REVIEWS:
The Ramones are perhaps the seminal punk band, taking happy, upbeat beach and surf music and playing it hard and fast, tossing in lyrics about Nazis, mental therapy, and goofy horror movie violence whenever they could. Every song they did was pretty much the same, of course - 3 chords, loud guitars, do-do-CHI-do drum lines, and Joey Ramone belting out the lyrics in his trademark voice. I don't have a lot of their records, but I hope to get more in the future.
--Philip Maddox
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(reviewed by Philip Maddox)
This is generally considered to be the foundation of punk rock. Sure, you could point to earlier groups like the New York Dolls or the Stooges, but their songs were often somewhat slow and bluesy. Though they had the punk attitude, they didn't really have the punk sound of three chords and speed, speed, speed. This is where that philosophy was formed - as Joey Ramone has put it in interviews, they were sick of groups like Kansas and singers like Debbie Boone running the music industry with an iron fist, and they wanted to bring back the fun of old rock and roll with a vengeance, which they succeeded at here. What you basically have here is 11 really short, fast tunes and 3 really short, mid-tempo tunes. When I say fast here, I mean it relatively, of course - they certainly didn't have the speed of hardcore punks like the Dead Kennedys. The thing is, though, the Ramones didn't really want to be hardcore - they wanted to be loud, fast, and fun.
The opening three cuts here are perfect. Absolutely perfect. You've probably heard "Blitzkrieg Bop", with its ridiculous chant of "Hey! Ho! Let's Go!" and the "Shoot 'em in the back now" chorus. It's completely simple, yet completely great. For pure energy and catchiness, it's one of the best songs I've ever heard. "Beat On The Brat", one of the slower tunes, is the catchiest song on here, and that says a lot. The simple vocal hook of "Beat on the brat/Beat on the brat/Beat on the brat/With a baseball bat/Oh yeah/Oh yeah" repeated over and over, complete with an actually very pretty chorus. The third, "Judy Is A Punk", is absolute nonsense lyrically, but unbelievably catchy nonetheless. A great way to get the album going.
Most of the rest of these tunes don't fall short of the standard, either. From the extreme stupidity of "Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue" and "Loudmouth" to the horror movie shock of "Chain Saw" to the catchy cover of "Let's Dance" (which sounds like the Ramones could have written it), everything here works. Even my least favorite song on here, the somewhat lackluster "Today Your Love, Tomorrow The World" and the slightly below Ramones standards tune "53rd and 3rd" are catchy and fun. In terms of the actual music contained here, I still don't like it as much as Never Mind The Bollocks, but this was easily the most influential, important album of the punk movement, and I'd recommend getting it if you're interested in punk rock at all.
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(reviewed by Philip Maddox)
Basically Ramones, Volume 2. The production is better (the bass and guitar aren't separated into separate speakers anymore), Joey sings better, and the songs are just about as good as the last time out, and sometimes even better, but the fact that this is just a retread is hard to ignore. It doesn't really hurt how the album sounds, though - most of this still sounds absolutely wonderful. My favorite is "Suzy Is A Headbanger", which gets my vote for best Ramones song. A simple guitar riff, surf-music sounding vocals, and a catchy chorus are combined into one of the most fantastically catchy tunes I've ever heard. Of course, that's not to detract anything from the other great tunes here - the opener "Glad To See You Go" is really fast and catchy (fast and catchy? From the Ramones? Who'da thunk it?), much like "Pinhead", "Oh Oh I Love Her So" (which features the riff that would be used on "Sheena Is A Punk Rocker" and about 50 jillion other Ramones songs), "Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment" (with the riff later used in "Teenage Lobotomy" and about 50 jillion other Ramoes songs), and "Sheena Is A Punk Rocker" (which is a classic, but was only added to this album after they had to remove the tune "Carbona Not Glue" for legal reasons. The thing is, the tune was already on Rocket To Russia).
