Album Reviews

Album Reviews: Cause I Sez So by New York Dolls

No one can dispute the New York Dolls' status as iconic, American glam rock and/or proto-punk legends. “Legend” is a term often tossed around too loosely by critics but in terms of the Dolls? Well they've earned it, and it’s more than applicable.

‘Cause I Sez So is the second album since the band's reunion a few years back, and it’s actually only their fourth studio album overall! While the Dolls may not be prolific with their sonic output, the music they do make lands with atom bomb impact. Of course, the roar and clap of the guitar work of the late Johnny Thunders isn't present, but the New York Dolls still exercise their right to rock. Todd Rundgren, who produced their self-titled album all the way back in 1973, is back at the helm, and ’Cause I Sez So is less about the flash and more about quality, well-crafted songs. The New York Dolls have avoided the trappings of rock dinosaur-dom and eventual extinction in favor of moving forward. Despite the fact that a re-recorded version of “Trash,” which appeared on the self-titled release, exists here, David Johansen and company haven’t lost a step.

The title track resonates with its super catchy, if grammatically questionable chorus, while the somewhat romantic and uncharacteristic “Better Than You” boasts an acoustic twang uncommon to the Dolls. Even though the song has a mellow tempo, Johansen, with his craggy, ragged voice, tosses off a lyric about kickin’ yer ass. Yeah, some things’ll never change. “Lonely So Long” is another mellow offering, while “My World” is thoughtful and tense but never forgets to rock. “This is Ridiculous” is a sultry, bar-room tune and is also one of the album’s best.

’Cause I Sez So could have been a nostalgic attempt to recapture and re-create the past, but the New York Dolls didn’t punk out that way. It’s a rock n' roll opus that gets down sometimes, dirty during others but always manages to tell a story.

— Amy Sciarretto
05.14.09