Ramones
Ramones
1976
Album Summary
Ramones is the debut studio album by American punk rock band The Ramones, released on April 23, 1976, by Sire Records. After Hit Parader editor Lisa Robinson saw the band at a gig in New York City, she wrote about them in an article and contacted Danny Fields, insisting that he be their manager. Fields agreed and convinced Craig Leon to produce Ramones, and the band recorded a demo for prospective record labels. Leon persuaded Sire president Seymour Stein to listen to the band perform, and he later offered the band a recording contract. The Ramones began recording in January 1976, needing only seven days and $6,400 to record the album. The album cover, photographed by Punk magazine's Roberta Bayley, features the four members leaning against a brick wall in New York City. The record company paid only $125 for the front photo, which has since become one of the most imitated album covers of all time. The back cover depicts an eagle belt buckle along with the album's liner notes. After its release, Ramones was promoted with two singles, which failed to chart. The Ramones also began touring to help sell records; these tour dates were mostly based in the United States, though two were booked in Britain. Violence, drug use, relationship issues, humor, and Nazism were prominent in the album's lyrics. The album opens with "Blitzkrieg Bop", which is among the band's most recognized songs. Most of the album's tracks are uptempo, with many songs measuring at well over 160 beats per minute. The songs are also rather short; at two-and-a-half minutes, "I Don't Wanna Go Down to the Basement" is the album's longest track. Ramones contains a cover of the Chris Montez song "Let's Dance". Ramones was unsuccessful commercially, peaking at number 111 on the US Billboard 200, though it received glowing reviews from critics. Many later deemed it a highly influential record, and it has since received many accolades, such as the top spot on Spin magazine's list of the "50 Most Essential Punk Records". Ramones is considered an influential punk album in the US and UK, and had a significant impact on other genres of rock music, such as grunge and heavy metal. The album was ranked at number 33 in Rolling Stone's 2003 list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, maintaining the ranking in a 2012 revision and dropping to number 47 in the 2020 reboot of the list. It was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America in 2014.
WikipediaThis album flies by. Most songs are less then 2 minutes long, nothing overs stays it's welcomes. It just punches you in the ears for 30 minutes and then stops. Perfection Blitzkrieg Bop is one of the greatest songs ever.
"Ay, oh, let's go!" A great way to start this 1001 album journey. I like the Ramones; their music has a charming simplicity that I'm sure encouraged countless people to pick up their instruments and play. Everything sounds very DIY--basic drum patterns, power chords, nothing fancy. That's the purest nature of punk rock. As an album, this didn't exactly hold my attention, as it starts to blend together very quickly, but its value is very apparent to me. For a debut album, this does a perfect job establishing a signature sound. Favorite tracks: Blitzkrieg Bop, Beat on the Brat, Let's Dance Album art: Pretty badass band photo. The cover looks surprisingly modern. I could see a band doing an album cover like this in the last decade. Also I have to point out that the Ramone on the far right looks exactly like Coconuthead from Ned's Declassified.
I mean, it's all the same song. It honestly is. It's fine enough but you'd be hard-pressed to find a lot of differences.
The greatest punk album by the greatest punk band. Ever. Full stop. Each track overflows with the sheer, joyful, nihilistic abandon that makes punk so great. Haters gonna hate ... but they're wrong. This is peak punk perfection. Full stop.
One of the most classic songs starts out this album that is more than twice as long as David Bowie’s album the same year. By length I do mean tracks because time wise it is ten minutes shorter. I think back to when Freddie Mercury told the executives when pitching Bohemian Rhapsody: “I pity your wife if you think six minutes is long”. Maybe David Bowie taught Freddie, I’m not sure. But the Ramones certainly are of the philosophy “get in and get out”. As much as I am a fan of shorter songs, can a song that is ninety seconds long be considered a song? It is pretty wild to see how far punk rock has come from the Ramones. Loved the cool use of a chainsaw on the song Chain Saw but then the beat goes right back to their last four songs. At least each song ends before I even have a chance to skip it due to their length. Again, these are great songs to have on in the background of a party or a punk rock type gathering but I wouldn’t listen to it otherwise. Now they want to sniff some glue. I did do a quick play through of three or more songs and they all started with the exact same drums and guitar riffs. I could sing Blitzkrieg Bop during each of these songs and my tempo wouldn’t be off at all. Ok I even tried another two songs and it was the same. I’m laughing as I write this because Listen to My Heart starts out different but quickly goes right back to the beat. They became famous from this so who am I to tell them what success looks like.
