tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87468782328406474682024-03-01T00:31:27.051-08:00RAMONES--HUMMING A SICKENING TUNE: An OverviewHUMMING A SICKENING TUNE shall encompass a track by track review of the complete recorded works of THE RAMONES, giving consideration to each song's composition, recording and place in the overall arc of the band's career.BuncombeShinolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10152255610225787939noreply@blogger.comBlogger67125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746878232840647468.post-35161999192790930872015-04-15T21:51:00.000-07:002015-04-17T06:22:46.543-07:00I WANNA BE WELL-- Rocket to Russia 10<br />
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<span id="yui_3_13_0_1_1383228496289_11504" style="color: #363636; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px !important; line-height: 18px;">Image via </span><span id="yui_3_13_0_1_1383228496289_11504" style="color: #363636; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px !important; line-height: 18px;"> <a href="http://thisaintthesummeroflove.blogspot.com/2011/12/one-from-archives-december-1977-ramones.html">THIS AINT THE SUMMER OF LOVE</a></span><span id="yui_3_13_0_1_1383228496289_11504" style="color: #363636; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px !important; line-height: 18px;">. Thanks!</span><br />
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Perhaps for the first time finding the band flirting with the very edge of self parody, I WANNA BE WELL avoids taking the full plunge by unexpectedly excelling in the overachieving cohesion of its humble attributes. Applying already well-worn changes and lyrical subject matter, the song manages an easy, perfect charm which carries it above what is practically throwaway album filler by design.<br />
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A far superior application of the bratty, childish approach appearing on the earlier <a href="http://ramoneshummingasickeningtune.blogspot.com/2013/08/whats-your-game-leave-home-10.html">WHAT'S YOUR GAME</a>, I WANNA BE WELL not only alludes to the familial turmoil which is at the core of ROCKET TO RUSSIA's side 1 closer <a href="http://ramoneshummingasickeningtune.blogspot.com/2014/02/were-happy-family-rocket-to-russia-7.html">WE'RE A HAPPY FAMILY</a>, but also to the substance abuse detailed in <a href="http://ramoneshummingasickeningtune.blogspot.com/2014/11/teenage-lobotomy-rocket-to-russia-8.html">TEENAGE LOBOTOMY</a>. (Interestingly, aside from the CD named ACID EATERS, this is the sole specific reference to the psychedelic LSD on any of the RAMONES' releases.) The aggressively primitive lyric is comically intertwined to purposefully sluggish verse and chorus melodies, both of which are almost identically constructed around 1-4-5 in D-- only an intro buildup of the 5 of A and an unpredictable swoop to C for the punchline ("aint it neat?") breaking up the carefully constructed monotony. This pristine match of sound and substance somehow makes the derivations clearly evident from songs not even three tracks away seem immaterial.<br />
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A reliable mainstay in the band's live repertoire up until their very last tours, I WANNA BE WELL displays the beguiling strengths of the RAMONES at their peak, confidently transcending the obviousness of the composition's ingredients, and concocting a nugget of surprising durability and appeal.<br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bp2XnTAOHdA">I WANNA BE WELL</a><br />
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<br />BuncombeShinolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10152255610225787939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746878232840647468.post-54430372947148930762015-02-24T00:22:00.000-08:002015-02-24T01:20:00.447-08:00DO YOU WANNA DANCE?-- Rocket to Russia 9<br />
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<span id="yui_3_13_0_1_1383228496289_11504" style="color: #363636; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px !important; line-height: 18px;">Image via </span><span id="yui_3_13_0_1_1383228496289_11504" style="color: #363636; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px !important; line-height: 18px;"> <a href="http://thisaintthesummeroflove.blogspot.com/2011/12/one-from-archives-december-1977-ramones.html">THIS AINT THE SUMMER OF LOVE</a></span><span id="yui_3_13_0_1_1383228496289_11504" style="color: #363636; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px !important; line-height: 18px;">. Thanks!</span><br />
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ROCKET TO RUSSIA featured an unprecedented pair of cover versions, one of only a handful of career instances in which the band leaned on more than one oldie per album. Interestingly, their selection of DO YOU WANNA DANCE, a top ten hit for BOBBY FREEMAN in 1958, represents their first experimentation with outside material recorded beyond the borders of their usual comfort zone: roughly, the pre-British Invasion early sixties. This would mark the furthest the band would reach back in time to commandeer tribute material. In the future, as band abilities and confidence increased, genre dabbling would tend more towards the opposite direction's late sixties garage and psychedelic eras, and then beyond.<br />
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Similarly to the debut album's LET'S DANCE, the band jettisons virtually all of the source material's groove and feel-- opting instead to strip the composition's core down to its simplest essence, then retooling the arrangement to better fit the RAMONES' driving aesthetic. TOMMY 3-counts (!) a snare intro, then JOHNNY and DEEDEE blast into one of the more strikingly definitive permutations of their beloved 1-4-5-in-A. (Predictably, DEEDEE starts high, then swoops down as JOHNNY bounces up, reaching sublime release each time they converge on E.) JOEY delivers an impassioned vocal, although it could be argued he doesn't quite 'nail' the rhythm of the chorus phrasing with quite the rushed perfection he achieves later in the performance captured for IT'S ALIVE. The deconstructive conceptual primitivsm is subverted by several commercially-eyed production flourishes: winningly mixed backup vocals, and hypnotizing high hat fade-ins with each chorus-ending build up in E. Overall, the crisp, new re-imagining does not compare unfavorably with previous versions by DEL SHANNON or THE BEACH BOYS, both of whom scored minor hits for their respective efforts. (There can be little doubt that the RAMONES were at least somewhat familiar with the latter.)<br />
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Achieving an ideal balance between their relentless, bashing approach and their keen ambitions towards mass popularity, DO YOU WANNA DANCE's selection as a 45 ranks indisputably as one of their sharper market decisions. That it failed to score a big hit, like <a href="http://ramoneshummingasickeningtune.blogspot.com/2014/02/sheena-is-punk-rocker-rocket-to-russia-6.html">SHEENA IS A PUNK ROCKER</a> and <a href="http://ramoneshummingasickeningtune.blogspot.com/2013/11/rockaway-beach-rocket-to-russia-2.html">ROCKAWAY BEACH</a> before it, does not diminish what has become clearer with several decades' retrospection: although detractors might dismiss the band as an abominable, aberrational mutation from the path of Rock 'n' Roll's ongoing development, tracks such as this only prove the depth of the RAMONES' connection to the roots of the music's true spirit.<br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9KfHpm4s4w">DO YOU WANNA DANCE</a><br />
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<br />BuncombeShinolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10152255610225787939noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746878232840647468.post-46035111454701709992014-11-30T23:26:00.000-08:002014-11-30T23:26:46.222-08:00IF THERE AINT NO SNOW reblog<br />
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It's December, good time to reblog: <br />
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IF THERE AINT NO SNOW: TOP 10 RAMONES WINTER SKETCHES--List #9
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<a href="http://ramoneshummingasickeningtune.blogspot.com/2013/12/if-there-aint-no-snow-top-10-ramones.html">http://ramoneshummingasickeningtune.blogspot.com/2013/12/if-there-aint-no-snow-top-10-ramones.html</a><br />
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Hope you have a good end of the year!<br />
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BuncombeShinolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10152255610225787939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746878232840647468.post-70673202752692601422014-11-19T22:53:00.000-08:002014-11-20T08:20:01.722-08:00TEENAGE LOBOTOMY-- Rocket to Russia 8<br />
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<span id="yui_3_13_0_1_1383228496289_11504" style="color: #363636; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px !important; line-height: 18px;">Image via </span><span id="yui_3_13_0_1_1383228496289_11504" style="color: #363636; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px !important; line-height: 18px;"> <a href="http://thisaintthesummeroflove.blogspot.com/2011/12/one-from-archives-december-1977-ramones.html">THIS AINT THE SUMMER OF LOVE</a></span><span id="yui_3_13_0_1_1383228496289_11504" style="color: #363636; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px !important; line-height: 18px;">. Thanks!</span><br />
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Side 2 of ROCKET TO RUSSIA bursts forth with a track which draws inspiration from the sub genre of 50s exploitation films whose plots correlated adolescent rites of passage with horrific monstrosity-- such as I WAS A TEENAGE WEREWOLF, TEENAGE ZOMBIE, and I WAS A TEENAGE FRANKENSTEIN. Having previously already covered shock treatments, this offering also sets out to explore & lampoon the only remaining institutional procedure with potentially more devastating effects to the mentally struggling patients being treated: the Lobotomy.<br />
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Kicking off with perhaps the most tribal & unusual of any of the RAMONES' classic drum intros, JOEY then follows, intoning a bizarre chant-- ludicrously blase, and dripping with studio effects. This triggers a dizzying trio of three chord blasts from DEEDEE & JOHNNY: the first is rooted in B, the second in A, the third in D. Though distinctively dissimilar, all three are 1-4-5 distortions, and the guitar and bass play in uncharacteristically non-divergent unison. It's another sharp, overachieving sequence, and only through the band's ever increasing dexterity does the illusion of effortlessness again appear to be cast.<br />
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The verses then commence on top of a surprisingly simple progression, which serves to accentuate the rushed complexity of the other sections once they return (note how the nearly identical verse of CRETIN HOP serves a similar, but less strikingly apparent function.) JOEY's execution of one of the bands most indisputably hilarious lyrics hits the perfect note of in-character humor, as he swings from slow-wittedly simplistic recitations of unmelodic phrasing to unexpectedly jubilant exhortations at the conclusion of each stanza. And although perhaps 'sophistication' wouldn't be quite the correct term to describe the flowering comedic touch on display here, knowing familiarity with stages of collegiate achievement, an above average grasp of anatomical terminology, and an awareness of ecologically dangerous chemical repercussions would all seem to undercut the group's affectations of unlearned idiocy. JOHN HOLMSTROM's grinningly demented rubber room caricature perfectly compliments the inspired lunacy of the proceedings.<br />
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One of ROCKET TO RUSSIA's superior mixes captures an electric, streamlined charge of sound-- certainly this song would have benefited little from LEAVE HOME's denser mix (perhaps only the overly dry percussion is a singular detriment). Add this to a group performance of exceptional exuberance, a composition full of impressively unique twists, and a lyric once again amusingly inverting and championing what previously might only have appeared nightmarishly depressing, and one relishes yet another unforgettable benchmark exemplifying the RAMONES' unmatchable allure.<br />
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<span style="color: white;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ssoBUb2cJk">TEENAGE LOBOTOMY</a></span><br />
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<br />BuncombeShinolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10152255610225787939noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746878232840647468.post-59334242420014453182014-11-19T07:52:00.001-08:002014-11-19T08:03:52.536-08:00OPEN CULTURE nod for HUMMING A SICKENING TUNE!<br />
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RAMONES: HUMMING A SICKENING TUNE (and my related piece THE RAMONES' OTHER DEBUT ALBUM from BUNCOMBE SHINOLA) were recently featured in a article written by JOSH JONES about the the RAMONES' early demos for the online site OPEN CULTURE. The support and proper credit are SUPER appreciated!<br />
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HUMMING A SICKENING TUNE will be back soon with TEENAGE LOBOTOMY!<br />
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Here's a link to the OPEN CULTURE piece:<br />
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<a href="http://www.openculture.com/2014/11/hear-the-ramones-raw-demo-recordings-for-their-first-album-1975.html#comment-1247805">OPEN CULTURE by JOSH JONES</a><br />
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And here is a quick link to the original blog:<br />
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<a href="http://buncombeshinola.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-ramones-other-debut-album.html">THE RAMONES' OTHER DEBUT ALBUM</a><br />
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Talk to you all again soon!<br />
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<br />BuncombeShinolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10152255610225787939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746878232840647468.post-775947810805250062014-03-23T11:13:00.000-07:002014-03-23T11:29:34.909-07:00CHOP HER UP AND I DON'T CARE Redux: TOP 10 RAMONES MOVIE MASHUPS <br />
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RAMONES: HUMMING A SICKENING TUNE has been on hiatus as I have moved again. While I tie up a few last details, here is a re-edit of CHOP HER UP AND I DON'T CARE from my other blog BUNCOMBE SHINOLA, which explores video mashups of classic RAMONES songs with famous films.<br />
