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Blowin' Up & Bangin'
Away Dep't.:
 Growing up, all I had in the way of N.Y.
Dolls footage was that crappy "Live In A Doll House", mostly cadged from
Don Kirshner's variety show, but I perfected my David Jo impersonation in
the mirror by watching it again and again. I'll never forget how that impeccably-attired, diamond-geezer, Jerry Nolan, went out of his way, to
lovingly indulge, and embrace me, posing for many photos, and just
creating space for me, backstage at that Johnny Thunders benefit put
together by our mutual paison, Tony Coiro. I was only like, what? 21, back
then, and backstage with most all my childhood heroes at once. A greasy
kid's dream, right? But they were all in mourning. I had intended to
submit a track to this compilation, but as usual, I was lovesick, broke,
and driftin', as it was being compiled, so it never came together, but in
spite of this
glaringly apparent and conspicuous void left on this tribute, by the
regrettable absence of yours cruelly; DAVID JOHANSEN, himself, fills in,
admirably for me, with some band called Frankenstein 3000.
Steve Jones (Pistols, Fabulous Stains, Neurotic Outsiders, Professionals,
Buck Cherry producer, Checkered Past) has more Flash Metal Suicide crash
and burn disasters on his resume' than anyone besides Michael Des Barres,
and he also phones home on this compilation, backing up another combo I'm
not familiar with, called FLIPP.
The stand-out cuts include the SCIENCE FICTION IDOL'S "Human Being",
Canadian glam rock superstars, CRASH KELLY'S predictably Bolan-esque
version of "Lonely Planet Boy", and an absolutely amazing, stellar,
fabulous
rendition of "Vietnamese Baby", by Tinsel-land's beloved power pop regals,
SLOW MOTORCADE. Slow Motorcade always bring back memories of Queen,
Silverhead, Mott The Hoople, and the Babies, with their glistening arena
rock anthems. In a better world, they'd be out on tour, opening up for
Cheap
Trick and Aerosmith right now, but I'm no longer in charge. Their drummer,
Thom Sullivan, is perhaps the best all around rock drummer since Clem
Burke,
if not Keith Moon. Motorcade songsmith, Anthony Castillo, has the second
best haircut in Hollyweird, and the World's Only Betty Page autographed
guitar. Bassist Derrick, moonlights in the Andersons with Cousin Oliver
from
the Brady Bunch. I think Curt was in the B-Movie Rats. I'd love to hear
more
from the 'Motorcade with their new vocalist. Ace producer and charisma
king,
JACK ATLANTIS, is most famous for being the King of The Night Time World
at Club Make-up and various other happenings in the fashion and art
communities
out West, and his welcome addition to the SLOW MOTORCADE roll-call as Lead
Rockstar, has them poised to overthrow TSAR's dominion as the reigning
stars of big league, 70's A.M. radio glam rock bliss.
Bebe Buell's ubiquitous hanger-on, ex-husband, COYOTE SHIVERS, turns in
an appropriately nasally rasped "Chatterbox", and the
ALARM'S rousing
rendition of "JETBOY" reassures us that "68 Guns Will Never Die." The New
Romantics seem to be competing with Red Invasion (Strangely absent as
well,
here) for the title of "the new BEAT ANGELS". AMERICAN ANTHEM'S "You Can't
Put Your Arms Around A Memory" will pull your heartsrings if you've lived
too long like the rest of us, or just miss those who haven't. All this and
more, little girls, the Napoleon Blownaparts, and a cast of thousands! The
liner-notes were penned by none other than the always lovely and
astoundingly lyrical NINA ANTONIA. This might be the over-all best of
these tiresome cattle-call tribute things since that Japanese Thunders Fanclub N.Y. Dolls tribute put together in the early 90's by HIROSHI
NAKAGONE from the Golden Arms, called, "Stranded In A Dolls House". Look
for that one on E-Bay ,too, if you're into these sortof things. Chances
are, if you're scanning the Sleazegrinder website, you already dig alot of
the bands featured here covering the DOLLS timeless and inspirational
trash, and if you ain't the monster himself, sewn together from dead
criminals body parts and yer Mama was lightning, then you probably COULD
still make it with a Frankenstein. It ain't no crime.
"I'll go to planet blue wit choo, I just don't know what I'm doin..."
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