaw buzz"—would directly influence the Ramones' sonic palette . His solos were reckless, emotional, and technically imperfect in ways that became punk hallmarks. **Rhythm section**: Arthur "Killer" Kane's bass and Jerry Nolan's drums (replacing the deceased Billy Murcia) provided a loose, swaggering foundation. Nolan's tempo was notoriously unreliable, adding to the chaotic energy . **Vocals**: Johansen's delivery drew comparisons to Mick Jagger—sneering, theatrical, and sexually charged. His harmonica work on tracks like "Pills" reinforced the Stones comparison, though the Dolls' aggression was distinctly their own . **Song structures**: The band favored simple chord progressions, stop-time passages, and anthemic choruses. Tracks like "Personality Crisis" and "Jet Boy" feature the kind of big, singalong hooks that would define punk's populist appeal. **Covers**: Their take on Bo Diddley's "Pills" transforms the original into something far more aggressive, with Johansen's harp playing and Thunders' guitar elevating it beyond mere tribute . --- ## Production Todd Rundgren's production remains controversial. Hired reluctantly after being dragged to see the band by his girlfriend Bebe Buell, Rundgren approached the project as a "circus ringmaster" trying to corral chaos . **The challenges:** - The band struggled to stay in sync in the studio, lacking the tightness of Rundgren's other clients (Badfinger, Grand Funk Railroad) - Drug and alcohol use was rampant during sessions - The Dolls were "impatient and pushy," insisting on mixing in a suboptimal room at the top of the Record Plant building **The result**: A sound that many felt was too clean for the band's reputation. Rundgren later admitted: "The record would have been a lot better had they not got in such a hurry to finish it" . The band members reportedly stood over his shoulder during mixing, demanding to be louder, resulting in a mix where "the faders are all at the top of the board." Ironically, fans and critics complained the album *didn't* capture the raw energy of their live shows—suggesting it should have sounded "shittier" . Yet this tension between polish and chaos became part of the album's unique character. --- ## Themes The album functions as a concept record about **urban youth experience** in early 1970s New York City: 1. **Authenticity vs. artifice**: The tension between genuine emotion and performed identity runs throughout, from "Personality Crisis" to the gender-bending aesthetics of the band themselves. 2. **Romance in decay**: Love and sex are portrayed against backdrops of drug addiction, prostitution ("Subway Train"), and impending nuclear doom ("Bad Girl"). 3. **Nostalgia and rebellion**: The Dolls loved early rock 'n' roll and girl-group pop, but filtered it through a lens of cynicism and danger. They played "as though the Beatles had never existed" . 4. **Gender fluidity**: The band's androgynous image—high heels, makeup, teased hair—challenged rock's macho conventions and opened space for queer expression in punk. 5. **The city as monster**: New York is simultaneously seductive and destructive, a "Frankenstein" that consumes young dreamers from the outer boroughs. --- ## Influence & Legacy The New York Dolls' impact cannot be overstated: **On punk rock**: They "created punk rock before there was a term for it" . The Ramones, Blondie, Television, and Patti Smith all emerged from the scene the Dolls helped cultivate at Max's Kansas City and the Mercer Arts Center. Malcolm McLaren explicitly used his experience managing the Dolls to craft the Sex Pistols' aesthetic and sound . **On heavy metal**: Their hard rock attack and androgynous image influenced bands like Guns N' Roses and Mötley Crüe. **On alternative rock**: The Replacements, Sonic Youth (who covered "Personality Crisis"), and countless indie rock bands cite them as foundational. **Critical reappraisal**: Despite commercial failure (the album didn't crack the Top 100), it was later voted #213 in Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time . --- ## Pros ✓ **Historical importance**: One of the most influential debut albums in rock history, bridging glam and punk ✓ **Songwriting strength**: "Personality Crisis," "Trash," "Looking for a Kiss," and "Jet Boy" are undeniable classics ✓ **Authentic attitude**: The band's reckless energy and street-level perspective feel genuinely dangerous ✓ **Lyrical depth**: Johansen's words reward close attention, balancing humor, pathos, and social commentary ✓ **Guitar innovation**: Thunders' sloppy, emotional playing style created a template for punk guitar ✓ **Gender-bending aesthetics**: Challenged rock's macho conventions and expanded possibilities for self-expression ✓ **Urban atmosphere**: Captures 1970s New York City with documentary realism mixed with poetic exaggeration --- ## Cons ✗ **Production limitations**: Rundgren's mix has been criticized as too restrained; the band's live chaos is somewhat sanitized ✗ **Inconsistent material**: Tracks like "Frankenstein" and "Private World" suffer from repetitive structures and muddled execution ✗ **Technical sloppiness**: While part of the charm, the band's lack of precision can be grating on repeated listens ✗ **Mixing issues**: The rushed mixing process resulted in a sound that neither the band nor Rundgren was fully satisfied with ✗ **Saxophone intrusions**: Buddy Bowser's sax on "Lonely Planet Boy" has been criticized as "annoying and out-of-place" ✗ **Stones comparisons**: The band's debt to the Rolling Stones sometimes feels too obvious, particularly in Johansen's Jagger-esque mannerisms --- ## Verdict The New York Dolls' debut is a **flawed masterpiece**—messy, uneven, and historically essential. It captures a band at the precise moment when their potential was limitless and their self-destruction was already underway. The album's imperfections are part of its power; it sounds like it could fall apart at any moment, yet it never does. For listeners interested in the DNA of punk rock, this is required listening. It demonstrates that rebellion doesn't require rejecting melody or humor, and that rock 'n' roll's past and future can coexist in glorious, chaotic tension. Despite production compromises and uneven songwriting, the album's best moments remain as explosive today as they were in 1973. **Rating**: 8.5/10—A foundational document of punk rock that transcends its limitations through sheer attitude and ambition.
