Ramones [Expanded] [Remaster]

Performer: The Ramones
Distributor: WEA (Distributor)

Notes: The Ramones: Joey Ramone (vocals); Johnny Ramone (guitar); Dee Dee Ramone (bass); Tommy Ramone (drums). Producers: Craig Leon, T. Erdelyi, Marty Thau. Reissue producers: Gary Stewart, Bill Inglot. Engineers: Rob Freeman, Jack Malken, Don Hunerburg. Recorded at Plaza Sound, Radio City Music Hall, New York, New York and 914 Studios, Blauvelt, New York. Includes liner notes by Donna Gaines and Arturo Vega. Digitally remastered by Dan Hersch and Bill Inglot (Digiprep). Personnel: Joey Ramone (vocals); Johnny Ramone (guitar); Dee Dee Ramone (bass guitar); Tommy Ramone (drums). Audio Remasterers: Dan Hersch; Bill Inglot. Recording information: 914 Sound Studios, Blauvelt, NY; Plaza Sound, Radio City Music Hall, NY. Photographers: Arturo Vega; Robert Matheu. Unknown Contributor Roles: Roberta Bayley; Arturo Vega. With the three-chord assault of "Blitzkrieg Bop," The Ramones begins at a blinding speed and never once over the course of its 14 songs does it let up. The Ramones is all about speed, hooks, stupidity, and simplicity. The songs are imaginative reductions of early rock & roll, girl group pop, and surf rock. Not only is the music boiled down to its essentials, but the Ramones offer a twisted, comical take on pop culture with their lyrics, whether it's the horror schlock of "I Don't Wanna Go Down to the Basement," the drug deals of "53rd and 3rd," the gleeful violence of "Beat on the Brat," or the maniacal stupidity of "Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue." And the cover of Chris Montez's "Let's Dance" isn't a throwaway -- with its single-minded beat and lyrics, it encapsulates everything the group loves about pre-Beatles rock & roll. They don't alter the structure, or the intent, of the song, they simply make it louder and faster. And that's the key to all of the Ramones' music -- it's simple rock & roll, played simply, loud, and very, very fast. None of the songs clock in at any longer than two and half minutes, and most are considerably shorter. In comparison to some of the music the album inspired, The Ramones sounds a little tame -- it's a little too clean, and compared to their insanely fast live albums, it even sounds a little slow -- but there's no denying that it still sounds brilliantly fresh and intoxicatingly fun. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine The Ramones' self-titled debut is a justifiably adored album--not just one of the best albums to come out of the initial New York punk explosion of the mid-'70s, but one of the greatest rock and roll albums of all time. RAMONES is one of those rare records where there is not a single weak or out-of-place song. Changeups like the bubblegummy near-ballad "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend" and the uncharacteristically harsh "53rd and 3rd" (an unsentimental song about Dee Dee Ramone's days as a teenage hustler) vary the album's sound and mood more than its detractors (and even some of its fans) maintain. The 2001 reissue adds eight bonus tracks. Most are culled from early demos, including two songs, "I Can't Be" and "I Don't Wanna Be Learned/I Don't Wanna Be Tamed," that were never officially recorded, and two others, "You Should Never Have Opened That Door" and "I Don't Care," which eventually appeared on their second and third albums respectively. None of the demos are particularly different from the final recordings, but, interestingly, they tend to be a little slower and poppier-sounding. The cleaner-sounding, more trebly single mix of "Blitzkrieg Bop" closes the package. Rhino's 2001 expanded reissue of the Ramones' seminal debut album would have been welcomed if it had simply brought the original album back in print. It may have been available as part of the wonderful All the Stuff & More, Vol. 1 compilation, but there's nothing like hearing the original album in a concentrated blast of gleeful primitivism -- unless it's hearing it in this expanded form with eight bonus tracks. Apart from the final cut, the single version of "Blitzkrieg Bop," these are all demos, some appearing on All the Stuff & More, some appearing on a 1997 7" on Norton Records, some previously unreleased. It would be misleading to call these bonus cuts revelatory, even if they do confirm the group's affection for pop, but they're all welcome additions to the album, especially since they do contain "I Can't Be" and "I Don't Wanna Be Learned/I Don't Wanna Be Tamed," songs that never made it to Ramones albums, plus early versions of "I Don't Care" and "You Should Never Have Opened That Door." On top of the music is the 20-page booklet, containing full artwork and lyrics, tons of rare photographs, and notes from Donna Gaines. It's a terrific package, and it's not just for the dedicated Ramones or punk fan -- it's essential for any rock library. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Rolling Stone (12/11/03, p.106) - Ranked #33 in Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Albums Of All Time" - "...An intense blast of guitar power, rhythmic simplicity and ferocious brevity..." Spin (5/01, p.108) - Ranked #1 in Spin's "50 Most Essential Punk Records" - "...The apotheosis of punk....Blitzkrieg pop stripped down to its 1-2-3-4..." Spin - Included in Spin's list of Top Ten College Cult Classics "everything good that's happened to music in the last fourteen years can be directly traced to The Ramones". Q (5/02 SE, p.140) - Included in Q's "100 Best Punk Albums". Q (8/01, pp.156-7) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...Amongst their best work....the tunes have lasted...creating a similar effect to an early Beatles album: pleasure heading directly to the brain..." Uncut (8/01, p.94) - 5 stars out of 5 - "...Easily one of the 10 best first-footings in rock'n'roll history....Even today it still pricks senses....As an exemplary definition of rock'n'roll RAMONES is infallible..." Mojo (Publisher) (3/03, p.76) - Ranked #4 in Mojo's "Top 50 Punk Albums" - "...The coolest, dumbest, simplest, greatest rock'n'roll record ever to be cut by four sweet, dysfunctional screw-ups..." NME (Magazine) (6/23/01, p.41) - 10 out of 10 - "...The most toweringly aggressive, misleadingly primitive, perfectly phrased musical statement ever made....The demos and alternate versions included demonstrate how finely honed every gangly gesture was from the very beginning..."

In 1976, the Ramones almost single-handedly invented punk rock and taught the likes of the Sex Pistols and the Clash how it was done. They combined a love of '60s pop melodies with a predilection for short, fast, loud songs and thick, chugging guitars. As part of the early NYC CBGB scene, they laid down the template that several generations of punk rockers have followed. Despite a couple of personnel changes over the years, they rarely strayed from their minimalist musical vision, rocking away until 1996. Though singer Joey and bassist/songwriter Dee Dee died in 2001 and 2002 respectively, and guitarist Johnny two years later, the Ramones still outlasted most of the bands they initially inspired.

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