That was 14 of exactly the same song for me. If there wasn’t a gap between each song I would have that the album was 1 x 29min 16sec song. 1/5
Gabba gabba hey! The perfect Friday record. Poppy, upbeat, positive and catchy as hell. Try not having a giant smile on your face while listening.
It’s hard to not like this band. Great melodies. Easily one of the most influential bands of all time. Idk how much I’d ever listen to them, but they’re undeniable.
An absolute classic, been jamming to Blitzkrieg Bop since Pro Skater 2
Never really listened to the Ramones before but after listening to this album, I may have to start. I'm a huge fan of punk type music (Blink-182, Green Day, Fall Out Boy, *honorary mention* Lil Peep) but I've also not been a huge fan of Rock music. I know that some of the bands I've listed are also considered to be Punk Rock bands, but I see them more as Punk than Rock. But with this album, you can really call it Punk Rock, and I like it, a lot. As soon as I finished listening to it, I listened to it one more time, and then another. It's a perfect blend of Punk and Rock and you can really feel it. Real rocky instrumentals with that great mix of Punky vocals and lyrics. It makes you wanna smoke a cigarette in class and flip the bird at your bloody teacher. Blitzkrieg Bop is a classic (Shout out Jimmy Neutron) and I really like I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend, Havana Affair, and Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue. It's a very fun album to listen to and it's almost like they're just rumbling when they sing sometimes and at this point, I'm rambling but it's because I'm trying to finish this review up so I can go listen to it again and throw rocks at birds while wearing all black. Oops, almost forgot to tear some holes in my jeans, I guess I'll be going now. ……… Are you still here? BUZZ OFF ASSHOLE *Double middle fingers*!
Stone cold classic. Messy, scrappy and as punk as you like. Fun from start to finish
I wasn't excited to see this one come up, but as soon as I listened it was immediately a favorite. Energetic and naughty, humorous and provocative, it fired me up good. I love "I Don't Wanna go Down to the Basement." I love Joey Ramone's articulations.
Absolutnie widzę się 40 lat temu słuchając tego albumu kilka razy dziennie, odkładającego na ramoneskę wszystkie zarobione pieniądze. Utwory co prawda za krótkie, żeby cokolwiek się w nich rozwinęło - jest mocna, szybka perkusja, są elektryki, głośne wokale i całość razem daje zaskakująco pozytywne brzmienie. I to chyba przepis na dobrą płytę, bo dziś też słucham jej już piąty raz, za każdym razem czerpiąc z tego przyjemność. Nie ma co tu kombinować, zasługują na wysoką notę jak mało kto w tym zestawieniu.
I mean, to me, this is another prime example of how punk shines best. It is tight and catchy, but still has rough edges and a lack of polish that really digs in to you.
There's a fine line between genius and stupid. The Ramones sit happily on that line, huffing the marker used to create it.
I love this album. It's short and fast and fun. The Ramones are great.
Now we’re talkin. Love the Ramones. Bring it on baby! I mean Blitzkrieg Bop is legendary.
Un clàssic imprescindible. Imcompresos al seu temps, els Ramones van fer un àlbum per a la història. Ple de temes efectius, directes, sincers i colpidors.
"Second verse, same as the first" (Judy is a punk) "Well let's dance, well let's dance We'll do the twist, the stomp, the mashed potato too, Any old dance that you wanna do But let's dance, well let's dance" (Let's dance) ¿Le voy a clavar mis primeras cinco estrellas a un disco que tiene sólo dos melodías para las canciones? Ya te digo yo que sí.
