New York Dolls

Any (or all) of the following would be a fitting description of the New York Dolls live on-stage -- sloppy, loud, drunk, and trashy. Over the years, countless Dolls' bootlegs have appeared, some worthwhile, others that should have remained in someone's attic. But overall, I'm a Human Being is a keeper. Including selections from one of the Dolls' best-known bootlegs, Red Patent Leather, tracks from another show, reportedly from Vancouver during 1974, are featured as well. The sound quality is surprisingly good (what appears to be soundboard recordings), and is loaded with tracks that never appeared on any of the Dolls' two studio albums. Included are such covers as "Hoochie Coochie Man" and "Don't Mess With Cupid," as well as tracks that would later appear on post-Dolls albums by Johnny Thunders ("Pirate Love," "Down Down Downtown") and Syl Sylvain ("Teenage News"). But not all the selections are oddities, as some of the Dolls' best-known tracks are included -- "Personality Crisis," "Jetboy," the title track. While it may not be a complete show, I'm a Human Being is a good live sampling of latter day Dolls. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide