Ramones

Ramones. God I could listen to them forever. Joey's (RIP) vocals are fantastic and he was, I would say, probably unrivalled in that role. Like all the others in the band he hailed from Queens, NYC, USA and he was, apart from being as tall as a tree, a sensitive soul. I can say this because I have read books on the band and proudly possess four DVD's featuring them. Apparently Joey had certain mental health difficulties which I can identify with. He was a charmer and I would say he was well loved by many associated with the New York four piece. In this blog I'm not going to mention individual songs that Ramones recorded because I cannot find fault with any of them. They were all ace tunes and I can't say that about any other band.

They had a number of drummers and they all contributed to the overall sound - a bloody loud sound at that! I spoke to someone who saw them in Dublin (they played here several times through their career) and he explained in graphic detail about the devastating din the four brudda's made. I like to listen to them on my stereo but would hate to endure the live band - Tinnitus time, not a nice prospect.

Even though he was a big drug user (and mates with Johnny Thunders) Dee Dee wrote, or co-wrote, a lot of the band's material and was the bass player. He was with them since the inception (1974) and he left the band in 1989 to pursue a doomed solo career. It was quite amusing to see him at the Ramones Hall of Fame induction where he, famously, congratulated himself rather that the others when he took the mic to address the guests present. He died about a year after Joey c.2002.

Johnny was the cranky member of the band and, though not technically brilliant on the guitar, he was able to riff really well. He kept the band's intensity and made energy integral to the Ramone's appeal. As opposed to Joey's Left wing emotions, Johnny was Right wing in his views and, shortly before his death in 2004, he vowed his support for George W Bush. Not a particularly friendly bloke, the Ramones couldn't have functioned without the disciplined riffing on his 'Mosrite' guitar. I cannot stop marvelling at the sound that he, along with the others, were able to generate. To be able to play at the speed they did for 30 tracks non-stop live is quite a feat even if the typical Ramones live set only lasted 25 minutes.

There have been many albums released by, and on behalf of Ramones but my favorite would have to be the 2 CD 'Anthology' released in 1999 it features over 50 tunes and it is the best collection of the band's recordings. Dave Fanning once put it that Ramones tracks were like peanuts - once you had one you immediately wanted another and another and an..... In 1996, after 22 years in active service, the band finally retired and no new tunes were to be heard. Many cite the debut LP in 1976 to be the landmark and I couldn't argue. However a lot of people moved on to other sounds. No other band, past or present, can ever ellicit the excitement of hearing a typical one and a half minute track from them started by the rally cry: "Won, Chew, Twee, Faw...". An unstoppable train of sonic trash which will never stop rumbling. Unless you're deaf of course.