Ramones (album)

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The self-titled debut album by the Ramones was released on April 23 1976 (see 1976 in music).

Contents

1 History

1.1 Songs

2 Track listing

2.1 Rhino bonus tracks

3 Recording details

History

After Seymour Stein of Sire Records signed the band in the Fall of 1975, the band began to record their debut the following winter. Ramones was recorded very quickly and extremely cheaply; recording lasted from February 2 through the 19 on a budget of only $6,200. The template of guitar and bass in opposite channels with the drums in the middle was based on early Beatles and Cream records. Many radio disc jockeys were supposedly put off by the records' primitive, frantic music and often bizarre themes and the album did not receive heavy airplay, only peaking at number #111 on the Billboard's (North America) Pop Albums chart upon being released April 23. Despite this, the Ramones eventually established the reputation as being the godfathers of punk rock, and the album is largely considered a highly influential classic. Its influence on Punk and myriad genres of Alternative Rock cannot be overstated. In 2003 the TV network VH1 named Ramones the 54th greatest album of all time. In 2003, the album was ranked number 33 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

The album was rereleased in 2001 by Rhino Records. The original album was remastered, and it also contained eight bonus tracks which featured demo and alternate versions.

Songs

"Judy is a Punk" is said to be written about two real life, and overzealous fans named Jackie and Judy. In an interview on the DVD documentary End of the Century, one interviewee claims that the song was "prophetic," due to Jackie and Judy's later death in an airplane crash, corresponding to the lyrics of the song, "Perhaps they'll die, oh yeah." The song features an intro that is simply one power chord played at extreme speed. The song was featured on the soundtrack of the 2001 film The Royal Tenenbaums, and is followed up on the 1979 album End of the Century with the song "The Return of Jackie and Judy".

"Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue" was written about the adolescents of Forest Hills, who constantly sought cheap thrills to cure their boredom. The Ramones later recorded the similarly-themed song "Carbona Not Glue" for their second album Leave Home.

"Today Your Love, Tomorrow the World" was inspired by Dee Dee's youth in Germany. Originally titled "I'm a Nazi, Baby" the song features tongue in cheek lyrics about Nazism, such as, "I'm a shock trooper in a stupor, yes I am/ I'm a Nazi schatze, you know I fight for the fatherland". The song was the first appearance of Nazi themes and imagery in Punk music, furthered by musicians like the Sex Pistols who often wore swastikas in concert.

"I Wanna be Your Boyfriend" is an endearing love song which proved to be one of the bands' most enduring compositions. The relatively tender song is seen as a nod to The Ramones' early Rock and Roll influences. The studio version somewhat uncharacteristically features a Glockenspiel. The song was written by drummer Tommy.

Track listing

(All songs except "Let's Dance" originally credited to the Ramones collectively. Credits have since been given to specific members where applicable.)

"Blitzkrieg Bop" (Tommy Ramone) – 2:14
"Beat on the Brat" (Joey Ramone) – 2:31
"Judy is a Punk" (Joey Ramone, Dee Dee Ramone) – 1:32
"I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend" (Tommy Ramone) – 2:24
"Chain Saw" (Joey Ramone) – 1:56
"Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue" (Dee Dee Ramone) – 1:35
"I Don't Wanna Go Down to the Basement" (Dee Dee Ramone, Johnny Ramone) – 2:38
"Loudmouth" (Dee Dee Ramone, Johnny Ramone) – 2:14
"Havana Affair" (Dee Dee Ramone, Johnny Ramone) – 1:56
"Listen to My Heart" (Ramones) – 1:58
"53rd & 3rd" (Dee Dee Ramone) – 2:21
"Let's Dance" (Jim Lee) – 1:51
"I Don't Wanna Walk Around With You" (Dee Dee Ramone) – 1:42
"Today Your Love, Tomorrow the World" (Ramones) – 2:12

Rhino bonus tracks

"I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend (demo)" – 3:02
"Judy Is a Punk (demo)" – 1:36
"I Don’t Care (demo)" – 1:55
"I Can’t Be (demo)" – 1:56
"Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue (demo)" – 1:42
"I Don’t Wanna Be Learned/I Don’t Wanna Be Tamed (demo)" – 1:05
"You Should Never Have Opened That Door (demo)" – 1:54
"Blitzkrieg Bop (single version)" – 2:12

Recording details

Joey Ramone – vocals
Johnny Ramone – guitar
Dee Dee Ramone – bass guitar
Tommy Ramone – drums, producer
Craig Leon – producer
Rob Freeman – engineer
Don Hunerberg – assistant engineer
Greg Calbi – mastering
Roberta Bayley – photography
Arturo Vega – artwork

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