This came out in 2004 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
It’s like Johnny Thunders said: You can’t put your arms around a memory. But that doesn’t stop the surviving New York Dolls from trying to reconnect with their past on this engaging live album.
Taped this year in London, Live From Royal Festival Hall finds these elder glam statesmen — foghorn-voiced singer David Johansen, fey guitarist Sylvain Sylvain and bassist Arthur (Killer) Kane (who died shortly after recording) — stepping back into their platforms and tottering down memory lane looking for a kiss. Aided by a trio of hired guns including guitarist Steve Conte, the vets loosely bash their way through 15 glam-rock and proto-punk standards like Puss ’N’ Boots, Frankenstein and Personality Crisis (along with a snippet of that old Thunders tune above for good measure). Sure, there are tons of mistakes, but hey, the Dolls were never about perfection; they were about attitude. And on that level at least, they haven’t lost their touch.
