punk-rock

Ramones | “Ramones” 

Posted on by gshslionsdenadmin

By Kerrick Shaw 

Photo by: Kerrick Shaw

With the 70s punk movement on the uprise, the Ramones provided a foundation with their simple yet strong lyrics and three-chord sound; they live on with being considered the first true punk band. The Ramones took shape in 1974 following each member’s adopting of the surname Ramone and went on to play a raging 2,263 concerts over the next 22 years. 

The Ramones was the combination of members from two bands and a rookie in the New York City borough of Queens. The original lineup consisted of John Cummings and Thomas Erdelyi, who played together in a garage band during the late 60s; Jeff Hyman, singer of the early 70s glam rock band, Sniper; and Douglas Colvin, who had recently moved from Germany. Colvin and Cummings invited Hyman to join their new band, with Erdelyi looking to be their manager. As each member’s role in the band was solidified, the name “Ramone” was introduced by Colvin, inspired by Paul McCartney’s pseudonym: Paul Ramon. 

Hyman, Cummings, Erdelyi and Colvin went on as Joey (vocals), Johnny (guitarist), Tommy (drummer) and Dee Dee Ramone (bassist), respectively.  

Sporting their ripped jeans and leather jackets, the Ramones played their first CBGB gig in August of ’74, managing to cramp in over 70 more shows at the club before the year’s end. With their electric performances lasting barely 20 minutes per and still pulling in an incredible crowd, they quickly rose to be the faces of the New York punk scene. 

Bands such as The Stooges, The Sex Pistols, The New York Dolls and many more all brought punk rock to life before the Ramones became known as originators, which I feel is necessary to mention. Depending on how you view it, punk music can even be traced back to the 1950s with ruder rock and roll garage bands. However, the influence the Ramones left is still undeniable.  

After two years of earning a powerful reputation through intense performances all over New York, they finally recorded their debut self-titled album in only one week’s time and released it in late April of 1976. 

Coming out to be just under thirty minutes long, “Ramones” consists of 14 hard-hitting tracks that each go only slightly above or below two minutes – the longest being the seventh track, “I Don’t Wanna Go Down to the Basement,” at two minutes and forty seconds. Although it stands today as one of the most famous albums of all time, especially for punk rockers, it didn’t push the Ramones up the charts – managing to only reach 111th on the US Billboard 200 chart with both singles falling flat upon release. 

Their music took the early rock music essentials and boiled them down to the basics; each song remained simple and comedic, but they were loud, fast and kept everyone listening, regardless of whether or not they understood the gibberish coming out of Joey’s mouth.  

“Ramones” kicks off with 20 seconds of their fast-paced instrumentals that immediately have you shaking your head and tapping your feet before hitting you with Joey’s iconic drum-backed hey-ho-let’s-go’s that have since become the band’s chant. “Blitzkrieg Bop” was one of the two singles that failed to become hits at the time, the other being “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend.” Although it didn’t do much for them then, it’s now one of their most recognizable songs and is an iconic ‘70s punk rock tune.  

“Judy Is a Punk,” is a prime example of their repetitive nature with the first and second verse being identical. Its fictional lyrics follow two juvenile girls, Judy and Jackie, through their antics and joining of the SLA (Symbionese Liberation Army, a far-left American terrorist organization of the 1970s). The girls returned in the 1980 album “End of The Century” track titled “The Return of Jackie and Judy.” 

 “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend” follows “Judy Is a Punk” and is one of my all-time favorites from them. By far the slowest song on the album, “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend” is a straightforward love song written by Tommy to breakup the trend of I-Don’t-Wanna’s in their song titles. It features instruments you wouldn’t expect to hear from a punk band like tubular bells and a glockenspiel. In comparison to their live performances, every song on this album is slower than what their fans were used to.  

