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Road to Ruin

The Ramones - Road to Ruin Audio CD

A fair review of the The Ramones "Road to Ruin" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all The Ramones reviews here, or go back to the The Ramones tabs.

Band: The Ramones
Title: Road to Ruin
Rating:

Release Date: 2001-06-19
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: I Just Want To Have Something To Do 2: I Wanted Everything 3: Don't Come Close 4: I Don't Want You 5: Needles & Pins 6: I'm Against It 7: I Wanna Be Sedated 8: Go Mental 9: Questioningly 10: She's The One 11: Bad Brain 12: It's A Long Way Back 13: I Want You Around (Ed Stasium version) 14: Rock 'N' Roll High School (Ed Stasium version) 15: Blitzkrieg Bop/Teenage Lobotomy/California Sun/Pinhead/She's The One (live) 16: Come Back, She Cried A.K.A. I Walk Out (demo) 17: Yea, Yea (demo)

Man I am slow...
I have the essentials of everything from early boogie-woogie, early jazz & blues, 60's pop, disco, new wave, metal, indie rock, etc. I consider myself a very educated person when it comes to modern music. But I am just now (at 24 years old) discovering The Ramones. Don't ask me why it took me so long. . . but it did and I am so happy. They are becoming one of my favorite groups to listen to. If you like pop music in any form, you will like the Ramones. I consider them a fast-playing pop band more than anything. As another reviewer said, they really were "the Beach Boys of punk". This is tied with "Leave Home" as my favorite of their LP's. Essentially every album of material they released is worthy of your listening time except for their very last album, Adios Amigos!, which is just garbage. But it's still better than most bands on their best day of course. If u don't have it already, just get this record already.

Gabba Gabba Hey!
I saw a documentary about them, and it took me back to the old days. I loved the Ramones and still do. I saw them in the Rutgers student center in the 70's, throughout the city (I went to CBGBs a couple of time, but always was afraid someone would flush it!) and north NJ. They were always fun and their music would always inspire massive drinking! But even sober for almost 12 years (10/26/96), it can inspire working out like nothing else. The Rock and roll High School begins with I just wanta have something to do: my buddy said it was Hard Days Night for junkies. .

Gabba Gabbba Hey
Trust me. Buy the debut Ramones CD, Ramones Leave Home,Rocket to Russia, Road to Ruin, and the New York Dolls First CD.

If you don't like the Ramones...
I don't know how else to say it. If you don't like the Ramones, you don't like rock and roll. If you are tired, sad, or having trouble getting started in the morning, put this cd in and get going to a better, brighter, more blitzkreig-y kind of day. This was my introduction to the band and still my favorite, although the debut is fantastic as well. It's A Long Way Back, I Just Want To Have Something To Do, I Wanna Be Sedated, the list just goes on and on. . . all killer stuff. Even though some of the hardcore fans decried the 'ballads,' (let's face it, latter day Aerosmith drivel these ballads ain't - thank God), they are just being purists. Every single song on here is great and that's something very few bands can say about any one of their records.
The Ramones took the pop formula and crushed it with Johnny's down strokes and the sneering nasal charm of Joey's impassioned vocals. Honestly, if you don't like this band, I don't value your musical opinion.
.

Road To Ruin
It maybe the most irrelavent album title in all of history in once since and dead on in another. The Ramones-Road To Ruin *****

Road To Ruin was an album title that totaly reflected none of the music. Road To Ruin is actually one of The Ramones very best albums. I hold it higher then the legendary debut, and think Rocket To Russia may be the only other album better then this. But at this point the boys had given up on themselves. They had realized they were never going to be mega stars at this point and were never going to be the next The Beatles like they had started out to be, so their metality was that they were ineveitably on the road to ruin if you will, and The Ramones were pissed off about it. Road To Ruin was a major step forward for the band as well as a massive change both metaly and phisicaly. Tommy had left the band to become a full time producer and enginer and the band recruted Marky which helped to make the sound more aggresive. The band grew musicaly and creativley. They were making more then just three chord songs here, and the songs were no longer "we're gonna find happiness amongst the choas. " Oh no, The Ramones were angry and ready to let the world have it which is what makes this album so beautiful because Joey was really heated. This album also showed the experimental side The Ramones that the world had never ever seen before.