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A few deleted clips have been replaced, some new finds added, and the full movie TOMORROW THE WORLD, which may have influenced DEEDEE's similarly named tune, is now included.<br />
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Up next: TEENAGE LOBOTOMY! Talk to you soon.<br />
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<a href="http://buncombeshinola.blogspot.com/2013/09/chop-her-up-and-i-dont-care-top-10.html">CHOP HER UP AND I DON'T CARE Redux: TOP 10 RAMONES MOVIE MASHUPS </a><br />
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Quick shortcut to RAMONES: HUMMING A SICKENING TUNE homepage<br />
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<br />Art by SAMY THE KAY<br />
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/samythekayillustrations">SAMY THE KAY</a><br />
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<br />BuncombeShinolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10152255610225787939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746878232840647468.post-2653043935844972512014-02-16T22:28:00.001-08:002014-02-16T22:35:16.448-08:00WE'RE A HAPPY FAMILY-- Rocket to Russia 7<br />
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<span id="yui_3_13_0_1_1383228496289_11504" style="color: #363636; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px !important; line-height: 18px;">Image via </span><span id="yui_3_13_0_1_1383228496289_11504" style="color: #363636; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px !important; line-height: 18px;"> <a href="http://thisaintthesummeroflove.blogspot.com/2011/12/one-from-archives-december-1977-ramones.html">THIS AINT THE SUMMER OF LOVE</a></span><span id="yui_3_13_0_1_1383228496289_11504" style="color: #363636; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px !important; line-height: 18px;">. Thanks!</span><br />
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There can be little doubt that WE'RE A HAPPY FAMILY was intended to be a sequel of sorts to the previous album's <a href="http://ramoneshummingasickeningtune.blogspot.com/2013/07/pinhead-leave-home-7.html">PINHEAD</a>: another bizarre lyrical tableau of shattered normalcy, another maddening melody of mercilessly zigzagging chord patterns, another outsider chantalong fadeout featuring demented sound effects. Even the placement in LEAVE HOME's playlist is mirrored-- although, as previously noted, that such apparently natural closers would wind down the first sides of their respective LPs, instead of appearing as satisfying second side finales, remains baffling.<br />
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The three part composition flaunts the band's twisted ambitions, striving to concoct outlandish barre chord constructions, all performed with unrelenting locomotion and exactitude. Opening with a not untypical three chord thrust, the introduction moves quickly to a second instrumental section-- a tongue twister alternating between Fsharp and E with matching A-B and G-A connections. Now, on a guitar Fsharp and G are only one fret apart, but since JOHNNY has rooted the next song segments in his higher register, this means he swings almost an entire octave, absolutely unnecessarily, every time they charge through this change. Were it not so exhilarating, it would border on the nonsensical, this odd determination of the RAMONES to wrench the wildest melodies possible from within the confines of their limited (but always sharpening) abilities. Make no mistake, after all of the criticisms of description, all the bemoaning of three chords, of unshakable primitivism, of artless amateurishness, we arrive here at guitar work so confounding that their movements are bound to be unmatchable for any guitarist initially attempting them- other than those who have accustomed themselves to working inside the RAMONES' sound realm.<br />
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Without pause the verse suddenly commences. Coming off of the previous section's last G-A, the transition to the dizzying E-G-E-A-E-G-D sequence could be tricky, but the band conquer it into a seamless, seeming effortlessness. As on the previous section, DEEDEE wields his trademark secret weapon, swooping up to higher octaves each time JOHNNY swings down, creating a subliminal, uneasy lack of center, where only the performance's precision maintains an exact point of focus.<br />
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Then finally, the lyric begins, a tragicomic cataloguing of failing familial dysfunction. As usual, the humor is sufficiently farfetched enough that the band could reasonably deflect the probability that many of the grim details might actually have personal resonance. Of course, while associations with the leaders of the free world and the catholic church were patently unlikely, the desperate hunger of a chilly Queens, or the distance of an untrustworthy father, or the loneliness of self-medicating while dealing on the side, all ring uneasily true in RAMONES circles. (JOHN HOLSTROM's memorable accompanying illustration ironically portrays a grinning, hyper-mundane clan.) At least a couple of in-jokes optimistically refer to their supposedly soon to be improving fortunes and notoriety, as once again the band mystifyingly transforms the disastrous into the celebratory.<br />
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Blasting full on at the quickest tempo found amongst their trio of classic initial releases (only GIMME GIMME SHOCK TREATMENT barrels by in a higher gear), WE'RE A HAPPY FAMILY finds the the RAMONES at an early apex of studio confidence. JOHNNY, DEEDEE and TOMMY perform at a practiced peak of impassioned perfection, while JOEY wrests great humor-- and briefly, even surprising pathos-- from recitation of the litany of troubles which have befallen his kinfolk. One of the most potent and effective mixes on ROCKET TO RUSSIA captures the lightning of the track's crisp drive. As repetitions of the chorus catchphrase swell into the coda, the track takes one more nod to the previous PINHEAD, and psychedelic studio production touches swirl into another logjam of babbling, group dialogue non sequitirs, and cinema verite sound effects of household clamor ('Where's my underwear??'). Interestingly, the CD reveals a longer fadeout than the original LP, and the aural clutter which outlasts even the band's concluding chord are now audible.<br />
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Noted by TOMMY as a convincing example of the RAMONES' collaborative songwriting strengths, WE'RE A HAPPY FAMILY outshines its calculating conception, and stands as one of the band's definitive compositions and recordings. Swinging for the fences and connecting in virtually every way, the song exemplifies the beguiling combination of ludicrous hilarity and musical ferocity which defines the group's essence. With PINHEAD delegated to the closer of the live set proper, WE'RE A HAPPY FAMILY almost immediately found a permanent home as the climax of the last encore, joyfully sending the audience of disaffected outsiders home with a final affirmation of communal acceptance. As well, it also served to deliver the band a self aware declaration of reasserted solidarity. The necessity of both gestures would become more and more meaningful in the hard years which lie ahead. <br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQlM59sDJVo">RAMONES WE'RE A HAPPY FAMILY</a><br />
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<br />BuncombeShinolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10152255610225787939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746878232840647468.post-3744097573855232902014-02-15T08:26:00.000-08:002014-02-15T08:26:25.672-08:00C.J. RAMONE SEAL OF APPROVAL for HUMMING A SICKENING TUNE!!<br />
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So i wanted to take a day to let this sink in before reposting. Yesterday, C.J. RAMONE
posted some extremely kind words about the RAMONES blog i've been
working on-- just about the highest kind of praise i could possibly
receive really. But even aside from my mention, the blog triggered a
rant from him so stirring that if i hadn't already been working on
HUMMING ON A SICKENING TUNE i probably would have started after i read
it. His words prove his heart beyond all doubt, and i am humbly
honoured. <br /> <br /> From his page: <br /> "I HAVE TO SHARE THIS WITH YOU
BROTHERS AND SISTERS. I HAVE ALWAYS FELT THAT THE RAMONES WERE AND ARE A
HUGELY MISUNDERSTOOD BAND. LISTENING TO, STUDYING, AND PLAYING THEIR
MUSIC HAS ALLOWED ME TO LOOK PAST THE HUMOR AND CARTOON IMAGE THAT ARE
OBVIOUS, TO SEE REAL GENIUS IN WHAT THEY DID. THE LACK OF UNDERSTANDING
IN THE INDUSTRY BROKE JOEY'S HEART, MADE JOHNNY BITTER AND DROVE DEE DEE
CRAZY THAT HE WAS NOT RECOGNIZED FOR BEING ONE OF THE GREATEST
ROCK-N-ROLL SONG WRITERS OF ALL TIME, WHICH HE WAS.<br /> SO GIVE THESE
REVIEWS OF SOME OF THE RAMONES CLASSICS A READ. TOM'S VIEWS ARE NOT JUST
ENLIGHTENING AND WELL WRITTEN, BUT THEY POINT TO THE GENIUS THAT MADE
THE RAMONES MORE THAN JUST FOUR GUYS IN LEATHER JACKETS AND RIPPED JEANS
PLAYING LOUD FAST MUSIC."<br />
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Quick link to his Official FB page<br />
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/OfficialCjRamone">CJ RAMONE FB</a><br />
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Thanks to all of you for your interest in RAMONES: HUMMING A SICKENING TUNE, feel free to drop me a line.<br />
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BuncombeShinolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10152255610225787939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746878232840647468.post-78471114623503302782014-02-02T20:43:00.001-08:002014-02-02T20:43:17.182-08:00SHEENA IS A PUNK ROCKER-- Rocket to Russia 6<br />
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<span id="yui_3_13_0_1_1383228496289_11504" style="color: #363636; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px !important; line-height: 18px;">Image via </span><span id="yui_3_13_0_1_1383228496289_11504" style="color: #363636; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px !important; line-height: 18px;"> <a href="http://thisaintthesummeroflove.blogspot.com/2011/12/one-from-archives-december-1977-ramones.html">THIS AINT THE SUMMER OF LOVE</a></span><span id="yui_3_13_0_1_1383228496289_11504" style="color: #363636; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px !important; line-height: 18px;">. Thanks!</span><br />
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The manner in which this project is sequenced brings us to an awkward situation with SHEENA IS A PUNK ROCKER, one of the RAMONES' greatest and best loved songs. Previous consideration of the CARBONA NOT GLUE quagmire has already mapped out this song's appearance (see <a href="http://ramoneshummingasickeningtune.blogspot.com/2013/06/carbona-not-glue-leave-home-5.html">CARBONA NOT GLUE</a>), and the wrongheaded programming of the SHEENA 45 mix as an extra on the deluxe edition of the ROCKET TO RUSSIA cd instead of LEAVE HOME (where it clearly would have made more sense) requires that we now evaluate this LP variant, released months later, several entries before we arrive at the original--arguably, the definitive rendition. To maintain some semblance of order, this discussion shall concern itself with SHEENA compositionally, and the upcoming blog for the initial SHEENA single version will concentrate on the performance and production, including a comparison of the two differing mixes.<br />
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To briefly recap: JOEY composed SHEENA shortly after the release of LEAVE HOME, and it was, at SIRE's behest, quickly recorded and rushed out as a single. (Ultimately this caused market confusion as the song, and its b-side BABYSITTER, were jumbled around newer pressings of the LP, replacing the supposedly poisonous CARBONA NOT GLUE.) Despite being hurriedly written in an inspirational rush, the song is striking in the perfections of its constructions-- perhaps the only detectable flaw being the torrent of syllables occurring in the second line of verse, as opposed to the perfectly spaced pacing of the first. It's interesting to note that omitting 'au go-go' would have made the phrasing more of a workable match, and maintained the rhyme, but this would have sacrificed the 60's flavor of the scenario being invoked.<br />
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One of the RAMONES' most triumphant accomplishments in the doo-wop derived surf music idiom, the melodic progression of SHEENA was presaged by OH OH I LOVE HER SO, and the further developments evident within the subsequent ROCKAWAY BEACH would later culminate into ROCK 'N' ROLL HIGH SCHOOL-- debatably, the apex of this experimentation. Unlike ROCKAWAY BEACH, which starts with a few bars in the 4 of the root key, or ROCK 'N' ROLL HIGH SCHOOL, which kicks off in its 5, SHEENA commences in its actual pitch: C. Swinging invigoratingly up to G instead of the expected 4 (F) after a few lines, the verse then turns to a repetition of A and the anticipated F before returning to C. After a buildup in 5 ('oh yeah'), the chorus blasts off into a sturdy variation of the standard BLITZKRIEG BOP 1-4-5. This framework of four chords is the very essence of doo-wop, although unsurprisingly, JOHNNY eschews adherence to the minor variation of A which strict genre parameters would dictate. Unlike YOU'RE GONNA KILL THAT GIRL, a more exacting homage to the doo-wop style, SHEENA draws its strength from unique chord selections made inside the limited options.<br />
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Another uncommon maneuver awaits as the song enters its middle eight. Hopping up to the 4 (F), it immediately becomes apparent that earlier the verse avoided this change in order to keep the melody of this section distinctive. After moving through typical 1-4-5 devices, a sudden swoop down to A sharp throws a nervy curveball before the return to the verses. Once again, the band's comfort in dexterously moving around their boxlike barre chord patterns had brought them to a subtly unorthodox melodic choice-- one which would be highly unlikely to a guitarist prone to performances within only the standard open chords, but would have made perfect sense in the adventurously rulebreaking playfulness of the early BEATLES. Of course the RAMONES hurtle along at their characteristic velocity through these changes as if little of note is happening, but it would be a mistake to underestimate the cunning underneath the onslaught.<br />
