Sylvain Sylvain - There's No Bones In Ice Cream

Of course, I've been a NY Dolls fan since they first came on the scene and one of my biggest regrets in life is that I missed seeing them when I could have back then. Their music and attitude has been a huge influence on my life and I continue to listen to them constantly. Sylvain was, of course, one of the guitarists for the band - the foil to Johnny Thunders reckless, distorted abandon - and was a main songwriter, as well as pianist, backup singer and more. Here he finally tells his version of the tale of the Dolls.

Right from the start Sylvain has a terrific story-telling style - intelligent, well-spoken and captivating. Of course, it helps that his childhood was highly exotic (to us Americans, anyway) - born in Cairo (he has some fascinating remembrances of Egypt), lived through bombings, persecuted as a Jew, moved to Paris then headed to America and first deposited in Buffalo before the family all escaped to Brooklyn, for a permanent home. New York in the early 60's must have really been something and with rock'n'roll on the rise, Sylvain, naturally, joined the legions of fanatics.

It was at school that he met Billy Murcia, who became a close friend and the drummer for the band that they put together - starting as a duo and expanding as they found more interested parties. By the late 60's, they were the Pox, who had management and were even signed, but, although they played some hip gigs, they eventually petered out before recording. But Syl's tales of NYC in the 60's explode with the excitement of the times.

Soon enough, the Dolls fell together and even well before they were signed, there are innumerable tales of debauchery and interactions with rock stars, Warhol stars, taking over Max's Kansas City and on and on. Looking back, Syl realizes that maybe they should have spent a little less time partying and more time working on the band - he says that almost all of their songs were written well before they first album was recorded - but when you're in the midst of the whirlwind, you don't necessarily think straight. The entire start-to-finish for the Dolls was only a few years before they self destructed.

Of course, Sylvain had become friends with Malcolm McLaren and he talks of his influence towards the end of their career which lead to the beginning of the British punk scene - in fact, Sylvain was supposed to be a member of what became the Sex Pistols but Malcolm never sent him his plane ticket!

Although Syl spends a lot of time in the book leading up to the formation of the Dolls - and it's a fantastic tale - the book ends essentially with the end of the band. Sylvain has had quite the career since then, but I guess he decided that this would be dedicated simply to the group whose influence continues to be felt to this day.

I would say that this is essential to anyone who loves real rock'n'roll - get it!