Too Much Too Soon

Performer: New York Dolls
Engineer: Dixon Van Winkle; Dennis Drake
Producer: George "Shadow" Morton
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: New York Dolls: Sylvain Sylvain (vocals, guitar, piano); Mister Johnny Thunders (vocals, guitar); David Johansen (vocals, gongs); Killer Kane (bass); Jerry Nolan (drums, percussion). Recorded at A&R Studios, New York, New York. Discounting the proto-punk '60s work of groups like the Stooges and the MC5, the New York Dolls are probably the first punk band. Visually they flirted with glam, but that's just because they were emulating their main influence, the Stones, whose one-time penchant for wearing ladies' clothes the Dolls aped. Like the Stones, the Dolls had a flamboyant singer (David Johansen) full of sexy swagger and soul, and a strung-out-looking guitarist (Johnny Thunders) who'd chewed up and spit out the Chuck Berry catalogue. The Dolls revved up that rootsy sound, combining a hard edge with a respect for the rock & roll verities. Songs such as "Who are the Mystery Girls?" and "It's Too Late" meld punk abandon with soulful rock & roll, with Thunders's slashing guitar slicing the '50s and '60s aesthetics into little pieces. The iconoclastic Dolls had an undeniable respect for tradition, shown by their cocky covers of the soul classic "(There's Gonna Be A) Showdown" and the '50s novelty hit "Stranded in the Jungle." Despite all these nods to the past, though, TOO MUCH TOO SOON burst onto the 1974 rock scene sounding like exactly what it was--the dawning of a new day.

With inspiration from British glam and US proto-punks like the Stooges, the New York Dolls were the originators of the NYC trash aesthetic that inspired subsequent generations of punk bands. Churning out garage riffs that tipped their hat to 1960s R&B, they were the Stones of the first punk generation. Their outrageous image and brash sound gained them attention, but failed to make them stars, and David Johansen, Johnny Thunders, and Syl Sylvain all went on to solo careers after just two Dolls albums. In 2004, the Dolls reunited, with surviving members Sylvain, Johansen, and Arthur Kane making a triumphant festival appearance. Sadly, Kane died shortly after, but Johansen and Sylvain played another show dedicated to the memory of all the deceased dolls (Kane, Thunders, Jerry Nolan, Billy Murcia). In 2006, the remaining band members recorded their third official studio album to almost universal acclaim.

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