For my first real post, I decided it would be appropriate to talk about one of my all time favorite groups that have stood by me longer than most: the Ramones. An all-American band that cemented punk rock as a style and inspired countless others through fast tempos, simple compositions and a approach to music that showed you didn't have to be a virtuoso to be a rock star. Tragically, the band never reached the superstardom that they aimed for, even when several of their followers would. They would spend their career as a steady touring act building a massive cult fanbase, only to receive mainstream acclaim in the years after the band broke up.
As for me, the Ramones were a group I always sort of knew about, but wouldn't get into until I was in high school. As a kid, I was not interested in music. I played video games and watched TV and that was it. However, I could recognize their song, "Blitzkrieg Bop", because I remember hearing in both Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3. I also feel like I heard it at an Orioles game as I kid but I don't quite remember. Other than that, I remember seeing their guest appearance on The Simpsons in the episode "Rosebud" (the joke with Mr. Burns demanding the Rolling Stones be killed would cause me to get the two bands confused for years).
As I segued into middle school, I started becoming more familiarized with the Ramones as "Blitzkrieg Bop" was included in Rock Band (which I played like crazy) and would be the first song I learned on guitar.
Jump forward to high school. I don't remember much from my freshman year, however, I do remember the spring break. I was slowly becoming interested in the band by this point and learned about the documentary, End of the Century. One day over break, I found the documentary on YouTube and decided to watch it, just to see what I thought. It was a neat experience. I saw all the members, Joey, Johnny, Dee Dee, Tommy, Marky, Richie and CJ and got to know them and their story before even listening to one of their albums in full.
After finishing the movie, I felt compelled to listen to them, and grew to like "Rockaway Beach", "Howling at the Moon (Sha-La-La)" and the demo on Rocket to Russia, "Slug". From there, I fell in love with the group and decided to pick up a couple of their albums. My first two Ramones were Ramones (because that's the one everyone picks out) and Rocket to Russia (because aside from the fact it had a couple songs I already knew and liked, Johnny Ramone said this was his favorite). I can even remember the day they came in the mail, because I also ordered the book Our Band Could Be Your Life by Michael Azerrad at the same time.
From there, for the next several years, I would begin accumulating the band's discography: all fourteen studio albums, four live albums and a compilation on CD and three records. The group would go on to be one of my favorite bands, to the point that Dee Dee's count off at the beginning of "Rockaway Beach" is my text ringtone. While there may not be a whole lot of diversity in the band's catalogue, they showed me that there is greatness in simplicity. They didn't need ten years of experience and instruction to make fun music that could reach a wide audience.
Many say all Ramones albums sound the same, and after listening to all of them, that assumption is both right and wrong. There is never any stark shift between albums but one can detect development in their songwriting, especially in their first four albums, which are almost universally seen as their best.
My personal favorite of their albums to this day is Rocket to Russia, which was the first album I think they had fully developed and matured in their songwriting and had come up with their best material. I remember putting the CD in for the first time and hearing the opening guitar riff for "Cretin Hop" and something just told me, "this is going to be a good album". Everybody hails their first album as their greatest, however, I personally think that's just because of the hype. It was such a staunch reaction against the progressive rock stylings of the time that it was acclaimed simply for being so stupidly simple. It's not a bad album by any means, and it is still one of their best, but I personally think Rocket is just a higher quality album.
Other albums I really liked were Road to Ruin, which I think has some of the best, cleanest production the Ramones ever got as well as Too Tough to Die, which not only introduced hardcore into their sound, but also had some of the band's best pop songs such as "Chasing the Night", "Daytime Dilemma (Dangers of Love)" and "No Go". One album I also loved but does not get much recognition is their final album, Adios Amigos, which I think has some of my favorite latter-day Ramones songs, like "It's Not For Me to Know", the beautiful "Life's A Gas" and the closer, "Born to Die in Berlin" which featured a guest appearance from former bassist Dee Dee Ramone.
