Review Summary: An excellent rock and roll album from a punk band that deserves to be enjoyed for what it is instead of disliked for what it's not.
One of, if not the most controversial album released by the band, "End of the Century" is often criticized for its strange sound and heavier emphasis on 60's pop rock rather than what made their previous 4 albums beloved by many punk rock fans (3 if you don't count "Road To Ruin"). The Ramones have always wanted to make it big-time, and the best way they could attempt at this time was to team up with the loony Phil Spector, which may not have been the best idea given the circumstances, what with him allegedly holding the band at gunpoint (plus the terrible incident that occurred in 2009.) From what I have gathered, working with Phil wasn't that great, but if the band wanted big-time success, they had to bite the bullet and continue on. The final product after all of that almost gave them that, as this is their most successful album commercially, peaking at #44 on the U.S. Billboard 200. However, the main problem was that this was less of a punk rock album and more of a rock and roll album at heart, which is, understandably, a bit disappointing to longtime fans before this released. With that said, though, for what this is, it just might be the most underrated rock album of the early 80's, as the material is not only good from start to finish, but it is a love letter of classic rock as a whole. This is also where the band experimented the most at this point in their career, as they were moving from a fast and frantic sound that were present on the 4 albums beforehand to a much more mature, anthemic, and nostalgic sound that worked in this albums favor in terms of making it truly sound like its own. There is also a pretty decent amount of variety to be heard here thanks to this transition. Whether it be punk songs, 60's pop rock inspirations, or just good ol' rock and roll, there's something for everybody here.
"Do You Remember Rock'n'Roll Radio" encapsulates this transition almost flawlessly, as it's a love letter to fans of rock and roll from the late '70s and beyond, all with bombastic horns and catchy melodies in tow.
"I'm Affected" takes a more raw turn by taking some pages from a few of their previous albums while incorporating some dramatic and aggressive vibes that helps the song be effective. (or Affective. Okay, I'm sorry. I'll stop.)
"Danny Says" is an oddly beautiful ballad that incorporates some folkiness while still staying true to the bands rock sound. All about life while touring while also missing their S/O. Goosebumps every time.
"Chinese Rock" cranks the punk meter back up while incorporating some excellent guitarwork from Johnny that harmonize wonderfully with the song. The dramatic drumming throughout also makes this one of the most fun on the album as well.
"The Return of Jackie and Judy" is, in a way, a love letter to those who were around when the band released their 1976 debut, as it takes songs like "Beat On The Brat" and "Judy Is a Punk" and combines them into a sequel song for both that has a more rock and roll vibe to it, and while I wouldn't say it's as good as the aforementioned songs described here, it's still something special.
"Let's Go" is an aggressive song about being in a war, and is one of their most anthemic and harder songs. It's got an epic and somewhat cinematic vibe to it, which, to top it all off, ends in an explosion sound. Just awesome.
"Baby, I Love You" is the infamous Ronettes cover that is so unlike the Ramones have ever done, that it's arguably the most divisive song they have ever recorded. I'll admit that it's a bit corny and cheesy, especially coming from the band that practically invented Punk Rock as we know it, but once I started to embrace the silliness of the songs nature, the more I began to love it. It's certainly not for everyone and I can understand why it's disliked by some, but with the right mindset, it's pretty awesome if I do say so, myself.
"I Can't Make It On Time" is the song on the album that fully embraces its 60s pop rock nature. With a somewhat bluesy guitar riff in each pre-chorus, as well as a chord progression mixed with a vocal and keyboard harmony in the chorus that captures the 60s rock vibe almost perfectly, this is basically an awesome 60s rock song written by the Ramones for this album. It shows their influences, and I can't help but love it to bits.
"This Ain't Havana" is essentially a song that sounds like it was written for one of their first 3 albums, but with some added emphasis with some hard drums and raw vocals from Joey Ramone. It's one of the albums more simple songs, but it's still a ton of fun, nonetheless.
"Rock'n'Roll High School" takes some cues from "Sheena Is A Punk Rocker" and "Rockaway Beach", but instead of it being a sequel song like "The Return of Jackie and Judy", it's a whole new song on its own, and is one of the bands best surf-style songs, for sure. Everything just works here, whether it be the excellent Beach Boys like melody, memorable lyrics, bits and pieces of 60s rock guitar thrown in there, etc. Certainly a classic.
"All The Way" is easily one of the bands most underrated. It is hooky, catchy, and incredibly raw. It may start off a tiny bit slow and familiar, but then, the anthemic guitar takes the song into a faster route with hooky melodies, raw vocals, and an epic atmosphere. All about the band just wanting to have some fun even if they see no money.
"High Risk Insurance" may not seem like a lot at first listen, but as a closer for the album, it works very well. It works great as a song on it's own as well, with it's epic and bouncy sequencing, as well as some hooks and raw vocals that makes it all the more fun.
I know it's not the punk album that the 4 albums beforehand were, but for what it is, it's still an excellent effort from the band. I can understand why some fans were put off by this strange shift in tone from the band, but if you think about it, it was sort of inevitable. After 3 excellent punk rock albums and another one in 1978 that showed the band maturing a bit (which this album does, too), them finally showing their classic pop and rock and roll influences was bound to happen. And, in my opinion, it gave this album it's identity that makes it so special, and I can't help but love it as much as their previous works, but for different reasons. It not only combines some of the sound from their previous albums, but it's also, as I said earlier, a love letter to classic rock and roll fans as well. I think it's best to enjoy this album for what it is instead of dislike it for what it's not. It may not be their best Punk album, but it certainly is their best Rock and Roll one, and one of the most underrated ones of the early '80s.
