Reviews (page 5 of 7)
You can almost smell 70's New York in this music; moist concrete, rats, garbage, sewer steam and sex in the air. Has a gutter punk vibe. I like the piano on the opening track. I really don't like the vocals. It's like the worst part of the Rolling Stones amplified. It works for this music, but not for me. I can respect the influence the lads no doubt had on music to come. Lonely Planet Boy was cool. I'm a sucker for the sax. This is a fun enough album, but it's a 3 for me, dog.
I've got this specific musical thing I can't really describe articulately, that I hear in (older) rock and roll sometimes --a thing I dislike strongly, and that is present in a lot of these songs on this album. It's a thing that I find really corny: a derpy walking bass line coupled with a really narrow, stabby, repetitive guitar part played with an off-the rails energy. It conjures up 1950's rock and roll, but it doesn't bother me when it's from the '50's, yet it kind of grates when bands from later eras use it as a "rock and roll" shorthand. So there was a lot of that here, and my initial reaction was an eye roll, but then the more I listened I gathered they were trying to do the messiest, sloppiest version of that, and, I guess, lean into it in a campy way? Maybe this is one of those bands I would benefit from having more context to appreciate them. There were some parts I liked better than others, so it wasn't all bad.
Realizing that I have never knowingly heard the New York Dolls. Solid, not amazing, kinda somewhere in between Stooges and Ramones that sounds closer to standard hard rock than either of those two. I like the irreverent use of pop/trad songs. 3.5 stars
These guys are not one of My punk bands but ya know what? Not bad. Better than I remember. I suppose the gimmick was kind of cool at the time too, though now it smacks of hair metal. Not fair to them, on account of how early they are and how they don’t really suck or play hair metal at all, but it does.
I'm sure this album inspired a lot of music that I like, unfortunately it isn't terribly inspiring to me. Favorite track: "Lonely Planet Boy"
I've known a few songs from this album but never heard it. It's well put together and had a cohesive sound. I almost feel like I'm downplaying it with my rating but I don't feel a four. I feel like I should have more to say on this one but nothing comes to mind.
Solid production. Good pop song construction sensibilities. Lyrically I don't care for it.
Good fun glam punk. I'm glad they were able to capture their sound so well. Faves: Personality Crisis, Frankenstein, Jey Boy
This certainly seems like a landmark for the Queer community. As music, it's honestly not something I would choose. However, its sheer existence is a triumph over circumstances.
It’s good but I also found it a bit samey after a while
The New York Dolls certainly had one hell of a reputation. Has there ever been a punk band that fit the description better than they did? An image so controversial it made even the most liberal fans slightly uncomfortable. Vulgar, anti-establishment lyrics. The rejection of any norms that say you needed to be a great musician to be in a band. The brazen attitude that they were rockstars regardless of the truth. The fast and dangerous lifestyle that not everyone survives. Sure, they don't have the same impact now that they did. Imagine anyone being offended by that album cover 50 years later, which seems incredibly tame by today's standards. The music is fairly straightforward punk, albeit a little more varied than I expected, but the attitude and the groundbreaking use of feminitity are what made the New York Dolls interesting. Embracing the feminine side would become a standard theme through the 70s and beyond. The Dolls broke that ground and did so with two middle fingers to the world. They were surely an important part of rock history. The music doesn't really hold up that well against of the legion of punk bands that came before and after. But for a short period, the world needed the New York Dolls, whether they wanted them or not.
It’s fine. I think in 1973 I would have loved it. But in 2025, I just want to listen to the Clash, Ramones, or Strokes, or whoever else obviously grew out of this.
Didn't love it but definitely enjoyed it. Does feel like it has a clear place in the rock timeline
This was okay. Glam doesn't really do it for me, so I tried to concentrate on it being punk. It's interesting to learn that this is considered to be one of the founding punk rock albums.
decent early punk high 3
Pretttttyyyy gooooddd
No a big fan of this genre of rock but this is a pretty good album for this genre
Was actually a fun album, not my fav genre tho
This is such a great intersection of hard rock, punk, and glam music. As many other people have said, these guys manage to take a lot of the fun qualities of The Rolling Stones and glam it up even further. The New York Dolls very clearly excelled in their glam look/punk topic area, so much so that they would become a huge influence for so many. Motley Crue and KISS both very clearly take inspiration in terms of looks and vocals; those looks would then go on to be the basis of hair metal. David Bowie, while no doubt an influence to the Dolls, very likely was influenced by them, too; while Bowie brought the androgyny and heavy makeup influence, the Dolls undoubtedly taught Bowie to be more edgy in his approach to glam rock. All in all, while the New York Dolls aren't necessarily a favorite of mine, I have a lot of respect for what they did musically and aesthetically.
It sounds trashy and dirty, but they are having fun. It's typical pub music.
That this is proto-punk and way out there for the time is wild to me. Sounds so normal? Like grungier rolling stones? I guess it influenced many others. It's ok, 3*
Kinda like if Mick Jagger sang punk songs. 70s punk is not really my wheelhouse, but I found most of these songs enjoyable. I can see this slapping in a certain context.
I always took New York dolls as a bad joke on the punk movement. Apparently I was missing something pretty enjoyable with their punkness energy at high on the first songs and a bit less impressive at the end, but still good. They are a joke, but a good one.
Very obviously the birthplace of punk. I expect they were great live, but this is a bit flat. If you like punk, this is great. If not, the riffs aren't up to much and it's just a bit flat - the excitement doesn't quite come through.
I guess reminds me a bit of 80’s guitar hero
Fun, and better musicianship than I expected. I love 70s punk a lot, although I think I might have missed my chance to get into the New York Dolls. Listening to a whole album of it made me feel like I was 110 years old. ha.
Fun
Glam punk at its earliest inception
cool sound but all same-y
I know virtually nothing about New York dolls but love the cover! Ultimately I liked the vibe but wish it was… glammier? Less Rolling Stones lite? I dunno. I can understand why they were big on the scene back in the day but it didn’t feel timelesss the way some other music from the era does.
Personality Crisis was the highlight, it kinda dragged on from there.
I recall not really liking this album the first time around so I'm happy that it clicked more this time. I have a lot more appreciation for this group, they were really ahead of their time in many ways. Their blend of punk and glam rock is really cool. Also the drag is cool as shit. Unlike bands like Kiss, I wouldn't say these guys are completely style over substance but their appearance is definitely a large part of their appeal. Regardless this is a solid album with a good share of quality songs. Its still not really something I'm crazy about but I salute the New York Dolls for their service. 🫡 Favorite track: Frankenstein
Liked it more than I thought but after a while it all sounded the same and I didnt care as much.
Was okay. 3/5
Lack of variation.
I can understand that right place, right time, they were exciting back in the day; but hardly pioneering over what the Stooges or Bowie or Bolan was doing - and everything they've done has been superseded and done many times better. They remind me more of Kiss than a glam or punk I outfit I like. Are a couple of great songs though, Personality Crisis, Trash, Frankenstein, Private World. Makes it to a three, just about.
I knew them vaguely and thought I'd have loved this album more. I love early punk but this was a bit too much like (not so good) hard rock for me but with added quirkiness. It's all good fun though and I feel it does belong on the list as a quite influential band.
Boh non male
Listenable
Liked it more than i thought I would. The more punk-y stuff is growing on me.
A campy, glammy party that's really quite fun until you realise they really only have a single trick up their sleeves, and they will be performing it 11 times in a row.
While I don't really have any issues with this album per sey, it was just really uneventful and honestly quite boring. I don't even have much to say about it. Every song sounded the same, but at least the songs were all relatively enjoyable listens.
I think the swig of water I had that went down a bit funny was more eventful than this album. It's all competently performed but felt incredibly formulaic. No doubt a result of getting to the scene a bit early, I would have to imagine this albums inclusion would be at least somewhat historically motivated. Thankfully it was not a super long album although a lot of the songs with a singular theme/hook like Trash and Frankenstein started to make this feel like more of a drag than it should have
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.
Maybe it wasn't in their time, but I felt it was quite average.
Not quite what I was expecting. I guess they are more proto-punk and glam than they are punk, which I guess I didn't really realize that. Fun record for sure.
I've read about the New York Dolls but never given them a listen. I'm not a huge fan of early punk so I've stayed away. This has the same issues I have with that early punk but I do like the party vibe. And some of these tracks were catchy. I totally get why they are considered pioneers.
Definitely can see how this heavily influenced the future of punk music. Overall there are some good songs here. Pretty cool
3.5 - it may grow on me. Also, it may be that I was so impressed with the Sam Cooke album anything that followed was going to be a let down.
Nothing exciting
Seems like these guys influenced a lot of punk down, there's familiar guitar licks and some of the vocal choices feel like late 80s/90s punk. Got some Rancid vibes here and there. While I can appreciate their influence, there wasn't a whole lot that grabbed me, no real reason I could see myself coming back to this album It seems like all of our albums have been from the 70s and maybe I'm just getting a little burnt out. 3.25/5
I liked learning about this band more than I liked the actual music. Pills was my favorite track just because it was kinda goofy. The band named themselves after The New York Doll Hospital that opened in 1900 which is such a creepy thought, a whole establishment full of old broken dolls. One of the members dated Connie Gripp who tried to cut his thumb off. She also is the crazy ex of Dee Dee Ramone, there’s a few Ramones song about her. One is Glad to See You Go. She also is said to have slashed his ass open with a broken beer bottle.
A fine little punk-ish album. I prefer the Ramones, but I found this to be a rather enjoyable listen.
I love the 70's glam sound, but nothing totally grabbed me. I liked "Personality Crisis" and "Trash" the most. Was wondering if it influenced Bowie, but of course Ziggy Stardust and Aladdin Sane came out before this one.
Not bad, but nothing amazed me.
Proto-punk rockers who have been long surpassed by better talent.
Punkigt, lekfullt, ibland lite glamrockigt? Ska ha varit väldigt inflytelserikt, vilket adderar coolhetspoäng, även om det kvalitetsmässigt är en klassisk trea. Alla låtar bra, men ingen låt som blir en personlig instant classic. Ska ha varit influerade (och kommit upp i samma miljö som) Lou Reed och tidiga Velvet Underground, vilket hörs i t.ex. 'Lonely Planet Boy'. I 'Frankenstein' finns en härlig tonårscoolhet. 'Vietnamese Baby' också cool. 'Subway Train' har ett lite mjukare och melodiöst sound (iaf i verserna (till en början)), vilket är välkommet. Dock stegras den rätt rejält. 'Private World' låter som någon ELO-låt!! 'Personality Crisis' och 'Trash', som nog ska vara de stora hitsen(?) är bra men inte mindblowing. Låter lite som en förlaga till soundet som Gun Club gjorde perfekt på sitt första album. Bästa låt: Frankenstein
I'm usually not a big fan of any punk that came out before '77, but this one is pretty good. The singer has a very unique voice, and I think he uses it well. Also this album has some pretty good guitar tones and production. The last couple of songs do drop the ball a bit though. High 3.
