Considered one of the most important American rock groups of the 1970s, The New York Dolls were integral in helping to set the blueprint for hard rock, glam rock, and punk music. Formed in 1971 in New York City’s burgeoning punk scene, the band had a dirty, raucous, and edgy sound that differed from the largely pristine and layered sound of most ’70s rock recordings. Their songs were strongly influenced by a distinctly New York sensibility, which incorporated dark cynicism and biting wisecracks into their lyrics, and featured imagery strongly influenced by English glam and androgyny.

The Dolls’ two most famous and influential albums were recorded during the mid-70s – seminal eponymous 1973 debut and 1974 follow-up Too Much Too Soon. For the latter the band enlisted famed producer Shadow Morton, renown for his work with The Shangri-Las, Janis Ian and Iron Butterfly. Capturing the Dolls’ hard edged sound even more so than their debut, the cornerstone classic features covers of songs from artists that inspired the group like Archie Bell and The Cadets, plus a fine helping of the band’s own rowdy proto-punk tunes, all wonderfully flavored with Morton’s signature production techniques, including the use of cinematic sound effects and female choruses as backing vocals.