MAXIMUM ROCKNROLL E I RAMONES

Ecco come la storica zine Maximum Rocknroll (attiva dal 1982 al 2019) recensiva i dischi dei Ramones in tempo reale.

Nell'archivio online sono presenti solo questi quattro album, mancano all'appello Brain Drain del 1989, Mondo Bizarro del 1992, Acid Eaters del 1994 e Adios Amigos del 1995.


RAMONES - SUBTERRANEAN JUNGLE (1983)

More explorations into the territory they’ve been staking out over the course of their last couple albums. Even without Phil Spector, they’re still aiming for that Spectorian Wall of Sound, and they manage to get it. The material ranges from great new guitar-heavy pop tunes to lame versions of earlier classics like “Little Bit o’ Soul” and “Time Has Come Today.” I think it sounds real good, but if you’re only interested in “Blitzkrieg Bop Part 75,” this LP isn’t for you (except maybe “Psycho Therapy”).


RAMONES - TOO TOUGH TO DIE (1984)

While not the “thrash” LP I had heard rumored (there is one thrasher), it is definitely more of a rocker than their previous outing. What’s even more interesting is the fact that the RAMONES now have a few “political” songs; actual “peace” songs. Take that, you wimps!


RAMONES - ANIMAL BOY (1986)

This album pushes the RAMONES’ style into catchy, straight-ahead HC (which they manage to do better than the vast majority of bands going), with a smattering of rockin’ pop (which has been their forte for a while now). This is another extraordinary RAMONES LP (nothing but great cuts here), and it’s about time we all recognized that they’re the great American band.


RAMONES - HALFWAY TO SANITY (1987)

I made the big mistake of listening to a lot of old Ramones recently, which put this new release into perspective—a bad one. The edge is gone, the wackiness wants, and the singing normal. Outside of “I Lost My Mind” and “I’m Not Jesus,” this is really inferior material, and one can only wish they were halfway to insanity.