Sylvain Sylvain of New York Dolls picks his six favourite albums
The proto-punk era gave rise to a handful of respected guitarists, including Ron Asheton and James Williamson of The Stooges, Wayne Kramer and Fred ‘Sonic’ Smith of The MC5 and Johnny Thunders and Sylvain Sylvain of New York Dolls.
Whilst the aforementioned pairings were incredibly important to the movement, with each forging a unique and potent style, none were as wild as Sylvain and Thunders. Together, they instilled the group with pulsating energy and delivered many moments that inspired a host of future notable guitarists, such as Johnny Marr and Slash. Look no further than their 1973 debut single ‘Personality Crisis’ for an example of their combined power.
When discussing the New York Dolls, discourse tends to concentrate on their hell-raising behaviour, and with regard to their guitarists, discussion normally centres on Thunders. Although this is understandable, given prominence in their songwriting, it does Sylvain a disservice. While he might have been a rhythm guitarist with only a few of the band’s songs to his name, but he was still a vital cog in the machine.
Sylvain was both the unyielding foil to Thunders’ electrifying playing and one of their primary sources of style, musically and aesthetically. Neither of these can be understated, given just how important the band is in rock history. After his work with the New York Dolls concluded, when they first called it a day in 1976, Sylvain would continue to develop as an artist, releasing solo records and albums with The Teardrops and The Criminal$. Running concurrently with his creative efforts, Sylvain often appeared in music documentaries about the New York scene, invariably offering insight into what that significant but bleak time was like.
A multifaceted figure with an extensive oeuvre, it’s no surprise that Sylvain boasted a varied musical taste. Ranging from 1950s rock ‘n’ roll to soul, the man was a lover of music in all its forms. This, in addition to being in one of the most revered bands of his generation, only heightened the fascination that surrounded him. When speaking to The Express in 2018, Sylvain Sylvain revealed his six favourite albums, with each doing their bit to account for what made him one of music’s most authentic characters. Find his picks below.
Sylvain Sylvain’s favourite albums:
Eddie Cochran – On The Air (1972)
One of the original rock ‘n’ rollers, Eddie Cochran made a tremendous impact on the genre with cuts such as ‘Twenty Flight Blues’, ‘Summertime’ and ‘C’mon Everybody’. A pioneer of multitrack recording, overdubbing, and distortion techniques, he both refined rock and instilled more grit into the movement, which, of course, blew the young Sylvain away.
Choosing the compilation On The Air as one of his favourites, he explained: “He looked great, he sang great, and I just love his songwriting. His guitar playing is the reason I’m still in business. I steal everything from him. My song Trash was based on that chugga-chugga guitar line he wrote. Without that, we wouldn’t have had any punk songs.”
The Ronettes – Be My Baby (2011)
The Ronettes were one of the greatest girl groups of their day. Led by the late but indomitable Ronnie Spector, the band topped the charts with singles such as ‘Be My Baby’ and ‘Baby, I Love You’. The dulcet tones of the two Bennett sisters and their cousin Nedra Talley were hard to ignore, with The Ronettes making such an impact on the New York scene that The Ramones famously covered the ‘Baby, I Love You’.
The Ronettes made a mark on Sylvain, too. Looking back fondly on listening to the group with his old girlfriend, he recalled: “Oh my God, they had the greatest drummer in Hal Blaine. This takes me back to the bowling alley, hanging out with my girlfriend, Maria. We had enough money for pizza and the jukebox. She’d lip-sync and dance to Be My Baby – and I’d melt, of course.”
The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Are You Experienced (1967)
When The Jimi Hendrix Experience emerged with their debut album, Are You Experienced, in May 1976, the world was never to be the same again. It signalled the arrival of arguably the most pioneering guitarist of all time, backed by one of the greatest rhythm sections in history: drummer Mitch Mitchell and bassist Noel Redding. Boasting cuts such as ‘Foxy Lady’, ‘Fire’ and on the North American version, ‘Purple Haze’, this was the future of rock and roll. It was to be more passionate than ever before, with Hendrix raising everyone’s game.
Sylvain remembered going to watch his favourite band, The Young Rascals, play that year, supported by The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Hendrix and his pair of English bandmates were so good that Sylvain left before The Young Rascals came out. He recalled: “It was 1967, Central Park, and I was 16. I went to see my favourite band, The Young Rascals. The opening band was about to come on, there was a Marshall amp stack on stage as big as the Empire State Building, and they announced Jimi Hendrix and the Experience. Holy s**t! They got all these great sounds out of a guitar, and we went nuts. When The Young Rascals came on, we walked out.”
The Young Rascals – The Young Rascals (1966)
Despite leaving the Central Park gig before they even came out, The Young Rascals remained favourites of Sylvain’s until his death in 2021. Throughout his career, he showered praise on the New Jersey band and their drummer Dino Danelli – the first man he saw twirl his sticks in his fingers.
Choosing their eponymous debut album, he said: “A fantastic album. I learnt how to play the organ because of this, and Dino on drums was the first guy I saw twirl his sticks around his fingers. To me, that was totally t**s [cool]. I’d still walk out on them, though, if you showed me Hendrix!”
Marvin Gaye – What’s Going On (1971)
Marvin Gaye’s 1971 record What’s Going On makes a solid claim to being the most important in the history of soul. A concept album, What’s Going On pushed the boundaries of the genre, making it more political than ever before. The project captured the horrors experienced by a Vietnam veteran returning home to find hatred, suffering, and injustice everywhere. Other themes include drug abuse and ecological awareness, with them so profound that they’re still essential today.
Sylvain said: “The whole album tells a story. It’s like one song. You could put it on an automatic turntable all night long then somebody would get up and put on the B-side for a change. It’s a masterpiece, just gorgeous.”
The Rolling Stones – Sticky Fingers (1971)
Given that The Rolling Stones are the most raucous outfit in the history of rock ‘n’ roll, compounding their swaggering music with outlandish behaviour, there’s no real surprise that they had a significant impact on Sylvain and the Dolls. He explained that 1971’s Sticky Fingers is his favourite album of all time and revealed that the late Brian Jones was like “God” to him, although he died in 1969.
He said: “My favourite album. It’s got Brown Sugar, Wild Horses – just a beautiful piece that doesn’t let up. They’re great songwriters. And Brian Jones was like God to me.”
