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Rating: New York, after the Velvet Underground and before punk.
1973: in the underground venues where they perform, five guys dress up as women, short skirts, flashy makeup, red, blonde, purple wigs, fake breasts, and all the feminine paraphernalia: the American response to David Bowie and Marc Bolan?
In '73 we were in the full glam era, and the outrageous look of the five fully matched the time, but it was their rock that was ahead of the times: punk had not yet been born; their sound was already punk before punk, but it wasn't the only ingredient, let's say 50% punk and 50% glam forming, if you'll allow the shaky term, a "glam-punk" heavily influenced by the Rolling Stones and the MC5.
Names and surnames of the band: David Johansen on vocals, Johnny Thunders (RIP) and Sylvain Sylvain on guitars, Arthur Kane (RIP) on bass, and Jerry Nolan on drums. All five came from the proletarian underground, young thugs but who already showed they had the DNA of rock and roll. We will witness a triumph of this genre on their self-titled debut 1973.
"Personality Crisis": strong Rolling Stones influence in a piece where all the instrumentalists bite into their instrument so vehemently that it's easy to see the rhythm and blues fervor of a Stones' performance in them, one also notices that the firepower is quite high with traces of the bacchanals of the motor city's five.
In "Looking For A Kiss", we get to know the two guitarists, Thunders' solid six-string holding the rhythm and Sylvain's pyrotechnic and bold, it's with the third track "Vietnamese Baby" that the lustful and poisonous sound stands out, infected by Johansen's brash bark... midway, Sylvain, out of nowhere and evidently inebriated, comes out with a solo that is pure exultation, pure obscene fantasy. Followed by "Lonely Planet Boy," the calmest piece on the record with effeminate backing vocals, a sort of Marc Bolan-like ballad just to reiterate the glam roots of their rock and roll.
Then the craziest piece of the record opens up before us, "Frankenstein", an endless drive, pure epilepsy, frenzied saraband, guitars spewing insults of the most varied kinds, echoes of genuine madness, volcanic shock in which daylight seems dissociated...
Effective choruses like in the tracks "Trash" and "Bad Girl" that Thunders leads at dizzying paces for the times, are full-on carnage, punk songs ante-litteram or maybe it's just great rock and roll, "Subway Train" surges again with an obscene grin of Johansen's voice to a point that holiness may have overreached, a voice so crude it fits perfectly with the dominating, yet clean, torpedoes (glam, guys!) of the guitars on this stormy surf-punk, the surf chorus of the piece is very famous, and the solo offered by the track around the second minute should convince Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple fans that it wasn’t just Blackmore and Page setting the rules of rock and roll in 1973, there were other guitarists capable of treating the six-string as a genital organ; the solo of "Subway Train" continues throughout the piece, a real tour de force for Sylvain's guitar climbing into the deeper recesses of our perverse ineptitudes with a cascade of sparkling chords.
"Private World" (very percussive) and "Jet Boy" conclude the album with, if possible, even more explosive firepower, they are debauched stage plays, highly macho under the marketing-imposed veil of androgyny at all costs of that dazzling glam scene, listen, for example, to the choral anthem of "Jet Boy", so fierce with the final incandescent frequencies.
It seems miraculous that a rock and roll record like this dates back to 1973 (but if the masters are the Stooges, Velvet, and MC5, there's no need for surprise).
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Personality Crisis (03:43)
Well we can't take it this week
And her friends don't want another speach
Hoping for a better day to hear what she's got to say
All about that Personality Crisis you got it while it was hot
But now frustration and heartache is what you got
(That's why they talk about Personality)
But now your tryin to be some no you got to do some
Wanna be someone who cow wow wows
But you think about the times you did they took every ounce
when it sure got to be a shame when you start to scream and shout
you got to contradict all those times you were butterflyin about
(You were butterflyin)
All about that Personality Crisis you got it while it was hot
But now frustration and heartache is what you got
And your a prima ballerina on a spring afternoon
change on into the wolfman howlin at the moon hooowww
All about that Personality Crisis you got it while it was hot
But now frustration and heartache is what you got
Now with all the crossin fingers that mother nature says
Your mirrors get jammed up with all your friends
That personality everything starts to bend
Personality when your mind starts to bend
Personality impression of a friend,
Of a friend, of a friend, of a friend, of a friend
Personality wonderin how celebrities ever met
(Look and find out on television)
Personality Crisis you got it while it was hot
frustration and heartache is all you got don't you worry
Personality Crisis please don't cry
it's just a Personality Crisis please don't stop
Because you walk a Personality
Talk a Personality
06 Trash (03:09)
Trash, wont pick it up
Take them lights away
Trash, wont pick it up
Dont take your life away
Trash, dont try to take my life away
And please dontcha ask me if I love you
If you dont know what I'm doin (whatcha know is)
----those are all the lines,
some repeated more, sometimes different wording-----
Cus I dont know if I do
Cus the way that I feel with you
And take a lovers leap with you
And go to fairyland with you
Go to heaven blue with you
I just dont know if I do
I just dont know if I do
Uh, how do call your lover boy?