Dit album gaat vooruit als een trein en neemt je direct mee vanaf de eerste halte tot aan het eindstation!
Pure, unbridled PUNK ROCK This is the most important album in punk easy (not the best mind you, that honour would probably go to the band's third effort Rocket To Russia or London Calling).
Hey Ho... Lets Go! Die Urväter des US-Punkrocks mit ihrem Debutalbum! Nur Hits drauf! Großer Klassiker!
I love 70s-80s punk and I know that the Ramones paved a lot of the way for it, but all the songs on this album, albeit good, are so samey the whole way through. They are much better to listen to as singles.
Obvio este ya lo habia escuchado entero. Discazo. Aguante los Ramones. Beat on the brat, Judy is a punk y Havana Affair lo que mas me gustan.
Тэк-с, чё там у нас, отцы панка подъехали. Уважаем. Погнали. Blietzkrieg Bop – один из самых знаковых треков в панке и роцке в целом. До сих пор звучит актуально, благодаря чему залетел титры попсового кинца Человек-паук: Возвращение домой. Beat on the Brat, Judy Is A Punk и далее – тоже норм темы: лаконичный яркий саунд, запоминающиеся мотивы, потенциал для напевания. Минимализм идёт об руку с краткостью, благодаря чему надоедать не успевают. Отдаю должное самому подходу к написанию треков: находишь простую яркую фразу, пару раз обыгрваешь, добавляешь пару переходов – трек готов. Никакой духоты, никакой претенциозности, тупо фан. Подобные треки славно приживаются в рандомных подборках: гоняешь Prog Metal трек минут на 7, задумываешься, потом разрядочка – Ramones на пару минут, отдохнул-кайфанул, дём дальше. I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend может показаться сопливым попсом. Но всяко не галимой, звучит довольно искренне. Поверил бы, что это кавер на какой-нибудь олдскульный трек 50-60-х, а не конъюнктурные сопли для бо́льших продаж. Причём кавер на трек 60-х на альбоме действительно есть – Let's Dance. И звучит он так, будто написан для альбома. Havana Affair тоже выделяется. Всратый, психоделический текст, состоящий из вроде бы простых слов, которые клеятся в абсурдные образы. «Там я зарабатывал на жизнь, приятель, Собирая бананы. Теперь я — разведчик в ЦРУ. Меня послали шпионить на кубинский конкурс талантов.» Заменить ЦРУ на КГБ – сошло бы за текст Летова. А без конкретных наименований, ЦРУ и Гаваны – на тексты SOAD. Это постмодерн, построенный не столько на негативе к премодерну и модерну, сколько на своём собственном доступном и искреннем позитиве. Такого порой до сих пор будто не хватает. Это что касается рассмотрения альбома как вещи-в-себе. В контексте истории это вообще настоящий блядоход. Если бы не Рамонес и этот альбом в частности, хз, стало бы панк-движение тем, чем оно стало. Да и как бы роцк развивался в целом. Может, и ваш покорную слуга не ходил бы в косухе. Обычно простая, лаконичная, музыка сразу раскусывается и быстро приедается. Но Ramones как-то удаётся писать настолько лёгкие треки, что их веса не хватает на то, чтобы заебать. Впрочем, и для того, чтобы быть хитовой – зачастую тоже. Но как сопутствующая бытию музыка – нормас.
I fucking love this album. It took me a while to get into the Ramones, but every song on this album is fun. It must have been so awesome to live in New York in the late 70s, apart from the insane levels of senseless violence 5/5
Quick album to get through. Classic punk rock, what's not to love about the album? Bunch of known songs on it too. 8/10.
I’m very familiar with The Ramones greatest hits, having started listening to them in college. So I figured I’d like this album if only for the hits I already love. There are many songs on this album that were new to me that I’m very glad to have heard: Judy Is A Punk, Chain Saw, I Don’t Wanna Go Down To The Basement, Havana Affair, 53rd and 3rd Let’s Dance is an enjoyable cover version of the old 50s song. My favorite new song though is “Today Your Love, Tomorrow The World.” A surprising and concise look at a Nazi soldier that evokes so much more than you might expect. Listened to this twice today. It’s been fun revisiting the Ramones and exploring their music beyond the bigger hits.