New York Dolls! The album that made Christgau shit his pants! It’s nearly perfect punk rock: loud, raunchy, funny and just unserious enough to be totally serious.
escucho tanta gente inspirada en ellos! pero aún así no he podido conectar emocionalmente
Poor not my taste
First time listening to these pioneers of punk rock, and certainly wish I had listened to them sooner. Great, raw, early 70s punk band that shocked with their music and style. Great listen, looking forward to checking out their other record today!
6 - AVERAGE
This is a band I've heard of for a long time, but haven't heard anything from them until now. They remind me of the band The Dictators, and have been a pleasant surprise. This is one of those fun sing-along albums you blow through on a Summer road trip. Favorite Track: "Personality Crisis".
Bummed that I didn't give this album a chance before this. Super solid rock/punk album with no skips.
70s punk, glam rock. Very queer, very flamboyant. Considered one of the best debuts and very influential on punk rock.
Dir Zeit ist definitiv vorbei
Wait am I a NY Doll? the name fits the band so well but it’s just regular glam rock music not my thing but it’s fun to listen to
Love it!
Pretty solid. Not really my cup of tea. But I ended up enjoying it a fair amount.
hypelı ama hyplamıyor
This kind of music does not age well. Just surface level music, bad lyrics. Feels like they were more focused on their look rather than their sound..
An entertaining listen, but not one I would probably ever revisit. 3.25 / 5
all good fun, ahead of their time. A good listen
This is a good fun album. It's got a lot of influence, I can hear the following decades of rock in this. I've never really listened to them but know the name and the odd track. I'll probably keep it that way since the vocal isn't quite my thing, but this breaks the naff streak for me. The last 6 days have been bloody terrible so this was a refreshing enjoyment this morning.
Loved it but not enough to add it to my playlist
I absolutely cannot stand this type of rock. I'm sure many enjoy it but I'm not one of them. Couldn't wait for this album to end.
Nothing to write home about. Also are they dolls?
Generally I’m up for a bit of snotty punk, especially of the less manufactured variety. Musically, it’s good, quite mixed dynamically and interesting but I hit a ceiling on how much I’m gonna like it because I cannot stand his voice.
I can appreciate that it's super influential but for me, this album of its time and doesn't grab me in a modern context. I wanted to like this more than I did but ultimately, it faded into the background for me. It's not just about the era - other early 70s stuff has blown my mind on this list - it just doesn't feel that exciting or interesting beyond the band's obviously striking image.
A load of songs that just sounded the same and played maybe 3 notes between them
NY Punk is crazy. Sleazy and dirty. This band absolutely shreds. I put a handful of these songs into the playlist. I’ve heard a couple songs before and I only remember that because of the crazy artwork.
I like this punk rock beginnings and I get the influence and I love alot of the really somber moments and the way they perceived love in a weird new york of the 70s Fav song: Looking for a kiss
I am not a fan of punk as a musical style. I don't know why, never have been. However, I really enjoyed this, and will listen to more. Awesome album.
Punky glammy rock and roll... or something like that. I heard snippets of this album a few years ago, but never in full. Very good listen!
Kult dette, minner om det lille jeg har hørt av Ramones. Vet ikke om jeg kommer til å sjekke ut mer. Svak 3.
Heilt ok, men lite variasjon i låtane?
Great rock album! Fast, fun, perfect length. I hear a lot in it - Rolling Stones, KISS (they really stole the Dolls’s whole schtick), proto-punk. Truly ahead of their times. Great production by Mr. Rundgren.
Nie.
They were inspiration for many bands from KISS to Alice Cooper. They were/are a decent band.
I guess I can see why this was so influential, but I struggled to find something to hold on to, despite the Stooges-meet-Roxy-Music core that seems up my alley.
If I heard this in some action scene in a movie I’d probably be hunting down the song. But listening to this just as a normal person on a Wednesday in the office, it’s just not something I’d really listen to. It’s fun and cool that’s for sure, but wouldn’t return to it.
The great riffs, catchy melodies and overall punkiness of this album made an enjoyable and energetic listen. The album carries this tension sort of that you really feel gets released at the end and allows for a nice climactic ending. It's just a tad bit redundant. 7.5/10, Favorite Song: Frankenstein
This is was Cocaine sounds like
Early punk at its best!
Personality Crisis Looking For A Kiss Vietnamese Baby Frankenstein Lonely Planet Boy Bad Girl Trash
Really fun punk album. Had been meaning to listen to it for a while. Will be returning to it.
The Good: New York, New York! The Bad: Dolls, Dolls… The Ugly: … bandname / album name The NYD, what is there to say? They are glam. They are not. They are punk. They are not. They are Rock. They are not… but they are, aren’t they? This album was released to me on February 4th, today we are April 16th… and only now am I trying to rate this album… well, this one, and about 25 others, as I’ve been on 2 roadtrips during which I did listen to the albums every day, but just didn’t find time to always respond… Is this my thing? Not really. But it oozes 70s, which is my favorite decade musically speaking, so I like that aspect of it. I will give the album 4*, which I might downgrade later in life to 3… only because I can...
