This is the second album in the New York Dolls second recording incarnation, and original 1973 producer Todd Rundgren is back in the producer’s seat. Though the youthful exuberance and genre-defying rock’n’roll assault have been lost in a long-forgotten stream of dollar mascara, they have nonetheless been replaced with a headmaster’s maturity and dignity.

Highlight track: “Better Than You”
Subpar track: “Trash”
Overall rating: 8/10

Big Doll David Johansen has become a Mr. Thackeray to a room full of To Sir With Love misfits and, bolstered by trusty wingman Sylvain Sylvain, he still has a thing or two to teach the kids. “’Cause I Sez So” and “Muddy Bones” are the one-two punch that kick off the album with typical Dolls’ rock, but it’s the middle of the record that holds the meat. With a sound that harkens back to The Rolling Stones’ “Waiting on a Friend,” the middle eight songs have a boozy New York swagger that’s less about volume and more about groove and feel. Too bad Mick & Keith aren’t writing songs as good as these anymore.

What’s the secret? There’s new blood in the mix courtesy of “new members” Steve Conte and Sami Yaffa, now co-writing with Johansen and Sylvain. As a result, the ghosts of past Dolls can be gracefully laid to rest. It’s unfortunate, though, that “Trash” — the song that defined the Dolls on their debut album — was re-recorded here…as a reggae number?

Talk about a “Personality Crisis”….