‘Cause I Sez So
New York Dolls
Produced by Todd Rundgren
Atco Records
Rhino
Released May 5, 2009

In 1973 a young band from New York released an album into the world. The cover featured a black and white photograph of a group of men dressed in women’s clothes. In stark contrast to the photo was a line of pink lipstick which spelled out their name: New York Dolls. A band too Punk for Glam Rock and too Glam Rock for Punk.

In 2006 came the release of One Day It Will Please Us To Remember Even This after a thirty-two year studio album absence (granted there was a break up in that time). This was a new New York Dolls, New York Dolls Part 2, even. A band that had time to reflect on their rock ‘n’ roll lives, who had suffered the heartache of losing loved ones. They were more laid back and David Johansen’s voice had succumbed to years of hard living, becoming a gravelly growl rather than a cocky yell. This was the sound of the New York Dolls growing old gracefully (whoulda thought it?) not re-hashing their best work of thirty years ago in a desperate attempt to re-capture that popularity.

Sylvain Sylvain and David Johansen are the only two surviving original members. There is always a question mark over whether bands should keep the name when so many line up changes have occurred (yes, Axl Rose, i’m looking at you, too). To many, the New York Dolls just isn’t the same band without Johnny Thunders and Arthur ‘Killer’ Kane. Its true, without those guys the band is very different, but there are some similarities.

‘Cause I Sez So is only the fourth studio album from the New York Dolls. It begins with “‘Cause I Sez So,” a brilliant album opener; a sneering punk rock stampede. This is followed by “Muddy Bones,” another great rock song with Johansen snarling the chorus backed up by bassist Sammi Yaffa and drummer Brian Delany’s pounding rhythm section, lead by the screaming guitars of Sylvain Sylvain and Steve Conte.

What gets off to a great start with “‘Cause I Sez So” and “Muddy Bones” – full of wailing guitars and that famous punk spirit – slowly but surely lumbers through different musical styles but amazingly they all manage to sound the same. Most of the album blends into one boring piece of music. The songs are competent at best – which is the very least you would expect from such experienced musicians – but most lack any quality. I have no problem with them trying things out but the songs just aren’t good enough.

On One Day It Will Please Us To Remember Even This, the songs may not have been strictly New York Dolls but at least they were making music that was good and to me it sounded like the band had fun recording the album. Here it kind of feels like they’re just making music for the sake of it.

It picks up again with the haunting “Drowning” and the funky “Nobody Got No Bizness” – two very different songs but both very good. Then just when I thought I might be rewarded with a run of good songs at the end after listening to the rubbish that came before it, it all falls apart again horribly with the hideous ska/reggae version of one of their greatest songs, “Trash”. Thirty-six years of punk history undone with one staccato chord.

‘Cause I Sez So reflects the life of the New York Dolls; it begins brightly but after the initial rush of brilliance, a long period of nothingness ensues, then a quick spark of genius from out of nowhere and then garbage. Maybe now is a good time for another long period of silence.