Album Review 062 New York Dolls by New York Dolls (1973) Rating 4/5 New York Dolls, both the band and their debut album, are the embodiment of the “live fast, die young, leave a f*cked-up looking corpse” attitude - everything about them and their music was designed to shock. Take the swagger of the Stones, drag it up, add copious amounts of heroin, then play 50’s rock’n’roll and girl-group pop through overdriven amps and this is the result. But is the music any good??? Well, not really but dare I say that is secondary to what the Dolls are/were; the glammest of Glam, punks before there was Punk. New York Dolls has a sleazy brilliance and I can’t help but love it.
Not my genre. Rhythms too monotone.
This was fine. Forgettable but I liked it while it was on
I audibly celebrated when I saw this was the pick of the day. The best combo of glam/punk as far as I’m concerned. Great album.
Nice album, would need to listen again
Not my cup of tea, but it's pretty cool
A fun and fresh listen! They sound something like The Rolling Stones meets Kiss, and also I can hear how influential The Dolls should have been to the whole post punk scene. I found the album enjoyable.
Probably a "They've been copied so much that their original stuff seems very generic", but this sounds like every hard rock album to come out in the 80s (this was released in 73!!!). If you like KISS, Twisted Sister, Alice Cooper, etc. you'll love this album. But I just am not feeling it.
I mean, there is some decent energy here, and a few of the songs seem serviceable, but this seems like run of the mill stuff
Still one of my favorite rock albums of all time. Just a vibe I don't think anyone else captured as well as them.
Solid punk album. Not much more to say.
This is just a good ol' rocknroll. Its not perfect, in fact its messy but thats good. I love how it hits you in the face right at the beginning of the record and then paints a picture of a small music scene around that time. Definitely a far stretch from the pop of that time. Its punk, glam, and everything else that maintstream culture wasn't. I will have to listen to them more than I currently do. Right now I have only heard a few songs, but that changes after listening to this album. Biggest Hit - Personality Crisis Biggest Miiss (if I had to choose) - Pills Hidden Gem - Frankenstein
Fun punk album
Catchy! I liked this one as soon as the guitar started on the opening song. Also sounded familiar? 4 ⭐️
Took a city like New Orleans To kill a man like Johnny Thunders.
Todd Rundgren's music bores me quite a bit but, he's a solid producer, not the kinda project I'd expect him to produce. Honestly I don't know much about the new york dolls, instead of that I do confuse them with the goo goo dolls (the band that did Iris). No, no, no this is the band that the sex pistols wrote new york about (y know the racist song that says do the sambo/ the homophobic one that says faggot)... So what do I think, it's some pretty great (proto) punk. Frankenstien for it's 6 minute length still maintains it's energy through the whole thing whilst also being incredibly imposing. Most of the albums just straight up punches one after another, so lonely planet boy really suprised me. Trash and personality crisis are the most memorable of the punchy ones first listen, pills is an amazing cover of a song I've never heard 4/5
One of my favorites. There are no bad songs here.
Oh the glam
This was pretty cool. Definitely a precursor to The Ramones.
Standard punk fare.
Fun and just a good time
Can’t believe we got a “Someone’s In The Kitchen With Dinah” interpolation in a drag 70’s punk band song called Subway Train.
Very forgettable.
Lead singer shouts the song title on repeat while guitars play in the background.
Awesome mix of glam and punk rock!
Yikes
Sleazy, campy,.classic
Cool. I enjoyed it.
The music of New York Dolls was actually pretty good, I especially liked the blues-y(?) guitar solo in "Vietnamese Baby" as well as the drumming throughout the album. I just can't stand the first-wave punk style of singing that the singer did throughout the whole album. I am just not the right person for it, I really don't see the talent in guttural screaming, but to each their own. Of course, being a glam-rock album, I wasn't expecting any life-changing lyrics, and with songs like "Looking for a Kiss" and "Pills", my presumptions were correct. Favorite Song: "Vietnamese Baby"
Midway between Stones and Ramones. That it came to be at all in 1973 is more significant than the music’s greatness. I enjoy it plenty every time I play it, but I’m not often inspired to take it off the shelf.
Good tracks with a few great ones, and a band that knew how to dress, and act to get noticed.
I appreciate that this was a precursor to punk. It’s just not heavy or fast enough for me. Still pretty good though.
Classic punk style rock pretty enjoyable
Zwüschedure paar geili, punkigi Musig vode Püpplis, wo paar denn aber doch so anstrengend gsi sind dasi mi nüm so gross ah das Album waage wird. Aber de punkigi fun Faktor git ihne denn doch es drüblätterigs chlehblatt. Will why the fuck not.
Song hend e range zwüsche nervig und cool. Da s album aber nöd standard grünpel isch, gämmer ihm 3 puntitolinos
Oh, how I wanted to love the idea of androgynous, gender-bending punk rockers. It got good ratings and it's sung by the Ghost of Christmas Past from Scrooged, so I thought it sounded solid enough. I got a little too excited. It's pretty generic. The songs pretty much sound like each other, and the production is nothing impressive. Something about his voice is really bland. I can't complain too much with rock music that follows a working formula, but I will complain that it doesn't have much creativity.
revolutionary groundbreaking icons
One of the most underrated bands of all time, there is a reason why so many prominant musicians love these guys. 8/10
The New York Dolls undeniably had a huge influence on early glam rock, metal, and punk, so I’ll always agree that they deserve the recognition they get. That said, their music just doesn’t resonate with me. Once I’ve heard an album once or twice, I never really feel the need to go back. Their sound just doesn’t stick with me in a way that keeps me coming back for more.
