New York Dolls

Originally released on cassette only in 1981 and updated for the digital age nearly 20 years later, this nine-track set of the Dolls' 1972 Mercer Street sessions was recorded before either of their studio albums -- and the rawness shows. The thin, bootleg-quality sound doesn't help matters, but the band was still working around its sound and each other at the time of these recordings. Still, it does provide an early glimpse into the band, as well as skeletal, unpolished versions of several songs (including "Bad Girl" and "Frankenstein") that would appear on their self-titled debut album a year later. ~ Michael Gallucci, All Music Guide