Starts strong and ends strong but the middle brings it down.
Sounds similar to other things I enjoy
Glam rock-punk break away. Jagged guitars punchy lyrics. Teenage angst +. Very rocky horror.
It’s ok …
It sounded so much like The Strokes. It's crazy when you listen to one of your favourite band's influences and can track it like that
Netter Bluesrock und 2,3 gute Stücke
yeah, i don't know. these guys are ok. raucous, four-on-the-floor rock, a bit punkier than their peers (save for the Stooges and maybe one or two other bands). i never really understood the hype, but maybe you had to be there.
This is an album that I've heard about for years on various greatest albums of all time tv shows or in silent conversations in whole in the wall bars. Hipsters and Glam Punk C grade college students and I finally listened to it. I don't think I like punk, proto punk, emo punk, glam punk or any punk except Nirvana or Green Day if you want to call them punk. The Clash. But this just didn't do anything for me.
This one was alright, though I don't see myself returning to this album any time soon.
# Album Name: New York Dolls # Artist: New York Dolls # Rating: 3/5 # Comments: I was expecting something pretty special out of this band. I always read they were one of the best US punk bands of all time. Overall it was a decent listen with some good tracks like jet boy, frakenstein, trash and PC. I still prefer british punk if im honest. I'll come back to this one i think. # Top Tunes: jet boy, frakenstein, trash and PC. # Would I listen to it again? Probably
I've been fascinated by the Dolls' story as well as the whole proto-punk scene of the New York underground in the 70's, but musically speaking they never were one of my favorites. They're glam in style but for the most part this is pure rock n'roll played so hard this passed for punk.
The punkiest glam rock band ever to touch the Earth. This album earned its place here for its huge influence on the music to come, but glam rock just isn't my thing.
I rarely love early 70s glam rock, but the proto-punk feel behind that one saves the game! Cool and energetic album.
Didn't know them before. Kind of enjoyed the raw proto punk vibes but also a fair bit of filler.
Weird and wonderful
Rock, RnR, 1973 -> 3
Enjoyable Listening
This is great - Musically, I can hear Rolling Stones all over the record, but more punky and fun. It feels like a live record, which I really love.
Tenía energía y me gustó en su época.
Classic
Proto-punk. It’s cool I guess but doesn’t really stand out.
i don't get it. you're one of the founders of "punk". you're dressed as women and absolutely serving on the cover. todd rundgren produced your first album. you're foundational to independent music and have that coveted "favorite artist's favorite artist's" reputation. how are the New York Dolls this boring? it's not all bad. "lookin for a kiss", "trash", and "jet boy" are pretty good for what they are (garage band Rolling Stones worship). but what could i get from the whole album that The Stones or Alice Cooper don't already have? i'll take Raw Power over this any day. yes, even the Bowie mix.
2.75
5/10 - Idk it was fine, it was punk rock which is alright but nothing revolutionary.
More mediocre hard rock. Between a 2 and 3, going 3 because it wasn’t offensive
I'm always down to listen to punk bands that I'm not as familiar with, particularly ones I've heard are influences of bands I love. With a cool mix of Elton John and Sex Pistols vibes, the New York Dolls really caught my attention with this record. You don't often hear catchy piano riffs intermixed with the fast and loud punk sound, but they somehow made it work. Very fun listen! Notable Tracks - Personality Crisis - Frankenstein - Trash - Subway Train 6/10
I get that this band was important to the development of Punk Rock, and I'm sure that people appreciated their music in the context of the time and place. However, today this album just sounds dated. Yes, the record is still lyrically striking, and the music is perfect for transmitting the energy and carrying the lyrics. But from the perspective of the modern listener, I'm better off listening to something from the million subgenres descended from Punk or, if I want a '70s band, something from Classic Rock. Unless you are specifically invested in the history of the movement, there is no reason to listen to some weird old-timey guys trying to do both at the same time.
I think the New York Dolls are who Kiss think they are or at least who they want to be. They are obviously not. New York Dolls have an authenticity to them. It’s straight forward but there is more urgency and dynamics to them than most of these punk rock 70s bands. I particularly like the middle of the album, Frankenstein and Trash 6.1/10
Never heard of them.
I've always admired the Dolls for their attitude and ability to bust out a rock 'n' roll song with swagger and gusto. Clearly they're a precursor and progenitor of some bands that had a serious impact on my musical life. But I've also never been able to fully endorse their records. 3 stars reaching for another.
This was fine enough punk-adjacent, glam rock. Several songs here made me think of Bowie a la Suffragette City (Looking For a Kiss, Frankenstein, Trash). Some others, like Vietnamese Baby, tapped into the punk aesthetic a bit deeper and reminded me a bit more of Gang Of Four. This was fine, but rarely exciting to me. Flirting with the 2/3 boundary for me. Nudging because I enjoyed more than I didn't.
aight punky album. 3 stars. punk sucks
On the better side of mediocre. A bit more variety than I was expecting, but never heard anything special
Some alright punk. Def sounded like it could be on a Tony Hawk soundtrack.