You know, it's hard to review Ramones albums. They sound good, but they're pretty much identical. So basically, if you liked the first album, you'll like this one too, though it isn't quite as good or as groundbreaking. And hey, you won't have to pay for it! This and Ramones were slammed together on the comp All The Stuff And More Volume 1, so you get 2 for the price of 1. I'd get more Ramones albums if they came like that, but I feel a bit iffy about forking over 15 bucks for another carbon copy of the same music, so I hesitate. Don't hesitate to get the All The Stuffs, though. It's vital, formative punk rock.
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(reviewed by Philip Maddox)
The Ramones' third album is a nonstop assault, raging from one punker to another for 14 tracks and a half hour. Pretty much every tune here rules, too. They had it goin' on, at least on this release. OK, before I start to mindlessly praise this album, let me point out the bad parts of it - like I said, all the songs pretty much sound the same (except for the slower "Here Today, Gone Tomorrow", which is only decent and not really a standout), so the style can wear you out if you're not in the mood for it. Hence, you kinda have to be in the mood to enjoy this throughout. That's not really a flaw though, because this is great for what it is - a mindless good time, and it's bound to put a smile on your face.
Let's talk highlights - the opening "Cretin Hop" sets the stage for the entire record, with dumb lyrics, loud guitars, and a great party time atmosphere. And, well, "Rockaway Beach", "Locket Love", "Teenage Lobotomy", and a few others are pretty much the same. That same is "rules", however, so I don't care. This album had a somewhat successful single in "Sheena Is A Punk Rocker", featuring a catchy melody that would put most pop (or punk, for that matter) bands to shame. The darker (yet still goofy) "We're A Happy Family" is just as good. A dark groove with lyrics about Joey's dysfunctional family. Hee hee. My favorite, though, is the cover of "Surfin' Bird", which features ONE CHORD JAMMING for most of the tune, before 2 more chords come in during the "Well don't you know about the bird/Well everybody knows that the bird is the word!" part. It's everything I like about the Ramones - simple, goofy, and impossible to forget. This is a very worthwhile album, and even a punk hater would have to love this on the strength of the melodies alone.
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(reviewed vy Philip Maddox)
A bit of a step down, as the Ramones try to emphasize sounding harder and sounding more melodic at the same time, which isn't the group's forte. Tunes like "I Just Want To Have Something To Do", "I Don't Want You", and "Go Mental" lose the impact of prior records. Plus, a couple of the remaining songs aren't as catchy as the songs of old - the closing "It's A Long Way Back" is too slow and repetitive to be that good and "I Wanted Everything" is decent, but doesn't really grab you.
Fortunately, the rest of the material is of typically A+ quality. The one that everybody's heard is the classic "I Wanna Be Sedated", a fantastic groove featuring an extremely memorable melody and screamingly funny lyrics (how could a song about wanting to be sedated not be funny?). "I'm Against It" and "Bad Brain" sound like the better songs off the last record. Even the slower and/or acoustic songs here are great. My favorite of these is the Sonny and Cher cover, "Needles And Pins", where the Ramones really prove how much they love that old pop music. "She's The One" rules too. So does most of this record. Despite some mistakes, this is still a good album that you won't mind having. Plus, if you buy All The Stuff And More, Vol. 2, you get this and Rocket To Russia on 1 disc, plus 4 bonus tracks! Sweet! Buy that. The individual albums aren't available on CD anyway, so you don't really have a choice, now do you?
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(reviewed by John Schlegel)
HIGH POINTS: Rock N' Roll High School, Do You Remember Rock N' Roll Radio?, Danny Says, The Return Of Jackie And Judy, I'm Affected. LOW POINTS: High Risk Insurance.
