REVIEW: Sylvain Sylvain, Sleep Baby Doll (Fishhead)
- Bill Holmes
After leaving the New York Dolls, guitarist Sylvain Sylvain released a couple of very good pop records that somehow got lost in the shuffle. When no third record materialized, it was a disappointment but not a big surprise - after all, post-punk pop was finding no welcome mat in the synth-happy 1980s, and even David Johansen had to whore himself out as "Buster Poindexter" just to put food on the table.
Imagine my delight when Fishhead Records not only released some of Sylvain's previous songs on one CD (_Sylvain Sylvain.....In Teenage News), but a brand new collection of twelve songs! Adding to the good news was the announcement that Sylvain was hitting the club circuit again, band in tow.
He's still a pop guy with 50's doo-wop roots glowing through his songs. The title track, an ode to his lost bandmates, is reminiscent of Little Anthony and The Imperials, while "Another Heart Needs Mending" mines the same sock-hop vocal territory. But grit abounds too, thanks to a crack band of backup musicians, among them Frankie Infante and Fuzztones Rudy Protrudi and John Carlucci. "Oh Honey" is pure Bo Diddley, and "I'm Your Man" is a finger-poppin' rework that jumps out of the speakers.
Although proud of his Dolls roots, reading Sylvain interviews gives a strong clue that a reunion will never happen, mostly due to a fractured relationship with Johansen. Still, Sylvain has no qualms with the great songs they wrote; three are included here, among them a spirited rendition of "Trash" (a song also recently covered by soulmate Gilby Clarke). And only a former Doll could write a "Sleepwalk" style instrumental and call it "Forgotten Panties"!
Hopefully this signals the beginning of the second half of Sylvain Sylvain's career. For tour dates and more information, visit the label's website at http://www.fishheadrecords.com .