'I Just Want To Have Something To Do' opens the albums feriously and with sophistication. This song showed show much growth by the band from their previous album Rocket To Russia as far as musicianship, lyrics, and arrangement are concerned. One of the better songs the band ever wrote, and possible the best on Road To Ruin. 'I Wanted Everything' is an aggressive rant about wanting it all. . . fame, fourtune, millions of fans, and notatriety all things the band would atane after their retierment but at the time it seemed like it would never happen. 'I Wanted Everything' is unlike anything the band had previously released. 'Dont Come Close' caused a lot of contraversy upon release of this album. Many fans, critics, and supporters of the band wrote it and 'Questioningly' of as country western songs but anyone who listens to the songs can tell that it is just not the case. 'Dont Come Close' is so signature Ramones its not even funny. The song comes acrossed on first listen as a shock but upon inspection it is just like a million other 1960's pop songs which is what the band set out to make songs as, so it fits in perfect for the band. The acoustic guitars are a nice change of pace for an album that is so angry. 'I Dont Want You' is a cry for desperation in anger and pain. It is 'I Just Want To Have Something To Do' continued musicaly. The song hits you like bricks in the chest and doesnt appologise, it shows you the band means buisness here. It helps to make Road To Ruin the bands version of The Beatles album Help! 'Needles And Pins is an excellent cover that completly owns the original. Never has suicide sounded so. . . . well not bad. The Searchers did the original and it was good but faulters in comparison to The Ramones cover. 'Im Against It' maybe the angriest song the band ever recorded. The verses to the songs are written light hartedly in humor as the band has been known for but then the chorus kicks in and anyone who has heard Joey sing the legendary "Im Against It" chorus knows the man is pissed about something. You can feel the conviction in the song and the emotion behind it. If you were to make a list of the three greatest Ramone songs ever recorded then 'I Wanna Be Sedated' would have to be included. The bands most popular song next to 'Blitzkrieg Bop' and is maybe the only Ramones song to ever get regular radio play, It is still played to this day. Rumor has it the song was written after Joey was burned before a show and had to be taken to the hospital but he knew the band had a whole leg left on their tour so he said "Put me in a wheel chair get me on a plain before I go insane" and the song was written right after that. Classic. 'Go Mental' is anthemic. The chorus is so believable and convincing. While it isnt the strongest song on the album you wanna sing with it every time it plays. Johnny also plays some of the best guitar of his career on this song as well. 'Questioningly' is the other country western song mentioned earlier. Its not country, sorry but its not. Because Whiskey is mentioned and slide guitar is played someone decided The Ramones went George Jones. This is a nice love song while not a 1960's pop song like 'Dont Come Close' it is still a really good love song amongst some much frustration. 'Shes The One' is just killer. It sounds as if the band finished recording and said "oh no we need a pop song," but it doesnt matter because it is one of the best songs on the album and totally ture blue Ramones. Classic, the song is just so killer. 'Bad Brain' is a return to the more punk sounding song. Yet another song about insanity which as well all know is a very popular subject in the Ramones cannon. It is rumoured that the hardcore/punk band Bad Brains actually got their name from this song, they were going by another name at the time this was released and decided to change. Even if that is not whole truth, the song is still great with out the legend. 'Its A Long Way Back' is a three line rant written by Dee Dee about Germany where he was born. It has really good production and sounds great but does not really offer much to the listener, Im a personal fan of the song but think 'Bad Brain' should have close the record. Still a decent finish to the album.

Depending on what version of the album you buy there are five bonus tracks at the end of the reissued version. 'I Want You Around' which is a nice pop song from the band and classic, but this is an alternate version. Also included is an alternate version of 'Rock N' Roll Radio' which is one of the bands all time best songs and this version is no different the only alteration is that it does not include the radio intro. A live medly of 'Blitzkrieg Bop/Teenage Labotomy/California Sun/Pinhead/Shes The One' is included here which was originaly on the Rock N' Roll Highschool album. 'Come Back, She Cried A. K. A. I Walk Out (Demo)' is also included and its really good. 'Yea, Yea' is another demo track and is really cool, sort of like 'Shes The One. '

With or without the bonus tracks Road To Ruin is an excellent album. Its one of The Ramones very best albums if not their best. One of the finest punk albums as well as rock n' roll albums of all time. Road To Ruin was a rare moment in Ramones history that no one should miss out on. It is an incredible album that should be included in everyones collection. I have never met a person to not like The Ramones, the punk label sometimes scares some away but with a chance and a listen you will see that The Ramones are just a tougher version of The Beatles.

You can see a complete list of all The Ramones discography, or go back to the The Ramones tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.