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Although JOHN HOLMSTROM's lyric sheet illustration harkens back to the IRISH MCCALLA TV show SHEENA: QUEEN OF THE JUNGLE from the 50s, JOEY's lyric concerns itself with the rite of passage necessitated by the abandonment of the next era's trappings, be they 60's surfboards, or somewhat more ambiguously dated 'discotheques,' for the excitement of the modern 'punk' age. (The 50's are briefly alluded to, in the form of obsolete terminology for drug use, which would end up hurting the 45's fortunes-- more on this in the future SHEENA post.) Of course, the RAMONES themselves were fond of anachronistic nostalgia, and there is something vaguely celebratory about the life our protagonist is leaving behind. This elicits an exhuberant empathy from the listener-- even those with no concrete shared experience with either SHEENA's past or future adventures. It is telling that it would be more than a decade before the group would attempt another completely new name-specific personalization, perhaps conceding
that this bullseye was untoppable. For the band had concocted, with this character, the ultimate avatar of their existential and aesthetic struggles. In the near-mythical archetype of SHEENA, the RAMONES and their fans found the very embodiment of joyous reinvention that successive generations of misfits would cherish, and seek to emulate.<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nlX7P0nhaI">RAMONES SHEENA IS A PUNK ROCKER</a><br />
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<span id="goog_1355206757"></span><span id="goog_1355206758"></span><br />BuncombeShinolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10152255610225787939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746878232840647468.post-20744784351668236562014-01-05T09:33:00.000-08:002014-02-02T18:47:57.315-08:00I DON'T CARE-- Rocket to Russia 5<br />
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<span id="yui_3_13_0_1_1383228496289_11504" style="color: #363636; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px !important; line-height: 18px;">Image via </span><span id="yui_3_13_0_1_1383228496289_11504" style="color: #363636; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px !important; line-height: 18px;"> <a href="http://thisaintthesummeroflove.blogspot.com/2011/12/one-from-archives-december-1977-ramones.html">THIS AINT THE SUMMER OF LOVE</a></span><span id="yui_3_13_0_1_1383228496289_11504" style="color: #363636; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px !important; line-height: 18px;">. Thanks!</span><br />
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If I DON'T CARE wasn't the very first stab at songwriting by JOEY, it was among the twentyish hopeful's very earliest attempts. According to the oft-repeated legend, his younger brother MICKEY LEIGH stripped an acoustic guitar down to just the low E and A strings, making the strumming of rudimentary melodies with approximated barre chords simpler for his novice sibling. Shortly afterward, he then taught his older brother the basics of his favorite song: ALICE COOPER's I'm Eighteen. The following day he was surprised to find that JOEY had written a new tune by shamelessly distorting the changes he'd learned, and adding a few phrases of childish-- but stunning-- lyrics. In time, the blunt composition would find a comfortable home inside the primitive outsider rock of the RAMONES.<br />
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Transposing the source melody from the original's E-C-D to the more power chord friendly A-F-G (and unsurprisingly ignoring any minor shadings), JOEY had unthinkingly stumbled onto a foundation he would utilize continually in decades to follow. Eventually the framework would dominate his songcraft, and become one of the stock melodic tactics the band wielded with regularity, along with 1-4-5, and its related 'doowop' changes. Later applications would include some of their most famous material-- I JUST WANT TO HAVE SOMETHING TO DO, PET SEMATARY, WE WANT THE AIRWAVES, I BELIEVE IN MIRACLES, to name only a few. This is not to suggest that all of these songs end up sounding the same. After all, the appearance of I DON'T CARE shortly after <a href="http://ramoneshummingasickeningtune.blogspot.com/2013/12/here-today-gone-tomorrow-rocket-to.html">HERE TODAY GONE TOMORROW</a>-- another extremely early piece by JOEY built around a similar grouping of chords-- in the running order of ROCKET TO RUSSIA hardly makes any resemblance conspicuous. If anything, it makes their dissimilarity more pronounced, despite their common lineage. Such was the dexterity with which the band tinkered with fretboard patterns.<br />
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Quickly embraced after the band's formation, I DON'T CARE was amongst the tracks first attempted at the RAMONES' initial 1976 demo session (see <a href="http://ramoneshummingasickeningtune.blogspot.com/2013/04/i-dont-care-demo-ramones-17.html">I DON'T CARE demo</a>). Although steps were taken to beef up the sound for ROCKET TO RUSSIA's official version, including an extra overdub of guitar crunch, in the end it falls into the cache of numbers which might have benefited from LEAVE HOME's heavier production. An almost comedically weak response vocal from DEEDEE detracts considerably, and the effectively affected tone of JOEY's earlier blase performance is not matched. The demo is also pitched a step down lower in G, adding to its sludgier superiority.<br />
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The unprecedented, understated nihilism of the four sentence lyric ironically brings the band to the verge of self parody, despite the song's prototypical stature. JOEY's unschooled approach landed him onto a title phrase of deeply obvious personal resonance, however, his ceaseless usage of those three words in comparable later material (such as I DON'T WANT YOU and WHAT'D YOU DO) would finally beg the question: Didn't the defensive repetition indicate that he actually cared quite a bit? Still, that here, on perhaps his very earliest attempt, JOEY managed to help codify not only the RAMONES' trademark raw musical approach, but also the bleak humor of their outcast world view, remains impressive. In their disdain for even 'these words,' the RAMONES staked a claim where few bands, even as a joke, would dare to go.<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QveJv7V4OZI">RAMONES I DON'T CARE</a><br />
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<br />BuncombeShinolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10152255610225787939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746878232840647468.post-92064025537306600772013-12-22T19:28:00.000-08:002013-12-22T19:28:04.392-08:00LOCKET LOVE-- Rocket to Russia 4<br />
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<span id="yui_3_13_0_1_1383228496289_11504" style="color: #363636; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px !important; line-height: 18px;">Image via </span><span id="yui_3_13_0_1_1383228496289_11504" style="color: #363636; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px !important; line-height: 18px;"> <a href="http://thisaintthesummeroflove.blogspot.com/2011/12/one-from-archives-december-1977-ramones.html">THIS AINT THE SUMMER OF LOVE</a></span><span id="yui_3_13_0_1_1383228496289_11504" style="color: #363636; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px !important; line-height: 18px;">. Thanks!</span><br />
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While the first two RAMONES lps each featured one stab at pure, energetic pop (see <a href="http://ramoneshummingasickeningtune.blogspot.com/2013/04/listen-to-my-heart-ramones-10.html">LISTEN TO MY HEART</a> and <a href="http://ramoneshummingasickeningtune.blogspot.com/2013/08/swallow-my-pride-leave-home-9.html">SWALLOW MY PRIDE</a>), ROCKET TO RUSSIA upped the ante with a duo of melodic, catchy confections: I CAN'T GIVE YOU ANYTHING and LOCKET LOVE. Over clean-- even acoustic-- guitars, these British Invasion-influenced attempts at hitmaking (or at least, album filling) exhibited sly lyrical maneuvers designed to subvert the standard romantic storylines. I CAN'T GIVE YOU ANYTHING would draw its strength by way of outright denouncement of typical pathos. LOCKET LOVE, on the other hand, would undermine genre cliches with subtler undercurrents of morbid sexual deviance and threats of physical harm.<br />
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Musically, the pair are strikingly similar. Both are built upon riffs which, though constructed within 1-4-5 frameworks, playfully resist being restrictively rooted to their '1' base. If I CAN'T GIVE YOU ANYTHING is slightly more adventurous, and has an overall harder edge, LOCKET LOVE has superior tunefulness, and a more distinctly memorable middle eight. (The lighter arrangement effectively disguises the considerable resemblance to BLITZKRIEG BOP's corresponding section.) The impressively crisp production heightens the appeal of potent performances, and the capable arrangements puts the pigeonholing of the group as mere primitive savants into serious jeopardy. Particular note must be made of the outstanding background vocals, which here reach a pre-SPECTOR era peak.<br />
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The final common attribute of the twin tracks is the creation of unlikely rhymes via the ungrammatical omission of key words at the end of familiar phrases, and if this amplifies the later tough guy stance of I CAN'T GIVE YOU ANYTHING, the sum coherence of the present composition suffers somewhat as a result. Still, LOCKET LOVE represents one of the last gasps in the band's efforts to cohere their driving energy into charmingly developed (and perhaps, commercially motivated), unpunk product. In the future, the cut and dried lines dividing 'pop' and 'rock' material in the RAMONES' landscape would rarely allow for the overlapping coexistence evident here, but the upcoming machinations of both the New Wave and 60's Revivalist sub-genres would find precedent in the group's nostalgic adherence to a previous musical era's commitment to album filler exuberance.<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvdI9gxNilY">RAMONES LOCKET LOVE</a><br />
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BuncombeShinolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10152255610225787939noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746878232840647468.post-38502621083769378392013-12-13T12:12:00.001-08:002020-12-13T07:25:59.936-08:00IF THERE AINT NO SNOW: TOP 10 RAMONES WINTER SKETCHES--List #9<br />
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Wintertime in NYC is a confounding cauldron of clashing extremes, and this is reflected in the music of the RAMONES. On one hand, a dazzling postcard of ice capades noir where Breugel meets Gotham amongst skyscapers surrounded by gently swirling snowflakes; on the other, a brutal, unforgiving storm terrain of sub-freezing suffering-- where the menace to the insufficiently sheltered is potentially lethal. (Perhaps even JOEY must be counted amongst those who have fallen prey to the season's --sometimes, subtle-- dangers.) The RAMONES felt it all, and their depictions of Yuletide, year-end flavors transformed into a discernible arc over time, as the culminating decades brought even their sick, outsider humor to a gradual acceptance of shivering sentimentality. In sequential order, here's the band's snowiest ruminations...<br />
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1. SWALLOW MY PRIDE<br />
Early on, the late season is used primarily only as a marker of time, but the tinge of chilly disillusionment is already tangible-- and will only become more prominent as the years pile up.<br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8R9xxh45AKw">SWALLOW MY PRIDE</a><br />
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2. WE'RE A HAPPY FAMILY<br />
The initial extreme of the RAMONES' abberant seasonal ambivalence, this track underlines the deviantly criminal familial disintegration with the obvious unlikelihood of December correspondence.<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQlM59sDJVo">WE'RE A HAPPY FAMILY</a><br />
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3. I WANTED EVERYTHING<br />
The embittered childhood verse lumps Xmas morning disappointment with other religious holiday derision, sideswiping Easter as well.<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHlsrbAdKlk">I WANTED EVERYTHING</a><br />
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4. DANNY SAYS<br />
This unforgettable snapshot of touring downtime finds our protagonist thwarted from a surfboard excursion by ludicrously low seaside temperatures. But even at minus 20, the absence of snowfall only triggers longing for the wintry tableaux of their familiar New York turf.<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Aerah72IEI">DANNY SAYS</a><br />
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5. THE KKK TOOK MY BABY AWAY<br />
JOEY's winter of discontent kicks off as his sweetheart's extended west coast trip for the holidays is tragically interrupted. If one is willing to accept the behind the scenes love triangle subtext, this track makes an interestingly angry bookmark to the later, matured detente of MERRY XMAS (I DON'T WANNA FIGHT TONIGHT) (see below).<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hT1OKo1rT84">THE KKK TOOK MY BABY AWAY</a><br />
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6. MY MY KIND OF A GIRL<br />
In the Wonderland of his romantic reminiscence, an older JOEY completes the swing to correlating the colder climates to his yearning nostalgia.<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilmuqFUziSc">MY MY KIND OF A GIRL</a><br />
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7. HOWLING AT THE MOON<br />
Outside of rose coloured recollection, the present reality is delineated plainly in this track's middle eight, as wintertime's despair finds an antidote only in the joyous triumph of summer's celebration.<br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7DykTWuVKE">HOWLING AT THE MOON (SHA LA LA)</a><br />
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8. I'M NOT AFRAID OF LIFE/ PLANET EARTH 1988<br />
TOO TOUGH TO DIE's pair of apocalyptic downers both bear biting, world weary wintry realism. And if a lack of childhood holiday celebrations seems a bit pat compared to PLANET EARTH 1988's other enumerated dystopian anxieties, I'M NOT AFRAID OF LIFE features an unforgettable image of a mentally ill transient shaking against the freezing elements. The lyric then questions how the aged are ostracized, and with the only marginally successful RAMONES looking back at an ever growing number of winters, it's impossible to not imagine them singing this line self-reflectively.<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gy0gKYK4rAE">I'M NOT AFRAID OF LIFE</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnGTYfdgCgI">PLANET EARTH 1988</a><br />
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9. MERRY XMAS (I DON'T WANT TO FIGHT TONIGHT)<br />