These guys were pretty good but it sounded pretty generic of the NY rock scene of the era - no songs jumped out at me. The guys kinda looked like the meme, "I want KISS; We have KISS at home". 6/10.
A neat punk/rock sound from the 70s.
Not bad!
This one was a lot of fun and I had no idea who this band was
I bought this CD second hand from the late great Avalanche Records in Glasgow in 2004 because I liked that the cover had cross dressers on it. It blew my 14 year old mind because it was so different from everything I’d ever heard before. Since then I’ve heard the bands who have lapped them - and their better contemporaries- but I really loved revisiting this glam, gross, gorgeous record.
An interesting album. Sounds to me like a mix of Thin Lizzy and punk music. I could see this being a big influence on later bands.
This was pretty good. Never listened to more than a couple songs of theirs before.
3/5
Very goof High 3
Like this, particularly Personality Crisis. It sounds far too rough to be American.
It seems punk just doesn’t do it for me. The will is there but I just can’t. I started off liking this album then it kind of all started to merge into one. Want to give it a 2.5
Fun punk-ish music, but the entire album is just one song on repeat. 2.5, rounded up to 3 because it's not bad, just boring.
Wouldn't have thought that I like so much screaming
No spark but familiar sounds
I never understood the appeal of the New York Dolls. They are called proto-punk, but contemporaries like Stooges and MC5 make superior music.
good early/proto-punk. but eh overall 3.5
Cool album. You can see how both punk rock and hard rock picked up where the Dolls left off.
New York Dollsissa yllättää aina se, että biisit eivät kuulosta niin mielikuvituksekkailta kuin bändin ulkomuoto. Ehkä sitä odottaa musiikistakin shokkia. Sitä ei tule, eikä toki tarvitsekaan, mutta kaipaisin jotain selvää persoonaa mukaan. Ihan kuin jotain jäisi puolitiehen, vaikka into ja tunnelma ovat mukana; biisejä olisi voinut työstää enemmän? (Mulla oli kyllä huonot kuulokkeet tälle, musa meni puuroksi.) Vaatinee useamman kuuntelukerran, jotta tenho löytyy.
I understand why it was influential to the punk scene but it's still not my jam
Crude musicianship and youthful attitude. While a commercial failure, it was an influential precursor to the 1970s punk rock movement
I liked this album. Glam punk. It reminds me of Social D. 2.6
3.2/5 listened 2x
Not being a bug punk fan, it's pretty good. I can see going back to it in the right mood. It's easy to hear how it influenced many that would come after it.
This is hard rock that sounded like punk which is a genre I don’t like very much. It was okay but the tracks were hit and miss for me Listens: 2 Fave Track: Trash Rating: 3
Stones-esque sound. Definitely a lead into punk but with much of the original rock influence. Solid album, nothing special.
Not bad, very entrenched in it's genre. Enjoyable
Interesting...
I was looking forward to hearing this one since many bands I enjoy were influenced by this band, KISS, Motley Crue, Guns 'n' Roses, etc. It was more punk and shouty than I was expecting. I did enjoy some of it. Favorite tracks were the first and last (Personality Crisis and Jet Boy). Overall, it was a bit disappointing considering my high hopes. I might revisit it later.
Apart from the glam bits it was pretty good. Clearly influential on future punk, and that's enough to grab 3 stars
An okay album, at lot sounded similar. I did like Trash and Personality Crisis.
3/5. Dang, way more punk than I thought. I do like the loud and different energy but it can be a little much sometimes. I do enjoy some instances of it and I dig the choice to dress in drag to follow that punk mindset. And to clarify, I love the Kiss and Stooges energy, it just doesn't work with all of the songs on the album. Some of the songs are just not well written. Maybe it'll grow on me but not right now. Best Song: Personality Crisis, Vietnamese Baby, Jet Boy
Några schyssta låtar finns det.
It was….ok? I think you had to be there
Much less annoying than expected -- some songs are actually enjoyable.
Favorite Tracks: Personality Crisis Jet Boy
Good version of American glam-rock/early punk.
Not good, not terrible.
This album isn't on Apple Music. Which is a shame. I've had to listen via YouTube which isn't ideal. I enjoyed it, though. Raw rock and roll with a bit of an edge. I can't help think of Rocky Horror from the album cover to the general audio aesthetics.
More shock than awe.
3 - yeah it was fine
Finally found this on Youtube Music. Better than expected, though as expected I won't be revisiting it. But liked the energy and the production was surprisingly crisp. 3.3/5
I've heard this album a few times, since "Personality Crisis" was one of our featured tracks in a History of Rock course I took in university. I didn't quite get the hype then, and I'm not sure I do now. It was influential? I guess 1973 is early, but The Velvet Underground & Nico was 6 years earlier and sounds cooler, edgier and often "punkier" to my ears. The lead vocalist here sounds kind of rough and the songs aren't anything special (outside of "Trash", I've always kind of loved that one). Todd Rundgren did a great job producing this though, it still sounds great 50 years later. In summation, yeah, I don't know. Sounds to me like the Stones meet KISS. I realize this is probably blasphemous to some, but doesn't matter. This is fine, but bland.
Grungy, gritty, rock and roll. Underground style with its own personality. Had never heard of this band before but I dig it.
This one was really fun, love the vocals and the whole sound and vibe.
