Sylvain Sylvain, RIP

These are probably words I have written before but with the passing of Sylvain Sylvain, figured worth revisiting.

The New York Dolls hit me like few others. Interesting of course, they only had about three albums of material for most of my life. I suppose that’s not rare for a band to be that influential (Joy Division, Stooges, Sex Pistols). Still, it’s a pretty limited amount of songs.

Even then, it’s largely that first album, and as with seemingly every classic release, the band was unhappy with the production. They had ‘difficult second album’ syndrome though Too Much Too Soon is pretty great too- even with the covers and affectations.

The third album really only exists in the mind. It can be found on awful-quality bootlegs and bleeding into the first solo releases of Thunders, Johansen and Sylvain.

The band were legends by the time of the late 80s and early 90s. It’s biggest champions were the unlikely combo of Guns N Roses and the Smiths.

The Dolls had taken the Stones template and then doubled down on the influences from girl groups, Motown, blues and the early rock sound of Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley.

From there it created a fork in the road which all hard rock/glam rock and punk and it’s various mutations were all knowingly and unknowingly influenced. Directly in the case of actual interactions with KISS and The Sex Pistols, directly influencing the 70s NYC scene (the Mercer Arts Center residency and the aftermath, Thunders brief group with Richard Hell) and the 70s London scene (not only McLaren, of course but the Heartbreakers tour).

It’s hard not to roll off a list of names that were directly influenced by the band from Hanoi Rocks to the Wildhearts and arguably every band that lived like they were veering off The Cliff from The Replacements to BabyShambles.

Today’s tributes tell Sylvain as the glue of the Dolls. Like Izzy Stradlin and all of Keith Richards’s foils, there would be no way not to be eclipsed by that star. My favorite Dolls moments were the guitar epics that didn’t appear on my initial Dolls purchase- Night of the Living Dolls (I would buy both albums in quick order) - songs like Jet Boy, Frankenstein and Human Being.

I have since obsessed with Johnny Thunders (we lost Walter Lure five months ago, as well) and chased down the early David Johansson albums. I never did get into the reunited Dolls records, though they were critically acclaimed. I likely owe Sylvain that.

Sylvain did re-appear on my radar in 2010 when he did a four-song EP as the Batusis with Cheetah Chrome of the Dead Boys and two of Joan Jett’s Blackhearts. While otherwise unremarkable, is a fun slab of music and can be found on streaming platforms, if you are so inclined.