Too Much Too Soon

The New York Dolls.  I first heard them on some old TV compilation of 70's clips, lumped together with The Ramones, Blondie, Patti Smith, the old CBGBs NYC punk thing.  There's a famous clip of them lurching through Jet Boy on the Old Grey Whistle Test, after which Bob Harris sniggers 'Mock rock!', after a shambolic performance during which any of the band looked likely to trip over their high heels and crash into the camera man.

At face value, it's curious as to why the Dolls are held in such high regard compared to some of their contemporaries.  Their sound is not a million miles away from the glam rock of The Sweet, T Rex, Slade, or the Glitter Band; bands which shared their sartorial flamboyance and chant-a-long choruses.  David Johannson and Johnny Thunders came on like Mick and Keith let loose in a charity shop after emptying their big sister's make up box.  The cover of the debut LP is just brilliant, they look like a bunch of elderly pre-op transexuals after a night on the town...

There's a fantastic documentary about bass player Arthur Kane, and the reunion of the New York Dolls which was brought about by Morrissey's Meltdown festival in 2004, and Robyn Hitchcock's song NY Doll is a very affecting tribute.