Heavier rolling stones. Interesting
Se suele citar a los New York Dolls como uno de los antecedentes o inspiraciones del punk. Su glam rock con incursiones en el hard rock es como una maravillosa y festiva desviación urbana del blues rock con reminiscencias de los Rollling. El disco comienza con un clásico del rock, "Personality Crisis", y continúa con otra estupenda canción plena de fuerza, "Looking for A Kiss". Con "Lonely Planet Boy" bajan los decibelios y suenan íntimos y sensibles. Además del primer tema, me gustan especialmente "Trash" y "Jet Boy", pero todo el álbum justifica que éste sea considerado como uno de los mejores discos de debut del rock.
Attitude and glam rock with a raw nerve. Not really standing the test of time, but obviously a defining album for the US punk rock scene evolving some years after. So not to be neglected after all.
A real rocker.
Decent, would listen again
The apple music description says "The Dolls were a sleazier Stones in eyeliner". If that's the case, I'm going to make like Kesha and get sleazy. Only in comparison to the stones. I enjoyed this album, but to me it was nothing to write home about. I feel like I've heard Personality Crisis before at some point. Compared to yesterdays album, this one is fantastic. Compared to most albums, this one is alright. Would anyone disagree this was a better debut than the stones? Not sure I caught a single cover.
Really good actually! I've heard the name and wasn't certain what to expect, but it's solid glam-rock stuff, arguably predating a lot of the hair metal sound in the '80s, so they should probably get some credit for that. Yeah this one's cool, I can totally see why it's included. Favorite tracks: Personality Crisis, Looking for a Kiss, Subway Train. Album art: Very bold and very fitting for a band with this name to debut in drag on their album cover. Wouldn't be surprised if this is a reason why the album initially performed poorly, people are scared and the hard rock scene was probably not welcoming of that stuff. But long run, it paid off. This is one of the stronger band photo covers I've seen, and the lipstick font is a great touch. 3.5/5
Definitely different from my usual listening. Really glam.
I enjoyed the classic rock elements but I really couldn’t get into it
Cool album, cool dudes, and I’m very glad I listened to it. But it did feel a little bit like second-rate Stones to me.
Bueno
Starts off rowdy and fun but kinda devolves from there into a weird fusion of glam rock/punk rock. "Trash" is the standout, sounds a bit like The Clash.
Decent early punk sound
Hat etwas von der "Rocky Horror Picture Show". Meat Loaf fehlt ;-). Schön rockig. Aber auf dauer, immer gelichklingend.
Classic punk that I can appreciate. Very grounded music, understandable vocals / lyrics.
Seems like a bit of an experiment gone off the rails. Pretty aggressive and anti-establishment, but better as a concept than actual music. It's okay, I'll allow the proto-punk label (because I am, yes, the official in charge of allowing labels, suck it). Entertaining.
Good music, but not an album I would listen to again.
Some fine rock, nothing crazy.
Glam Rock meets Pop/Punk in a way only NYC scene could blend in the 70's. Sets an example for several punk albums that followed. It was a precursor to the Ramones, the Sex Pistols, the Clash, and plenty of others that would explode the Punk Movement just a few years later. You can definitely hear the influence that this record must have had (ex. Trash sounds like a blueprint for the Dead Milkmen, put more sneer and an appropriate accent on it and Bad Girl could have been a Sex Pistols tune). An impressive first outing for a band. I much prefer this David Johansen as opposed to his later Buster Poindexter persona.
I like it but not for every day
Personality Crisis and Trash are great songs. The rest of the album is OK. Also, love David Johannson's voice.
The beginning of the album was fun and rocking. Kind of a Rolling Stones vibe. I’ve never listened to the NY dolls before but am glad I was introduced to their music. The rest was ok but nothing too memorable.
I thought this album was going to be girly pop based on the cover, but that's not what happened. Either way, it wasn't bad. But I wouldn't seek it out.
Going in I had my doubts about this album but the Dolls quickly won me over with their raw/gritty sound and energy. I dug it and I'd definitely listen to this again. 3.5/5
rock clássico 80s, enérgitico mas não especial
After listening to New York Dolls' self-titled album. I can safely say that it was unfortunately not as good as i hoped but still not terrible. I was expecting the album to sound a little more full of itself but the songs were handled as well as they could be in this situation. The songs could also have some pretty infectious melodies (some of which i could see getting stuck in my head). Its an okay album but not as good as i was hoping Best Song: Jet Boy Worst Song: Personality Crisis
This is a good album, with some very good songs, but doesn't do it enough to score higher for me.
Enjoyable album. Have heard it a few times sounds a bit dated but still good
Competent but lacking that spark that the Ramones and the Dictators have
Sorprendido gratamente, la verdad. Quizás no es un disco que volvería a escuchar enseguida, pero sí uno que no me importaría.
Good. Early punk that's kinda toothless compared to later punk. The line about the earth dying shocked me.
I don't hold in reverence this album the way a lot of the people that love the same music as I do, do. To me it sounds like a decent hard rock band playing some decent but unremarkable songs. Not unlike Alice Cooper or Mott the Hoople or Slade or Aerosmith or, dare I say, Kiss. 3 stars
Just punk enough to be cool. Just rock enough to be cool. Grunge before grunge?
Impressive to sound like this when they did
I enjoyed this more than most rock from its time. They seemed to be on the cutting edge of punk. Probably had a lot of people up in arms back then
Glam rock from 1974, having to listen to a live version as original not loading. Like the music off the bat, vocals are okay. 3 so far.