This album is definitely good, but a little confusing, and it takes a few listens before it "sinks in." Of course, End Of The Century is the outcome of The Ramones' notorious pairing with over-the-top producer Phil Spector. Spector's famous "Wall Of Sound" is certainly prominent on here, with strings, brass, and multi-tracked guitars to spare. Weird combination, huh? I know - the first time you hear all of this, it sounds pretty messy, and Spector's pompous production only seems to weaken the straight-forward assault of these punk legends. Therefore, if you own the newly remastered CD of this on Rhino Records, don't be surprised, if at first, you like the appended demos of these songs better than the studio versions!
Still, the album works, and quite well, for a few reasons. First and foremost, The Ramones, as great as they are, are one of the most monotonous, formula-based bands in existence. Personally, I applaud them for trying to expand their sound a little. Oh, I wouldn't applaud them, if this experiment were a failure, but it's not. As catchy as the simplistic demos of "I'm Affected" and "All The Way" are, they're still standard fair for The Ramones. Spector's production may detract from the power of these songs a little, but it also lends them a new element of intrigue, not heard on any other Ramones album. (I know George Starostin wrote something very similar to this, but I couldn't agree with him more.) Second, while this pairing may sound bizarre at first, in the long run, it's no surprise that Phil and The Ramones worked together. After all, Spector is legendary for producing that bubblegummy, late-'50s/early-'60s pop that has been so influential on The Ramones. Admit it, these tough New York boys have a doo-woppy side to them, and Joey Ramone sounds very much at home singing "Baby I Love You," a pretty, highly orchestrated ballad, and a Spector original. If you hear End Of The Century as a celebration of the band's love of Oldies music, then it's not so awkward after all.
Thirdly, and also of importance, the album is a success because the songwriting is still fairly solid (still solid, that is, despite the emphasis on production). "Rock N' Roll High School," the theme song for a corny teen comedy that is good whenever The Ramones make an appearance, is one of the band's catchy, high-energy standards. If you don't start singing along to this one, then I don't know about you, man. You might not have a soul, or something. "Do You Remember Rock N' Roll Radio?" is also catchy at its core, but the best thing about it is that all the flamboyant horns and organs actually enhance the song. What an explosive opener. The aforementioned "I'm Affected" gets a little too cluttered by the guitar overdubs, but it still carries a powerful sense of rhythmic drive, as does "This Ain't Havana." "The Return Of Jackie And Judy" is a personal favorite, a steadily building rocker that provides a sort of "sequel" to "Judy Is A Punk"; this time, instead of joining the Ice Capades, they attend "the Mudd Club," get drunk, and see The Ramones. "Judy Is A Punk" is the better song, but I would rather hang out with the Jackie and Judy of new. Also impressive is "Danny Says," which takes a conventional Ramones demo and gives it a very positive Spector twist, starting out softly with some acoustic guitar and keyboards, and holding off on the drums and amps for a bit. A beautiful song, this is. Yes, indeed, most of the songs on here are good. "Let's Go" is not very distinguished (although fast and powerful), and "High Risk Insurance" is a generic, disappointing closer. but those are my only serious complaints. This is a "busy" album, you could say, but an interesting one for The Ramones. If you like this band, and you're not too perturbed about them getting a little "sissyish," then check it out. This stuff grows on you.
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Can't agree with you more here John, End of the Century takes far too much grief from far too many for my liking. It was a brave step for the band to link up with Mr Spector but as you rightly point out there was always a bubblegum side to The Ramones and "Baby I Love You" works fantastically as a prime example from this set. The album with or without Spector's input was always going to be a step up from Road to Ruin purely on the basis that the songwriting is far superior than on that previous distinctly uneven effort. Alot of critics would have you believe that this set is drowned by Spector's wall of sound production but that's simply not the case, "Chinese Rock", "Let's Go", "This ain't Havana", "All the Way" and "High Risk Insurance" are all pretty much your full on, full throttle familiar and unspoilt Ramones sound. On the Remainder of the tracks Spector takes a clever slant on the Ramones sound rather than destroy of it and "Baby I Love You", "Danny Says" and "I Can't Make it on Time" stand out for me here on what was probably the last great Ramones album.