However, midway through the 1980s, their albums seemed to hit a rough patch. While there were always a couple gems on them, the albums between Animal Boy and Brain Drain seemed to come across as uninspired and/or poorly produced, and the band would experience a second wind in the 1990s with the alternative rock explosion. Nonetheless, the band still never reached substantial commercial success and called it quits in 1996.
Unfortunately, after the band's break-up, famous unresolved tensions between the members as well as the eventual deaths of the four original members meant that there would never be a reunion. However, even though we can't see the band itself, the spirit of the band is carried on by its surviving members. CJ and Richie Ramone have both put out solo albums that keep in line with the Ramones' sound while Marky tours with the Misfits' former singer Michale Graves covering Ramones songs. And even if they weren't performing, we can see their influence in bands cropping up even today, over 40 years after their formation, showing how timeless this band is.
If you are new to the Ramones and want to start somewhere, the best place to start would definitely be the any of the first four albums, with Rocket to Russia being my personal favorite, but Too Tough to Die is a good choice as well.
My transparent red copy of Road to Ruin
Breakdown of My Collection
1. Ramones (1976, CD) - This was one of my first two Ramones albums that I bought when I was a freshman in high school in 2010. This album is by far, their rawest, most simplistic output, with the majority of the songs clocking in under 2 minutes, and several songs that may have as little as four lines that comprise the lyrics for the whole song and almost no overdubs. The album has a strange mixing with the guitar exclusively in the left channel and the bass exclusively in the right, which I'm not crazy about. However, this is the album that introduced the Ramones to the world and shows the first offering of the band's signature style. My favorite tracks are "Blitzkrieg Bop", "Beat On The Brat", "Judy is a Punk", "Havana Affair", "53rd & 3rd" and "Today Your Love, Tomorrow the World".
2. Leave Home (1977, CD) - I came across this album probably around 2012 and while it is highly acclaimed like its fellow early albums, I don't listen to this as much as I do to the others. The album basically picks up where their debut left off, but builds on it and incorporates more 1960s pop influences, which can be heard on songs such as "Oh Oh, I Love Her So" and "What's Your Game". The production is also more polished compared to Ramones, abandoning the stark left-right mixing and adding more overdubs. On this album, I recommend "Glad to See You Go", "Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment", "Carbona Not Glue", "Suzy is a Headbanger" and "Commando".
3. Rocket to Russia (1977, CD, Vinyl) - I bought this album at the same time as Ramones in 2010, and it is probably my favorite album by them. Once again building on where the last album left off, Rocket to Russia features even more polished production and incorporates even more 60s pop and surf sounds, which can be heard in "Rockaway Beach", "Sheena is a Punk Rocker", and their cover of "Surfin' Bird". The group also diversifies by including a slower ballad with "Here Today, Gone Tomorrow". Aside from being one of my first Ramones albums, it was also my very first record on vinyl. Recommended songs include "Cretin Hop", "Rockaway Beach", "Sheena is a Punk Rocker", "Teenage Lobotomy", "Do You Wanna Dance" and "Why Is It Always This Way?".
4. Road to Ruin (1978, CD, Vinyl) - I got this album for Christmas 2010, and is another strong album for the group. This is the first album with Marky Ramone on drums as opposed to Tommy, who was now working solely as the producer with Ed Stasium. While Tommy was co-producer for the band's first three albums, with this album, he was able to really focus on polishing the group's sound and direction, and I think the group always flourished best when he was there to guide them, because it both maintained their core punk style, while pushing the band into even further uncharted territory, including work with more acoustic guitar as well as the occasional inclusion of guitar solos. Of all their albums, I think this is one of the best produced, cleanest sounding albums they put out, especially in contrast to the their earlier ones as well as some that followed. Some of my favorite tracks off this one include "I Just Wanna Have Something to Do", "I Wanna Be Sedated", "Don't Come Close", "I Don't Want You" and "Go Mental".