I listened to it. It was okay
This was alright 70s rock,like t-Rex but not as good.Apparently the bad was influential.I guess their influence was greater then their music.
This album started as a 2 for me - I was put off by the rough vocals. But after 3-4 songs it got better. It reminds me of the vibe from the Train Spotting soundtrack, the sound being like Rolling Stones or Bowie.
Punk glam fun. Shades of Rocky Horror before Rocky Horror was a thing.
This is fun to listen to. Not much substance or anything to really take away, but I enjoyed it enough. 3/5
Carefree fun old-school punk with a dash of glam. Everyone comparing this to Rolling Stones with a more punk sound are definitely right. Feels like your favorite punk bands favorite band. This a fun listen!
Raw new wave New York punk. You can see where it goes.
Those are some ugly women
3.25
Grungy punk rock. Upbeat but lacking some extra punch for my liking in particular. 3.5
Listened to this while playing Aeon's End with my partner against Magus of Cloaks. We lost. I am not a fan of this genre at all. That being said, I actually really enjoyed this album for what it was! I was familiar with the opening track but not much more. A solid 3.
As someone completely ignorant and ambivalent to the topic of music history, I cant score this on how influential it was. Just ok for me, bit too samey for me to care that much Fave tracks: personality crisis, vietnamese baby, lonely planet boy, subway train, private world 3/5
Ik zie de hoes en de naam en ik heb meteen zin om af te haken. Bij track 1 en 2 zit ik dan ook een beetje zuchtend te luisteren, zoekend naar woorden om alles wat ik kut vind goed te kunnen beschrijven. Daarna groeit het album toch wel iets naar me toe. Het is minder glam dan je zou denken en wat dan overblijft is gewone, toegankelijke dadrock. Rolling Stones met een vleugje Dead Kennedys. Toch wordt het nooit meer dan 3 sterren.
Nyd > the Ramones ?
Very early punk vocals with kinda bluesy classic rock instrumentals, very nice mixing. Decently enjoyable across the album, nothing very special. 6.7/10 Fav song - Personality Crisis
Early punk rock sound and some fun songs, but would need more listens for it to catch on.
Some bands make their name by having a singer with a non traditional voice. Aerosmith, queen, etc. These guys/girls don't have it. I think they're just bad at singing. It really holds the album back because the rest of their sound is great rock and roll. Just get a new singer I advise a half century late. Favorite track was trash.
No wonder they were such an influence on so many bands
No doubt influential and you can hear where Birtiish punk, new wave and 00"s revivalists pulled from . Sounds dated now though.
Probably would have got 5 stars from Scott Kelly if he wasn't fiddling monkeys.
Meh
I love glam punk live, it just didn't translate to albums for me
Some good tunes (Lonely Planet Boy, Pills, among others) and I understand the influence they had. Just not 100% my style.
this sure was fine. it sounded like the rolling stones and the ramones mashed up into one mediocre rock band. i guess there wasn't much music around in the 70s like this and that's why it influenced so many actually good musicians, but i don't think there's much here nowadays. not for me anyway. better than some albums on this list but mostly just average to me. favorites: personality crisis, trash
This didn't really do that much for me! Luke was quite disappointed as he did consider some of them hit. As with a lot of these albums its not that I didn't like it, some of it was quite fun - but nothing made me want to come back for more.
They're a legendary band and I hear a lot about them in music books and podcasts etc but I didn't love it. I guess it was a good history lesson though. They were such an early punk band it's nice to hear sounds and themes that carried through but not going to rush back to them.
3.5
Shyeah, but through a loudhaler is a bit hard
SOs -- Personality Crisis, Bad Girl
I hear the influence of the Stones on this and some influence from T.Rex and fellow New Yorker Lou Reed too. A bunch of songs remind me of The Clash but The Clash were still a few years away from releasing their first album so it’s fair to say New York Dolls probably influenced their sound. Definitely feels like an important album. It exists somewhere between classic rock, hard rock and punk. So I dig the style. But there weren’t many memorable songs for me. I’d be curious to hear another New York Dolls album though. Ok I just got to the end and “Jet Boy” rocks! This might be an album that grows on me.
Fun rock and roll classic. I know people really respect / love / adore this band but I never really listened to them much. I think there's something about the straightforward "rock" sound that I don't often gravitate towards. What was edgy once might not always be edgy and so much of rock is contextual on the time period, like singing about living an alternative lifestyle or a rock lifestyle, or singing about society or politics or people... and this sound isn't really edgy or super interesting right now. Not that that hurts my rating, but it does help me rationalize my thoughts. 3/5. It's listenable and enjoyable to sit and experience. I will spin it more!
Not really music I would listen to regularly. I enjoyed the album thought!
They got attitude! But not my favourite presentation
Some good rock n roll tracks in here but wouldn't listen again. Probably awesome in their era.
Not terrible, but definitely not that good
Nice manic punk rock done well.
Not bad, but kind of bland. I wanted to like this, but I just did not find it that great. I guess it could have been worse, though.
14th August 2023 All out of time again. Think I listened a day late. Punky glam rock with heavy Lou Reed influences. Quite enjoyed it. 3.5 if I could.
One of the better 'proto-punk' albums out there
Rowdy and rowdy and rowdy. Rough, too, often nicely. The band does settle after the first few tracks into the easy if not slow. Predecessors and descendants did it better, in the end.
Better than I expected (and I didn't know is was so early in the decade) Decent guitar rock/pop with attitude.
