In the early seventies a documentary making couple ( Bob Gruen & Nadya Beck ) bought a black & white video camera and followed the New York Dolls around NYC and their short but important west coast tour. They recorded live performances, rehearsals and off stage footage in night clubs, backstage, limos etc.. This DVD release is the edited results. Some of the off stage footage is fascinating ( the dolls dancing to their chart hit at Rodney Bingenheimer's English Disco night club, Johhny Thunders with the legendary groupie Sable Starr ) and mundane ( Arthur Kane pulling on his y fronts ! ) However the recordings of the live performances at various NYC venues and the Whiskey in LA are the best footage of the dolls live that exists period, bootleg or official. If you're a dolls fan it's a given you'll need this. On the other hand if you've got just a casual interest in the dolls you might find it a bit hard wading through all of the off stage footage. But with the passing of time and sadly the passing of 3 ( 4 counting the original drummer Bill Murcia ) of the original band, this is almost certainly the best collection of vintage live footage we New York Dolls fans will ever get. Treasure it.
2 Reviews
excellent, excellent, excellent
mw156115 January 2010
If you're a fan of the New York Dolls, and even if you aren't, this film is a gem. For younger people it is a time capsule of how things used to be, when bands played "live" without audio enhancers and without lip syncing and without a bevy of backup dancers. Very often the "liveZ" version of a song did not sound like the recorded version. For older people, the film is like taking a trip down memory lane to a more innocent time. The documentary does a good job of catching the NY Dolls at their best and worst. It captures their energy and their driving sound that made them a memorable band, and it also hints at the excesses that led to their breakup.
My favorite part was when the band left to go to Los Angeles, from Johnny Thunders' wife reminding him to "take his vitamins" to the outrageous get-up that Sylvain wore on the plane. The Dolls were not poseurs, they dressed in real life the same way that they did on stage.
This is a must-see documentary for anyone who cares about the history of rock music.
My favorite part was when the band left to go to Los Angeles, from Johnny Thunders' wife reminding him to "take his vitamins" to the outrageous get-up that Sylvain wore on the plane. The Dolls were not poseurs, they dressed in real life the same way that they did on stage.
This is a must-see documentary for anyone who cares about the history of rock music.
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