After playing their first gig at a homeless shelter on Christmas Eve, 1971, the New York Dolls made two studio albums: a self-titled debut in 1973 and the prophetically titled Too Much Too Soon the following year, by which point they were well on their way to disbanding. But the influence of those sounds has loomed large ever since, echoing in much of the punk, glam and hair metal that followed.
After three decades of resisting the urge to reunite and show the world where Guns N Roses went wrong, a new New York Dolls came together around the original groups only surviving members, singer David Johansen and guitarist Syl Sylvain, once the Ron Wood to the late Johnny Thunders twisted-transvestite Keith Richards. This group has been touring ever since it first took the stage in London at the Meltdown Festival in 2004 at the behest of superfan Morrissey — who, ironically enough, has always scoffed at the notion of reuniting the Smiths — and it released a new album, One Day It Will Please Us to Remember Even This, in 2006.
Im no fan of that disc: A shameless exercise in cash-in nostalgia, this album is full of hollow, ersatz Dolls-like glam-rockers [that] draw on the familiar influences of 50s rock and Motown, but with guitarist Steve Conte doing a poor job of invoking Thunders roar, and Johansen and Sylvain clearly only in it for the money, I wrote upon its release. Yet theres no denying that Johansen remains one of the most inspiring vocalists in rock history, and it is, was and always will be a kick to hear him tear through brilliant Dolls classics such as Personality Crisis, Trash and Pills.
We caught up in the midst of a tour that brings the Dolls back to Chicago tomorrow night.
Q. David, the last time we spoke was in 2001, when you performed with your blues project, the Harry Smiths, at the Old Town School of Folk Music
A. Man, that was great!
Q. And back then, when I asked you about the idea of returning to the Dolls, you said, Youre either doing what you want or trying to give the people what they want. What was the impetus for the Dolls reunion, besides Morrissey being a major fan?
A. Well, you know what happened: It was really that Morrissey called and asked us if we wanted to do a show. I think he just called on the right day, when everybody was up for it. So we thought, Lets go do this, and well have a lot of fun. And we went and we had a lot of fun. Then we started getting calls to do other shows, and we figured, Well, lets do a couple more shows, what the heck? Before you knew it, it was like a year later and we were still doing it, so we decided to make a record.
Q. How was it different making One Day It Will Please Us to Remember Even This compared to the ancient history of making the first two?
A. To tell you the truth, I dont really remember too much about making those first two. I remember that they had a lot of pretty lights on the [mixing] board! Basically, I went and I sang and that was it. I dont know if there was that much difference really: We worked with Jack Douglas, who was the same guy who engineered the first record. I think we took three weeks on this one, but on the first one, we took a week.
Q. Did it just come right back again, playing with Syl?
A. Apparently it did. To tell you the truth, I didnt really think about it too much. We just kind of went in and rehearsed for a couple of days and went onstage and played, and it was all just there. It was groovy.
Q. Do you ever feel like you have multiple personality disorder? I mean, theres the New York Dolls David, the David of the 80s solo albums, the Buster Poindexter David, the Harry Smiths David
A. Yeah, but you know, Im kind of like all those things and none of those things! I dont know if I really identify myself by any those things.
Q. In any of those guises, is it still a kick to sing every night?
A. Well, thats the trip: Thats what I dig doing — singing. Being in a band like this is kind of cool, because everybody is doing their thing, and youre not telling people what to play or anything. Its being a part of something, as opposed to having to take all the responsibility. The whole becomes greater than the sum of the parts, or whatever that expression is.
Q. Will there be a second album from the Dolls second go-round?
A. Yeah, we just made a record; I just saw a copy of it today for the first time. We did a live record in New York between Christmas and New Years, and its coming out already. [Live at the Fillmore East will get its official release this spring, but the band is already selling it at shows.] Somebody there thought it would be a good idea to do this, and we thought its really probably a good thing to do right now, especially because weve got a tour going and all this.
Q. What about any of the other Davids? Any other plans outside the Dolls?
A. I havent really had time to think about that too much, because were just kind of constantly doing this now. And Im really just having too much fun.
The New York Dolls, We Are the Fury
9 p.m. Saturday
Double Door, 1572 N. Milwaukee
$30
(773) 489-3160
CLUB-HOPPING
Kicking off a winter tour in support of the new DVD After the Ceiling Cracked + 3, hometown stoner-rock/doom metal mavens Pelican take the stage in their old stomping grounds at the Empty Bottle, 1035 N. Western, following opening sets by Black Cobra and Unearthly Trance starting at 9 p.m. Thursday. The cover is $12; for more info, call (773) 276-3600.
If any debate remained before, hopefully the Grammy love showered upon the Foo Fighters eliminated any lingering doubts about whether Dave Grohls post-grunge pop band had an ounce of cool remaining. They dont, but the groups sold-out show on Monday features two fine opening acts: Serj Tankian, moonlighting frontman for System of a Down, and the righteously raucous punks Against Me! The show starts at 7:30 p.m. at the Allstate Arena, 6920 N. Mannheim Rd. in Rosemont, and as always with these sorts of gigs, its worth checking Ticketmaster or the box office to see if any last-minute seats have become available.