5. End of the Century (1980, CD) - I am conflicted on this album. I first got it Christmas 2010 and while the songs are not bad, I rarely listen to it because I can't stand the production. At the time, the Ramones were making some of their poppiest, most melodic work, in an effort to get on the radio and this was the album that was supposed to be both the breakout album for the Ramones as well as the comeback for famed producer Phil Spector. However, the album comes off as bloated and overproduced. To me, there seemed to be far too many foreign elements like session musicians and unnecessary frills in the music and while the production works on certain songs like "Do You Remember Rock and Roll Radio?" and the ballad, "Danny Says", the production doesn't seem to work with many of the others. One thing in particular is that the mixing on the drums simply bothers me, which have way too much reverb and sound like there are multiple drum tracks played simultaneously. Some good songs include the two previously mentioned songs as well as "Chinese Rocks".
6. Pleasant Dreams (1981, CD) - Following the commercial disappointment of End of the Century, the Ramones continued to appeal to the radio with Pleasant Dreams. The music continues the overtly poppy style on Century, but without the wall of sound production style of Phil Spector. Instead, they got 10cc member Graham Gouldman to produce the album and the production doesn't seem as bloated. I first bought this album in the spring of 2013. I got it right in the middle of my second semester, senior year, a time I remember fondly and have positive memories associated with this album. It has some good songs like "The KKK Took My Baby Away", "All's Quiet On The Eastern Front", and "Come On Now".
7. Subterranean Jungle (1983, CD) - To this day, I haven't listened to this album much. Marky was fired during the production of this album for his alcoholism, and the group included more covers than previous albums, because of a creative dry spell. Again the production sounded strange because even though it brought back the more distorted guitar tones, the drum mixing is very strange sounding, as if it was supposed to sound like an '80s drum machine. Check out "Psycho Therapy", "Outsider", and "Time Bomb".
8. Too Tough to Die (1984, CD) - This album is a return to form for the Ramones. The album broke away from the commercial pop stylings of the previous albums, except for "Howling at the Moon (Sha La La)" and introduces hardcore in songs such as "Wart Hog" and "Endless Vacation". This also marked the first album with Richie Ramone on drums, and the return of Tommy behind the soundboard, which was certainly played to their benefit. I personally like "Howling" as well as "Chasing the Night", ""I'm Not Afraid of Life", "Daytime Dilemma" and "No Go".
9. Animal Boy (1986, CD) - This is where I believe the Ramones entered their dark age. After the return to form on Too Tough to Die, Animal Boy comes off as a major let down to me. The production is probably the worst of all the Ramones' albums, with a very thin, dated production style, which doesn't help the weak tracklist. There are some good songs, like "My Brain is Hanging Upside Down", which I only really like for the music. Overall though, this is easily one of my least favorite Ramones album.
10. Halfway to Sanity (1987, CD) - This is another album I almost never listen to. This time, the production isn't bad, but all but maybe two of the tracks are completely forgettable. The two songs I would recommend are "I Wanna Live" and "Garden of Serenity".
11. Brain Drain (1989, CD) - The last album to feature original member and key songwriter, Dee Dee Ramone and the first to feature Marky since his return, this album is fairly unremarkable with the exception of the song, "Pet Sematary" which was written for the film adaption of a Steven King novel and ended up being a minor hit for the band.
12. Mondo Bizarro (1992, CD) - This album, to me, marks the start of a new era for the band. With Dee Dee quitting, it opened up the slot for newcomer C.J. Ramone, who I feel was able to breathe new life into band with his more youthful energy. Also, by this point, the alternative rock sensation had taken off and many bands that looked to the Ramones were now in the spotlight and tried to share that with them, which gave them another boost in their twilight years. Even though Dee Dee was no longer performing with the band, he still contributed songs and the these would become the album's highlights, such as "Poison Heart", "Main Man" and "Strength to Endure", the latter two with C.J. on on lead vocals, as well as "It's Gonna Be Okay" and the cover of the Doors' "Take It As It Comes". While this is far from their strongest, this album marked the beginning of the band's second wind.