The christmastime contempt of WE'RE A HAPPY FAMILY comes full circle as the RAMONES deliver a unapologetic, straightfaced seasonal singalong. If its poorly timed appearance was not quite as clumsy as ROCKAWAY BEACH's odd November release, it certainly did not help its fortunes. The irony-free detail of the verses' Santa clauses is perhaps less interesting than the ceasefire between JOEY & JOHNNY it sideways suggests, and with the departure of DEEDEE, the reappearance of MARKY, and the recruitment of CJ, this song establishes an uneasy truce which the band would adhere to until the end.<br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIhIBFPtnoc">MERRY XMAS (I DON'T WANNA FIGHT TONIGHT)</a><br />
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10. CHRISTMAS (BABY PLEASE COME HOME)<br />
No longer held in check by the RAMONES format once they disbanded, JOEY released a solo single unabashedly covering the DARLENE LOVE classic CHRISTMAS (BABY PLEASE COME HOME), which originally appeared on PHIL SPECTOR's 1963 various artists production A CHRISTMAS GIFT FOR YOU. (A decade and a half later he would commence work on THE RAMONES' END OF THE CENTURY lp.) JOEY's performance is predictably heartfelt and charming.<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PRRyhDUNQ0">CHRISTMAS (BABY PLEASE COME HOME)</a><br />
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BONUS!<br />
JOEY's solo CHRISTMAS SPIRIT IN MY HOUSE ep also featured a considerably altered version of MERRY XMAS (I DON'T WANNA FIGHT TONIGHT). Definitely less rockin' than the original, but an entertaining performance over a unique arrangement.<br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GzSRM89zVk">JOEY RAMONE-- MERRY XMAS (I DON'T WANNA FIGHT TONIGHT)</a><br />
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Picture: JOEY & MICKEY LEIGH & Santa Claus<br />
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<br /></p>BuncombeShinolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10152255610225787939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746878232840647468.post-48522111813524230032013-12-03T12:14:00.000-08:002013-12-03T12:14:49.926-08:00HERE TODAY GONE TOMORROW-- Rocket to Russia 3<br />
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<span id="yui_3_13_0_1_1383228496289_11504" style="color: #363636; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px !important; line-height: 18px;">Image via </span><span id="yui_3_13_0_1_1383228496289_11504" style="color: #363636; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px !important; line-height: 18px;"> <a href="http://thisaintthesummeroflove.blogspot.com/2011/12/one-from-archives-december-1977-ramones.html">THIS AINT THE SUMMER OF LOVE</a></span><span id="yui_3_13_0_1_1383228496289_11504" style="color: #363636; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px !important; line-height: 18px;">. Thanks!</span><br />
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Little that the RAMONES had recorded up to this point could have prepared their audience for the stunning terrain which would be embarked upon with ROCKET TO RUSSIA's next track, HERE TODAY GONE TOMORROW. Perhaps somewhat anticipated by the forthright honesty of LISTEN TO MY HEART, or the detailed realism of BABYSITTER, or the pained remorse of I REMEMBER YOU, this unprecedentedly serious portrait of doomed romantic failure represented the starkest departure from their predominant approach thus far.<br />
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An early composition by JOEY, the tune shows him working around his favorite melodic pattern, a stripped down triumvirate of chords adopted from the chorus of ALICE COOPER's I'm Eighteen, and immediately utilized on his inaugural songwriting attempt: I DON'T CARE. He would fall back on this barre chord foundation often over the years (the A-G-F driven I JUST WANT TO HAVE SOMETHING TO DO is a famous application of it), but this recording arguably illustrates his most effective and unique utilization of the template. Rooting the song in D on guitar leaves open the option of swooping down to the other chords of E and Fsharp instead of climbing up in blocks (surely JOEY's original approach). The unsettling drama of the melody rests upon the arresting drone of this change.<br />
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Unfolding an unfamiliar aura of abnormal solemnity with the first, sad strokes of a hi-hat (!) countoff, the band maintains startling, restrained gravity throughout the track-- their longest so far. The impressively layered guitars draw a curtain of slowly swelling overtones, and when the presence of this undercurrent becomes more ominous during the second verse, it signals that there will be no letup from the lyric's sober stare. By the time they reach the pause preceding the instrumental break, the foreboding hum has gradually increased its volume into practically a separate instrument, and as this crescendo lurches into the final chorus it is apparent that any expected punchline shall be absent.<br />
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TOMMY's exceptional studio professionalism and arrangement expertise (the group inched ever closer to an uneasy comfort with guitar solos with the primitive arpeggio picked out over the instrumental section) prudently match the hypnotic incantation of JOEY's impassioned vocal. Wrenching maximum heartbreak out of the contradictory resignation present in the lyrics, JOEY wields effective touches with consistent flair. He imbues the repetitive, monosyllabic cliche of the verses with strikingly dextrous melodrama (choruses too: 'for-EVer'), and he knowingly holds back the key catchphrase for the startling musical pauses which end each stanza. The poetic economy of JOEY's phrases-- effectively painting broad strokes of evocative remembrance with just over 40 words-- embodies one of his most underappreciated triumphs.<br />
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JOHN HOLMSTROM's accompanying illustration attempts to inject some levity into the proceedings, but the imagery of dismissive graveyard laughter-- 'Here Lies Someone's Dead Body' reads an epitaph-- unexpectedly underlines the only hinted-at morbidity of the song's mood. (Perhaps it should be noted that the 'Ritchie Ramone' headstone refers to an early, brief bandmate-- not the future drummer.) It would rank as the least effectively matched of his ROCKET TO RUSSIA insert designs with little probable debate.<br />
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But surely, that is far from surprising- for this was a sharp detour from the RAMONES' traditional comic book landscapes. Here, suddenly, the blunt realities of everyday pain were sized up and confronted-- without the usual aid of accelerated tempos, or cartoonish caricatures, or distracting distortions of personality flaws (or guitar tones). In retrospect, the unflinching realism of HERE TODAY GONE TOMORROW demonstrated a clear turning point. The following decades would find the band struggling to preserve an ideal balance between their trademark twisted humour, and the expulsion of hard truths absorbed as the ensuing years unleashed their unforeseen struggles (and resultant acrimony). For the moment, however, the RAMONES bravely widened their emotional palette-- and broadened their followers' palates. Humbly brandishing the fewest chords and words necessary, the RAMONES constructed a monument to the determined, seemingly unlimited, power which could be manifested through minimalism's hidden, stunning strengths. And the atypical HERE TODAY GONE TOMORROW-- as precise as a Japanese Haiku, as stark as the rain dampened streets of Film Noir, and as mesmerizing as a meditative mantra-- would tower through the coming tomorrows as one of the band's outstanding achievements.<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkpysETrYFI">RAMONES HERE TODAY GONE TOMORROW</a><br />
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<br />BuncombeShinolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10152255610225787939noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746878232840647468.post-6070819567644859382013-11-18T22:03:00.000-08:002013-11-19T08:28:09.542-08:00ROCKAWAY BEACH-- Rocket to Russia 2<br />
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<span id="yui_3_13_0_1_1383228496289_11504" style="color: #363636; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px !important; line-height: 18px;">Image via </span><span id="yui_3_13_0_1_1383228496289_11504" style="color: #363636; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px !important; line-height: 18px;"> <a href="http://thisaintthesummeroflove.blogspot.com/2011/12/one-from-archives-december-1977-ramones.html">THIS AINT THE SUMMER OF LOVE</a></span><span id="yui_3_13_0_1_1383228496289_11504" style="color: #363636; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px !important; line-height: 18px;">. Thanks!</span><br />
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Diminished in stature only by the later appearance of a superior derivative (ROCK 'N' ROLL HIGH SCHOOL), ROCKAWAY BEACH is another top notch early classic-- confidently constructed upon its simplistic foundation and full of evocative summertime imagery. Although minor weaknesses become apparent upon closer clinical examination, it is easy to agree with the selection of this track for the LP's leadoff single. (However, the ludicrous appearance of this 45 during the dead of winter was a typical RAMONES career timing misfire.)<br />
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Another effective retooling of the 1-4-5 progression in A, the song throws the listener off balance by starting with a few measures of 4 in D. (Note how ROCK 'N' ROLL HIGH SCHOOL cunningly improves on this tactic, strumming introductory measures on the 5 of that track's root key instead.) The RAMONES' re-appropriation of the BEACH BOYS' favorite CHUCK BERRY-style derivations is sidelined only twice for brief, bridging blasts of slightly off rhythm punk riffing-- probably the least commercial trait of this proposed 'hit.' The first appearance of this powerful change-- G to D, then F to C-- is followed by an abrupt swing down to Fsharp. The subsequent, doo-wop-driven middle eight makes clear genre sense, but in the context of where the preceding 'punk' section is rooted, it represents surprising movement between keys. The growing dexterity of the band's barre-chord-patterned approach occasionally brought them to unpredictable melodic inventions; some unlikely to be matched by even the more studied competition. The simultaneous slide by DEEDEE and JOHNNY to the lower register as JOEY delivers a repeated line of lyric in the new pitch (which ironically punctuates that it's neither 'hard' nor 'far' to 'reach'--despite the accomplished octave-wide distance the melody has just bounded) leaves the listener with an impression of effortlessness-- a considerable deception.<br />
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The persuasively concise performances come into play again as the instrumental 'punk' section reappears towards the finale. This time the G-D to F-C is followed by a matching D to A, stunningly returning the song to the home key--where the band then halts so that TOMMY can count off the coda of final choruses. Once again, the dynamic execution succeeds in making the atypical arrangement seem natural, almost inevitable. ROCKET TO RUSSIA's sharper mix also proves ideal for boosting the overall appeal, as the background vocals impressively augment an already notable amount of hooks, and the crisper tone of the instruments heightens the cartoonier feel of the arrangement- while sacrificing hardly any of the overall strength and drive.<br />
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Despite sorely lacking a second stanza, the potency of the RAMONES' street poetry is striking. Driven by unrelentingly rhythmic phrasing and attention to situational detail, the lyrical ambience is arresting from the very first unforgettable line. (Unfortunately, the second line fumbles the flow somewhat, syllabically insufficient at an unwise juncture amidst a verseful of compelling couplets.) Eliciting sweeping familiarity via era-specific and domain-exact minutiae, DEEDEE's lyric transforms the seasonal compulsion towards, in all reality, a rather seedy destination into an inclusive, worldwide anthem of sunburned excitation. The defiance of actuality is reflected in JOHN HOLMSTROM's accompanying illustration, where the protagonists are altered into comical, non-human (but somehow familiar) characters. And similarly, the power of ROCKAWAY BEACH is the metamorphosis of the observational specificity detailed from DEEDEE's sweaty, mid-70s New York environment into a universal, utopian mindset and locale, which resonates personally with each of the group's fans-- no matter how far removed from Disco-era Queens in July they actually are.<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6siGKxcKol0">RAMONES ROCKAWAY BEACH</a><br />
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<br />BuncombeShinolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10152255610225787939noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746878232840647468.post-54632342566122149842013-11-08T12:36:00.001-08:002013-11-17T08:46:41.545-08:00CRETIN HOP-- Rocket to Russia 1<br />
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<span id="yui_3_13_0_1_1383228496289_11504" style="color: #363636; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px !important; line-height: 18px;">Image via </span><span id="yui_3_13_0_1_1383228496289_11504" style="color: #363636; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px !important; line-height: 18px;"> <a href="http://thisaintthesummeroflove.blogspot.com/2011/12/one-from-archives-december-1977-ramones.html">THIS AINT THE SUMMER OF LOVE</a></span><span id="yui_3_13_0_1_1383228496289_11504" style="color: #363636; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px !important; line-height: 18px;">. Thanks!</span><span id="yui_3_13_0_1_1383228496289_11504" style="color: #363636; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px !important; line-height: 18px;"></span><br />
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The RAMONES' trademark LP kicks off with an extremely uncharacteristic barrage of open chord, power strummed, lone guitar. The unsettling absence of '1-2-3-4' is atoned for once the chorus chant kicks in, and it becomes apparent that it's been omitted to prevent unnecessary repetition. The aural adjustment compared to LEAVE HOME is recognizable immediately: the guitars are still layered- but more focused, the bass is drier and less overbearing, and the drums are doctored with fewer effects, leaving them more crisply defined in the mix. The promise of ROCKET TO RUSSIA's fresh approach was so utterly fulfilled-- and the popularity of this track was so instantaneous-- that it is easy to overlook how much CRETIN HOP might have benefited from the previous album's heavier crunch.<br />
