April 15 – Tuesday – Syl Sylvain and the Teardrops

Uh-oh. Hold the phone. This could possibly topple Ram from its perch if not for my new found fondness and admiration for Paul McCartney. I didn’t expect we’d even get another Ram alternative contender this late in the game, but this came as a total surprise.

Syl Sylvain was the guitarist, and is currently, for The New York Dolls, a local band with some popularity in the early 1970s. The only two surviving original members reformed The Dolls early this century. They are the lead singer David Johansen, who bore a resemblance to Mick Jagger and had a more successful career as his alter ego Buster Poindexter than as a Doll, and the talented Syl Sylvain. I knew to start with side two which began with the song (Tu est) “Formidable,” a peppy little tune with a French twist in which a guy is trying to convince his girl not to get an abortion, ended with “No Dancin’,” which is self-explanatory, and was just a great deal of fun in between. The whole album is kind of tongue-in-cheek in the most respectful way to a multiple of genres, kind of like bubble gum/punk/glam with a salute to the 50s. I had a great workout and because side two was only 17 minutes long, I played it again. So by the time I got myself onto the floor for the flip side of the record, I was one big sweaty, but happy, mess.

Syl Sylvain and the Teardrops, who are the overly-bleached blond drummer with raccoon eyes named Rosie, and the tubby bass player named Tubby, can’t replace Ram, but they knocked everybody else down one place, including Bruce Springsteen, Delaney and Bonnie, and Derek and the Dominoes. I think I may just delve a bit more into Syl and the Dolls after the project is done, which by the way is soon.