|
Ramones -
Discography
LP's
|
|
|
|
|
How perfect are
the Ramones? A blend of 60's teen melodicism, 70's wall of Marshals
souped up heavy metal power and punk speed, brevity and attack all
combined with a glorious pop sensibility.
Their songs,
written by Joey and Dee Dee (he of failed Television audition
knowing only one note) on as legend has it a two string guitar, were
(dis) ingenuous teen love songs admirably suited to singer Joeys
quavery, Anglo infected vocals, or sardonic black comedies based on
dumbness, sadism and violence delivered with a perfect sneer. Johnny
kept up a barrage or power chords controlled as perfectly as to
merge into one melodic drone which has since become part of the very
fabric of rock'n'roll while Tommy and Dee Dee laid down a foolproof
sledgehammer beat.
We used block
chording as a melodic device, and the harmonics resulting from the
distortion of the amplifiers created countermelodies.
Tommy Ramone
|
 |
|
|
|
|
Ramones -
Sire 1976 |
The Ramones' April 1976 debut, recorded for
little more than $6,000, long ago passed into legend. Its exalted
status as the inspiration for thousands of punk bands worldwide,
though, hasn't overshadowed its monolithic roar, the knowing
hilarity of its lyrics ("Judy Is a Punk" crams the SLA, the Ice
Capades, and a salute to Herman's Hermits into a 90-second frame),
and the impulse to blast it for everyone within earshot: Hey, listen
to this. Embracing and rewriting rock & roll history at once,
Ramones speeded up heavy music, adding a pop patina to songs
inspired by horror movies and glue sniffing, and claiming a great
Chris Montez tune ("Let's Dance") from the supposedly fallow period
that had fallen between Elvis and the Beatles. Absurdist, yeah (how
could anything with Joey's super-affected Liverpool-via-Queens
accent be otherwise?) and also smart: "Havana Affair" is the
greatest song about the cold war this side of Dylan. --Rickey
Wright Amazon |
|
Slightly less
primitive than the Ramones' debut, Leave Home is somehow more melodic,
poppier, and heavier than its predecessor. "Glad to See You Go" name-drops
"the passion" of Charles Manson, while the terrific "Commando" ("First
rule is the laws of Germany / Second rule is be nice to mommy") brings to
mind a funnier MC5. But "Oh, Oh, I Love Her So" is pure classic
pop--metallic bubblegum and their first foray into the Beach Boys-inspired
harmonies that would be used to greater effect on Rocket to Russia. The "bruddahs"
even do a speeded-up version of "California Sun" to drive the point home.
"Pinhead" gave birth to the "Gabba! Gabba! Hey!" rallying cry. Leave
Home is the album that clued in a lot of people that this band was more
than a novelty. --Bill Holdship Amazon |
Leave Home - Sire 1977
|
|
|
|
Rocket To Russia
- Sire 1977 |
"Our records have the bitterness of life in them," quoth Dee Dee Ramone,
and Rocket to Russia brought the pain. Despite carrying on the celebratory
tone of the Ramones' debut and Leave Home in the likes of "Sheena Is a
Punk Rocker," "Cretin Hop," a tribute to dirty "Rockaway Beach," and
covers of the Trashmen and "Do You Wanna Dance?" their third LP displays a
dark humor that's less jokey than the previous releases' goofs on bad
mental health and dysfunctional relationships.
The
group's best-produced of its first three releases, Rocket achieves an
almost smooth texture thanks to a clean mix and increased use of Beach
Boys-inspired vocal harmonies. Still, the joyous grind of Johnny's guitar
is front and centre for much of this enduring album. Rickey Wright Amazon |
|
|
|
28
songs of such high quality that suck you in from the opening chords of
"rockaway beach" and spits you out three quarters of an hour later with
"we're a happy family". Along the way, we are treated to possibly the
finest Ramones album to date, comprising all the classics, such as
"Sheena", "pinhead", "commando", "today your love, tomorrow the world" and
"oh oh i love her so".
Quality
wise, quantity wise and content wise, it doesn't come any better than
this. Amazon review
|
Its Alive (Sire 1978)
|
|
|
Road To Ruin
- Sire 1978 |
Road
to Ruin is the album that demonstrated the Ramones had gotten "better" at
being musicians, if not at becoming stars. "I Just Want to Have Something
to Do" is quite simply one of the greatest opening tracks on any rock
album, ever. For the first time, Johnny actually throws in pyrotechnics
that go beyond basic power chords. "I Don't Want You" is riff-driven punk
rock, while "I Wanna Be Sedated" and "She's the One" are some of their
best pop-punk.
But Road to Ruin
also breaks some stylistic barriers. "Don't Come Close" is almost country
& western and "Questioningly" is a simple ballad. A cover of the
Searchers' "Needles & Pins" is downright reverent, though it's sadder than
the original. Bill Holdship Amazon |
Singles
Part1 Back
To Top
|