They may not have sported this name back then, but it was in 1975, almost fifty years ago that DEAD BOYS began raising hell on American punk scene – and behind the scenes too. The band’s behavior and stance could be quite dangerous, for the others and for themselves, and it almost cost Johnny Blitz his life, when the musicians got embroiled in a fight with some other group on April 19th, 1978, and somebody stabbed the drummer five times. He pulled through, yet not without the ensemble’s assistance in covering his medical bills by organizing a four-day benefit at CBGB, with a lot of collectives volunteering to support the cause and with the band’s own performance on May 6th recorded – amateurishly enough to languish on the shelf for half a century, if not anymore.
For all the deficiencies in terms of quality that had to be cleaned for the February 28th release, the live document – titled “Night Of The Living Dead Dolls” and comprised of material from DB’s 1977 debut “Young Loud And Snotty” and “We Have Come For Your Children” which would get issued a month later – is also worth cherishing because of the guests present there and then. Of special interest are the skin-hitters who deputized to temporarily replace Blitz: NEW YORK DOLLS’ Jerry Nolan on nine cuts and John Belushi on four. Add Jonathan Paley laying down some tasty licks on one of those, and the disc will start to feel too important to miss out on.
Night Of The Living Dead Dolls
1. Looking For A Kiss
2. Bad Girl
3. Tell Me
4. All This And More
5. Trash
6. Calling On You
7. Pills
8. I Need Lunch
9. (There’s Gonna Be A) Showdown
10. Sonic Reducer
11. Hey Little Girl
12. Hard Headed Woman
13. It’s All Over Now