Wow - I have always loved The Ramones, but listening to the entire album makes is apparent how commandeered their music is now by commercials and consumerism. Bittersweet success and a dead revolution.
Class(ic) album, loved it then and love it now but why did anyone remix perfection. Trying to listen to the original is like trying to find hen's teeth and the remix doesn't add anything to the songs.
There was a time when I almost exclusively listened to albums with 12 or more tracks clocking in at around 30 minutes run time or those with maybe 7 that ran for an hour or more; 'Ramones' was firmly in the rotation. Always preferred 'Road to Ruin' but this still has an incredible energy from the iconic intro track all the way to the end. Top tier punk rock
Good enough that a 15 year old girl can wear one of their t shirts without knowing who they are I suppose. Rock n Roll High-school.
What's not to love? Scorching guitars, short songs, fast tempos, good album length, creation of a mf'n genre - it's perfect!
Personally I prefer Rocket to Russia. But there's a certain timelessness to this debut. Most of the songs are GREAT! Blitzkrieg Bop, I Wanna be Your Boyfriend, Chain Saw, Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue, I Don't Wanna G to The Basement, there's just no let up. The Ramones were the cause of a musical revolution...and the revolution starts here 5 stars
Personally I prefer Rocket to Russia. But there's a certain timelessness to this debut. Most of the songs are GREAT! Blitzkrieg Bop, I Wanna be Your Boyfriend, Chain Saw, Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue, I Don't Wanna G to The Basement, there's just no let up. The Ramones were the cause of a musical revolution...and the revolution starts here 5 🌟
There's something wrong about listening to this album on your phone, or your computer. You need to hear it on a record, or a dubbed tape on a crappy tape player. The Ramones should not be remastered for quality sound. My first encounter with the Ramones was when I was 15 or 16. My sister had two songs of theirs on a mixtape: "Blitzkrieg Bop" and "Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue." The second song made me pause because I wasn't sure if this band was a serious band or not. Even if they weren't, I still liked them. My kid came in and said "Is that the Ramones?" "Yeah," I said. "Every song of theirs sounds the same," he protested. "Not really," I countered. "Once you listen to the album, you start to notice the differences between the songs. Yeah, the songs are all at about 160 beats per minute. But you can still tell." Every song on this album has been covered by someone. I think that tells you something about the album in and of itself. I like this album a lot, but I can see how non-punk fans (like my kid) could be standoffish to it. It is pure energy (Almost every song you can hear the "1-2-3-4!" in the beginning.) and not much else. I understand how progfans can be towards punk (lack of talent and intricacy), but you cannot deny what the Ramones did and how this album really started it all. It is a great album. I did start to listen to the 40th anniversary edition, and it does get a bit repetitive. So steer clear of that one. The Blitzkrieg Bop single version has some weird reverb on it. Never heard it like that before.
Lo-Fi Hi-Energy punk rock. Makes me want to be a wild eyed teen sweating my tits off at underground gigs again.
Solid 5 star, could and did listen to it all day. Epitome of punk/rock/new wave/whatever.
Wonderful, just wonderful. I love the Ramones, such a sound and such nostalgia for me. The sound of the Ramones just throws me back to listening to them when I was 13/14. They epitomise so much of the music I love, so much of it can be traced to the Ramones.
Love this album! Many have copied it but I think it was something really new and fresh about this debut. Such a simple sound. I love his voice, I love the length of the album. I love how the album starts with the classic "Ay oh let's go!" You can't beat that, absolute classic deserves to be on this list!
Great album. Catchy and fun as fuck, I could (and do) listen to this over and over and never get bored. In fact, I like this sound so much that many of the bands I listen to just straight-up copy it. There's a reason why this album was so influential on punk in general and why an entire subgenre of pop punk formed around it. This is what an album should be like--upbeat, energetic, catchy, under 30 minutes with over 13 songs. The first three Ramones albums are all classics that deserve to be on this list and this one might even be my favorite out of them.
