Reviews
 Keep It Simple
Van Morrison
Roger McGuinn @ the Huntington IMAC, Long Island, NY - April 4, 2008
Emily Saxe @ the Allen Room/Jazz at Lincoln Center - April 5, 2008
Another Country
Tift Merritt
Be Your Own Pet
Get Awkward
Paul McCartney – The McCartney Years (DVD)
Juno – Music from the Motion Picture
Various Artists
Yes - Their Definitive Story
Day and Night Driving
Seven Mary Three
InterMedia Arts Center 2/2/08
Huntington, NY
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I would suspect that a person’s ability to enjoy this movie - directed by Greg Whitely - is predicated upon whether or not they appreciate the New York Dolls. The Dolls released only two albums in their short-lived career as a band, but their first album stands as one of the most seminal rock and roll albums ever recorded. Released in 1972, I believe that it has aged remarkably well, perhaps better than any other album released at that time. Based on that comment, it should be obvious that I consider myself a true fan of the band, so when I heard that a movie was being released based on the subsequent adventures (or lack thereof) of bassist Arthur “Killer” Kane, my curiosity was piqued. Coincidentally, I recently saw lead singer David Johansen performing a bunch of New York Dolls tunes at a club a few weeks earlier, and he sounded great, so the band has been on my mind lately, and I looked forward to seeing the movie.
I knew that a few of the bandmembers died over the years, but I wasn’t keeping track, and knew nothing of the fate that befell Arthur Kane. This movie clarifies that situation, with a stark and unflinching truth that is mesmerizing. Funny at times, and almost unbearably sad at others, “New York Doll” portrays the truth about Kane’s post rock-and-roll lifestyle. Despite the impressions of the average fan, success in the rock and roll industry is definitely not a ticket to a lifetime of fame and fortune. As this movie makes abundantly clear, Kane did more than his share of suffering, through an acrimonious disbanding, alcoholism, depression, and when at rock bottom, an attempted suicide. The Mormon Church provided him with the means to find a new identity, but Kane never quite let go of the rock and roll dream. There are hysterically funny scenes of Kane discussing aspects of his lurid past with elderly ‘sisters’ of the church, but they are offset by sad self-assessments such as when he states that he was “demoted from rock star to a schlep on the bus”.
The fact is that Arthur Kane had been frustrated for so long that a New York Dolls reunion became an obsession, albeit a highly unlikely one. In a gripping and entertaining manner, “New York Doll” portrays how a semi-delusional desire can morph into reality. It also begs the question of whether it is better to have tasted fame and then lost it, or to never have known fame at all. The ending came as a bit of a shock, too, but I’ll leave that for you to see on your own. The more I think about it, the more I realize that an audience exists for this movie, even if you never even heard of the late, great New York Dolls. Buy the first album, and then go see the movie.
DVD Grade:A-
Tom Ryan
 
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