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Ramones

The closest thing to The Beatles phenomenon the USA has experienced (you can try as you might to convince me this honor should go to The Beach Boys, but I'll defend my opinion to the death). Every single person in this world who has had contact with rock and punk know The Ramones. Their legacy is so huge that they have become ubiquitous even today when three of four of it's founding members have passed away. How could they not be big? They had it all! The different influences on each band member, each individual's attitude and ethics; it might have turned "da brothers" into an unhealthy and unstable melting pot, but this chaotic core was the recipe to so many classics. There was a balance in their polemic stances. Joey was the sensitive one responsible for the inclusion of their bubble-gum pop sound. Johnny was the business man, The Ramones was a job for him and he made sure everyone didn't slack off at work, he's responsible for the group's heavier edge. Dee Dee was the junky, the punk, he was the attitude behind the whole group, the most outspoken member and also one of the most creative of the bunch, many of the band's most memorable classics have been penned by him. Tommy and Marky were the two most important drummers the band has had in their careers (according to me), the former went on to become a big time producer and was responsible for the group's sound for their first three classic albums. When Marky came along, he was like gin in the fire, his own instability only added to the band's chaotic side. But this is something which was not immediately visible to the legions of fans, many actually thought these guys were really brothers at first. There was a lot of focus on image in the group and this has added to the cult quality of the group.

I have known about The Ramones since God knows when, but I have never purchased any of their records, not even compilations. I always considered their music amusing and clever, but at a younger age, I was turned off my the imagery and cult following. I hated the street punks and didn't associate with them at all in any way and since I often linked The Ramones with them, I intentionally stayed away. It was only a few years later when I saw Rock'N'Roll Highschool that I started paying attention once again. The imagery was punk, but the music also had this sweet side to it which was truly addictive. And upon further research, I realized just how broad their influence has reached through the years. Their sound could be found literally everywhere, in techno, in rock, in pop, heck even in hip-hop at times in various forms. That's when I realized their importance and, for the same reason that I started collecting Beatles records, I slowly began buying Ramones records. I still believe their worthwhile albums are the first few. They are all here and I don't plan on getting the others. If you feel like I'm missing out on something, don't hesitate to let me know.

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