This is my second time in the past year listening to this album and I liked it much more this time around. You can tell that the Dolls were a good bar band by how this album sounds. I am also able to hear the influence they had on the other groups that came out of NY especially the Ramones.
Mindless in a fun way
sounded a little bit rolling stonesy. Didn't love it, didn't hate it.
Fun Punk
Really not a fan of this type of music, I understand that the New York Dolls inspired most Glam Rock and Hair Metal bands but I just got nothing out of this.
Interesting historically (I feel like I can detect their influence in a lot of later punk/post-punk) but it isn't an easy listen unless you are an angry young man/woman.
Dunno what it is but it feels dated but like I see why they were influential to a lot of 80s bands, it’s cool, but just a little too deep in the shadow of the Rolling Stones and I’m not the biggest stones guy anyway
This is really interesting. It sounds a lot like twenty or thirty albums that came after it by different, huge bands. Glam/hair metal look while playing more hard rock/punk forward songs. I just always assumed this album was the first finger tapping, guitar shredding hair metal album a la Ratt. I don't know that I love every song on this album or that I will ever listen to it again but this feels like a big your favorite bands favorite band situation. Maybe one day I'll come back to this and it'll be a masterpiece to me but I'm sitting at a high 3 light 4.
I appreciate the significance of the band and this album, and while I didn’t hate it, it’s not something I would choose to listen to. Still, there were some fun songs and the raw, punk feel was there.
Rolling Stone wannabes and really not that great. 2/10
Blisteringly fun punk/glam rock. The DNA of a ton of my favorite music is in here.
I enjoy bands that built upon this work more than the work itself. Solid middle the road for me.
Fun bluesy piano, proto-punk elements, glam rock strenght, and classic polish joke "haha chłop sie za babę przebrał" vibes. Anyway, this was quite fun but I wouldn't really come back to it. It's generally mid, lmao. But it's fun, it's just a fun musical experience that shall be forgotten at some point. Cool.
I do acknowledge this was early for punk, but on 2026 ears it just sounds glam rocky to me. Not my kind of punk music that's for sure. High 2 but definitely not a 3.
this is album 261 for me and if by this point the importance of an album doesn't have any creedance on the rating, it never will. dont like this one, dont care about it either unfortunately
Rowdy and obnoxious - there's some really interesting production going on here, not bad at all
At the time I'm sure dressing in drag was shocking, but we're on to bigger and better things. Without the gimmick im not sure we're hearing about these guys.
Definitely rocks but kind of a blur. Their live shows must have been nuts.
Pre punk
I can see all the ways this influenced later albums by countless different artists, making it still sounds timeless
Hot Damn! There was a point in my life when I had three copies of this album in my record collection. I wonder what happened to all my old albums? This is also my third debut album in three days- Van Halen, John Prine, and New York Dolls. Merry Christmas to me! This is going to be the perfect soundtrack to whatever prep I'm doing today for tomorrow's dinner. Hell yeah! The swagger and attitude and ambition are pure rock and roll.-We're doing this and you can't stop us. Hitting as hard as diner coffee at 3am.
Huge cultural relevance. Imagine giving this 1 star due to being 'beige' but also giving War on Drugs 5 stars. Confusing stuff.
1.0 Its only saving grace was that its short
it's 3.5
I super-appreciate their gender transgressiveness in the early ‘70s, and being early punk pioneers, bringing back simplicity and pop structure to counter the indulgences and self-seriousness of prog rock. The music just goes too straight rock for me to get that into it.
I respect how inspirational this record was to a lot of bands and albums that I really like but this just isn't quite my thing.
Proto-punk glam rock! Trash always gets my blood pumping.
This was surprisingly a pretty solid album. It brought together many things I normally hate, added a touch of proto-punk, and was good enough for three stars.
Best thing I can say about this and for the sake a variety, is that after getting two Morrisey albums on the trot it was not a hat-trick of misery. That said listening to this it was a bit miserable for a different reason. I’m not into this type of raucous rock/punk at all. I can understand why people liking this stuff dig it and for a debut album it is quite impressive. But it will never rattle my cage at all. 2/5 14/12/25
This one wasn’t available on Apple Music but I listened to some of their other stuff. It was ok, but nothing more.
Vital proto-punk. The Dolls paved the way for the punk explosion that followed this record. Still fun too.
I'm not sure what mood I have to be in to really enjoy this album or if I've ever been in it but I think I want to be at least once. Not everyday. God no. My life would be a train wreck.
Sympa moyen
Very influential band. Some great stuff on here.
Pretty good, more classic rock than I expected, I was expecting punk.
Grei rock'n'roll.
Started off pretty strong then became fairly average. But it's punk so I'm giving it a boost. Personality Crisis makes my playlist
This was a fun time. One part classic rock, one part punk, one part mayhem.
I really enjoyed the sound of guitars on this record, guitars sounds nice and saturated. Reminds me a lot of Green River. Bass and drums seem a little buried. It's one of those albums where the energy is infectious.
