They did reform in 2004
http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/store/artist/album/0,,3700499,00.html
one day it will please us to remember even this (cd/dvd) - album reviews
You have Morrissey to thank -- or blame. When Moz cajoled the remaining members of the New York Dolls into participating in a reunion at a festival he was arranging
in 2004, he helped ignite a resurgence of interest in a band that went somewhat underappreciated during their heyday in the '70s, but have since been credited as grandfathers of both punk rock and glam rock—the former because of attitude and music, the latter because of attitude and fashion. After a well-received reunion show, a few documentaries followed, as did another death in the family (bassist Arthur "Killer" Kane).
Now the Dolls are back -- at least flamboyant frontman David Johansen (better known to younger fans as his kitsch pop alter-ego, Buster Poindexter) and guitarist Sylvain Sylvain are back. They've been joined by Hanoi Rocks bassist Sami Yaffa, guitarist Steve Conte, drummer Brian Delaney, and keyboardist Brian Koonin. The replacement parts are serviceable, but can't help but lessen the impact. Michael Stipe lends distinctive backing vocals to one song ("Dancing on the Lip of a Volcano"), but the other guest appearances, promising on paper, are largely squandered, with Iggy Pop and Against Me!'s Tom Gabel not leaving much of an impression.
One Day It Will Please Us To Remember Even This often lives up to the meager ambition and determined high spirits that its title loudly advertises. It's a likeable, chug-a-lugging barroom rocker, still defiant in lyrical tone, but tempered with mortality and wistful memories. In their prime, the Dolls could really raise some eyebrows, a fact that was confirmed for a younger generation by footage in their recent documentaries. Take that act on the road today and it would still cause plenty of parents to blanch, no question about it. But now they sound, more safely, like kindred spirits to Mick Jagger and The Rolling Stones. While Johansen still declares his allegiance to "Fishnets & Cigarettes" on the song of the same title, that shtick now feels cutesy and maybe even obligatory. To their credit, it isn't all irreverence and happy nostalgia; Johansen sticks two battle-scarred songs called "Punishing World" and "Maimed Happiness" at the center of the album. - Adam McKibbin, The Red Alert