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One of the most simplistic of all the RAMONES' classics (which IS saying something), the song's melody offers only a three chord verse aside from the opening riff, with an exemplary tribal drummed exaltation for the second part (which again utilizes the repeated intro.) Inspiration for the minimal lyric seems to have sprung from a trip to a St. Paul, Minnesota gig, where the band was amused by road signage referring to the local Cretin-Derham Hall High School, and the adjacent Cretin Avenue. These were all named after a historically prominent area bishop, Joseph Cretin.<br />
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For the chorus, the band retools a common playground nursery rhyme, to humorous effect. This couplet had already appeared during the side two 'suite' of the BEATLES' Abbey Road, but as the RAMONES had previously mentioned Charles Manson in a lyric (see <a href="http://ramoneshummingasickeningtune.blogspot.com/2013/06/glad-to-see-you-go-leave-home-1.html">RAMONES- GLAD TO SEE YOU GO</a>), it's worth noting that Vincent Bugliosi's definitive 1974 account of the murders, HELTER SKELTER, featured a prominent illustration of an interesting piece of evidence: a door from the Family's home at Spahn Ranch graffiti'd with several phrases, including '1 2 3 4 5 6 7 All good children (go to heaven?)'--another possible source. (At first this may seem like a prime example of Manson's obsession with the BEATLES, but the scrawled slogan seems to predate Abbey Road's release by some time, and indeed Manson was in custody within weeks of that LP's appearance.)<br />
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While CRETIN HOP commences the proceedings admirably, the closing of side one with the perfect climax (WE'RE A HAPPY FAMILY) and the starting of side two with the ideal opener (TEENAGE LOBOTOMY) leaves it almost feeling as if the LP's sides should have been reversed. (Of course, on LEAVE HOME, PINHEAD seemed to terminate the incorrect side as well.) A personal admission: so often in the LP age did I personally swap the sides that now, years later, well after the rise of the CD format, I am still momentarily taken aback when ROCKET TO RUSSIA begins with its actual opener. Amusing, but true.<br />
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Another rousing call to arms for the RAMONES' disaffected fan base (JOHN HOLMSTROM's accompanying illustration appropriately captures an assortment of amusing misfits), CRETIN HOP was quickly embraced as a key live anthem. The explosive performances of the song on IT'S ALIVE and other concert documents may have eventually overshadowed the studio take somewhat, but with the song permanently added to the set virtually as soon as it was debuted, even the relatively restrained, original version's declaration could not be denied-- For CRETIN HOP, there would be NO stoppin'.<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ymeuOz0hZU">RAMONES CRETIN HOP</a><br />
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<br />BuncombeShinolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10152255610225787939noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746878232840647468.post-33512824809473075132013-11-01T22:57:00.000-07:002013-11-17T08:46:18.861-08:00RAMONES-- ROCKET TO RUSSIA<br />
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<span id="yui_3_13_0_1_1383228496289_11504" style="color: #363636; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px !important; line-height: 18px;">Image via </span><span id="yui_3_13_0_1_1383228496289_11504" style="color: #363636; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px !important; line-height: 18px;"> <a href="http://thisaintthesummeroflove.blogspot.com/2011/12/one-from-archives-december-1977-ramones.html">THIS AINT THE SUMMER OF LOVE</a></span><span id="yui_3_13_0_1_1383228496289_11504" style="color: #363636; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px !important; line-height: 18px;">. Thanks! </span><br />
<span id="yui_3_13_0_1_1383228496289_11504" style="color: #363636; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px !important; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span id="yui_3_13_0_1_1383228496289_11504" style="color: #363636; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px !important; line-height: 18px;"> </span><br />
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The RAMONES maintained a frenzied work rate through 1977, releasing their third LP ROCKET TO RUSSIA 18 months and change after the appearance of the debut record. The troubled distribution difficulties faced with LEAVE HOME may have somewhat deflated that album's potential, but encouraging signs were otherwise numerous. The band was met with substantial critical notoriety in the press, their initial UK performances had been explosive, and the new single SHEENA IS A PUNK ROCKER had stirred decent chart action, threatening the Top 20 in England and busting the Hot Hundred in America. (No doubt that they had hoped for even better, but considering their relative stature as something of a fringe act, these were significant inroads.) The notion that the breakthough could be just a few more stepping stones away drove them relentlessly, and perhaps sensing that the window of opportunity would be brief, they heightened their labours with determined focus, commencing work on ROCKET RUSSIA almost immediately after the release of the SHEENA 45.<br />
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Another fortuitous development was the acquisition of their label SIRE's distribution from ABC to the considerably more powerful WARNER BROS, and for the moment the conglomerate seemed willing to roll the dice with the budding act. Armed with another jump in production budget, TOMMY and the group once again enlisted the aid of ED STASIUM and TONY BONGIOVI, this time setting up shop at the high quality MEDIA SOUND and POWER STATION facilities. Wanting to optimize commercial appeal for the new songs, the heavy crunch of LEAVE HOME was retracted for a drier, more streamlined and consistent sound. This unexpectedly played to the strengths of the new songs, written, more often than not, amidst the frenzy of touring. Many new, structurally impressive classics bore the stamp of collaborative compositional craft, and a majority of the fresh material exhibited an overall sharper sense of humour and melodic progression.<br />
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Hoping to strike impressively on all fronts, the RAMONES refused to neglect the packaging of ROCKET TO RUSSIA. Never again would they pay such close attention to their product's dressing. Clearly wishing to replicate the effectiveness of ROBERTA BAYLEY's debut LP photo, the front cover design features a similarly posed shot by manager DANNY FIELDS. Even more dazzling, the band recruited JOHN HOLMSTROM of PUNK magazine to illustrate impressively hilarious, cartoon style artwork for the back cover and lyric sheet- where his familiarity and understanding of the RAMONES' flavor and attitude suits the songs admirably. The sleeve image clearly reflects the group's yearning for worldwide dominance and success. HOLMSTROM's other pieces so inextricably compliment their respective tracks, they will warrant further comment here as their place in the running order is reached.<br />
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Additionally indicative of the predominant mindset is the care apparent in the selection of the LP's singles. ROCKAWAY BEACH and DO YOU WANNA DANCE were not only commercial standouts in the new set, they also met the aesthetic demands of what the RAMONES were likely to amicably excel at promoting in their concert performances. ROCKAWAY BEACH unforgettably evoked the band's NYC hometown atmosphere, and DO YOU WANNA DANCE was another effective, stripped down retooling of a relatively well known oldie (originally a hit for BOBBY FREEMAN in 1958). Perhaps only the wintertime release of the sunny, summer tailored ROCKAWAY BEACH undermined the coherence of this marketplace strategizing.<br />
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So many details, all encouragingly congealing all at once- a Xmastime release date, a headlining return to England planned for New Year's Eve (with the possibility of recording some shows for a live album looming), and WARNER's even willing to foot the bill for enormous promotional cutouts of the ROCKET TO RUSSIA cover to be shipped for display in record stores nationwide. <br />
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But then: disappointment. ROCKET TO RUSSIA failed to outperform the previous LP in the UK, and though they scored the highest position for any of their albums thus far in the US, they still could not crack the top 40. Both singles placed roughly as well as SHEENA in the US, but met less notoriety overseas. All things considered, hardly disastrous, but far from the breakthrough they had hoped for. One of the reasons is that the reactionary English version of Punk Rock was beginning to steal headlines, and the more outwardly political nihilism of this music seemed to overshadow the RAMONES in a way, sadly making their heightened melodicism and sharpened, zany humor less significant. And instead of attempting to match the upstarts, the bewildered RAMONES turned to an even more polished sound on their next effort ROAD TO RUIN, where they experimented even father outside of their established strengths. An acceptable strategy as long as the music maintained high quality, but doomed to muddle their efforts in the future, as shall be seen.<br />
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But that is getting well ahead of the story. At the time it was unleashed, it was heralded then as has been borne out in the decades since: The RAMONES' superlative work. It took some time for everybody to come around, but to simply let the needle fall into the grooves is to verify that riding atop this ROCKET, the RAMONES had reached their apex. And in the perfection of their finest moment, the coincidental failure to achieve immediate mainstream success eventually came to seem utterly inconsequential.<br />
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<br />BuncombeShinolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10152255610225787939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746878232840647468.post-84896873928465603932013-10-16T01:13:00.005-07:002023-05-19T13:54:12.506-07:00AND PLAYED MY FAVORITE SONG TOO: TOP 10 RAMONES LOVE SONGS--List #8<br />
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Image by DANCEHALL21! For more of her great work, click here (<a href="https://www.facebook.com/dancehall21illustration">DANCEHALL21</a>) or links at the end of the blog!<br />
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It's been an interesting reversal over time: Originally considered so raw and abrasive that record labels were skeptical whether or not they were even recordable-- but in the present, rightly viewed as so varied, melodic and well produced that the 'punk' label seems too limited a term of description. Ironically, this might have been viewed favorably by the RAMONES, who were initially reluctant to be pigeonholed into the classification. Their eventual dexterity in a variety of approaches beyond their initial two minute blitzkrieg fuzzball barrage aesthetic proved quite surprising, but nothing was so startlingly unexpected as the protopunks' utter mastery of the ballad-- the heartfelt lovesong.<br />
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JOEY's vulnerable personality made his inclination towards softer material predictable, but DEEDEE's troubled upbringing left him open to the nakedly confessional composition as well. TOMMY, of course, relished the opportunity to flesh out melodies and arrangements with wider instrumentation, and even JOHNNY seemed to instinctively grasp that for the records and concerts to have better flow, there must be spots where the listener had a chance to breathe. Of course, his decision to become entangled with (and eventually marry) JOEY's girlfriend cemented the central emotional drama inside the band during their later years, and their steely determination to persevere and endure despite such internal turmoil eventually gelled into their raison d'etre.<br />
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On one hand, BEAT ON THE BRAT, PSYCHOTHERAPY, COMMANDO and NOW I WANNA SNIFF SOME GLUE. On the other hand, some of the most sincere, attractive and endearing ballads any band has produced since the 60's. They stand as powerful evidence of the RAMONES' often overlooked, ambitious versatility, and spotlighted here, in sequential order, are the 10 that soar highest.<br />
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1. I WANNA BE YOUR BOYFRIEND<br />
TOMMY immediately pulls a rabbit out of his hat with the haiku-like precision of this minimalist masterpiece. An advance indicator of what was to regularly follow, this early fan favorite also had a few other interesting early versions, check 'em out HERE --->> <a href="http://buncombeshinola.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-ramones-other-debut-album.html">RAMONES EARLY DEMOS</a><br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDvtkIp8UU4"> I WANNA BE YOUR BOYFRIEND</a><br />
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2. BABYSITTER<br />
The RAMONES show impressive development on this followup to I WANNA BE YOUR BOYFRIEND, which knowingly expands on the earlier track's charms in almost every way: melody, lyric, arrangement and production. JOEY's amusing lament on this previously rather difficult to find track is beguiling and compelling.<br />
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<a href="https://youtu.be/yVGCc4OY0fs">BABYSITTER</a><br />
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<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yVGCc4OY0fs" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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3. HERE TODAY GONE TOMORROW<br />
From out of nowhere ROCKET TO RUSSIA dropped this unprecedentedly serious track, not just proof of how brilliant this 'joke' band could be, but also a devastating example of how powerful a tool minimalism can be, wielded in ANY artistic endeavor. Impressive in the studio version, but also an extremely stunning show stopper on IT'S ALIVE.<br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-egHn2DXQt0">HERE TODAY GONE TOMORROW</a><br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-egHn2DXQt0" width="560"></iframe>
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4. NEEDLES AND PINS<br />
LET'S DANCE proved how effectively an oldie could be retooled into the RAMONES' formula, but CALIFORNIA SUN, and especially this track, showed that the band could meet the originals and match them on their own turf. Simply, an absolute improvement on a cherished classic-- with another perfect vocal from JOEY, but also featuring deft genre details from DEEDEE and MARKY, and displaying one of their best initial attempts at integrating acoustic guitars.<br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPAA0biy0FI">NEEDLES & PINS</a><br />
