All Dolled Up: A New York Dolls Story

With the recent passing of David Johansen it's a good time to revisit the New York Dolls' outstanding legacy. Emerging from the lifeless music scene of New York City during the early 1970s the Dolls brought an excitement, edge and sleaze to Rock prancing in confrontational glee with their androgynous get-up and wild, loud musical assault. Photographer Bob Gruen and his wife Nadya Beck were at hand capturing in film the one of a kind group at their peak as they toured New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco performing in now legendary places like Max's Kansas City and the Whiskey A Go Go. Priceless footage in black and white of the band performing live their ahead of its time raucous Rawk interspersed with interviews of the band members provide a personal and intimate look into the band's offstage lives and antics. Groupies and hangers-on abound but the filmmakers keep this clean aside from a number of kissing (including amongst the band members themselves, setting the standard for Ick Rock behavior since). The film reveals the personalities in crisis: like most Rock frontmen the smartest and most interesting, centre of attention Johansen, nasal street boy Johnny Thunders, spunky Sylvain Sylvain, alien Arthur "Killer" Kane and barely there Jerry Nolan. It's also good to see by now mythical groupies like Sable Starr and Lori Maddox in action. A true glimpse at Rock's Golden Age.

Although this isn't for beginners as the film is just about the Dolls, Dolls, Dolls for the fan one can't get closer to the band than this aside from time travel. An important document on a seminal group who altered Rock and Popular Music influencing the likes of the Ramones, Sex Pistols, The Clash, Guns 'N' Roses, to name a few; this merry and motley crew of noisemakers left a legacy like few do and one can get a glimpse of it here. A must for Dolls and Rock fans.

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.