13. Acid Eaters (1994, CD) - I normally don't like cover albums. If a band that normal composes their own material, when they put out a cover album, treat it as a studio album and it's not something to simply tide the audience until the next album, I feel cheated in a sense. As a result, I avoided this album until I was in college. However, when I finally got around to listening to it, I found there to be some good songs on it. All the songs were 1960s garage and psychedelic tracks by bands that influenced the group, and while some songs don't translate well to the band's style, others do well, such "Substitute", "The Shape of Things to Come", and "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?".
14. Adios Amigos (1995, CD) - The group's swan song, Adios Amigos is one that generally seen as an average album, but not a bad one for them to go out on. For me, personally, this is my favorite latter day Ramones album and I find myself listening to it more than End of the Century or Subterranean Jungle. The album has several strong songs, thanks in part to the group falling back on former bassist, Dee Dee's prolific songwriting abilities as well as looking to both Marky and C.J. for songs as well. This gives the album a slightly more diverse sound. Another thing that stands out is C.J.'s involvement. While Dee Dee always sang lead on a song or two per album starting on Subterranean Jungle, C.J. seemed to take up the role of co-lead vocalist upon joining, and this is best seen on this album where he sings lead on five of the fourteen tracks. It's an interesting experience comparing this album to the early albums, such as Ramones, showing how the tone, skill and maturity of the band developed over those 19 years. This one has many highlights in my opinion such as the cover of Tom Waits' "I Don't Want to Grow Up", "It's Not For Me To Know", "Have A Nice Day", "Scattergun", "Life's a Gas", "She Talks to Rainbows" and "Born to Die In Berlin", which features Dee Dee singing in German over the phone during the bridge. While the overall quality may not match the magic and fun of the early albums, this was a strong note for the group to go out on.
5. End of the Century (1980, CD) - I am conflicted on this album. I first got it Christmas 2010 and while the songs are not bad, I rarely listen to it because I can't stand the production. At the time, the Ramones were making some of their poppiest, most melodic work, in an effort to get on the radio and this was the album that was supposed to be both the breakout album for the Ramones as well as the comeback for famed producer Phil Spector. However, the album comes off as bloated and overproduced. To me, there seemed to be far too many foreign elements like session musicians and unnecessary frills in the music and while the production works on certain songs like "Do You Remember Rock and Roll Radio?" and the ballad, "Danny Says", the production doesn't seem to work with many of the others. One thing in particular is that the mixing on the drums simply bothers me, which have way too much reverb and sound like there are multiple drum tracks played simultaneously. Some good songs include the two previously mentioned songs as well as "Chinese Rocks".
6. Pleasant Dreams (1981, CD) - Following the commercial disappointment of End of the Century, the Ramones continued to appeal to the radio with Pleasant Dreams. The music continues the overtly poppy style on Century, but without the wall of sound production style of Phil Spector. Instead, they got 10cc member Graham Gouldman to produce the album and the production doesn't seem as bloated. I first bought this album in the spring of 2013. I got it right in the middle of my second semester, senior year, a time I remember fondly and have positive memories associated with this album. It has some good songs like "The KKK Took My Baby Away", "All's Quiet On The Eastern Front", and "Come On Now".
7. Subterranean Jungle (1983, CD) - To this day, I haven't listened to this album much. Marky was fired during the production of this album for his alcoholism, and the group included more covers than previous albums, because of a creative dry spell. Again the production sounded strange because even though it brought back the more distorted guitar tones, the drum mixing is very strange sounding, as if it was supposed to sound like an '80s drum machine. Check out "Psycho Therapy", "Outsider", and "Time Bomb".
