New York Dolls - One Day it Will Please Us to Remember Even This (Album)
» The Boroughs bring New York Dolls to Australia - July 27, 2011
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» New York Dolls - Hi-Fi, The, VIC - March 26, 2007
» New York Dolls - Cherry Bar, Vic - October 11, 2011
It’s news of Dannii Minogue’s dramatic non-entry into the charts this week that leaves me with feelings of trepidation and curious anticipation when writing this review.
Following some pretty hefty promotion (Rove, Sunrise, Video Hits), Ms Minogue’s current best-of release could only clock up a measly 749 sales across Australia, charting at number 67. With this figure in mind, where does this leave the rest of music’s masses, who are all clamouring for a bite of the tasty (albeit small) cherry that is the Australian music marketplace?
The pessimist in me says that given the power of the marketing dollar poured into Dannii’s best-of and the dead-in-the-water sales it generated, something like “One Day it Will Please Us…” just doesn’t have a hope.
Ever the optimist though, I’m apt to believe that the publicity machine of the major record companies is forever underestimating the taste and intelligence of the Australian consumer (as reflected in the poor sales of the aforementioned best-of). Hopefully, good sense will prevail and through word of mouth alone this record will succeed.
In terms of rock’n’roll pedigree the Dolls are a prize stallion. As for trophies and blue ribbons they are more your average riding school hack. The New York Dolls disbanded in 1977 after two critically acclaimed but publicly ignored albums. Their loose, blues-inspired ramblings were overshadowed by their flamboyant costumes and on-and-off stage antics. Yet, in their short time together they managed to influence and inspire the early punk movement, and with guitarist Johnny Thunders’ movement to the UK, they became the ancestral link between the New York and London punk scenes.
Free of the self consciousness acquired with maturity that is oft to plague even the best intentioned reformations, “One Day it Will Please Us…” delivers 13 rolling blues-rock numbers that would sit well at home amongst the Dolls earlier recordings.
I do have one odd point to mention, there are a lot of references to monkeys on this record. Don’t get me wrong, I love the funny little guys, I just don’t know how well they sit on a “forefathers of punk” record. My knowledge of the Dolls doesn’t extend to knowing if monkeys are a continuing theme. If they are, I stand corrected.
Are the Dolls doomed to repeat their previous commercial failure? Only time will tell. One thing is for sure. To hell with growing old gracefully- Johansen, Sylvain and Co. show us that if you still believe, the rest just falls into place.
“One Day it Will Please Us to Remember Even This” is out now through Roadrunner Records.
