The impact of the New York Dolls, as both an influential band and as a live act, was becoming a legend in the late-1970s and early-1980s when Johansen was trying to start his solo career.

On Live It Up, Johansen performs The Foundations' classic, "Build Me Up Buttercup", the Cadets' "Stranded in the Jungle" (which was also covered by the New York Dolls[2]) and an Animals medley, which included "We Gotta Get Out of This Place", "Don't Bring Me Down" and "It's My Life".

[3] The Johansen/Sylvain compositions “Funky But Chic” and “Frenchette”, which appeared on Johansen’s solo debut,[4] had been performed by the band in its last original phase; the former would later be recorded by the reformed Dolls,[5] while Sylvain would release "Frenchette" on his album New York's a Go Go.

[6] The album's cover art was taken during Johansen's performance for MTV's New Year's Eve Rock N' Roll Ball.

Although he has long outgrown his erratic, tuneless vocals on the Dolls’ albums, he still needs help composing compatible tunes.