There is no question that Johnny Thunders walked it like he talked it. A fervent believer in the spirit of rock and roll, the former lead guitarist of the New York Dolls knew a good song when he heard one, like The Chantays' instrumental classic "Pipeline," a cover of which opens So Alone. Thunders' guitar cuts and snarls its way through the piece, marrying the surfer ode to a 1970s punk sound. For Thunders, rock and roll didn't get any better.

As a member of the mid-70s glam group New York Dolls, Thunders played Keith Richards to David Johansen's Mick Jagger, cowriting many of the group's seminal numbers with Johansen. The Keith Richards analogy went beyond music, however, as Thunders was known for being a nasty heroin addict. After the Dolls imploded, Thunders formed a group called The Heartbreakers (not to be confused with Tom Petty's backing band) and recorded with them erratically. By 1978 the Dolls' influence on punk music was gradually being acknowledged and Thunders was given the chance to record a solo album.

Unfortunately, much of So Alone is maddeningly uneven. A great cover like "Pipeline" gets cancelled out by a questionable version of The Shangri-las "Great Big Kiss." Anybody familiar with the original will recall that it was sung by some tough Brooklyn chicks (they of "Leader of the Pack" fame) about a bad boy heartthrob ("dirty fingernails/ooh boy what a prize"). It could be argued that covering the song was an obvious move for Thunders. After all, the New York Dolls referenced the song on their debut album, but they did so with a knowing wink by copping the opening line and nothing more ("When I say I'm in love, you best believe I'm in love, L-U-V"). However, by switching genders Thunders undercuts the humour and compassion of the original version, no matter how much he admires the Bad Girl of whom he sings.

Even the two New York Dolls covers, "Subway Train" and "Leave Me Alone" (which was called "Chatterbox" from Too Much Too Soon), beg comparisons to the originals. I mean, you figured Thunders would cover the songs he sang when he was a member of his old group, but the versions here lack the intensity that made the originals come to life.

Thunders' original material is also a mixed bag. Aces like the forlorn "Ask Me No Questions" and the sleazy "Downtown" (co-written by Johansen) compete with by-the-numbers rockers like "(She's So) Untouchable." It doesn't help that Thunders didn't have the greatest voice, and at times his thick Queens accent gets the better of him, leaving one to wonder if he is just clowning around, as he does on the otherwise fine "Dead or Alive."

But that still leaves us with some good tracks. The highlight is probably "You Can't Put Your Arms Around a Memory" where Thunders, just 26, looks into a mirror and realizes the prime of his life has passed him by and that he will never be more than a cult figure. The opening lines and the resignation in his voice suggest a life being slowly consumed by drugs (he would die at age 39 of an overdose).

It doesn't pay to try
All the smart boys know why
It doesn't mean I didn't try
I just never know why

He is backed by one-half of the Sex Pistols on "London Boys," a scathing reminder of who made who. "I'm Hurtin'" contains a vocal performance so beautifully slovenly you wonder if he will be able to finish, yet hope he never will. He hams it up a bit on the title cut but the closing solo is powerful. Phil Lynott of Thin Lizzy and Humble Pie's Steve Marriott contribute vocals on a rollicking version of Otis Blackwell's "Daddy Rollin' Stone," while a shuffle beat cover of glam rock poster boy Marc Bolan's "The Wizard" closes the album.

To reiterate, while the playing on So Alone is usually tight, the singing and songs themselves aren't always first rate, which is what is so frustrating. I wish Thunders would have been able to pull it together on this album, because he did have talent. So, I give it 3 stars--a strong 3 stars--but advise you first pick up the two New York Dolls albums and his first album fronting the Heartbreakers.

Recommended: Yes