Customer Reviews

Too Much, Too Soon: The Makeup & Breakup of the New York Dolls

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It is surprising that the only author who has devoted an entire book to the very influential New York Dolls is a rather obscure writer named Nina Antonia. While they were together, many of the more important rock journalists were fervent supporters of the band, & after their demise many others took up the banner.

Unfortunately, "Too Much Too Soon" is not enough too late, & leaves many questions unanswered. While I enjoyed the writing style, Ms. Antonia often simply states a fact or an opinion without any deeper investigation. The most glaring instance of this is her coverage of the original drummer's (Billy Murcia) death. There is quite a bit of mystery surrounding the circumstances of his reputed OD in London, yet the author of "Too Much Too Soon" makes no attempt to do any digging whatsoever. She simply states that there are many unanswered questions, & switches subjects. Other instances of these type of lapses include questions concerning the management contract the Dolls had with Leber/Krebs/Thau, the current whereabouts of the Dolls' valet "Frenchy", & her unsupported allegations of a record industry "conspiracy" to keep the New York Dolls from becoming a success.

In addition to factual lapses, there seemed to be gaping holes as to the survivors Ms. Antonia interviewed for her book. The families of the musicians are almost entirely unrepresented, the women who supported the band are voiceless (except for Sable Starr & Cyrindra Foxe who appear much less than their importance warrants) & although Marty Thau gives his version of events, the other managers Leber & Krebs are never directly quoted, which leads to a rather lopsided perspective. Typos & mis-spellings are rampant all thru the book, leading the reader to wonder if any proof-reading was done prior to publishing.

There are some excellent photos, altho here again there seem to be some missing in action. In the text, the author describes a number of photos that appear nowhere in the book. Since they were taken by photographers represented by other examples, a failure to obtain the rights to them does not seem to be the cause of their non-appearance.

If you are interested in the New York Dolls as well as their era & descendants, I recommend you read the uniformly excellent "Please Kill Me" which deals in much more detail with both this band as well as the later exploits of Johnny Thunders & Jerry Nolan. "Too Much Too Soon" is a fun read, but it is too superficial to satisfy the serious fan of the decade that produced punk rock.

This is a both an important rock&roll cultural document and a passionately written piece of adulating prose. Nina Antonia uncovers the blacklisting of the New York Dolls, captures the fireball intensity of their decadent ascent and equally tragic demise, and properly positions them in their rightful place as one of the most influential innovators of modern rock&roll.

Unfortunately "Too Much Too Soon" is a posthumous work as three of the band's most important members were devoured by its own tragic spectacle.The book is written in the same sensibility@of uncompromising passion and fun as the group's excessively rock'n'roll attitude. It is also as chock full of the hard facts, never before seen photos, as it is of the regret and loss the Doll's members had to deal with. It is high time that the history of rock by revised to included this essential band in its legend. And this is just the book to do it.

Nina Antonia knows her stuff. Carefully researched, written with a real feel for the music - and the clothes - this is the book for anyone who wants to know the truth behind the Dolls story. With 3 of the principals dead - 2 of them chaps that our authoress knew well - it's unlikely that anyone will write a better Dolls retrospective than this.

Nina gets close to the core of this strange, doomed band and examines what it was about them that so intimidated the straight musicbiz. Not that they needed any outside assistance in wrecking their career. This book pulls no punches when it comes to the dirt...

Ultimately, one concludes that if Johnny Thunders wasn't a great guitarist, he was certainly a Great Poster.

Finally, the whole story on proto-punk, glam-rockers, The New York Dolls. Author Antonia (biographer of ex-Doll Johnny Thunders and The Only One's Peter Perrett), paints a picture of a band on the edge of everything: sex, drugs, rock 'n' roll and fleeting fame. The Dolls' tale is a sad one. Too early for punk, too unruly for the music business and like the title says, too much, too soon. Antonia sheds light on the members' lives after the Dolls and the ending is not a particularly happy one. A must-read for Dolls fans.

ok maybe their music wasnt perfect or their playing abilities werent the best but they were way ahead of their time. This book has everything, addictions, lovers, music and sad endings for some. A great tribute to the most forgotten band. They never got the respect they deserved for the style they started which is so copied now.

Nina Antonia writes both from a fans-eye view and from that of a non-biased rock scholar who knows what "it's" really all about. At no point does she let her love of the band interfere with her duty of seperating the facts from the fiction. Full of ups, downs, and more downs, this is the definitive document on one the most mind bogglingly influential and, yet still, widely unknown and underappreciated groups in rock'n'roll. With this book Nina Antonia has rightfully claimed her place as one of Rock music's greatest biographers. In fact, if you ask me, nobody does it better.

I was always put off by the look of the New York Dolls even though I liked the music. This book tells you why the band dressed like women but played like real men. I read it in one day. Without the Dolls there wouldn't be the Sex Pistols. Lots of good pictures too.

Joe Crosier

ok maybe their music wasnt perfect or their playing abilities werent the best but they were way ahead of their time. This book has everything, addictions, lovers, music and sad endings for some. A great tribute to the most forgotten band. They never got the respect they deserved for the style they started which is so copied now.

the Dolls paved the way for punk,alt/grunge and the Marilyn Manson era.Nina's book is brilliant,and for more of the same, check out "High On Rebellion;Inside the Underground at Max's Kansas City" by Yvonne Sewell Ruskin, loaded with Dolls, Thunders, Psychotic Frogs, Jayne County, etc.

GREAT, GREAT BOOK. I WAS SO STOKED TO BE ABLE TO READ THE WHOLE STORY, FROM BEGINNING TO END, ABOUT ONE OF MY FAVORITE BANDS EVER. THERE ARE ALSO A LOT OF GREAT PICS.
IT IS SUCH A SHAME THAT THE DOLLS NEVER GOT THE SUCCESS THEY SO MUCH DESERVED. THE BOOK WAS ALSO HEARTBREAKING DUE TO THE AFOREMENTIONED FACT. TO HAVE SUCCESS RIGHT WITHIN YOUR GRASP AND THEN NOT HAVE IT HAPPEN WAS TOUGH ON THEM, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY SAW SO MANY LESSER BANDS, THAT THEY INFLUENCED, ACHEIVE THE SUCCESS THAT ALLUDED THEM. THE BOOK HAS ALL THE ROCK 'N' ROLL SLEAZE, BUT YET SHOWED A VERY HUMAN QUALITY TO THESE YOUNG MEN. THE AUTHOR OBVIOUSLY HAD A GREAT FONDNESS FOR THE BAND, BUT YET WAS SUBJECTIVE AND VERY FAIR. A MUST READ FOR ANY DOLLS FAN OR FOR ANYONE WHO THINKS THEY MAY WANNA BECOME A FAN.
ALSO RECCOMMEND JOHNNY THUNDERS AUTOBIOGRAPHY IN COLD BLOOD BY THE SAME AUTHOR.