> The Beatles
Ugh. Each song sounds the same.
Not bad.
A record that reeks of personality and attitude. The Dolls put together a more complete proto-punk work than The Stooges, in my opinion. People like to associate them with glam because of the outfits, but this is punk through and through.
Yeah this was good
Classic proto-punk. The foundational inspiration to more than half my usual listening.
Almost anything retroactively labeled 'proto-punk' I'm usually guaranteed to like, there's a great attitude and some cool ideas here but this was just a lukewarm like. 'Proto-punk' more in attitude than anything else, which doesn't translate well on a recorded album. It doesn't immediately speak to me like the Stooges or the Velvet Underground do but I also wasn't there in the '70s so I'm experiencing all this shit as artifacts of the past and studio recordings so it's never gonna be the same. There's a lot of punk bands - really always - but especially now that have this stripped down '70s glam rock and roll revival attitude to it, and they're fun to see live but similarly I just don't really gravitate towards them. There's a lot to appreciate here but I'm being honest with myself and will never revisit this other than as a reference point for what would shape the sound of punk... at least, unlike the Ramones, I don't genuinely dislike them.
На 1 раз послушать. Смешно, но по музыке не ахти.
Skemmtilegur andi yfir þessu
Solid pönk
Fine I guess. You can certainly hear their influences. But it starts to become repetitive by the end. 3/5
I don't usually like glam rock and at first glance this would be that. Yet this album is more gritty and sloppy. It's not polished like glam usually tries to be. It's an interesting album when viewed historically. You can see it being the roots for what comes later. I would love to know what someone said hearing it on release. Fun album.
Pas tout écouter
This album sounds like punked-up, glammy Stones-rock. I love their energy, their anarchism, and their individuality. I also love the context of the band - a bunch of heroic-addicted, sexually ambiguous young men causing people to walk out of their gigs - the fact the they were voted both best and worst band in the Creem reader poll - a teenage Morrissey being enraptured with them on the Old Grey Whistle Test - Bowie at their gigs taking notes. The story of Johansen falling asleep at the record company meeting and waking up when Todd Rundgren’s name was mentioned and him reluctantly taking the gig. The chaos of the recording and mixing sessions. The supposedly bad musicianship (but I guess it doesn’t sound so bad when you know what punk is) and, as Pitchfork said, “as if the lyrics in Grease had been re-written by Bukowski”. I love the whole package.
I enjoyed Trash. Ironically, I grew up listening to a lot of punk rock, but I fear I have outgrown this genre.
Bold rock, reminds me of early femme Dead Kennedy's in a way
A good punk album. Maybe it’s post punk? I can’t remember these dumb genres. It’s sounds pretty punk rock and has good songs.
p312. 1973. 2 stars. Primeval roots of punk rock. Lots of energy but sadly lacking quality songs.
learned about glam rock today! this isn’t bad
Solid project nothing major to write home about tho
💅
Like many other reviewers have noted, these guys are pretty much a grimier, louder version of The Stones. Reading that their gender bending outfits and makeup were not well received made me chuckle because I guess New York wasn't quite ready for that sort of thing yet, but hang on for a decade or so and the glam rockers are going to make it cool. Music wise, it was just 'meh' for me. Some easily-forgettable stuff that I would have turned the channel on the radio had I been surfing and stumbled upon it. Giving them three stars because it does sound as if they majorly influenced many others and that's certainly worth something.
Goes hard at first, then slowly devolves to bland hard rock. I respect the New York Dolls contribution to music and punk rock, but no one does glam like the UK.
2.5. Some good songs. Love Buster but vocals are rough.
J’aime pas mais frakenstein ça va
A bit repetitive at times and also a little samey but not too bad.
Genial, rockero y muy divertido. Por la portada creí que iba a ser algo muy punk ochentero que iba a terminar por fastidiarme, pero nada de eso. Este disco vive en el mundo de El show de terror de Rocky y El fantasma del paraíso, y siempre será genial visitar ese mundo.
Pretty fun, it's sort of like a discount punky rolling stones. In that way it also feels like a little watered down punk? Solid record but not anything crazy to me, sure they would be fun to have seen live
Aww fuck yeah! L-U-V
Wasn't expecting much but that was super fun!
30/1001 First listen. Sounds something like early Kiss but with much worse singing. 4/10
New York awesomes, tbh
Really great songs, i recognized a few
Hmm, pretty sure I played in garage bands that were no worse than this. I guess it had it’s spot in the timeline it was in but…
This really sounds exactly like a third of the albums on this list and it's now beyond me to say anything else.
Not bad for 1973 I reckon
Some banger songs just got all guitars bass and drums with a little glam thrown in
good
I enjoyed this album a lot more than I thought I was going to. I remember David more for his Buster Poindexter character than for his NY Dolls days. (great actor btw). Bowie inspired punk? I'm not sure how else to describe it. It wasn't technical, his vocal range is limited, but they put together some solid songs.
They sound like they’d put on a terrific live show. Good energy throughout, interesting sections in pretty much each song
This one was fun, really enjoyed it. Would probably add it to the rotation
It was ok.
Bands wish they made this album
Didn't like
This was fun. They didn't take this serious at all but had a nice variety to it all. Didn't expect to hear sax on some punk. Favorite Songs: Subway Train and Personality Crisis
Camp, very fun. Musically straightforward, but in the same way that punk rock is. The energy is really what you're here for.