Perfect bopping with no fat and perfect tunes. What a blitzkrieg of an album - end to end.
I loved this album. I never got around to listening to them. I’m sure glad I did
El disc de punk rock definitiu. L'actitud, les cançons, les lletres, l'imatge, la portada...
For someone who isn't a huge fan of punk, I gotta say that these guys know how to make a punk rock album. The songs don't overstay their welcome and things don't blend together like I was worried they would do. Just a great, high-energy time.
Punk clásico con canciones enérgicas, cortas y llenas de espíritu. Guitarrero y con melodía.
What can you do? With a brat like that always on your back What can you lose, lose?
The quintessential Skate 3 album. Iconic, and tailor made for 11 year-old me
they included a great up time cover of Let's Dance besides the hits..as the band has said, they play long songs very fast.
Ridiculous, 14 songs in 29 minutes and they all sound exactly the same. So much fun
To everyone saying "uh, all the songs sound the same" are forgetting something. Yeah, it's the same song over and over, but it's a perfect song.
I mean, it's the debut album by one of the greatest punk bands ever, if not the greatest. So many favorites on here, from "Judy is a Punk" to "Havana Affair" and "Chain Saw". I love the quote from (I think) Klosterman that this album "saved rock from itself and punk rock from art-gallery pretension." Still, it's funny how this once very edgy and disruptive music is now played to my kid's 4th-grade class by his teacher. Times do change.
Eipä tästä paljon punk parane! Ei mitään liikaa eikä mitään liian vähän. Koko levy rautaa. Haara-asentoon, tukka silmille ja sahaamaan! Let’s go! 5/5
Fundamental. This actually is one of the most important albums of all time and everyone should listen to it. 5/5
So great, one of my favourites. It either works for you or it doesn't, there's no explaining it!
Great early punk. Laid the blueprint for more famous/successful acts. One of the better proto-punk albums to me. 4.5/5.
All killer, mostly no filler. Four men, one drum beat, three chords. I could go on but I really do enjoy this record. Ramones are the influence for a large part of my adolescent favorites. So I definitely owe Joey and the group. Favorite tracks: "Let's Dance", "Beat on the Brat", "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend"
Still a fun listen. Crazy how this was outlandish punk music when released
Classic punk rock with three chords. "Now I want to sniff some glue" and "blitzkrieg bob" will never get old.
It's the Ramones. The first four songs are some of the most iconic punk songs ever made. Second-half of the album sorta flops about tho. Bonzo goes to Bitburg is their best song I need to put that in writing somewhere
Fuck yeahhhhhh !!! Starting Monday and listening to Blitzkrieg Bop ! I mean Hey Hoe ! Put a guy with bangs and a leather jacket in my bed right now.
Simple yet effective. They are the most basic and stripped down version of "punk". They say what they need to say and then they're done. It's a good album of head-bopping, not needing to focus so hard on the lyrics or you'll miss the point rock. Even the instrumentals are simplistic. Some chords a drum beat and you're set. This is not the music to elicit some thought provoking journey into the human mind. It is what it is and doesn't try to be anything else or pretend it's some more. A good listen to drown out the surrounding noise and just focus on something else. This is what makes it so good.
I'm suprised that I've never heard this album before (besides blitzkrieg bop). I can hear just how influential this album has been, to the point where I had a hard time believing this was from the 1970's, this album has a sound that's clearly been pervasively influential in punk music. The songs are short, catchy and melodically rich. Depsite being loud and upbeat the lyrics are somewhat somber and sarcastic, perfect for a punk album. I originally went and listened to the 2016 remaster and it sounded really wrong to me, the vocals are loud and upfront, drowning out the instrumentation, feeling completely seperate from it. I next listened to the original mix of the album and found that issue wasn't there. I don't know what they were thinking with the remaster, but if you want to have a good experience, listen to the original mix. Overall, this album is a timeless joy to listen to. Favorite track: Havana Affair Least favorite track: I Don't Wanna Walk Around With You
Pretty funny to think of how explosive, controversial, and offensive this was when it came out. Just a coupla boys having fun, sniffing glue, etc. This who album is hit after hit after hit. I'm constantly impressed by bands doing in their debut albums what it takes many other bands decades to achieve.