It was a punk album. It was alright. Nothing real memorable. I guess I will round up but that's mainly because if was short and I didn't skip any songs.
I really kind of liked this. Music that just pure straight ahead rock and roll in spirit. A couple of bits reminded me of the Stones.
This was decent. I liked the sound of the album overall, though there were no single tracks that really stuck out or wowed me. I
I’ll give the UK credit for being home to metal, but the US is where punk got its start thanks to the Stooges and Dolls. I’m not that big on the latter though- I respect them more than I like them. I think the riffs just aren’t heavy enough for me, although I do appreciate the intentionally simple melodies. Definitely an important album, but not a favorite. C+
Tenien la imatge. Tenien l'actitud. I poc més... Escolta't ara, el disc homònim dels New York Dolls sona destartalat, rovellat, un disc de rock brut i sense gaire substància. Posa't en el contexte i època d'on sorgeix, els seus mèrits es multipliquen
that's proto-punk... 3/5
Rock and roll but maybe ahead of their time for popular acceptability. Sounds something like Rocky Horror music and Mick Jagger rolled together.
Not bad, but was hoping for better.
It was on a bad It record but I was more into the clash.
вроде ничего, особо не расслушала
Classic New York rock n roll at its finest. Great album
I prefer Boston
not ky cup of tea but you can feel the punk roots mixed with hair metal
Immediate punk sound. It also reminds me of metal? This man does not sing on 'Personality Crisis'. Contradict me if you will. I can see why people would like this -- it seems to represent punk done well. But I do not like this. Sure, if someone put on certain songs, I could listen to them. Nevertheless, I can not see myself ever electing to listen to any of this. 5/10.
Ooh, I Know the first one. And it's quite good, and I can sing (?) along in the car. But after that I was kind of waiting for the Timewarp to appear somewhere or other. I mean, that's not necessarily a bad thing and I can see where this all fits and everything, and in theory it's the sort of thing I'd like. But it's just a bit meh and I'm not going to listen to it again - maybe I'll add Personality Crisis to a playlist. It's not terrible, but it just dragged a bit after the start.
i bet this was groundbreaking in its heyday, its rock n roll but gruff. surely, any reasonable person could see that this is a precursor to punk. but outside of that its rock n roll. i liked it well enough. his growl is primal. thats fun.
Bleef weinig van hangen
Annoyingly not on Apple Music, at least in the UK. An enjoyable album, even if some of the songs sound a bit same-y as the playtime winds on. Frankenstein,for example, whisky enjoyable probably didn’t need a minute of the vocalist repeating the word in different voices. Strong 6/10.
Good album!
Sure it’s an important album but not my cup of tea.
3.5/5 These guys were fun. I kinda like punk, but I prefer my punks to be British. Like I prefer most things. 😉 They felt kinda performative and cheesy for punk, which probably made it easier to swallow. I wonder if they always are in drag or if it was just this album cover.
Enjoyed this more than I expected to given that I didn't expect to enjoy it at all. Not sure I'll become their greatest fan but I don't hate them which is always a win.
More toned down than I expected, with a decent amount of fun little hooks and good energy. Don’t know if I’ll ever come back to it but an okay listen for sure. 5/10
Pretty good! Classic rock, punk-ish stuff.
Generic punk rock. I get this was before the genre really existed which makes it groundbreaking but still not that interesting to me.
Not really my thing but there was a lot to appreciate here. Heavier and more varied than I expected, and there were elements that I could see inspiring anything from Nick Cave to Rocky Horror
3 stars
hm
Popone una estetica curiosa, tiene un sonido interesante. Hay una cantidad inmesa de energia e ideas buenas que invaden al disco de carisma 6/10.
Good punk with a good progressive message. It leans a bit too heavy towards the glam side for my taste in punk, but I like it.
3.5
Filled with personality and that great early chugging of NYC Hard Rock, this is a stand out for sure. Nothing crazy or overcomplicated, the dolls delivered a fun album while telling Homophobia to fuck off.
Good Rock
Nice
pretty decent album. nice punk feel to it
Highlights: "Personality Crisis," "Vietnamese Baby," "Jet Boy" The vocal delivery sells this. It trails Bowie and The Stooges by a hair in the early punk scene, but when you hear about how hard and gnarly The Stooges are, *these* are the vocals you expect. I also dig the way its campiness manifests as mimetic gags musically, the panning flanger machine gun on "Vietnamese Baby" and the train whistle double stop bends on "Subway Train". The guitar's indulgence of noise over note values builds to chaotic finales that are ahead of their time. Sometimes it's just too long in getting there. You could fault it for having incoherent lyricism, sometimes seeming cryptic and other times seeming like the singer can't remember the lines. Not exactly progressive so much as transgressive, or just confusing. You could say this set a new standard if only because it brings the intensity and the performance you expect of this genre. I would prefer this lesser-known act over several contemporaries.
Proof that punk and drag are not new
This was just okay. I love how upbeat it was and it had a '50s rockabilly sound to it. The vocalist is very good, with intense vocals. However, I didn't really care much for any of the songs. Nothing was bad but nothing seemed that great to me either. I really liked "Bad Girl" in particular, though.
Pretty solid. It's nothing special in my opinion, but I can definitely see it as an important "transition piece" between the late-60's punk scene and the late 70's metal scene. Worth a listen.