8. Too Tough to Die (1984, CD) - This album is a return to form for the Ramones. The album broke away from the commercial pop stylings of the previous albums, except for "Howling at the Moon (Sha La La)" and introduces hardcore in songs such as "Wart Hog" and "Endless Vacation". This also marked the first album with Richie Ramone on drums, and the return of Tommy behind the soundboard, which was certainly played to their benefit. I personally like "Howling" as well as "Chasing the Night", ""I'm Not Afraid of Life", "Daytime Dilemma" and "No Go".
9. Animal Boy (1986, CD) - This is where I believe the Ramones entered their dark age. After the return to form on Too Tough to Die, Animal Boy comes off as a major let down to me. The production is probably the worst of all the Ramones' albums, with a very thin, dated production style, which doesn't help the weak tracklist. There are some good songs, like "My Brain is Hanging Upside Down", which I only really like for the music. Overall though, this is easily one of my least favorite Ramones album.
10. Halfway to Sanity (1987, CD) - This is another album I almost never listen to. This time, the production isn't bad, but all but maybe two of the tracks are completely forgettable. The two songs I would recommend are "I Wanna Live" and "Garden of Serenity".
11. Brain Drain (1989, CD) - The last album to feature original member and key songwriter, Dee Dee Ramone and the first to feature Marky since his return, this album is fairly unremarkable with the exception of the song, "Pet Sematary" which was written for the film adaption of a Steven King novel and ended up being a minor hit for the band.
12. Mondo Bizarro (1992, CD) - This album, to me, marks the start of a new era for the band. With Dee Dee quitting, it opened up the slot for newcomer C.J. Ramone, who I feel was able to breathe new life into band with his more youthful energy. Also, by this point, the alternative rock sensation had taken off and many bands that looked to the Ramones were now in the spotlight and tried to share that with them, which gave them another boost in their twilight years. Even though Dee Dee was no longer performing with the band, he still contributed songs and the these would become the album's highlights, such as "Poison Heart", "Main Man" and "Strength to Endure", the latter two with C.J. on on lead vocals, as well as "It's Gonna Be Okay" and the cover of the Doors' "Take It As It Comes". While this is far from their strongest, this album marked the beginning of the band's second wind.
13. Acid Eaters (1994, CD) - I normally don't like cover albums. If a band that normal composes their own material, when they put out a cover album, treat it as a studio album and it's not something to simply tide the audience until the next album, I feel cheated in a sense. As a result, I avoided this album until I was in college. However, when I finally got around to listening to it, I found there to be some good songs on it. All the songs were 1960s garage and psychedelic tracks by bands that influenced the group, and while some songs don't translate well to the band's style, others do well, such "Substitute", "The Shape of Things to Come", and "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?".
14. Adios Amigos (1995, CD) - The group's swan song, Adios Amigos is one that generally seen as an average album, but not a bad one for them to go out on. For me, personally, this is my favorite latter day Ramones album and I find myself listening to it more than End of the Century or Subterranean Jungle. The album has several strong songs, thanks in part to the group falling back on former bassist, Dee Dee's prolific songwriting abilities as well as looking to both Marky and C.J. for songs as well. This gives the album a slightly more diverse sound. Another thing that stands out is C.J.'s involvement. While Dee Dee always sang lead on a song or two per album starting on Subterranean Jungle, C.J. seemed to take up the role of co-lead vocalist upon joining, and this is best seen on this album where he sings lead on five of the fourteen tracks. It's an interesting experience comparing this album to the early albums, such as Ramones, showing how the tone, skill and maturity of the band developed over those 19 years. This one has many highlights in my opinion such as the cover of Tom Waits' "I Don't Want to Grow Up", "It's Not For Me To Know", "Have A Nice Day", "Scattergun", "Life's a Gas", "She Talks to Rainbows" and "Born to Die In Berlin", which features Dee Dee singing in German over the phone during the bridge. While the overall quality may not match the magic and fun of the early albums, this was a strong note for the group to go out on.
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