Your arms round a memory

Johnny Thunders 'So Alone' (1978)
For his first solo LP, the legendary New York Dolls/Heartbreakers guitarist enlisted the aid of ex- Pistols Paul Cook and Steve Jones, some of the Hot Rods, the Only Ones and even old-timers Steve Marriott and Phil Lynott. Choosing material representative of all his prior musical phases, and aided immeasurably by co-producer Steve Lillywhite, Thunders turns in reasonably strong performances, perfectly employing his gutter guitar and New York sneer in a number of (musical) veins, including greasy R&B and a tender ballad. Not since the Dolls' two records has he sounded so lucid and involved — So Alone is Johnny Thunders at his best. - trouser press