A classic album. Many songs have been featured in commercials, covered by a host of artists (I am partial to the rhcp cover of Havana affair) and been on guitar hero.
Iconic. Simple. Perfect? First four songs are perfect. Everything after drains their energy a bit with repetition and less inventive harmonically. But still solid. Joey Ramone has has some great vocal styling. Led the way for other faves like Sex Pistols (boy band?), Misfits, etc. Also, many cameos in great film soundtracks. 4.
One, two, three, four! stars. If you have a sensitive kindvibe soul like me, punk rock can be hit and miss. The Sex Pistols were a miss - too angry and seemed pointless. The Clash are amazing - creative and global. NOFX - I wish I loved them so I could share in the experience with Matt and Nick, but I think I missed my opportunity to bond with them after HS graduation. The Ramones have always connected. I think it's because they know their way around a tune. 60s pop songs in a punk costume. Driving catchy songs back to back to back to back in 30 minutes. Same BPM the whole time. I wanted to give this a 5 but don't want to seem like a poseur, because deep down I'm a softy, not a punk. A
It's hard to imagine what Punk Rock would be without this album, probably the most important album in the entire genre
Obviously dope but surprised listening to the whole album how similar a lot of the songs sound.
14 tracks coming in at under 30 minutes - this is what music is meant to be. Get in, blow them away, get out.
По началу мне это казалось альбомов который состоит из 11 одинаковых треков и 3 уникальных. Однако чем больше я слушал, тем чаще находил отличительные элементы в каждом из композиции. Даже если бы этот альбом состоял из 14 неотличимых песен, его звук стал прорывом и подарил вдохновение многим другим артистам заложив основу панк-рока.
Though it can sound repetitive at times, it's a very impressive album that set a standard for the punk genre.
It gets a little samey after a while (like most punk) but the songs are that great that it doesn't really matter.
i actually really liked this album, i thought it was nice and short which is perfect. i liked the shortness of it because it wasn’t something that o had to drag out, but all the songs were really fun.
easy 4. probably a 4.5 but I can't get it to a 5 with how monotonous the vocals are (blasphemy, I know).
4.5 - love it musically. Strong, raw punk rock! The legacy and influence is unquestionable. Lyrically it is what it is by design, often simple and light. A handful of great songs but not consistent in quality despite being a short album and altogether the sound eventually gets redundant.
It’s The Ramones. The perfectly packed punk punch of energy in an easily digestible and endlessly entertaining package. It’s not a masterpiece, but it’s pretty damn close.
Cortito, divertido, pegajoso, bailable, brincoteable. Claro, no puedes basar una carrera completa en ese estilo y entiendo que quizá eso fue lo que los dejo solo como un muy buen recuerdo en la historia musical. Es obvio que es repetitivo y que las canciones se parecen y las voces no están pulidas a ningún nivel. Pero también hay que aceptar que tienen un beat y unos tonos que las hacen perfectas para moverse.
Hoy en día quizá se escuchen simples, repetitivos, sin dientes y hasta una parodia de sí mismos; la realidad es que los Ramones son a mi parecer de las bandas más honestas e importantes que hay. Nunca intentaron hacer más de lo que ponían de frente, son música sencilla, con tintes de humor, rebelde y rápida para su época pero sin tomarse tan en serio. Aparte de eso vitales en el desarrollo e inicio de todo un género creo no es poca cosa. El disco pues... suena a los Ramones. Creo que es bastante importante en una lista como esta y también creo que obviamente no se necesita ningún otro disco de ellos, todos suenan casi exactamente igual. Pensándolo con calma (aunque históricamente el lugar lo debería tener el debut) quizá hubiera sido interesante que pusieran alguno de sus discos en vivo, aunque ninguno fue muy importante sí presentan un lado de la banda que se siente más correcto y menos controlado como en la versión de estudio de sus canciones. A fin de cuentas es un disco conciso, corto y a lo que viene lo logra con creces.