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5. QUESTIONINGLY<br />
Melodically, one of the band's most uncharacteristically subtle, and lyrically, one of their most romantically hardboiled. The cathode ray whiskey stupor and wailing guitar figures could have come straight out of a Country & Western song, but the incorrect conjugation of the verb 'to know' reassures you that this is, indeed, still the RAMONES.<br /> </p><p> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efkV9ALS-iM">QUESTIONINGLY</a><br />
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6. I WANT YOU AROUND<br />
For the ROCK 'N' ROLL HIGH SCHOOL soundtrack the RAMONES concocted one of their most perfectly heartfelt pleas, full of acoustic guitar, a hypnotizing minor key middle, one of MARKY's finest contributions, and a winningly dead on mix (no need to bother with the inferior, more electrified demo version). Surely one of the defining vocal performances of JOEY's career, this was wisely chosen as an extraordinary centerpiece sequence in the ALLAN ARKUSH film. <br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmNerf4kea4">I WANT YOU AROUND</a><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/vmNerf4kea4" width="560"></iframe>
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7. DANNY SAYS<br />
With girl group mastermind PHIL SPECTOR at the helm, it was elementary that a gorgeous ballad would spring from the hopeful breakout collaboration which was END OF THE CENTURY. However this bafflingly ended up NOT being the heavily overblown and orchestrated cover of the RONETTES standard BABY I LOVE YOU (an unquestioned 60's SPECTOR triumph) but instead the dreary portrait of touring drudgery DANNY SAYS, which is transformed from the humble demo into one of the towering accomplishments of both the band and producer's careers. Unmatchable verses, full of strange and longing details, propel an ingeniously cumulative dense mix, where not a single note played or sung seems out of place--certainly a rarity for this album.<br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9pTElu3Idg">DANNY SAYS</a><br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/S9pTElu3Idg" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>
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8. MY-MY KIND OF A GIRL<br />
With the later section of their career underway, the RAMONES once again go back to the I WANNA BE YOUR BOYFRIEND well, with surprisingly dazzling results. Sporting an altered rhythm and evocative lyric, the song absorbs and reapplies the lessons of SPECTOR into a more comfortable realm. MARKY is a bit shaky--right before his temporary 'retirement'-- but this only adds to the appeal as the remainder of the group flaunts impassioned, weathered, primitive perfection.<br />
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<a href="https://youtu.be/CJ2T5DnmWjo">MY-MY KIND OF A GIRL</a><br />
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<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CJ2T5DnmWjo" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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9. SHE BELONGS TO ME<br />
I'd have to admit, the other 9 songs on this list were no brainers to me, but for the 10th choice i was met with a frustrating logjam of equally merited options. Finally I elected this track, for despite being written by DEEDEE, it is one of the truest representations of the bitter JOEY/JOHNNY love triangle which exists on their records. (Apparently THE KKK TOOK MY BABY AWAY ranks as well, but that isn't a ballad.) The ambitious production by JEAN BEAUVOIR is marred by some galling synthesizer keyboard embellishment, but lemme tell ya-- the 80's were tough on everybody. P.S.- the other also rans were I REMEMBER YOU, RAMONA, 7-11, OUT OF TIME, SHE TALKS TO RAINBOWS and CAN'T GET YOU OUTTA MY MIND. I don't think they really count, but also under consideration were DON'T COME CLOSE, WHEN I WAS YOUNG, SWALLOW MY PRIDE and WAITING FOR THAT RAILROAD.<br />
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<a href="https://youtu.be/wG6ry6U5Lqg">SHE BELONGS TO ME</a><br />
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<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wG6ry6U5Lqg" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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10. I WON'T LET IT HAPPEN<br />
Late in the game, the band unleashes an amazingly pure serving of the soft sell-- arguably this release's most pristine track. Borrowing heavily from a similarly entitled SLADE song (see <a href="http://ramoneshummingasickeningtune.blogspot.com/2013/07/same-as-first-list-6-ramones-top-10.html">SAME AS THE FIRST-- LIST #6</a>), JOEY wraps his ethos around the acoustic guitars one more time, with age-proof results.<br />
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<a href="https://youtu.be/lxZ6uUuQYEs">I WON'T LET IT HAPPEN</a><br />
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<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lxZ6uUuQYEs" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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As always, one bonus for you-- a moving DANNY SAYS at one of JOEY's last appearances, surrounded by friends (song starts at 3:30).<br />
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<a href="https://youtu.be/XplBzHB_H8U">JOEY RAMONE DANNY SAYS</a><br />
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<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XplBzHB_H8U" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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The extremely cool art headlining this blog was created by DANCEHALL21. You can check out more of her often punk- and RAMONE- related work at the following sites. Thanks again for granting permission to utilize your superb designs!<br />
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TUMBLR! --->> <a href="http://dancehall21.tumblr.com/">DANCEHALL21</a><br />
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FB!! --->> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/dancehall21illustration/photos_stream">DANCEHALL21</a><br />
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<br /></p>BuncombeShinolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10152255610225787939noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746878232840647468.post-82873013353551480182013-09-27T08:47:00.001-07:002013-09-27T08:47:50.368-07:00CHOP HER UP AND I DON'T CARE: TOP TEN RAMONES MOVIE MASHUPS!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF5MgpVXE3QpopCYIXDne9JrUGmxilDZRtTlFD8JnsIRQ7hUJ5-3KHppipZ8MKRY6RjDC-U1cHF5TOujWxCdTqdmubzTHtMQuk7dGRx49xCGw2oLQkEKcSD8A8xoUkAKlQlgzumjFKyh4/s1600/CHAINSAW_by_samythekay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF5MgpVXE3QpopCYIXDne9JrUGmxilDZRtTlFD8JnsIRQ7hUJ5-3KHppipZ8MKRY6RjDC-U1cHF5TOujWxCdTqdmubzTHtMQuk7dGRx49xCGw2oLQkEKcSD8A8xoUkAKlQlgzumjFKyh4/s320/CHAINSAW_by_samythekay.jpg" width="236" /></a></div>
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Sorry for the lag in posts, I'm in the middle of moving. The next list RAMONES TOP TEN LOVE SONGS is almost finished. Until then, here's a piece i put together that didn't quite fit in over here, a collection of RAMONES videos that reference footage from famous movies. Check 'em out, and you'll hear from me again soon!<br />
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<a href="http://buncombeshinola.blogspot.com/2013/09/chop-her-up-and-i-dont-care-top-10.html">CHOP HER UP AND I DON'T CARE: TOP TEN RAMONES MOVIE MASHUPS!</a><br />
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Thanks for reading!<br />
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Cool illustration by SAMY THE KAY. Click here for shortcut to his tumblr.<br />
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<a href="http://samythekay.tumblr.com/">SAMY THE KAY--ILLUSTRATIONS IN SOUND</a><br />
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BuncombeShinolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10152255610225787939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746878232840647468.post-23318887018247777762013-09-16T18:42:00.000-07:002013-11-14T14:51:50.196-08:00LIVE AT THE ROXY 8/12/76-- Leave Home 16-31<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMrNWV_j3jEdV-hW1kbq1SBVsStmgxB7vSaARW10W_U96cmjARueTxhSeqdaAhe4r8ljEmbXddzAQsFmjmGX4iDbY4b1Pz2GdmZMUk_NMKStKnB_Nk14JNGh6o44iFgA03IFG6UncctXo/s1600/RAMONES+LEAVE+HOME.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMrNWV_j3jEdV-hW1kbq1SBVsStmgxB7vSaARW10W_U96cmjARueTxhSeqdaAhe4r8ljEmbXddzAQsFmjmGX4iDbY4b1Pz2GdmZMUk_NMKStKnB_Nk14JNGh6o44iFgA03IFG6UncctXo/s320/RAMONES+LEAVE+HOME.jpg" width="221" /></a></div>
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The remaining LEAVE HOME Expanded CD bonus offerings comprise an entire live performance at the ROXY in Hollywood from August of 1976-- indeed, their first major trip away from 'HOME.' It reveals the band honing their early stage attack, and spotlighting a handful of tracks from their upcoming sophomore LP-- at that point still a half year away from being released. The set displays blooming confidence and an already noticably accelerating drive (two selections from this recording, CALIFORNIA SUN and I DON'T WANNA WALK AROUND WITH YOU eventually found their way on to 45 b-sides.) But although undoubtedly capturing a pivotal point triggering the soon-to-explode L.A. punk scene, this very good (but not exceptional) show is bound to compare unfavorably with IT'S ALIVE and other readily available performances featuring the original lineup. With several notable original demos still uncollected, and the added single track SHEENA IS A PUNK ROCKER inexplicably nudged off the program for eventual appearance elsewhere, the wisdom of including this complete show remains debatable. (Certainly, for example, on the IT'S ALIVE dvd collection, a tendency towards cherrypicking from key shows as opposed to using all available tracks would dominate.) Sonically only slightly better than bootleg level quality, this material is perhaps best absorbed as a snapshot of the band at exactly the midway point between their inception and initial peak. For our purposes here-- focusing on recording and composition-- a brief assessment shall suffice.<br />
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16. LOUDMOUTH<br />
The standard opener of their embryonic era kicks off with JOEY's humorous audience greeting, where a polite introduction is contradictorily followed by an immediate admonishment to shut up. A new, powerful musical assurance is plainly tangible.<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdINhBxGX9k">LOUDMOUTH</a><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/TdINhBxGX9k" width="420"></iframe>
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17. BEAT ON THE BRAT<br />
One of IT'S ALIVE's most glaring omissions, the live potential of this debut favorite is happily realized and documented, despite a few shaky moments from TOMMY.<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EM7SQWIJ9Sw">BEAT ON THE BRAT</a><br />
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18. BLITZKRIEG BOP<br />
Taken at what now seems like an almost sluggish tempo, the single "on SIRE records!" is met with a disconcerting lack of audience participation.<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rK1_09OkYaQ">BLITZKRIEG BOP</a><br />
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19. I REMEMBER YOU<br />
Surprisingly early in the set, the band slows it down a notch. JOEY gives it his all in his featured, crooning highlight.<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBR5_JWe3R0">I REMEMBER YOU</a><br />
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20. GLAD TO SEE YOU GO<br />
Ample evidence of the wealth of material the band still had on tap for their second release, this effortless go at the still unrecorded GLAD TO SEE YOU GO flies by flawlessly.<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUxi6iGQq_A">GLAD TO SEE YOU GO</a><br />
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21. CHAINSAW<br />
The sturdy first lp "love song" proves dependable.<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFUV4dmghsA">CHAINSAW</a><br />
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22. 53RD & 3RD<br />
The pathos of DEEDEE's psychodrama are predictably milked, even at this early stage.<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpnTv-pmLxc">53RD & 3RD</a><br />
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23. I WANNA BE YOUR BOYFRIEND<br />
An astoundingly long pause before the group trots out this pleading favorite to all of the "special girls" out there. From here on out though, it's a Blitzkrieg all the way. <br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvsMJiw62p0">I WANNA BE YOUR BOYFRIEND</a><br />
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24. HAVANA AFFAIR<br />
They punch all the way through their "salsa" number with panache. Lamentably, over the years JOEY's inclination to crack non-sequiturs between songs diminished almost completely.<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1lI-9gqreU">HAVANA AFFAIR</a><br />
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25. LISTEN TO MY HEART<br />
Precision abounds in these performances, although later--as the live material is grouped into small bursts-- this song will be programmed into a spot which will flaunt the opening guitar figure more impressively.<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASql3J7xDp8">LISTEN TO MY HEART</a><br />
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26. CALIFORNIA SUN <br />
"Hot doggers, hang ten!", then blastoff into one of the band's most rehearsed covers. Along with I DON'T WANNA WALK AROUND WITH YOU, this appeared as the 45 b-side to I WANNA BE YOUR BOYFRIEND in America and I REMEMBER YOU in the UK.<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCX0uBFMDPY">CALIFORNIA SUN</a><br />
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27. JUDY IS A PUNK<br />
The set starts to hurtle towards the end aboard a barrage of debut album crushers, starting with JUDY IS A PUNK, whose odd key protrudes conspicuously.<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKmGlNbndLU">JUDY IS A PUNK</a><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/hKmGlNbndLU" width="420"></iframe>
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28. I DON'T WANNA WALK AROUND WITH YOU<br />
Pauses in between songs fade away, and DEEDEE dominates--thumping relentlessly on bass and grabbing all the glory of the final line of lyric, leaving him almost without breath for the next 1-2-3-4. In German, naturally.<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-fitqHzOTA">I DON'T WANNA WALK AROUND WITH YOU</a><br />
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29. TODAY YOUR LOVE, TOMORROW THE WORLD<br />