Solid album to start off with. Liked the overall sound, vocals and lyrics were solid. Only negative was the weird kissing noises at the end of one of the songs. Not my usual style but did enjoy it fair play
While I can see their influences and who they influenced, there's probably a reason I hadn't listened to New York Dolls before. It's fine, feels very much if it's time.
Its a cool proto punk album, though its a little clunky and sludgy for me.
Love the sleazy trashy vibe. According to the band, this record did a good job of capturing their live sound, but I kind of feel like it doesn’t translate super well. This is a band you have to see in a basement venue where the floor smells like beer
What a cool album cover. I feel like this would have been so cool to see live and it doesn’t translate super well to recordings.
Pas tant mon genre, mais faut reconnaitre à quel point ils étaient en avance sur leur temps côté style. Clairement le premier album hair/glam.
I didn't listen to this album super closely, but I am familiar with the song "Looking for a Kiss". It's well produced and poppy and was an enjoyable listen.
Hauskaa rämistelyä, mutta en ihan päässyt vielä kiinni. 3/5
Over het algemeen heb ik niet veel met ouwe punk-rock, maar New York Dolls kan ik best hebben.
Listened Before? N So much influence here. These guys are listed under influences for SO many bands (especially punk) and I've never listened to them before. It was good. Raw, loud, unapologetic... I really like it. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Personality Crisis
hoe matig is dit?
Ihan menevää varhaista 70-luvun punkkia.
Best: Jet Boy Worst: Bad Girl
Kinda cool. Old British rock band
Ok, gibt aber bessere Proto-Punk Bands (Stooges etwa.)
Hard rock.
Heb niks met glamrock, al klonk dit op momenten prima
I understand that this is a foundational album but I found it hard to listen to. It makes me wonder how much of their contribution came from their image/what they projected into the world vs. the actual music.
The New York Dolls appeared alongside The Stooges and Velvet Underground with a proto-punk sound - there are some good tracks in there.
Just okay. Not a huge glam rock fan, the whole album sounded like one long continuous song on a loop
C'est le genre de punk rock que j'aime beaucoup, ca s'écoute super bien et je n'ai pas eu envie de skip aucune chanson. 3.5
A big old glam rock stomper - Think you need to be in the right mood for it, I can see why it's good but I shouldn't have put it on for a Monday morning listen!
Serious Rolling Stones vibes. Good stuff.
Don't really like punk but I respect it.
I still have a bit of an issue with glam - it all sounds pretty much the same to me. However this one is a bit different and I guess that’s because they were among the pioneers and I can appreciate the value it must have added back in the day. You can definitely hear how bands like The Clash or Pixies were influenced by this album. Still, this sounds exactly as I was expecting - like a bridge between The Rolling Stones and punk, which is a great thing to get a better understanding of music history. But it still does not have much replay value to me at this point. I really enjoyed the guitar playing on this especially considering that they’re not put in the forefront. Don’t care too much about the vocals which sound too Jaggery for my taste. Cover art is super cool! makes me want to get a vinyl copy even if I don't care as much about the music. Favourite tracks: Personality Crisis, Frankenstein. 3/5
I never listened to this band, and I see know how I always heard about them being a big influence on 80’s hair metal. Very similar stylistically to Crue and Poison in the way the songs are written and the playing style of the guitar. This album definitely has more of a punk edge to it though than the bands that they influenced.
Punk. Mezcla de Rollings y Punk. Está bien.
Interesting but I'm unlikely to return to it.
Some good strong punk, just not where my head was at today though.
They were imitating the Ramones and Sex Pistols on a few songs. This is before they got their signature sound. But you can hear it on a few songs.
I have heard of but never listened to New York Dolls. Starting out they get at least 2 stars just for the album cover. So let's take this record for a spin. Personality Crisis is a great opener, I think I love this band. ... After the first few songs I feel like the material doesn't shine quite to brightly. By the end I've concluded that they are good, great at times, but not destined to become a new favorite. Fun listen overall. May well belong on this list.
Undeniably influential and ahead of its time. The first proto punk band that basically sounds like early NYC punk... or a strung out Rolling Stones. Good sleazy fun.
I know a lotta folks are influenced by the New York Dolls, but it doesn’t do much for me. It’s like proto-punk and glam’s cousin.
Instruments are great but vocals are a bit much for me. All things considered I’ll call it a 3 overall
I'm certain that the makeup and stage presence may have been very off-putting for a lot of people. That's the only reason I can think of for why they weren't as commercially successful as other bands of the time. Pretty good mix of punk and "rock" music. This is take it or leave it music for me, but I do recognize how fresh this must have sounded when it was released.
Very much feels true to the punk ethos - disruptive and forward thinking with strong simple riffs. A bit more theatrical than most though.
Helt jees
Chill swwag
Solid rockers
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Interesting to hear some very early 'punk'
Groundbreaking. CBGB. Enjoyed it!
Hmm, wish I had more to say. Not bad, not great.
Ok
Looking for a kiss was bad, kissy noises RUINED it. Otherwise a boring punk album
Definitely can hear how their sound influenced the punk rock movement that was soon to hit the airwaves a few years after this album was recorded and released. And good for them for being so gutsy in a time of extreme homophobia! I'm impressed by the risk they took on at a dangerous time. Overall, the music is catchy and fun. It's outside the usual parameters of what I'm drawn to, but of course, that's one of the main attractions of this whole project.
Classic and fun.
Mostly good, raw garage punk fun, but also some rather forgettable ones.