I can understand the importance and appreciate that it is not fully punk, but i didn't particularly care for anything. Weird that the singer became a lounge act later in his career ....
Once I liked this glam rock
OK/10
Yeah, not exactly my vibe but enjoyable and I get it being groundbreaking for the time and influential.
Dit zit ergens tussen glamrock en punk in. De dames t/m heren doen hun best, er zit tempo in, er mag lijp gedaan worden en het heeft een rauw randje. Maar ja, het is gewoon niet erg goed. Niks valt op, en dan hebben ze ook nog eens de pech dat ze in de lijst ingeklemd zitten tussen toppers als Queen, Jimi en Bruce.
Met name door de 'zang' heb ik direct een punk-beleving. Het is een wat eenzijdig beeld. Want dit album is eens niet opgenomen in een schuur. En de piano en gitaar worden met aandacht bespeeld. Het heeft soms zelfs iets speels en is vrij dansbaar. Ergens pakt die muzikale tegenstelling wel. Maar ik had toch liever een fijne zanger hierbij gehoord.
Een soort kruising tussen vroege punkrock en glamrock, met een vleugje Velvet Underground. De plaat begint gelijk met Personality Crisis, wat volgens mij nog steeds een bekend nummer is, een punkrockanthem. De zang is niet het sterkste punt, maar ook weer niet zo slecht dat het irriteert. De muzikanten kunnen wel iets meer dan een paar akkoorden spelen. Het gitaargeluid is redelijk vol te noemen, zeker voor muziek die normaal gesproken klinkt alsof het in een badkamer of een fabriekshal is opgenomen. De bandleden lagen dan wel graag in badkamers of fabriekshallen (al dan niet gekleed in drag) met een of andere shot drugs in hun sodemieter. De drummer is al tijdens hun 1e tour naar de klote gegaan aan een overdosis. Van dat soort verhalen smullen wij als 1001-afnemers natuurlijk. Al met al vermaak ik me uitstekend met dit plaatje. Het tempo zit er lekker in en de muziek zit prima in elkaar. Een vrolijke 4 sterren.
Very much a record that's more talked about than actually listened to which is fine, it's not without its charms but nothing I'd every really go back to
protect the dolls
Fun but pretty one dimensional to my ears and therefore got boring. 2/5
Noise. 2.
Bit of a punk vibe for a tuesday morning, not bad
Cool early glam rock music, nothing particularly memorable. 3.2
I found that my new favorite kind of 70s music is people singing weirdly with funny rock beats. Thank you, 1001 Albums List. I like these guys for the same reasons as a band like Roxy Music, just these guys are a bit more directly punky. The dichotomy of 5 guys in drag makeup screaming and making punk-before-punk style music is the real fun of it. Frankenstein and Subway Train in particular are really fun. Granted, this whole album is really fun, and really good. Really really good. Side note, I would so dress like the guy on the far left.
Good proto punk
i do not like punk. but these guys look awesome.
It's pretty clear how ahead of their time this band was, managing to incorporate such a punky energy into glam rock. That being said, I think that the actual music itself could still be a lot better, mainly in terms of the production and just the general diversity of the whole album. But you still have to appreciate what they were trying to do, even if they didn't pull it off that well, but when you're the first to do something, you're never going to be the best immediately.
All I knew of New York Dolls is that Morrissey was a huge fan. It sounds like Iggy, Bowie, Pistols, Reed, Ramones, Bolan, Faces all at once. All the people influencing and influenced by it are in there, but I can't say it's particularly great. I bet they were amazing live.
Mér finnst ég vera að hlusta á blöndu af Rolling Stones og Sex Pistols. Þetta er mjög nálægt rokkstílnum sem ég fíla en á sama tíma nálægt þeim sem ég fíla ekki. Þeir dansa á línunni en falla á endanum röngu megin.
I’d known of the New York Dolls forever, I just never really dug in. The handful of tracks I’d heard always felt too campy, like they were trying too hard to shock. But in retrospect, that was the point: they were intentionally outrageous, gleefully obscene, and absolutely committed to “freaking out the normies.” It wasn’t just an aesthetic, it was the mission. They never hit it big commercially, but their influence is massive. You can draw a jagged, lipstick-smeared line from this album through punk, glam, and hair metal. They were the chaotic spark before the fire. And then there’s the wild twist: Todd Rundgren produced this, the same year he dropped his acid-drenched A Wizard, A True Star. Somehow, he managed to bottle the Dolls’ live-wire energy in the studio. Even the band said he nailed their live sound. Total chaos, glam swagger, proto-punk grit - this one earns its place in the 1001.
One of my fave albums from this era.
Pretty interesting hearing this proto-punk early glam rock album. I found it just OK but appreciate the significance it holds. Jet Boy got me unconsciously toe tapping, though. 👍Jet Boy
Typical rock album, good sound and clarity in harmony.
> The New York Dolls created punk before there was a word for it. The Stooges would like a word. Listening to this and knowing that New York Dolls is one of Robert Christgau's favourite bands suddenly puts his smattering of debased reviews in their place. The critical reverence for this band and album serve as evidence of the illusory, self-congratulatory echo chamber that music critics inhabit. Hell, I undertook the 1001 challenge to enhance my understanding of what constitutes "acceptable greatness" in music critique. I postulate that critical approval lacks objective criteria, and I submit this album as evidence. Every single thing this album does, another album does better.
