Original released on LP Mercury SRM-1-675
(US 1973, July 27)
After all these years, it's possible that Beethoven is still rolling over this record. Older fans may have caught hell from their parents for succumbing to the origins of rock 'n roll trash, and to be fair The Dolls were playing pretty much the same songs Jagger, Berry, and others had in years prior. But this time they were a little shorter, the chords were a little sloppier, and some guy in a dress was yowling about Frankenstein. Offering a much grittier sound than their Euro-glam contemporaries like Bowie and T Rex, Thunders and crew dispensed brilliantly simple examples of rock ‘n roll degeneration like “Bad Girl” and “Trash” with hooks that linger like a stubble ‘n lipstick kiss. “Private World” is “Louie, Louie” with different lyrics, but who cares? Producer Todd Rundgren may not conjure images of wailing guitars and high heels, but the riff tones he coaxed from the sessions absolutely smoke. This is one of those albums that feels like a greatest hits compilation, steamrolling along, offering one seminal trash anthem after another. Timeless. (in RateYourMusic)
