To start off this review, and in keeping with this site’s recent wrestling mood, I’m gong to appropriate a catchphrase from Mr.Hulk Hogan and say that I’m a
Ramonamaniac. But when I say Ramones, I mean the
early Ramones – Joey, Johnny, Dee Dee and Tommy (or Marky). Later incarnations with CJ or Richie failed to capture the greatness of the first two lineups and consequently, of the first five albums.
«Five albums?», you’ll ask? «But wait a second, Beginner,
Road To Ruin wasn’t
that good!» Granted, it wasn’t. Nor did it leave any perpetual live favourites. But if I count that one out, I have to count this one out. And I don’t think it deserves to be left out.
End Of The Century marks the one-off collaboration between the Ramones and renowned 60’s producer Phil Spector. Allegedly, this partnership was Joey’s idea, being a big fan of 60’s bubblegum pop. And the fact is, it worked…partially.
All those of you familiar with previous Ramones albums, and their «wawn-two-th’ee-faw!» policy, will be a bit let down by the first few songs on this album.
Rock’n’Roll Radio, although a classic, moves along at an uncharacteristic chugging pace, and is enhanced by horn sections and other studio tricks. As I always say, if it ain’t broken, why fix it? This song is much favoured in its demo version, where the only elements present are the voice, guitar, bass and drums.
But the worst is yet to come. After the fairly rocking
I’m Affected (which sports an awesome bass line – who said these guys couldn’t play?) we are «treated» to
Danny Says, a song more reminiscent of Beach Boys ballads than of pure Ramones rock’n’roll lunacy. Once again, the demo mix (with chugging Johnny guitars and
sans the annoying little chimes) is much better than the album track.
Fortunately, it picks up from here.
Chinese Rocks, although maligned by The Ramones themselves, is a crushing rock’n’roll song that has been the object of countless covers over the years (one of them, curiously, by none other than the late, great Sid Vicious) and made famous by the also late, also great Johnny Thunders, of New York Dolls fame. Curiously, the song was originally intended to be recorded only by Thunders; it was simply through Spector influence that the Ramones themselves agreed to record it. As a result, Joey himself has mentioned that he disliked the song and felt that it lacked «oomph».
However, one of the main problems of this album lies in the fact that we have to wait until track #6 (!) to come across the first true-blue Ramones riff. Unsurprisingly,
Let’s Go! ranks among the best songs in this album, and is its one true forgotten gem. Forgiving the macho-man Soldier of Fortune lyrics, this is a song that rocks plenty hard and will satisfy any Ramones fan.
The same can be said of the highly entertaining (if slightly tiredsome)
Rock’n’Roll High School. One of the Ramones most famous songs, this one even titled a movie, and is basically about skiving school and riding around having fun. All the bubblegummy elements that made the Ramones famous are here, and this is truly a great song.
The same can be said of
This Ain’t Havana (
Havana Affair part 2),
All The Way and
High Risk Insurance. These three songs are pure Ramones rockers that will not let their fans down.
One song, however, stands out on this album…for negative reasons. The first reaction to the cover of The Ronnette’s
Baby I Love You is….
WTF?!. The Ramones were always known for delivering rollicking versions of classic 50’s and 60’s rock songs, but here we have a song with a guest drummer, minimalistic guitar and bass and…
a string section?! Seriously, what the heck were the Ramones thinking?! Allegedly this choice was made because of – once again – Joey’s love for 60’s pop, but the singer itself later declared it «one of the worse things we ever did». And believe me, it is. If you take into account the «cheese» factor, then this is a good song; otherwise, run as far from it as you possibly can.
The remastered edition adds to more classics to the mix.
I Want You Around is probably among the top 5 punk ballads ever written, while
Please Don’t Leave, with its cheesy spoken word section, is also a solid track. We are also treated to demo versions of several songs on the album (most of them better than the actual final cuts) and to a puzzling radio commercial for the record, presented by Joey himself.
Musically, then, this is an inconsistent album. However, Spector’s solid production – in the «wall of sound» vein, but still allowing each instrument to shine through clearly – and the fact that the band themselves were growing as musicians (not to mention Marky was a much better drummer than Tommy) can all be considered positive aspects. The immense quantity of guest musicians was unnecessary, though, and it’s frustrating to learn that the scorching guitar solos on this album were seldom played by Johnny himself…
In conclusion, despite its inconsistencies, this is probably my favourite Ramones album. However, I can only recommend it to people with an open mind and which allow for a band to grow and experiment musically. If you live and die by [b]Rocket To Russia[b] or
Leave Home, stay the hell away from this one. Otherwise, give it a spin; you may find it highly entertaining.
For purists – 2/5
For everybody – 4/5
Recommended Tracks
Chinese Rocks
Let’s Go
Rock’n’Roll High School
All The Way
I Want You Around