Si la palabra influencer hubiese estado de moda en los primeros 70 los New York Dolls se la habrían apropiado. Pese a su discreto éxito en su momento, este álbum se ha convertido en el comienzo de muchas cosas que vinieron después, sobre todo en la escena punk-rock tanto a un lado como a otro del Atlántico. Ramones, Blondie, Guns’n’Roses e incluso Morrissey le deben mucho a las muñecas de Nueva York. Hoy el disco suena fresco como el primer día, demostrando que, a veces, el éxito no está en las inmediatez, sino en la perdurabilidad.
this is a loud rock'n'roll album, and that's that. I don't understand the fuzz. I guess at the time the visuals were pretty daring.
They pretty much invented punk, a massively influential band for sound and drag style. I ignored punk at the time but I'm liking it more and more these days. Really don't like the Mick Jagger with less soul singing.
Glam rock party time. Not overly inspiring. I did end up enjoying some of this album, but I don't know if I will be coming back to listen soon.
I'm struggling to understand why this album made the list tbh. It sounds like Generic Rock Music. None of the songs are bad, but none of them stand out to me either. I'll give it a 4/10.
This album felt like mediocre music that would be playing in a dingy tattoo parlor
This was like Walmart Brand Rock n Roll in the year of 2025 (Nothing wrong with great value brand at all). Great Value is just fine, and so is New York Dolls by New York Dolls, like c'mon they didn't even come up with an album name. Every single song past song 2 sounded the same to me, so things got old quick. It didn't help that the lead vocalist kept screaming out the name of the song over and over again within each song. Their outfits look pretty cool though, so kudos to that!
By 1973 rock and roll had become a straight-laced, no nonsense, testosterone laden behemoth with too many bodies having been and were looking to be accumulated. There was, however, a small pocket that was increasingly being filled by people who were seen as too strange, too touchy, too out there. And there was no better representative of that growing ideology than the New York Dolls. With chutzpah, gall, nerve and balls, these faux queens from the lowest dregs of the City set out to deliver the best rock and roll of the era, and possibly the best rock and roll of the decade. Underneath the glamour came successive kicks to the gut as it pertains to the realities of what was staring them, and the listeners, in the face and that combo proves so potent more than a half century on. Of all the bedrocks to lain ones head, this remains amongst the sturdiest.
Tiresome boring nonsense. No need for this noise pollution.
Classic!
Meh
I'm not really into Punk, so I didn't go in thinking much of this album. But it's not bad. It's like early Ramones, with elements of CCR. They can play, their singing is better than an average Punk band, but this was in the early stages. Very masculine sound. I expected more fem sound with their drag look, but this was a different time for sure. Not bad.
I mean, I respect it, but I'm not a fan
punk
Sounds very dated and also not my style.
I used to have this album when it first came out. I don’t like it as much as I used to but it’s still nostalgic.
One of the better punkier albums but still didn't hold my attention long enough to keep it at 3
not my cup
So this is what all those terrible hipster punk bands were trying to sound like. It does rock pretty hard. I’m sure the live shows were fun back in the day. Better than the Rolling Stones anyway.
One of the most influential albums going. Still feels fresh and raw now. Undeniable 5 5.0/5.0 Best Song: Trash
Huge, I can't believe its 1973 it sounds so much latter, what a fucking cool band, you could argue that Trash is the first punk song. Davey Johansen was a cool frontman.
Punk. Would have been better with a better vocalist.
Not necessarily my cup of tea, but okay and while I would not personally purchase their albums assuming this is representative of their music, I can at least listen to it.
ramonsi prije ramonsa, plus malo bovija. neloše
Energy behind the songs was good but the songs themselves were ok
Ate my review, damn. Anyway, fun, sloppy, rock. Gets a bit one-note so it drags, but it's cool to see where so much stuff pulled from (like nation of ulysses). Impressed this is from '73.
*No music. Just screaming vocal and banging instruments
Raw, powerful, you can hear how influential this record was on punk rock within the first twenty seconds
This one was fun
Apple Music says when this album came out it was unlike anything rock n roll had ever heard before. Now it sounds like everything I’ve heard before. Must’ve been crazy influential then I guess.
