all the smart boys know why

March 9, 2007 4:41 PM

Johnny Thunders
posted by vronsky (25 comments total)

Johnny's Gonna Die
posted by psmealey at 4:44 PM on March 9, 2007

Chinese Rocks
posted by psmealey at 4:46 PM on March 9, 2007

I was gonna use that for my title psmealey. That or "give me one more dose of thunder." And before anyone jumps my case, this is simply a little Thunders tribute. Best I could find on youtube. Hopefully others can share other goodies in the thread. Good music for a lonely friday night.
posted by vronsky at 4:50 PM on March 9, 2007

I approve!

I bought a pretty good Dolls documentary DVD when Tower was liquidating a while back. I'll see if there's any good footage from there that someone posted on YouTube.
posted by psmealey at 4:55 PM on March 9, 2007

Pipeline

There's some bullshit in the beginning but the song starts 2:26 in
posted by psmealey at 5:00 PM on March 9, 2007

These are pretty good too.

friday night is killing me

september gurls
posted by vronsky at 5:00 PM on March 9, 2007

You can't put your arms around a memory.
posted by jack_mo at 5:54 PM on March 9, 2007

i like johnny thunders.
posted by dydecker at 6:09 PM on March 9, 2007

You can't put your arms around a memory.

Especially when you're trying to find a vein.
posted by sleepy pete at 6:14 PM on March 9, 2007

Oh god, that was terrible. I'd rather listen to marbles in a blender than that guy's voice.
posted by Eideteker at 6:27 PM on March 9, 2007

Well go listen to your Michael Bolton cds then. This thread is not for you.
posted by vronsky at 7:08 PM on March 9, 2007

Huh, and here I was expecting to hear of the redeeming virtues of this man as an artist. Since, you know, none were provided in the FPP itself.
posted by Eideteker at 7:25 PM on March 9, 2007

He has no redeeming virtues.
posted by vronsky at 7:45 PM on March 9, 2007

other than, you know, the rock.
posted by mwhybark at 8:07 PM on March 9, 2007

For our next tune. For our next tune. FOR OUR NEXT TUUUUNE.
posted by adamgreenfield at 8:51 PM on March 9, 2007

I'll think of him while I stay at The Chelsea this weekend.
posted by acetonic at 11:25 PM on March 9, 2007

He had a few redeeming qualities. From the Wiki:

Johnny Thunders, born John Anthony Genzale, Jr (July 15, 1952 - April 23, 1991), was a rock and roll guitarist and singer, first with the New York Dolls, the proto-punk glam rockers of the early '70s. During the late '70s, he was a familiar figure on the New York punk scene, both with The Heartbreakers and as a solo artist. His screeching, penetrating guitar sound is distinctive and highly influential in punk rock music. Thunders tangled with the demons of fame along with alcohol and drug addiction.

I would say that as influential as his guitar playing was, his development and use of the "power stance", which has inspired three generations of rockers to look tough. I, in fact, used to rely on it myself, when my band played clubs too small to handle anything more elaborate.
posted by psmealey at 4:37 AM on March 10, 2007 [1 favorite]

I approve!

Me too. L.A.M.F. is one of my treasured albums, and "Chinese Rocks" always makes me grin wildly. I still remember how shocked I was when I heard the news he'd finally bought the farm in 1991—shocked, but not surprised.

Suck it, haters!
posted by languagehat at 5:59 AM on March 10, 2007

Here's a nice piece on him by Otto Luck.

His face was mottled with some brownish-green substance that I took to be either fungus or sea algae and his hair was tangled in an unruly nest that only years of neglect could have produced...

I bumped into Thunders on various occasions throughout the years and he never ceased to amaze me. On one occasion, I walked into my dressing room late one night only to find him shooting up inside. "Don't mind me," I said. As requested, he didn't seem to notice me at all.

posted by languagehat at 6:01 AM on March 10, 2007 [1 favorite]

Well go listen to your Michael Bolton cds then

pretty bad, yes, but not as bad as, say, The Wire, frankly -- Bolton's certainly less boring.
posted by matteo at 7:03 AM on March 10, 2007

I caught a wonderful documentary last week titled 'New York Doll' which focuses mainly on Arthur 'Killer' Kane.

Out of the scene for years, Kane is a broken down penniless Mormon convert, working in the LA geneology centre as some sort of lowly gofer.

Morrissey gets in touch and manages to talk the dolls into reforming for a gig in London, and we watch as a shell of a man regains his lust for life.

I won't say any more, because the movie needs spoilers, but it may well have been the best documentary movie on any subject that I've seen in the last twelve months -- and I watch quite a lot of them.

New York Doll
posted by PeterMcDermott at 7:52 AM on March 10, 2007

I come to believe that Thunders was the living embodiment of Keith Richard's Dorian Gray portrait. Keith dig the drugs, but Johnny showed it all.

Morrissey gets in touch and manages to talk the dolls into reforming for a gig in London, and we watch as a shell of a man regains his lust for life.

That was unexpectedly awesome. We learned that Morissey was was the president of the Manchester chapter of the Dolls fan club. Looking back, it makes all kind of sense.
posted by psmealey at 8:03 AM on March 10, 2007

Every once in a while I play Stations of the Cross at parties for it's sheer offensive value.
"Henry the 8th had the right idea."
posted by DonnieSticks at 9:03 AM on March 10, 2007

Every once in a while I play Stations of the Cross at parties for it's sheer offensive value.
"Henry the 8th had the right idea."
posted by DonnieSticks at 9:03 AM on March 10, 2007

Ok Matteo - I get it. You don't like the Wire. Maybe you have a thing against black actors? Or Richard Price. Or whichever critic you base all your opinions on panned it. I dunno. Try CSI or ER. They may be more your speed.

Peter, that is an amazing doc yes. One of the few of that genre that withstand, and even deepen, on repeated viewings. A rock doc about grace and redemption? My only complaint was that it needed more clips of the Dolls in their prime. Maybe they had trouble getting the rights.

And where the hell is jonmc? I thought at least he would pop in and drop some knowledge. I guess he was too busy with his Dee Snyder anecdotes in the Klosterman thread. Fucker.
posted by vronsky at 2:26 PM on March 10, 2007