Timelines 1973: New York Dolls Debut Album Hits the Streets

By Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor

As the Woodstock Nation said goodnight to the world and the decade from which they sprang, the gates of 1970 had flung open wide, presenting a variety of avenues, many untraveled, for the kids to ponder.

Within the first few years of the new decade the music world had already begun to splinter into several factions. There were the 60's leftovers, still relatively fresh, all things considered, lots of introspection going on with a cavalcade of 'singer/songwriters,' country rock, and of course the big leaguers like the Rolling Stones, the Who, CCR and so on, who moved seamlessly into the new era.

There was progressive rock, the first waves of heavy metal, bubblegum and glam rock. Mainstream audiences hung onto the tried and true in large part, as the mainstream press like Rolling Stone, who were all about the Jackson Brownes, Eagles, and Van Morrisons of the world. They scoffed loudly at anything tied to 'progressive rock' and the likes of Bolan, Bowie and Roxy just left them, well, unwashed and somewhat slightly dazed.

Something must have happened over Manhattan! Born out of a love for raw rock and roll, early 60s pop and a general sense of danger, all 'dolled' up in high heels, teased hair, lipstick, loud guitars, thundering drums and out for revenge vocals, the New York Dolls wandered into the party ready to take on the world. Formed in 1971, they became a fixture on the NYC underground scene with their most devoted fans singing their praises to the heavens while their most vocal detractors trying to think up new words for amateur and awful. Lines had been drawn!

The New York Dolls signed to Mercury Records, who hoped they were signing a band that would become huge. They had catchy songs, a larger-than-life image, rock and roll danger, the Rolling Stones for the next generation. Unfortunately, the masses didn't get the memo as the Doobie Brothers and James Taylor were found riding in the front seat.

Enter studio wizard, and true star, Todd Rundgren to the Dolls picture. With Rundgren as producer, the Dolls had a chance of getting a solid album and who knows, maybe even some radio airplay out of the deal. Though the story is often told that Todd took a while to warm up to the rowdy New Yorkers, once their signals converged, the magic happened in the studio. Rundgren proved to be the perfect producer for their self-titled debut, released July 27, 1973.

From the opening rave-up of 'Personality Crisis,' it's obviously we're a long way from Joni Mitchell's house. Loud, trashy, fierce, attitude overflowing, you know, Rock & Roll! This was what can only be described as the first genuine Rock and Roll for the next generation. No frills, no flowers, no fragrance, just a swift kick to the heart via stacked high-heels. Glamour never sounded so dangerous.

From the switchblade rumble of 'Looking For A Kiss,' 'Vietnamese Baby,' 'Frankenstein' and 'Trash' through the plaintive 'Subway Train' and glitter stomp of 'Jet Boy,' the New York Dolls were tough as nails from square one. With nothing but love and respect for the Rolling Stones, they made the Stones sound like a tired proposition from an old hooker. The Dolls were the new 'girls' on the street armed with high energy and killer songs.

So what happened? They sold millions of records and all lived happily ever after! Well, no, far from it actually. After a follow-up second album, 'In Too Much Too Soon,' they slowly imploded, and by 1975 were a ghost, fading with a whimper, bang long gone. Without the New York Dolls, there may very well have been no 'punk rock' and with no 'punk rock' radio would still be playing the Eagles, Billy Joel and, oh wait a minute. Maybe the whole punk thing was a figment of our collective imagination after all.

The New York Dolls, however, were very real. Their debut album still stands loud and proud 50 years on. That's half a century folks! The sad part is, on the large scale, the one where the baa-ing is loudly heard, the Dolls are still an unknown entity, barely a blip on any detectable radar, which of course, is one giant damn shame.

So, let's all celebrate the 50th anniversary of the debut album from the New York Dolls. Grab your old LP, CD, tape or stream it maximum volume. It's still a racket that needs to be heard and

you know what, it might just make the world a better place after all, even if only for a half hour. Here's hoping!