Ever since the New York Dolls reunited in 2004, original members David Johansen and Sylvain Sylvain have used a revolving door of supporting musicians to bring their band of glam and blues influenced hard rock to the people. While the revolving door remains, Dancing Backward in High Heels finds the band abandoning hard rock almost entirely and focusing on the groups early influences like 60's girl groups and Phil Spector's wall of sound production. The result is noble but slightly disappointing. There are some great tracks present throughout Dancing Backward in High Heels but the production is muddled and messy. The power behind songs like "I'm So Fabulous," "Round and Round She Goes" and "Talk To Me Baby" is still evident but it's hamstrung by the deluded affects. Slower songs like the tender "You Don't Have to Cry" and the reggae tinged "Baby, Tell Me What I'm On" and "End of Summer" work better and when the band re-records "Funky but Chic," an old Johansen solo number, the Dolls sound as alive and vibrant as they did in 1972. Dancing in High Heels is certainly not a bad album but it does qualify as a relatively minor one.
Rating: 3.5
Track Listing:
1. "Fool For You Baby" (2:38)
2. "Streetcake" (3:19)
3. "Fabulous Rant" (0:26)
4. "I'm So Fabulous" (2:26)
5. "Talk To Me Baby" (3:03)
6. "Kids Like You" (3:52)
7. "Round and Round She Goes" (3:47)
8. "You Don't Have to Cry" (3:04)
9. "I Sold My Heart to the Junkman" (2:24)
10. "Baby, Tell Me What I'm On" (3:57)
11. "Funky but Chic" (4:02)
12. "End of Summer" (4:18)
Dancing Backward in High Heels
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