Only a slightly messy coda mars the set closer, which more than fulfills its role as designated explosive climax. <br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDWfvvYfRes">TODAY YOUR LOVE, TOMORROW THE WORLD</a><br />
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30. NOW I WANNA SNIFF SOME GLUE<br />
The suddenly measurably increased tempos carry through to the encore, as unexpectedly TOMMY counts things off. Breathtaking.<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qke8-MuAi0">NOW I WANNA SNIFF SOME GLUE</a><br />
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31. LET'S DANCE<br />
What sounds like a shabby edit fails to cover up a rare opening error from perfectionist JOHNNY. Nonetheless, as the RAMONES feverishly finish the show, they have obliterated nearly any notion that their brutal minimalism could not be delivered with dazzling, potent cohesion.<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Op7w5C2ThFc">LET'S DANCE</a><br />
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<br />BuncombeShinolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10152255610225787939noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746878232840647468.post-564356873544296252013-09-09T17:26:00.000-07:002023-11-28T05:47:28.635-08:00BABYSITTER-- Leave Home 15<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN2Ogvl99ZBrJjYGnDokm_-qwiUCANaPzJ9_1gXOQXSzQT42hg-chs9YqScDZnT3GqysNMlD9Yst9Q7iA2p8kpAGdcMGzH-YRGeqPR5uyVnBllO1zQJNHXplJFOnYhw59prQbQfL8gQjU/s1600/RAMONES+LEAVE+HOME.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN2Ogvl99ZBrJjYGnDokm_-qwiUCANaPzJ9_1gXOQXSzQT42hg-chs9YqScDZnT3GqysNMlD9Yst9Q7iA2p8kpAGdcMGzH-YRGeqPR5uyVnBllO1zQJNHXplJFOnYhw59prQbQfL8gQjU/s320/RAMONES+LEAVE+HOME.jpg" width="221" /></a></div>
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BABYSITTER had been set aside as a probable 45 b-side, but after the CARBONA NOT GLUE panic heated up (see <a href="http://ramoneshummingasickeningtune.blogspot.com/2013/06/carbona-not-glue-leave-home-5.html">CARBONA NOT GLUE--Leave Home 5</a>) this track was chosen to take its place for the new pressing. So sensibly it leads off the extras of this deluxe edition of LEAVE HOME. However, in 1977, it was in turn quickly replaced by the new single SHEENA IS A PUNK ROCKER, and unwisely that song has been omitted here in favor of less chronological inclusion on the expanded CD of ROCKET TO RUSSIA-- puzzlingly leaving this the only bonus studio recording in the present running order.<br />
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After two other decidedly wanting stabs at softer material for the second album, BABYSITTER represents not only a reassuring return to the quality of the debut's I WANNA BE YOUR BOYFRIEND, but also an impressive and cunning expansion of that track's key strengths. An even more melodic utilization of 1-4-5 drives the song, and a strikingly confident middle eight leads to a dazzling one step key change for the final verse and chorus. A bright, dense mix displays the extra layer of guitars and attractive background vocals to strong effect, and the tension maintained throughout the tune's push and pull dynamic shows determined control.<br />
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JOEY tackles the descriptively detailed lyric of the protagonist's frustrating scenario with a great sense of drama. But he also infuses the oft repeated title line with an innocence that feels more relative to the possible crush of the kids for their sitter, and this lends the vocal a surprising depth of empathy to all of the song's potential points of view simultaneously. Impatiently watching television, hoping to avoid interruption from eavesdroppers, intertwines with a sneaking longing, capped with a gratitude for the absence of the 'folks.'<br />
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Almost immediately replaced on fresh versions of the lp (perhaps wisely, as its presence made for an awkwardly ballad heavy sophomore platter), the song popped up again on the flip side of the DO YOU WANNA DANCE single. For years unavailable elsewhere (and, in fact, not even listed on the sleeve of the LEAVE HOMEs it appeared on) BABYSITTER built up credible steam as a cherished rarity, eventually being included on the Warner Bros compilation ATTACK OF THE KILLER Bs, an assortment of respected but difficult to acquire non-lp tracks by various artists. Of course, in the CD age this ready made bonus track ringer found a home on several releases, and wide audiences could finally assess and ingest this no-longer rare, early indicator of what over time had become obvious: the world's foremost punks were undeniable masters of the ballad form.<br />
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<a href="https://youtu.be/yVGCc4OY0fs?si=XISNkWuDfuhmApQD">RAMONES BABYSITTER</a><br />
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<br />BuncombeShinolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10152255610225787939noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746878232840647468.post-12347115538736553692013-09-05T22:51:00.001-07:002013-11-14T14:51:07.635-08:00YOU SHOULD NEVER HAVE OPENED THAT DOOR-- Leave Home 14<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggzPee6SndicKM1U0HmraS-7p2eJ9r4h64gYOqYSxuQGAHlgNje6-Hp9Jxk-3Je8I7q-bBFNPJTx30vJPt1hdLmB3YkDfIGCcYBWs0i8fDye3nFi2RGrml_UXitfelA39ZXZFu1gqAMyg/s1600/RAMONES+LEAVE+HOME.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggzPee6SndicKM1U0HmraS-7p2eJ9r4h64gYOqYSxuQGAHlgNje6-Hp9Jxk-3Je8I7q-bBFNPJTx30vJPt1hdLmB3YkDfIGCcYBWs0i8fDye3nFi2RGrml_UXitfelA39ZXZFu1gqAMyg/s320/RAMONES+LEAVE+HOME.jpg" width="221" /></a></div>
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Interestingly, the RAMONES opted to wrap up LEAVE HOME with this track instead of PINHEAD-- a song bursting with obvious climactic potential-- which was left to conclude side 1 of the LP. They would execute a similar misstep on the upcoming ROCKET TO RUSSIA, closing the first side with WE'RE A HAPPY FAMILY, clearly a ready made closer. The eventual utilization of these two tracks at key payoff points in the band's live sets makes their misuse in the placement of these records' running order even more apparent. For the remainder of their studio career, the RAMONES would conspicuously strive to have albums end dramatically and powerfully, leaving (surprisingly) two of their early classic releases some of the only instances where this effective tactic was ignored. <br />
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One of the numbers sampled with the group's first batch of demos (see <a href="http://buncombeshinola.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-ramones-other-debut-album.html">RAMONES' OTHER DEBUT ALBUM</a>), YOU SHOULD NEVER HAVE OPENED THAT DOOR represents one of their lesser efforts in the horror-themed realm. Despite some amusing genre imagery-- unfortunately primarily confined to the rather drab verse melody changes-- the song fails to completely achieve total liftoff. Notably, the new version features a slightly modified chord progression after the chorus, which makes this and SWALLOW MY PRIDE (see <a href="http://ramoneshummingasickeningtune.blogspot.com/2013/08/swallow-my-pride-leave-home-9.html">SWALLOW MY PRIDE Leave Home 9</a>) two of the only early compositions displaying detectable, significant alteration in their arrangement before official recording. (A catchy background vocal refrain has also been helpfully added to the song's distinctive chorus melody-- perhaps the tune's most memorable hook.) The band has also mastered the oddly timed intro, which amusingly takes them more than one try to nail on the initial recording.<br />
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Although outwardly lacking only next to the RAMONES very best early material, the resultant closer still feels a tad under-realized, despite all around energetic performances. The flavor of the recurrent production maladies lingers as YOU SHOULD NEVER HAVE OPENED THAT DOOR fades into the grooves. Still, as the 'open that door' chant closes the door on the LEAVE HOME LP, it's easy to look forward to the the next station the Rocket would be stopping at: No less than the RAMONES finest studio moment-- where every single track would indubitably bear the mark of 100%, full blooded construction, consideration and culmination.<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOnhuMc2Vlc">RAMONES YOU SHOULD NEVER HAVE OPENED THAT DOOR</a><br />
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<br />BuncombeShinolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10152255610225787939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746878232840647468.post-73968659886527152912013-08-25T13:56:00.000-07:002013-11-14T14:50:58.195-08:00YOU'RE GONNA KILL THAT GIRL-- Leave Home 13<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRV_UHTP5gOGNrnyaFcf-w_Rnva69YcPVsfopx5-ECJYNzfRuTmm0CBWhHTPpoYzulMDJMbFXmljBON-9XNCews5BvHPKfqYHyO7Z6wgG9uF4XY6dEFj0FLPZwZpHU-HkFmo_CHT2hyphenhyphenI0/s1600/RAMONES+LEAVE+HOME.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRV_UHTP5gOGNrnyaFcf-w_Rnva69YcPVsfopx5-ECJYNzfRuTmm0CBWhHTPpoYzulMDJMbFXmljBON-9XNCews5BvHPKfqYHyO7Z6wgG9uF4XY6dEFj0FLPZwZpHU-HkFmo_CHT2hyphenhyphenI0/s320/RAMONES+LEAVE+HOME.jpg" width="221" /></a></div>
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One of LEAVE HOME's bigger disappointments, YOU'RE GONNA KILL THAT GIRL had been an early demo (see <a href="http://buncombeshinola.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-ramones-other-debut-album.html">THE RAMONES' OTHER DEBUT ALBUM</a> ) strong enough to trigger an offer from SIRE records for a single deal-- an offer the RAMONES refused, hoping to hold out for a contract for a complete album. This tactic more or less ended up proving effective, but when time came to finally record the tune for the second long player, the weakly mixed results proved underwhelming enough to have the track nixed as a possible 45.<br />
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A strikingly knowing exercise in the doowop genre's dominant changes, the obvious commercial potential of this throwback rocker makes, in retrospect, the piqued interest of their eventual record company unsurprising. Even in demo form, with JOHNNY not quite yet on top of the varying dynamic of the verse/chorus segue, the infectious appeal of the oldie style composition was clearly apparent. The final failure of the LEAVE HOME attempt to fulfill the detectable promise of the original recording remains one of the lp's deepest puzzles.<br />
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Commencing with a conceptually sound but somewhat rushed DION & the BELMONTS-style introductory section, the band surges into a chorus and bridge modified to their pulverizing approach, but adhering stringently to the idiom's standard melodies. Once the song proper begins, however, the deficiencies of the production's balance become clear. Perhaps by design (especially if the song was still under consideration as a single), the overall mix seems less brash and heavy than the remainder of the album. The churn of the guitars and bass feels less ferocious, the background singing is insufficiently rousing, and the recurrent problems of the drums being too low in volume and the lead vocals being too high reach an apex of intensity here. Though the performances are primarily more than adequate (and the charms of the number undeniable), the entire effort ends up feeling rather emasculated. (Shortly, an impassioned, dazzling concert performance of the song on IT'S ALIVE would finally allow YOU'RE GONNA KILL THAT GIRL to ascend to its conceived heights.)<br />
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Certainly JOEY, who wields the required teen tragedy-style pathos (and seems unfazed by the near-satirical, sick cliche extreme of the lyric) carries through with admirable fervor. But although hardly disastrous, any minimal consideration of this composition's competing versions reveals the sting of wasted opportunity that hangs over this misfire of what shall become one of their most under-regarded early classics. In the end, the best that can be said is how well YOU'RE GONNA KILL THAT GIRL displays the RAMONES' concrete grasp of Rock 'n' Roll's fundamental foundations, and how effortlessly (even unconsciously?) they could be manifested if required-- despite deceptive efforts to affect an 'unschooled' aesthetic.<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3eL4J-o3Ws">YOU'RE GONNA KILL THAT GIRL</a><br />
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<br />BuncombeShinolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10152255610225787939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746878232840647468.post-51692105022941945022013-08-19T14:25:00.000-07:002013-11-14T14:50:47.976-08:00COMMANDO-- Leave Home 12<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihELcIMkWqa1ixtxLUHk2qL1whp0F0yt2A_G-ykNc5ewbaA_Imiin1Yc6YaaXGIuyND4GCDDuqLYdw7y8n4cFr4JjkZrKWuDn6nJvkqt0MdERZps407v6Ev_m0YqA5Wn4NOUSASNLki6k/s1600/RAMONES+LEAVE+HOME.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihELcIMkWqa1ixtxLUHk2qL1whp0F0yt2A_G-ykNc5ewbaA_Imiin1Yc6YaaXGIuyND4GCDDuqLYdw7y8n4cFr4JjkZrKWuDn6nJvkqt0MdERZps407v6Ev_m0YqA5Wn4NOUSASNLki6k/s320/RAMONES+LEAVE+HOME.jpg" width="221" /></a></div>
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This deceptively contradictory rocker pitted two already prevalent thematic terrains into an anthem so absurd as to border on dadaist. JOHNNY's patriotic militarisms clash head on with the Germanic obsessions of DEEDEE's youth, resulting in a concoction which finally defies conventional consideration. (The undercurrent of Naziism suggested by, for instance, the line pertaining to culinary orthodoxy, seems at odds with the then still-current reference to the Vietnam conflict, despite the trooper's stated willingness to travel as far as both countries' capitals.) The unimaginative machismo of the verses is turned inside out by a bizarre chorus cataloguing a numbered list of personal 'rules,' one of the band's most memorable lyrical conceptual gimmicks. Nonsensically, adherence to the law of 'der Vaterland' is equated with the importance of a kosher diet, the appeal of capitalist separatism, and (undercutting the warmongering combativeness of the song most definitively) an infantile, reverential respect for 'mommy.' Fortunately, the vocals are so hilariously powerful, and the melody's blistering arrangement so irresistibly performed that the ludicrous turns taken end up seeming completely moot. In fact, the relentless force of the song feels totally fitting to the paramiltary singlemindedness of the dubious narrative's improbable mercenary protagonist.<br />
