Johnny Thunders: "So Alone" Vinyl LP (UK 1978 Real Records) Rare (NY Dolls)

Sold Date: January 2, 2023
Start Date: January 2, 2023
Final Price: $60.00 (USD)
Bid Count: 1
Seller Feedback: 965
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You are bidding on a very rare, 1978 import (UK) Vinyl LP album from the infamous Johnny Thunders, entitled “So Alone” issued on the UK Label, “Real Records.” Johnny Thunders was one of the tragic heroes of Rock and Roll, and after playing with the New York Dolls and the Heartbreakers (Not Tom Petty’s), his first solo LP was a document of his descent.  Featuring contributions from Chrissie Hynde, Steve Jones and Phil Lynott, this album contains the old surf guitar instrumental, “Pipe Line,” as well as his hearbreaking “You Can't Put Your Arms Round a Memory.”  This LP was released in 1978, (Real Records RAL 1). This appears to be a 1978 issue, and not a later re-issue.  If you need information, please ask.

We actually purchased this item decades ago, and it has been sitting in our home (vertically) for the last few decades. 

The LP is in excellent condition, and the outside cover is in excellent condition, with some slight signs of wear on the corners. (see pictures). The inner sleeve is generic white. 

Please remember that this album was well taken care of, but it was played as part of our record collection decades ago.  

This item has been stored at room temperature, in a smoke free home.  Please see photos of actual item being sold. 

 

Johnny Thunders: So Alone:  “Following the drug-fueled implosion of the Heartbreakers, Johnny Thunders bounced back with his first solo outing, So Alone. Featuring a veritable who's who of '70s punk and hard rock -- Chrissie Hynde, Phil Lynott, Peter Perrett, Steve Marriott, Paul Cook, and Steve Jones, among others -- the record was a testament to what the former New York Dolls guitarist could accomplish with a little focus. Much like Thunders' best work with the Dolls and Heartbreakers, So Alone is a gloriously sloppy amalgam of R&B, doo wop, and three-chord rock & roll. Despite the inevitable excesses that plagued every Thunders recording session, Steve Lillywhite's solid engineering job and a superb set of songs hold everything together. A cover of the Chantays' classic instrumental "Pipeline" leads things off, and is a teasing reminder of what a great guitarist Thunders could be when he put his mind to it. The record's indisputable masterpiece is "You Can't Put Your Arms Round a Memory," a wrenching, surprisingly literate ballad in which Thunders seems to acknowledge that his junkie lifestyle has doomed him to the abyss. Songs like "Leave Me Alone," "Hurtin'," and the chilling title track continue the theme of life inside the heroin balloon. Fortunately, all this back-alley gloom is leavened by some memorably animated moments. "London Boys" is a scathing reply to the Sex Pistols' indictment of the New York punk scene, "New York." The funky "Daddy Rolling Stone" features the inimitable Lynott on background vocals, while the rave-ups "Great Big Kiss" and "(She's So) Untouchable" are terrific examples of Thunders' raunchy take on classic R&B. Sadly, Johnny Thunders never followed up on the promise of his solo debut. His subsequent records were a frustrating mix of drug-addled mediocrity and downright laziness. But for one brief moment, he seemed to put it all together. That moment is So Alone”.