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Critic's Review
Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
Drawing from all three phases of David Johansen's career, From Pumps to Pompadours: The David Johansen Story is a comprehensive of the hard rocker's career. Only three songs date from his influential days with The New York Dolls ("Trash," "Personality Crisis," "Babylon"), but that has been the most well-documented period of his career. While his biggest hits -- in fact, his only hits -- are the five Buster Poindexter tracks at the end of the disc, the middle portion of the album, which selects the highlights from his overlooked solo albums of the late '70s and early '80s, is where most of the best material lies. From the sleazy rush of "Funky but Chic" to the savage Animals medley "We Gotta Get out of This Place"/"Don't Bring Me Down"/"It's My Life," the 11 solo tracks make a case for Johansen being one of the finest hard rockers of his era.