08 Subway Train (04:22)
I can't ever
Understand
Why my lifes, been
Cursed poisen,
Condemned
When I been tryin every night
To hold ya near me
But I'm tellin you
It aint easy
Ever since I been
Ridin, right on the
Subway Train
You can hear the whistle blowin
Wa might think I'm goin insane
And now your friends
They're fillin up my car
But your so busy readin Suzy says
Ya can't look now
You didn't see your lovers
There all just in rags
Ya know ya hid as pushin up posies
Tryin get ya fed
We was all
Ridin, right on the
Subway Train
And you can hear the captain shoutin
He thinks I've gone insane
Cus I keep
Ridin, keep on
Ridin, cus I keep on
Ridin ridin ridin, keep on
Ridin, yeah
You stop and you stare,
As I'm lieavin my favorite place
We have no regards
Ya can't find a trace
Ya gotta get on back to daddy
That's all its gonna be
He got the poison black arts of the pimps
But don't ya st- st-
I seen em travelin
Right on the
Subway Train
Ya can hear th captain shou-ow-tin
He thinks weve all gone insane
Cus we keep on
Ridin ridin ridin
Ridin, cus we keep
Ridin ridin ridin
Keep on ridin
I think a see the train
I see ya got open track
I'm hopin
One of those gonna bring my baby back
(Cus I guess I said)
Dinah wontcha blow
Dinah wontcha blow your horn
Dinah wontcha blow
Dinah wontcha blow your horn
Someones in the kitchen with Dinah
I know whoa whoa whoa
I said someones in th kitchen with Dinah
I know
I keep on
Ridin ridin ridin
Puss 'n' Boots
And now you're walkin'
Just like you're ten feet tall
Go ahead
Lickity split
Better move quick
Better not slip
Better get hip
I don't think it fits
Lookin' for a hoot
I'm gonna shout,
Where'd you get those boots!
Just like Puss 'n' Boots
I hope you don't get shot for tryin'
Oh baby, shot for tryin'
Oh little rhinestone target
Has to change his name
Cause all the boys and girls
Think that you're too easy game
Don't you know the shoes
Is makin' him lame
Shut him up boss
Keep the change
Just like Puss 'n' Boots
I hope you don't get shot for tryin'
Get shot for tryin' Shot for tryin'
There's just one thing
That I'm trying to say
Sometimes you got to get away some place
And now you're walkin'
Just like you're ten feet tall
Oh, Boy girl that's just all
Just like Puss 'n' Boots
I hope you don't get shot for tryin'
Baby shot for tryin'
If all you wanna do is save your face
And what you gonna do after this place
I'm screamin' help help help
Full of grace, now what I say
Little rhinestone target
Has to change his name
All the boys and girls
Think he's too easy game
Don't you know the boots
Are makin' him lame
I'm screamin' shut him up boss
Keep the change
Just like Puss 'n' Boots
I hope you don't get shot for tryin'
Baby shot for tryin'
Well this is one thing that I'm tryin' to say
sometimes you got to get away some way
Until you're walkin' just like you're ten foot tall
Boy girl that should be all
Just like you're ten foot tall
I sure hope you don't fall oh,
When you're ten foot tall
Go ahead now
Making that split
Better move quick
Better not slip
Better get hip
I done plead the fifth
Going for a hoot
I thought I'd shout
Hey where did you get those boots
Just like Puss 'n' Boots
I hope you don't get shot!
09 Pills (02:49)
As I was lyin in a hospital bed
A rock n roll nurse went into my head
She says, hold ya arm, stick out ya tounge
I gots some pills I'm gonna give you somes
She went into my head, into my head
A rock n roll nurse, went into my head
Into my head, into my head
While I was lyin in a hodpital bed
A little pill for my legs, but that didn't ache
I tried some pills for my heart, but a little to late
Gots some pills for my love, to put me at ease
Ats when a rock n roll nurse shook me down to my knees
She went into my head, shoved into my head
A rock n roll nurse went into my head
Into my head, into my head
As I was lyin in a hospital bed
(I got the rock n roll nusre...)
Nursey nursey, I dont see
Well I don't understand what your doin to me
Said ya give me th pills, then ya give me the shot
Got me wonderin what is worse I got
She went into my head, shoved into my head
A rock n roll nurse went into my head
Into my head, into my head
As I was lyin in a hospital bed
(I got the rock n roll nurse
She's a makin it worse
Keep shootin it right
To my head...)
Doctor doctor! Run here and see
I dont think th job the nurse is givin me
Gives me the shots, gives me th pills
Got me takin this junk, against my wills
She went into my head, shoved into my head
A rock n roll nurse went into my head
Into my head, into my head
As I was lyin in a hospital bed
11 Jet Boy (04:40)
Whoso fly up in th' sky
Faster than any boy could ever describe
Whos got that love so deep
And everything alive
(I said)
Jet Boys fly
Jet Boys gone
Jet Boy stole my baby
Flyin around New York City so high
Like he was my baby
This's the kinda place where no one cares
What your livin for
And Jet Boys so preoccupied
He don't care 'bout before
(That's why)
Jet Boys fly
Jet Boys gone
Jet Boy stole my baby
Flyin around New York City so high
Like he was my baby
My baby....
Jet Boys fly
Jet Boys gone
Jet Boy stole my baby
Flyin around New York City so high
Like he was my baby
We was all endangered charms
Swear we're havin fun
And Jet Boy knows all we done
That's why he's the one
(That's why)
Jet Boys fly
Jet Boys gone
Jet Boy stole my baby
Flyin around New York City so high
Like he was my baby
My pretty baby
My pretty pretty baby
My pretty baby
When I first came around this dump
I knew I couldn't stay
Cus up above the world are Jet Boy
That's why I gotta play
(Dontcha know that)
Jet Boys fly
Jet Boys gone
Jet Boy stole my baby
Flyin around New York City so high
Like he was my baby
Like he was my baby
Like he was my baby
Like he was my baby
Like he was my baby
Jet Boys fly
And ya know he's gone
I said he been gone,
Gone, gone gone
And he been flyin
And he been flyin
He been flyin
He been flyin
Baby up all night
Baby New York City
Baby so so high
Baby so so high
(Dontch know that)
Like he was my baby
Like he was my baby
Like he was my baby
Like he was my my my my baby
My my my my baby
My my my my
My baby
My baby, my baby
M-m-m-m-m-my baby
My baby
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