Loved it. Great time for music
One of those albums that both draws upon influences from the early 70's while also providing a roadmap for many bands in the years to come Personality Crisis & Jet Boy are the tracks I enjoyed most, but their particular shouting/singing style has always prevented me from liking them more
Terminando de ponerme al día, este es el tercer disco que reviso hoy, así que la review va a ser más breve y con un poco de mal humor. Así que haremos esto brevemente y con un poco de mal humor. El primer disco de los New York Dolls es un clásico. Es un trabajo que se hizo enmarcado en la pata más rockera del glam rock (como Slade) pero que al mismo tiempo dio grandes pasos para lo que apenas un par de años después iba a conocerse como punk. No fueron los primeros. Podemos recordar a los peruanos Los Saicos (que nunca van a aparecer en los 1001 discos pero sabemos que fueron muy importantes), a The Troggs, a bandas que surgieron apenas un par de años después de estas como MC5 o los Stooges, etc. Pero lo que creo que sí fueron los New York Dolls fue ser los más populares de todas esas bandas proto-punk. Y después tenés las canciones, que son buenas. Medio pelotudas (pero es un poco la idea, ¿no?) y con mucha actitud. Hay dos cosas que se le pueden criticar al disco: 1. no tiene tanta variedad. Todos los temas son rock and rolls que van más o menos por el mismo lado. Obviamente, es la crítica que se le puede hacer a varias bandas de la misma onda. Y es una crítica injusta, una crítica de traje y corbata. Porque si uno va a escuchar a los New York Dolls no es para escuchar mucha variedad. Es actitud. Y las canciones están buenas, y ya. Y encima es un primer disco. Pero bueno, se puede criticar eso. 2. Lo segundo me parece sí más importante: este es un disco bastante front-loaded. Creo que no hay dudas de que las mejores canciones están ubicadas en la primera mitad del disco. Empezando por el tema uno, Personality Crisis, que es lejos lejos lejos el tema más conocido del disco y de la banda, y la mejor canción del disco (me daría dolor en la panza elegir otro tema). Pero no es el único: Vietnamese Baby, Trash, Looking for a Kiss, Lonely Planet Boy (este sí es un poco distinto, eh: un poco más lenta y con toques country que contrastan con el resto del disco), Frankestein... son todas canciones que están en la primera mitad del disco. Las últimas cinco están bien, pero encuentro que es un toque más genérico que las primeras seis. También porque a esta altura termina siendo más de los mismo: el efecto novedad se va desvaneciendo un poco. De Bad Girl más que la canción en sí (que es un rock and roll genérico) lo que se destaca es la guitarra que patea culos durante los 3 minutos que dura el tema. Subway Train y Private World están "bien". Son las peores canciones de un disco que está bueno. No suman. Si no estuvieran el disco no superaría los 40 minutos. Supongo que esa es su razón de ser. Pero tampoco molestan tanto. Sería peor si el disco fuera largo, ahí ya molestarían. Pills está bien también (sin comillas). Es el cover oficial del disco (porque es imposible no escuchar Louie Louie cuando suena Private World). Es la "peor" canción después de las otras dos que dije eran las peores. El disco termina en una nota alta con Jet Boy. La mejor canción desde Trash. En síntesis, es un muy buen disco. No para escuchar siempre. Si tenés ganas de adrenalina y rock and roll loco loco ponelo. Y sino, la cosa sana, y ponete otra cosa como sexy Nick Cave o sexy Tom Waits, qué se yo. Más allá de eso, es innegable la importancia de este disco. Es uno de esos que por ahí a vos no te gustan, pero que le cambiaron la cabeza a los artistas que vos escuchás. Le pongo 4 estrellas.
3 evtl 4
This album kicks ass! From the very first song "Personality Crisis" I was dancing lol. Love the interplay between the guitars in "Trash" as well. I think also the sequencing is perfect honestly. Just that there is enough variety of the songs that no songs similar vibe to each other is next to each other, maintaining my interest even more. All the guitar solos are great. I think builds on the classic blues/rock song structure really well. I like the occasional breaks, like the stop and start of the vocals or the little guitar lick break in "Bad Girls." I think every song has those little things to appreciate. 5 stars! 27/09/2025
No thanks.
Lowkey chaotic.
Not sure where in their career this one was recorded but it was pretty good.
Nailed it.
Not really my style, but personality was okay, I guess.
Very influential to the oncoming Punk scene. But I'm not really into this. It's too rough and amateurish sounding, and the music doens't really match the band's exhuberant visual aesthethics. Key tracks: Personality Crisis
As much glam as they are punk. It's a fun twist that still hits hard, albeit with a silk glove.
RIP David Johansen.! It's hard to overestimate how incredible and influential this band is. This is 1973, 1973! So much of what people consider the Punk song in the late '70s is exactly ripped right from this.
Alright
For an album from 1973, something that seems so much like what's my reality must have been too much to handle for most people back then. This is like punk-rock nihilism, raw, visceral, scrappy - perfect for a society's underground audience for sure. [[That's when I'm a lonely planet boy I'm tryin', oh, I'm cryin' ]] [[You was butterflyin' About that personality crisis, you got it while it was hot It's always hard to know when frustration and heartache what you got ]]
It's like a mix of Exile Stones, The Stooges, Ziggy era David Bowie and the Velvet Underground. Quite a cool mix! First listen and will say "Personality Crisis" is a bop. It is closer to a 3.5 but I will give it 4 stars. Will listen again 3.5/5
A gloriously messy, high-energy blast of proto-punk swagger. The Dolls sound like they’re having the time of their lives—equal parts sleazy glam and streetwise chaos. It’s raw, loud, and unapologetically fun, with a sneer that feels part Mott the Hoople, part garage band on the verge of collapse. Tracks like “Personality Crisis” and “Trash” are pure attitude, delivered with lipstick, leather, and a wink. Not polished, but that’s the point!
Just noise. Making me question the quality of this list’s compilation
Well I like glam rock, and I like a little punk. But this combo here doesn't really work for me and going with a 2.
If you like The Rolling Stones and you like The Ramones (or any other late 70s NYC Punk band), you'll find plenty to like here. I'm not a fan of either, so it didn't do much for me. 2 stars.
This is that Buster Poindexter guy. The cabbie from Scrooged! This will indeed affect the review. This album is Hot Hot Hot! Like a punk rock Rolling Stones with lots of angst. Buster's (I know that's not the name he used in this band) voice is gravelly & smokey which adds alot to angst, sometimes he sounds like the singer of Rancid. Which one would guess that he may have been influenced by NYD. You can hear their influence in the punk world.