New York Dolls: "Fool For You Baby" video

Watch the New York Dolls video for Fool For You Baby, a track off their Dancing Backward in High Heels album . The video was directed by Jeremy Johnstone.

» nydolls.org

HCTF review of Dancing Backward in High Heels.

New York Dolls: Dancing Backward in High Heels

photo: Paul Bachman

From the big league to Newcastle. The New York Dolls recorded their new album in the tiny but well equipped Blast Studios in Newcastle. Produced by the engineer of The Killers, Jason Hill (who also plays bass), the Dolls had three weeks to come up with a new album. As per usual singer David Johansen supplied the lyrics and guitarist Sylvain Sylvain came up with the music and some words.

Their previous record, the 2009 album 'Cause I Sez So reunited the band with legendary producer Todd Rundgren, who brought back the Seventies glam and gloss. None of that is present on Dancing Backward in High Heels, which is raw and heartfelt. Obviously inspired by playing a three night stand at the tiny club The Cluny (September 4-6, 2010) they revisited the Sixties doo-wop (I Sold My Heart to The Junkman). Johansen stills projects the raunchy front man (I'm So Fabulous, Talk To Me Baby), but he also realizes that he is older and wiser now, singing as slow song about Kids Like You, on top of an Animals-esque organ played by Sylvain.

New York Dolls: 'Cause I Sez So

photo: Max Lakner

Does the world need a fourth New York Dolls studio album? Well, not really, but 'Cause I Sez So sounds a lot better than the third one - One Day It Will Please Us to Remember Even This - that was released to tie in with the reunion gigs that started happening since 2004, when former Smiths vocalist Morrissey persuaded the surviving members to perform at the 2004 Meltdown Festival in London.

Todd Rundgren is back in the producer's seat and he successfully cooked up the early Seventies feel that made the Dolls such a great band. The album was recorded at his Utopia Sound Studio, Kauai, Hawaii. Johansen and Sylvain could work on their tan between sessions and the new guy Steve Conte (in the band since 2004) and a rather faceless rhythm section back them up in an adequate way, holding back most of the time as if they were afraid to interfere with the two legends fronting the band. The band even went as far as to lay down an updated version of their classic track Trash, but the 2009 version lacks a sense of urgency. Now it sounds like it was recorded on the beach, while sipping fruit cocktails.