(reviewed by John Schlegel)
HIGH POINTS: Howling At The Moon (Sha-La-La), Chasing The Night, Planet Earth 1988, Wart Hog. LOW POINTS: Endless Vacation.
After a few excursions onto more pop-oriented turf, The Ramones attempt to revitalize their hard-hitting roots on Too Tough To Die. It's a mostly successful endeavor, and the band sound pretty energized here. Dee Dee writes most of the material - these digressions into heavy metal (the pounding opener "Mama's Boy") and hardcore (the fun, shouted "Wart Hog") reflect the man's famously tortured soul. The main problem here rests in the lyrics, which don't convincingly renew the band's former nihilism, whether Joey's admonishing a "jelly bean brain" in "Mama's Boy" or bellowing simple social commentary on "Planet Earth 1988." But musically, the album is strong. The last song I mentioned is actually a major standout, with Johnny's scratchy guitar picking building some real tension during the verses. Lyrics aside, "Mama's Boy" ain't bad, either. The catchy title track is another blasting highlight. "I'm Not Afraid Of Life" pummels you slower, creating an almost gothic atmosphere in the process. It's a strange song for The Ramones, but a good one.
In spite of the album's "heavy" tendencies, its two best songs are written in that fail-safe, revved-up '50s rock vein: "Chasing The Night" has an unforgettable chorus; "Howling At The Moon (Sha-La-La)" is better, with an inspired vocal melody giving it a climactic boost ("I want to steal from the rich and give to the poor!") before its chanted refrain. Both songs are enhanced by non-intrusive keyboard and synthesizer parts. With so many good songs, this is arguably the best late-period Ramones album. I'd rate it a little higher, but a few tracks ("Danger Zone," Daytime Dilemma (Dangers Of Love)" and "Human Kind") are a little nondescript. The pseudo-hardcore tune "Endless Vacation" is awkward, and not very good at all. But the album is pretty solid as a whole. The scantly-known Richie Ramone fills in on drums, and he tears through these songs with a great deal of power and precision.
The Rhino reissue of this CD includes several bonus tracks. They're mostly just demos of the album's songs, but a couple of the ones with Dee Dee on lead vocal ("Planet Earth 1988" and the title track) are entertaining, and given some additional, rustic charm. And the punk rock rendering of "Street Fighting Man" is very cool!
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(reviewed by Philip Maddox)
The final Ramones album (not including endless live and compilation records and barring the possibility of a reunion), this album features lots and lots of what you love about the Ramones, albeit of slightly lower quality. They aren't as young and hungry as they were back in the seventies, and it shows in a few tunes. The don't sound bad or anything, but when they try to do fast punk, it just sounds a bit off. Don't ask me to explain why, though. It's weird. It's got an aura of "offness" about it. Still, a few of these tunes manage to wedge themselves into your brain, mainly the covers. The opening "I Don't Want To Grow Up" is really catchy. It should've been a big hit. Oh well. Another weird factor here is recent addition to the band, C.J. Ramone. He wrote and sang a few, and amazingly, they sound better than the Joey-led ones (well, even though Dee Dee Ramone actually wrote most of these songs, even though he left the band a few albums prior). His high, shout-y vocals are a nice contrast to Joey's, and his tunes, especially "Making Monsters For My Friends" and "Scattergun" rule in a big way.
Oh yeah! I forgot to mention that this has what may be my favorite Ramones tune on it, the closing "Born To Die In Berlin", which has an awesome dark riff and genuinely scary and dark lyrics, with Joey's voice sounding better than ever! Brrr! And, in a traditional fit of zaniness, there's a 15 second pause before the group plays an unlisted cover of the Spider Man theme song. Heh heh heh. After all these years, at least they're still funny. I wouldn't make this a high priority purchase, but if you're really into the Ramones, you'll probably like it.
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