Zo begin je een album. Meteen herkenbaar. De rest is wel wat vaak hetzelfde maar het is en blijf toch iconisch.
Classic album, classic sound, a couple of their best songs. Doesn't always work and the same tempo, 3 chords and singing gets repetitive by the end, but hard to find fault elsewhere. All bands should endeavour to reach this level of consistency, congruency and existential rigour.
Simple but good. Not sure why I like it, to be honest. Every song sounds exactly the same but I still found my head nodding and foot tapping at some point in just about every song. Got to give it to them even if I don't know what "it" is.
Really good. The lyrics knock this down from a 5 star. Can get mumbly and hard to understand. Guitar and drums are amazing.
Short, sharp and to the point. The beginning of the punk genre. Can get a bit samey, but as a genre starter you can't fault it.
I will start with an unnecessarily reductive comment about this album: it's the same song 14 times. 14 songs in under 30 minutes, using largely 3-4 power chords in a constant eigth note pace, two drum patterns (one for verse and one for chorus), and a few lines repeated over and over. Anyone who doesn't know their stuff would think this is boring and repetitive but, baby, you got a stew going. This is the birth of all my favorite genres. I'm familiar with many of the Ramones' hits and like them, but definitely had never heard this album. It was immediately clear to me that my Kia Forte's factory sound system was not the way it was meant to be experienced. The songs absolutely exuded energy that made me sad I never saw them at a club in the 70s, with the music blasting from amplifiers while a frenetic crowd bounces around and the band absolutely blasts through songs. What's simple on the album would have been groundbreaking in person. All-in-all, I was torn on whether I wanted to give it a 3 or a 4. There weren't really any standout songs, no real technical work, no inspiring lyrics. Just pure energy for 30 minutes. What really tipped it to a 4 for me was the fact that I constantly found myself bobbing my head and singing along (to songs I was hearing for the first time, thanks to the repetitive and simple lyrics). It wasn't mentally stimulating but it was still fun music that kept me pumped up for 30 minutes of my workday.
Second Listen. Great, classic songs. Classics: Blitzkrieg Bop, Beat on the Brat. Others: I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend, 53rd and 3rd. Let's Dance, I Don't Wanna Walk Around. 4/5
They made a whole album based on the theme from AP Bio and that song from Spiderman Homecoming
Now THIS is an album you expect to be on this list. Hearing this puts you back in the mid-70s and makes you picture how different this must have sounded at the time. Blitzkrieg Bop is the ultimate album opener and immediately establishes the high energy, upbeat, and fast tone of the entire record (it's hard to beat). Beat on the Brat stood out to me the most on the first listen outside of BB, and I was shocked to discover a cover of Let's Dance towards the end of an album (a song I have loved for a long time and could always picture a rock version in my head); however, there was not a single dud on this whole album which makes the entire thing a standout. I can totally picture the Ramones in a small, dark club powering through this set in 30 minutes and how wild the crowd reaction would have been. I'm not sure if/how they progressed after this album, but did they really need to? There is no doubt that they have influenced many of my favorite bands and that it will be remembered for a long time. 4.5/5. NOTE: while my reaction is really positive towards this record, I cannot give it a perfect score as one could argue that all of the songs sound the same. The only album I've given a 5 so far (Dark Side of the Moon) has a wide variety of tracks while also maintaining its cohesion. That impresses me more in terms of an album, but I still really enjoyed the Ramones.
As I quote 'Beat on the brat' on a regular basis in my day-to-day life, I'm bumping my rating of this album by 1 star on top of what I'd actually rate it. I've always found the Ramones incredibly samey with their classic - I, IV, V chord progression. Don't think there's a single song on this album that doesn't follow it. While it does get old, the upside is that all their songs are quite short, and so the variety is there... somewhat. But MAN what party music. I want to be in a moshpit right nowwwww!
