Story and photo by Rick Olivares
ON July 5 I was able to pick up, for the first time on vinyl, Ramones Mania—a greatest hits compilation released in 1988 that gathers songs from their first 10 albums (they went on to record four more after its release, for a total of 14 studio outputs). I previously purchased this on CD, and the opportunity to get the first pressing of this record was something that greatly appealed to me.
While reading the album’s liner notes and brushing up on Ramones history that day, it dawned upon me that July 5 was the 42nd anniversary of one of the most important days in punk rock, let alone, music history.
On the evening of that date in 1976 and the night prior, the Ramones played back-to-back outside their native US, with their second show at the Roundhouse in Camden, London, England. The first one coincided with the American Bicentennial and at that time, the band toured in support of their self-titled debut album that came out some three months earlier.
Yet, the Ramones weren’t the headliner for those shows—something that said a lot about their career in hindsight. It was fellow American band, the Flamin’ Groovies. British band the Stranglers was the opening act, after which the Ramones played a 33-plus minute set that featured 17 songs.
During the second show, in attendance were members of The Clash, The Damned, the Sex Pistols, and one expatriate American named Chrissie Hynde, who would later go on to form The Pretenders. Every one of them would go on to be inspired by the Ramones as punk rock arrived in Britain. Within a year’s time, those three bands all released albums, with the Pretenders following suit four summers later.
The Ramones and their British offspring also went on to inspire a number of Filipino youth who later put up their own bands and released self-produced albums.
Delayed acclaim
SPEAKING of albums, the Ramones never sold a lot of records or received acclaim during their heyday. The mainstream derided them for their music and looks. They were casualties of the derision that followed in the wake of the Sex Pistols’ appetite for destruction. Punks were seen as anarchists—a stigma that still lingers to this day. In fact, their debut album finally achieved gold status, or 500,000 units sold, only in 2014!
That their songs were blitzkrieg fast and ended in about two minutes didn’t sit well with rock cognoscenti, at the time when progressive rock performed 10-minute epics. Stadium rock was on a roll and fans celebrated guitar heroes. The Ramones and other punk acts eschewed that. And their songs of violence, protest, having a good time, and nihilism, put off others.
The lack of success, in addition to other problems, caused a lot of friction within the band, some of which was never resolved even up to the death of all the original members (original drummer Tommy Ramone passed away in 2014).
On the other hand, 26 years after their first album came out, the Ramones were inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002. Today, they are looked upon more fondly, recognized by their peers, critics, and perhaps more importantly, today’s music-loving kids. Walk into any HMV store and you’ll find the famous Ramones presidential seal on T-shirts next to ones that feature The Clash’s London Calling album, or the cover to Nirvana’s Nevermind.
Purveyors of punk
MANY an artist from Misfits, Metallica, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Green Day, Beastie Boys, The Strokes, Shonen Knife and The White Stripes, to name but a few, were also influenced by these punk purveyors.
Locally, underground punk band the Dead Brains wear their Ramones influence literally on their sleeves, right down to the look and the band logo.
Today, there are over a dozen tribute albums to the Ramones that can be found on music shelves and for sale online. There’s even a Ramones Museum in—of all places—Germany!
Having lived in New York City at one point in my life, I recall how one time, I made that trip to Forest Hills. I wanted to check it out as I knew it to be the fictitious home of Spider-Man’s alter ego of Peter Parker, the US Open of tennis, and of course, the Ramones. My cousin thought I was half-mad.
That fixation on the Ramones took a fortuitous turn the next day one August afternoon in 2003 as I took the subway with a cousin from Elmhurst, Queens to Times Square. We were going to watch a performance by the Misfits who were promoting their new album at that time, Project 1950. Their drummer then was none other than Marky Ramone.
Much to my surprise, inside the R Train was this tall and oh-so familiar man standing next to a bass drum. It was Marky, and there was that famous drum kit with the Ramones seal on it.
I sidled up to him and told him we were on our way to watch the show. We had a brief conversation and eventually got a picture together. I later had my Misfits CD signed not only by Ramone, but the other members of the Misfits.
To date, that subway ride and subsequent show and autograph session with one of my music heroes, is one of the best days of my life.
And going to CBGB (a New York City music club)—and later, Joey Ramone Way (a block along East 2nd Street)—was like a pilgrimage.
Lasting influence
AS a youngster in 6th grade, I quickly gravitated towards punk rock when I heard the Ramones. I thought then that they were the “Buddy Holly” and “Beach Boys” of aggro music, and I still feel the same way today.
I formed my first band a year later with “Rock ‘n’ Roll High School” as one of the first songs we ever played. Man, we played our guitars like Johnny and Dee Dee Ramone with our legs stretched far apart, our heads bowed and bobbing…the image of the anti-guitar hero.
My first-ever punk rock records were a pair of compilation albums. Then I got the Sex Pistols’ The Great Rock ‘n’ Roll Swindle. Then I was able to get hold of End of the Century, the Ramones’ fifth album, right before my freshman year in high school. I got their debut album a short while later and currently have all their albums on vinyl and CD.
“Hey ho, let’s go” remains a catch phrase for me, as does “Gabba gabba hey…” Blitzkrieg Bop still is one of my all-time favorite songs. End of the Century, given the “Wall of Sound” treatment by producer Phil Spector that came out like a throwback to the 1950s music that I love, will always make my Top 50 albums list.
To this day, punk rock remains one of my favorite subgenres of rock music, along with shoegazer/dream pop, rockabilly/jump swing, and reggae/ska. In my record collection, outside my OPM records, my punk rock albums are perhaps my most treasured.
Punk resonated well with me as I was approaching my teen years. I got the words of rebellion, angst, and having a good time. Unlike British bands that were hell-bent on destruction, I appreciated the Ramones more.
It is a moment of serendipity that 30 years after the release of Ramones Mania, I got the vinyl record also on the anniversary of their second show in Britain. Today, as it was yesterday, their music still takes a hold of my senses the same way it did back in the 70s.
Ramones Mania? Indeed.
Image credits: Rick Olivares