THE RAMONES
"King of Punk"

The debut Ramones album reigns as my personal favorite, although all their other 70s recordings come in a close 2nd place. No doubt it's an "apples & oranges" call amongst any Ramones fans, but if this aging music fanboy were to try and introduce the Ramones legacy to some Blink182'd youngsters who never heard of these legends before their time, this is definitely the album I would point them toward. The music is raw yet catchy, and in my uneducated opinion best embodies The Ramones desire to play fun, energetic rock & roll with lyrics that carry no overbearing messages.

These songs have the innocent beat of early rock, but coarse, edgy and fun lyrics that were shocking for 1976. My personal favorite come from "Havana Affair," "PT Boat On the Way To Havana/I Used to make my living, man,pickin' the bananas!" with a close 2nd place favorite being from "Judy Is a Punk:" "They both went down to Frisco/Joined the SLA/ Ohh I don't know why/Ohh I don't know why/Perhaps they'll die!" Any group who can take a tagline from the folk novelty "There Was an Old Lady" and modernize it into something all their own is A-OK by me! Dig into these songs, this album is solid from beginning to end.

The bonus tracks are plenty of fun for avid Ramones fans like me, but I'm not certain they 'll offer much for those who are just getting familiar with the group.

What do studied and accomplished musicians think of The Ramones? It doesn't matter; really, it doesn't. The Ramones made music that was fun, and you'd catch it in your head faster than a winter cold. Their music is the ultimate audio-adrenaline rush, and no matter your age or status,I highly recommend this particular CD in the morning along with a serious cup of coffee.....BLAST OFF! HEY-HO! LET'S GO!