 In my opinion, “Ramones” was never topped. Like most bands, their debut stood the test of time and is truly their best work – however they do have other classic albums to offer, like “Rocket to Russia” and “Road to Ruin.” The Ramones had countless big successes, such as: “Rock ‘n’ Roll High School” (1979), a film from legendary film producer Roger Corman; various iconic singles like “Do You Remember Rock ‘n’ Roll Radio?” (1980) and “Pet Sematary” (1989); and their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in March of 2002.  

Unfortunately, as of 2014, all original members of the Ramones have passed away, but sequential members, Marky, Richie and CJ Ramone, still tour to this day. In 2003, “We’re a Happy Family: A Tribute to Ramones” was released – co-produced by Rob Zombie and featuring Red Hot Chili Peppers, Metallica, U2, Kiss and many others. 

I can almost say that you had to be there to fall in love with the sound of the Ramones – but, obviously, I was not. If you’re interested in punk music whatsoever, whether it be classic, ‘90s or ska, “Ramones” is an essential, no-skip listen.   

The Clash | “London Calling”

Posted on by gshslionsdenadmin

 By Kerrick Shaw 

Photo by: Kerrick Shaw

The Clash, nicknamed “The Only Band That Matters,” formed in 1976 and quickly rose to the top of the 70s punk movement, second only to the Sex Pistols. Swimming in the musical movement of 1974, The Clash was surrounded by bands like Television, The Ramones and The Damned, all jumping from garages to the stages. 

Formed by guitarist Mick Jones, the band, then named Weak Heartdrops and Psychotic Negatives, was made up of Paul Simonon (bass guitarist) and Terry Chimes (drummer). In search of their missing piece, the energetic and rough lead singer they needed, Joe Strummer left the 101’ers and completed the puzzle of The Clash. 

They were considered the most political band stemming out of the U.K., however they thought of themselves more as social, having focused their music on the hardships they saw in people’s everyday lives – serving as a look into the world of the less fortunate.  

Their explosive debut single “White Riot” and first studio album “The Clash,” both released in 1977, were kept on the shelf in America until their eventual, and late, releases in 1978.  

In 1977, Chimes had left the band due to their chaotic nature and he was then replaced by Nicky “Topper” Headen, who went on to play with the band until 1982. 

With their self-titled release considered too raw and disorderly for American audiences, their second album, “Give ‘Em Enough Rope” (1978), was overseen by an American producer in an attempt to make it more appealing for that potential audience. 

Regardless of their efforts, The Clash didn’t make their big breakthrough in America until the release of their third studio album, “London Calling,” which was released in 1979 in the U.K. and 1980 in the U.S. 

The album dips into multiple genres, stacking songs of blues and jazz on top of ska and dreary punk. Although the combinations may sound overbearing, they managed to make each song go together perfectly. To work around their controversially literal lyrics, “London Calling” displayed their growth in writing through hiding clever metaphors in the stories of each song.  

After reaching their definitive peak with “London Calling,” The Clash tried replicating the same feel with the following album, “Sandinista!” which came out in 1980. Unfortunately, it failed to spawn the same reaction. Their next release, “Combat Rock,” released in 1982, the last album featuring Jones as the lead guitarist, thankfully included “Rock the Casbah,” one of the band’s most popular songs today. 

However, they only put out one more, poorly received, album before disbanding in 1986. 

Although The Clash had a rough ending to their story, “London Calling” stands today as one of the most recognizable and popular punk albums, especially with its iconic cover: a photo of Simonon smashing his bass guitar. 

To throw a little spice into the album, some songs feature organ and piano (“The Card Cheat,” “Wrong ‘Em Boyo” and “Clampdown”), as well as horns poking through, especially noticeable on “Rudie Can’t Fail.”  

“London Calling” is essentially a greatest hits, only missing a few songs from their debut and future albums, such as “Should I Stay or Should I Go” from “Combat Rock.” 

Regardless of the many different attributes I’ve explained for individual songs, a full listen through is the only way of understanding the level this album is on. As per usual with the albums I review, this one is another go-to pick when I need an album to play at room-filling volume. In my opinion, although The Clash aren’t at the top of my list for the best punk bands, “London Calling” is one of my favorite punk albums of all time.