NEW YORK DOLLS – LIVE AT RADIO LUXEMBOURG, PARIS, DEC. 1973

Unofficial RSD 2020 release. Controversial glam act New York Dolls were the epitome of rock n’ roll excess, prefacing the rough edges of punk. Formed in late 1971 and initially known as Actress, the earliest incarnation featured bassist Arthur Kane, guitarist Rick Rivets and the guitarist that would become Johnny Thunders, with drummer Billy Murcia and singer David Johansen; soon, Rivets was replaced by Egyptian-born Sylvain Sylvain. Decked out in androgynous clothing, including platform boots, lipstick and body stockings, The Dolls toured England in 1972, which was ruptured by Murcia’s tragic alcohol-and-drugs-related death, bringing Jerry Nolan into the group. Signing to Mercury, they issued a self-titled debut, followed by Too Much Too Soon, but disappointing sales saw Mercury drop them. Live At Radio Luxembourg was recorded in December 1973 and features hot live versions of songs from these two seminal studio albums; with plenty of banter delivered in cod-French accents between the tracks, the set reveals the group in their prime, their no-limits attitude taking the form of raucous guitar riffs, shouted vocals, crashing drums, and driving bass, and in addition to classic Dolls like “Puss N Boots” and “Jet Boy”, there are some blues references too. Splatter pink and white vinyl, transparent sleeve, hand-numbered.