The New York Dolls - Mercer Arts Center, New York City, December 19, 1972

The New York Dolls - Mercer Arts Center, New York City, December 19, 1972We were blessed earlier this year with a mostly unheard late ‘72 tape of the (original) Modern Lovers at the Mercer Arts Center; now, we’ve got a previously uncirculated New York Dolls set from a few weeks earlier! It was just issued in a very groovy / very limited vinyl edition, but you can also hear it here. And hear it you should, whichever way you please. This is an awesome, essential document of the Dolls back in the USA on their home turf, playing for the NYC faithful, and capturing the debut of drummer Jerry Nolan. Historic! The man we have to thank for both the Modern Lovers and NY Dolls tapes is the late/great Paul Nelson, the critic who at the time was the “house hippie” for Mercury Records. Nelson was thoroughly besotted with the Dolls and moved mountains to get them signed to Mercury — an effort that would ultimately lose him his job. Worth it? Yeah. Since we’re hearing this Mercer performance through…