A punk icon. I could listen to the ramones for hours, very little wrong with this album for me. The definition of a 4/5 for me, would listen to again happily, but not every track is an absolute hit.
it is what it is innit. so distinctively the ramones that at times that translates to it being particularly samey. nice remasters though.
Enjoyed Let’s Dance and Blitzkreig Bop, didn’t think it flowed that well, most songs are quite similar to each other but I don’t think I’d skip any if they came up on shuffle.
Knew a few of these, but some interesting other songs that I never heard before. Definitely a fan of early/proto punk in general.
Practically plays like a greatest hits album. Love their relentless pace. Pure rock and roll fun. A winning formula. Produced really well with some nice subtle touches throughout. Joey was such a sweetheart.
The vocals are a bit of a moaner’s sermon, but I did enjoy this. Especially the straightforward slapping drums. A must-hear for this genre
Another album and artist I am glad I got to listen to more closely thanks to this list. Solid album. And it's clear why they are pioneers of punk. A little frenetic with their short songs but still enough time (and enough going on in each song) to appreciate their playing. They do often repeat the same formula, which is a shame, although it is a good formula. Love the sound they produce (and inspired), just wish there was a bit more variety to it.
7/10. I liked how fast paced and quick the songs all were. Really fits together nicely.
Ramones are the embodiment of classic punk rock, and their debut album is no exception. Favorites: "Blitzkrieg Bop" (duh), "Beat on the Brat", "Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue"
45 years on, the general consensus seems to be that the Ramones were the OG punks in their surliness, image, attitude and adolescent frustration. While many others paved the way for them, something about that cover photo and the opening bars of "Blitzkrieg Bop" just seems to usher in a new movement. By virtue of arriving on the scene slightly before many of their contemporaries, it makes sense that The Ramones could be painted as the missing link between the noisier, edgier punk that followed them and the rock and roll that the movement was returning to (there's something very 50's about these songs in their simplicity and brevity). "Blitzkrieg Bop" is irresistible- wherever you are in the world, shout out the words "Ay! Oh!" and the likelihood is you'll get a "LET'S GO!", all thanks to the high-octane opening here. It moves into the giddily violent "Beat on the Brat" and then to the morbid yet celebratory "Judy is a Punk", and doesn't even stop to pause for breath over the next half hour. On first hearing this album some years ago, my main criticism was how homogenised the songs are: the same churning riffs and power chords re-used in 90 second bursts. In almost every track, the bass sticks to root notes, following the same rhythm as the guitar's distorted power chords. The tempo rarely deviates from around 175 BPM, lyrics are often made up of two repeated lines, and most songs have no more than three chords. It's an easy criticism and still feels valid, but after repeated listens, the individual personalities and nuances of each song begin to stand out slightly. There's a 6/4 instrumental riff in "Havana Affair", for god's sake! There's a chain saw sound effect, there are handclaps here and extra chords thrown in there. Elsewhere (even though the band may have balked at the thought of selling out) there's bona-fide pop: "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend" is straight-up bubblegum, with a bit of jangle under all that distortion. "53rd and 3rd" has a chorus in harmony which belies its the homophobic lyrical content. Across the whole album, there are some very sweet wordless backing vocals deployed to add some much needed textural variation from the guitars and bass. The melodies here are all catchy, memorable, made to appear effortless. There's a huge amount of skill involved to create an album so cohesive and relentlessly upbeat. Lyrically, though, the waters are a little murky: we range from what appear to be simple love songs to glue-sniffing, chainsaws, homophobia and misogyny, to an absurd turn into Nazism in the last track that somehow doesn't completely tarnish the record. At times it feels a little too laboured for shock value, to sell and to gather rebellious followers. The bottom line is, execute it in a bouncy and catchy way and package it in a breathless set of songs and most people will be swept along for the ride, unsure if everything they heard is "right" but certain that it was fun. For all its simplicity and recklessness, "Ramones" remains a high watermark in teenage abandon, oozing attitude from every pore. As punk goes, it's one of the real essentials.
One note throughout, but if there were ever an album to forgive for it, it would be this one.