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Musically, the stunningly primitive creation is simplistic (yet, versatile) even by the RAMONES' early standards. (Years later, as the band became grew determined to nostalgically recapture their primal strengths, they would often to revert to raw, two part verse/chorus bashers such as this.) Indeed, the heavy verse riff, which alternates between two keys, would soon be retooled for GO MENTAL on ROAD TO RUIN. As well, the four chord chorus melody would be unapologetically recycled in the next decade on ANIMAL BOY as the primary core of APEMAN HOP.<br />
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TOMMY achieves a dense, dark mix which perfectly matches the band's merciless pulse. An impatient DEEDEE starts thumping his bass even before the introductory count is completed, a pulverizing performance by JOHNNY sounds more like an army of guitars instead of just one, and TOMMY's switch to a half time cymbal count for the verses (quickly becoming a common tactic as the RAMONES' music grew steadily faster overall) is confidently seamless. But despite the personal resonance probable throughout the lyrics for DEEDEE (whose father, after all, was a career military man that stationed his family in battered Berlin, and was certainly not above dominating his family with cruelly martial doctrines), the major triumph finally belongs to JOEY, who remarkably wraps his pipes around a guerilla goon persona, charging through the chorus' imperious proclamations, and flinching not an inch at the jibes towards the jewish which permeate the track. (At least there can be little doubt that his mother Charlotte Lesher received the 'nicest' treatment, as she initially allowed the embryonic group to have their first practices in the back storeroom of her art gallery.) Whatever the debatable political correctness of the thematically wobbly compositional end result, the transformation of the gangly lead singer into a fearsome soldier of fortune (even for humour's sake) is emblematic of the culture of reinvention so firmly at the heart of the burgeoning punk movement's individualism-- as it had existed, truthfully, throughout the story of Rock 'n' Roll.<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zQtd_e_VH0">RAMONES COMMANDO</a><br />
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<br />BuncombeShinolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10152255610225787939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746878232840647468.post-90752063051258395332013-08-15T06:19:00.001-07:002015-04-09T20:26:32.717-07:00RAMONES: TOP TEN '1-2-3-4's! -- List #7<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikhofXWpSxMMJb_OrvRBi-W1OdxYxbglafZ8xl6WTTY-9Vj4Cwls1WN6-sSWFp1cp8Lr26kZ9Lzaw3810ghDderjzWhfQb3H2plY-reuDwQ81ZLurt27CzIiImSicP-c_UtAccOZKNCvg/s1600/ramones.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikhofXWpSxMMJb_OrvRBi-W1OdxYxbglafZ8xl6WTTY-9Vj4Cwls1WN6-sSWFp1cp8Lr26kZ9Lzaw3810ghDderjzWhfQb3H2plY-reuDwQ81ZLurt27CzIiImSicP-c_UtAccOZKNCvg/s320/ramones.png" height="208" width="320" /></a></div>
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The RAMONES often insisted that they almost immediately resorted to a shouted 1-2-3-4 start to their songs due to an inability to master the 'silent count.' Soon, however, the novelty of the oft repeated intro struck their fancy, and they began to relish the relentless recurrence of the gimmick. Quickly, the retooled weakness morphed into one of their most beloved, identifiable eccentricities.<br />
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In a long career where this device would be wielded endlessly (but perhaps less often on their albums than one might think--see Postscript), there would be presented inevitable opportunity to pick a few favorites. And indeed inevitability is the keyword, for as surely as a RAMONES classic became as likely to follow 1-2-3-4 as the number five, the band themselves represented what in retrospect seems an unavoidable step in the progression of Rock 'n' Roll's history. So without further ado, a tribute to the numerological quartet that is the mathematical key to the heart of the RAMONES' sound.<br />
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In chronological order. Naturally.<br />
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1. I DON'T WANNA BE LEARNED/I DON'T WANNA BE TAMED<br />
Straight out of the gate the RAMONES unapologetically and unaffectedly kick off one of their earliest efforts with their soon to be trademark. Even at this embryonic stage, DEEDEE sounds unashamed and ultra-confident. Also noted for the (non-) record: I CAN'T BE, a similarly obscure pre-debut demo, which catalogues an amusing 1-2-3 (cohabitation, procreation and housecleaning.) This denotes a deadly triumvirate of domesticity which should be avoided at all costs.<br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dZzD-KqqXU">I DON'T WANNA BE LEARNED/ I DON'T WANNA BE TAMED</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y155cvSK4wM">I CAN'T BE</a><br />
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2. NOW I WANNA SNIFF SOME GLUE<br />
The early appearance of a 1-2-3-4 triggering the title chant is trumped shortly thereafter by a unique count all the way up to 8, building extra expectation before the heavy middle section riff commences.<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwJnnf1Ogcw">NOW I WANNA SNIFF SOME GLUE</a><br />
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3. TODAY YOUR LOVE, TOMORROW THE WORLD<br />
A normal 1-2-3-4 opens the debut's classic closer, but in fitting with the Germanic theme DEEDEE sparks the unforgettable coda with a countoff 'auf Deutsch.'<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6Xae9jsqxU">TODAY YOUR LOVE, TOMORROW THE WORLD</a><br />
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4. COMMANDO<br />
DEEDEE amusingly begins playing his bass even before he completes the opening kickoff, but of course this track's most notable 1-2-3-4 remains the 'rules' militarily mandated by the group. Strict adherence to Der Vaterland, Capitalism, culinary Orthodoxy and maternal reverence all get equal time.<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zQtd_e_VH0">COMMANDO</a><br />
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5. SHEENA IS A PUNK ROCKER<br />
One of the less noted details which helps make this track such an exhilarating thrill is that we enter only upon the last 4 of DEEDEE's opening count, causing a tangible, nervous anticipation for what is to follow.<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEVo0g0ENig">SHEENA IS A PUNK ROCKER</a><br />
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6. CRETIN HOP<br />
This track brandishes a childhood nursery rhyme towards its nefariously celebratory devices, utilizing the (literally) odd count of 4-5-6-7 to better accomodate the subnormals' likelihood of rapturous ascendance.<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ymeuOz0hZU">CRETIN HOP</a><br />
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7. ALL THE WAY<br />
Amidst the bloated production techniques piled upon the END OF THE CENTURY LP by PHIL SPECTOR, the band reassuringly (albeit after a heavy introductory section) blasts into the meat of this track with the standard countoff. Perhaps the album's least galling display of studio muckery, this is the sole appearance of 1-2-3-4 on this release.<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4Qi5PMbQ5s">ALL THE WAY</a><br />
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8. DANGER ZONE<br />
This TOO TOUGH TO DIE cornerstone features a hilarious, 'studio verite' exchange between DEEDEE and JOHNNY even before they can get to the countoff. <br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AqHqDZZLuw">DANGER ZONE</a><br />
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9. I LOST MY MIND<br />
This rather calculated throwback to the classic early approach from HALFWAY TO SANITY begins with certainly DEEDEE's most confused sounding instigation. Did he begin the 1-2-3-4 backwards? <br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jk_55slz-kg">I LOST MY MIND</a><br />
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10. I DON'T WANNA GROW UP<br />
For their farewell abum, the RAMONES opt to start things off in style, coming full circle with a perfectly mimicked 1-2-3-4 from CJ opening the proceedings. <br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jK6meH9z4uA">I DON'T WANNA GROW UP</a><br />
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Postscript:<br />
A good friend of mine in high school once put forth the theory that the quality of any RAMONES album was in exact accordance and proportion to the number of times 1-2-3-4 was uttered. This worked fine for me- my favorite album was (and is) IT'S ALIVE, where the count in some form or another appears 28 times. The theory seemed to fall apart considerably, however, with the decidedly inferior LOCO LIVE, which featured virtually the same tally. (Years later, as their final concert drew nearer, a troubling, insidious detail began to take hold: a gradually growing pause between 4 and the songs' commencement, until there existed almost space enough to utter 5. A sobering indicator of time's passage.)<br />
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But what of the studio albums? A surprising amount displayed not even a single 1-2-3-4: PLEASANT DREAMS, BRAIN DRAIN, MONDO BIZARRO, ACID EATERS, plus the undeniably strong ROAD TO RUIN and SUBTERRANEAN JUNGLE. The theory felt firmer with the records where it occurred only once: END OF THE CENTURY, ANIMAL BOY and ADIOS AMIGOS. It gets wobbly with the inconsistent HALFWAY TO SANITY, which piles up a much higher count of four. From here though, the rule bears out quite effectively: pretty much five total for each of their first three classic LPs (allowing for oddities such as COMMANDO and CRETIN HOP). And with an undebatable sum of six 1-2-3-4s, the grand nod goes to TOO TOUGH TO DIE, their superlative midperiod comeback.<br />
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Maybe Dax was on to something.<br />
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Photo by DANNY FIELDS. Information on the upcoming documentary about him DANNY SAYS this way:<br />
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<a href="http://dannysaysfilm.com/Danny_Says/Danny_Says.html">DANNY SAYS</a><br />
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Collage by JOHN HOLMSTROM. Buy his new book the BEST OF PUNK MAGAZINE this way:<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Best-Punk-Magazine-John-Holmstrom/dp/0061958352">Best of Punk Magazine-John-Holmstrom</a><br />
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<br />BuncombeShinolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10152255610225787939noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746878232840647468.post-42223844831544028122013-08-08T07:15:00.000-07:002013-11-14T14:50:13.160-08:00CALIFORNIA SUN-- Leave Home 11<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7zL7TsWv11rLWszfBt3eGj9QeGvEVAnu1qhRh4xyqKeUV19QiIC8K-7biTMux0I-ELqCkkxiIWlvYb8IZ6p2hOaKtZDzolxZOtwTdJudoouBfyCJpx49or-olYncm6UAXDKZMsUNptHQ/s1600/RAMONES+LEAVE+HOME.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7zL7TsWv11rLWszfBt3eGj9QeGvEVAnu1qhRh4xyqKeUV19QiIC8K-7biTMux0I-ELqCkkxiIWlvYb8IZ6p2hOaKtZDzolxZOtwTdJudoouBfyCJpx49or-olYncm6UAXDKZMsUNptHQ/s320/RAMONES+LEAVE+HOME.jpg" width="221" /></a></div>
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The RAMONES had a problem. Although they had performed the oldie CALIFORNIA SUN in their sets from the very beginning, the friendly neighborhood competition (and aesthetic cousins) THE DICTATORS had stolen their thunder by including a version on their 1975 debut album Go Girl Crazy. Not willing to let go of a good thing, they stubbornly trudged ahead with their own reading for LEAVE HOME. This revealed that even if the band might stoop to recording material already notably covered elsewhere (even by their friends), they would at least take care to allow a passage of time long enough so that any possible clash could be nullified- or at least sidestepped. (Their later re-assimilation of CHINESE ROCK would be postponed somewhat more artfully.) If the RAMONES version of CALIFORNIA SUN came a bit too soon after their rivals, they could still arguably lay claim to having arrived at the song first. More importantly, the band undercut a substantial portion of potential controversy by simply producing the superior interpretation.<br />
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Originally recorded by R'n'B singer Joe Jones in 1961-- but made famous shortly thereafter in a surf version by the Rivieras-- CALIFORNIA SUN is a song seemingly tailor made to follow-up the RAMONES' debut album cut of LET'S DANCE. Sub-BEACH BOYS, pre-British Invasion cheese, the tune appeared prime for appropriation by the band-- only the anchor guitar figure proved a possible obstacle. Though uncomplicated, the lick can be deceptively difficult to nail (especially if one guitar alone must shoulder the rhythm burden seamlessly as well). Surprisingly, JOHNNY remained willing to buckle down, and for years the sly riff continued to represent his most challenging tidbit in their live performances.<br />
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Basically disregarding the DICTATORS' cover, the RAMONES ignore their lyrical adlibs and simply focus on the Rivieras' verses (which, ironically, are altered somewhat from Joe Jones' original) and bare instrumentation. The RAMONES add a unique touch to their arrangement by foregoing the introductory unsung verse (present on all other versions), instead allowing DEEDEE to count off straight into a chorus. This shortens the time elapsed before the vocals begin, and also makes the tribal drum/riff-accompanied verse more intriguing when it finally does arrive.<br />
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One of LEAVE HOME's most powerful mixes supports a perfect performance. The drums' toms exhibit fat echo and presence, and the guitars have delicious tone (especially the overdubbed primary riff). JOEY's performance is dead on, and their decision to not mimic the DICTATORS call and response background vocals was a wise one. (They naturally also eschew their numerous lead guitar overdubs, one of the other augmentations which ultimately make the Go Girl Crazy version sound rather bloated in comparison to the RAMONES' minimalist take.)<br />
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That the band's aesthetic could retool such an ancient, rinkydink 45 into such a striking, fierce blast of modern rock laid bare something which was not always apparent at the time: The RAMONES represented less of a reactionary recoil to rock and roll progressiveness and more of a natural (even unconscious) inheritance and perpetration of its its true ideals.<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjCa8i5JDF4">RAMONES CALIFORNIA SUN</a><br />
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<br />BuncombeShinolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10152255610225787939noreply@blogger.com0