Posted on Wednesday, April 22, 2009 6:10 PM
photo: Max Lakner
Does the world need a fourth New York Dolls studio album? Well, not really, but 'Cause I Sez So sounds a lot better than the third one - One Day It Will Please Us to Remember Even This that was released to tie in with the reunion gigs that started happening since 2004, when former Smiths vocalist Morrissey persuaded the surviving members to perform at the 2004 Meltdown Festival in London.
Todd Rundgren is back in the producer's seat and he successfully cooked up the early seventies feel that made the Dolls such a great band. The album was recorded at his Utopia Sound Studio, Kauai, Hawaii. Johansen and Sylvain could work on their tan between sessions and the enlisted guitar player and rhythm section back them up in an adequate way, holding back most of the time as if they were afraid to interfere with the two legends fronting the band. The band even went back to cut an updated version of their classic track Trash, but the 2009 version lacks a sense of urgency. Now it sounds like it was recorded on the beach while sipping fruit cocktails. The Dolls are at ease these days and in it for fun, never mind they sing about Exorcism Of Despair or Muddy Bones. They are in celebratory mood with the Philly soul Chicago style Nobody Got No Bizness and the confident rockers 'Cause I Sez So and Better Than You.
New York Dolls:
David Johansen: vocals
Sylvain Sylvain: guitar, background vocals
Steve Conte: guitar, background vocals
Sami Yaffa: bass, maracas, melodica, background vocals
Brian Delaney: drums
The Dolls play the legendary 100 Club in London, May 14, 2009.
'Cause I Sez So is scheduled for release in the UK on May 4th (May 5th in the USA) on ATCO Records.
Tracks:
- 'Cause I Sez So
- Muddy Bones
- Better Than
- Lonely So Long
- My World
- Ridiculous
- Temptation To Exist
- Making Rain
- Drowning
- Nobody Got No Bizness
- Trash
- Exorcism Of Despair
ยป nydolls.org
# Dolls At Their Best
4/23/2009 12:13 PM by
Your review is kinda cool, but you missed out on one important thing. Quite possibly, this may be the BEST studio album the Dolls have ever produced. The sound and the fury of the Dolls at their most exciting... they certainly haven't lost their sonic edge.
What's more, this doesn't even sound similar to a Todd Rundgren produced album, however, it harks back to the finer days when he produced Grand Funk Railroad. The Dolls are in control here. This is a remarkable achievement from the punk pioneers who actually still can kick out the jams (mutherfucker)!