Personality Crisis
New York Dolls, 1973. Solo by Johnny Thunders.
Thunders's ragged, slashing lead lines push glam swagger toward what would soon be called punk.
Personality Crisis opens the New York Dolls' debut with a rush of piano, shouting and guitars that sound barely under control, and Johnny Thunders's leads are right at the center of the mess. His lines are ragged and slashing, rooted in Chuck Berry and early Rolling Stones, but played with a looseness that treats mistakes as part of the style. That attitude mattered as much as the notes: it showed that rock guitar could be exciting without polish, a lesson punk bands soon took to heart. Listen for how Thunders's lead fills stumble forward just behind or ahead of the beat, adding to the song's sense of reckless momentum.
Personality Crisis by New York Dolls is featured in our Glam (#15), Punk (#15) lists. The solo is played by Johnny Thunders and the song was released in 1973.
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Who played the guitar solo on Personality Crisis?
Johnny Thunders played the solo on New York Dolls's Personality Crisis (1973).