Back in 1979 Neil Young sang the immortal words “It’s better to burn out than to fade away.” To bands like The Rolling Stones, Aerosmith and The Who they proved this phrase true by staying around far past their prime but for four guys from NYC called The Ramones, it was an absurd thought and something that they refused to do. The Ramones played their final (and 2,263rd) show in California on August 6th, 1996. The band left while they were on top of their game. They had released a very successful album, played a sell out tour and they had the attention that they had so long fought hard for. So why give it up? Integrity baby! Integrity! Johnny Ramone stated once that The Ramones called it quits because they wanted to to go out on top and be remembered as a band that worked long and hard and was on top of their game. The Ramones wanted to be remembered as a great band that didn’t over extend their welcome and hold on way past their prime.
So why am I writing about The Ramones? I’m writing because I was on my way home and “Do You Remember Rock & Roll Radio?” popped up on the iPod and I just smiled ear to ear. I couldn’t wait to get home and listen to more Ramones. Listening to The Ramones reminds me why I love Rock & Roll and music in general. When I hear The Ramones, I remember being 15 and hearing them for the first time and thinking “Wow! I can play that!” The Ramones always made the impossible seem at least attainable. I remember when I was forming my first band I figured I would never be good enough to form a band but after hearing The Ramones, I figured that I could at least play like that and if I got better cool but if not, at least I could sound like The Ramones.
The Ramones are still to this day a sadly overlooked band by many. It’s such a shame that you will never hear a Ramones song on Classic Rock radio. The Ramones are known for their quirky anthems and songs that defined the punk generation such as “Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue”, “Pinhead”, “Blitzkrieg Bop” and “Beat On The Brat” but what many fail to recognize was that between Joey and Johnny Ramone, some really fucking amazing songs were written. Matter of fact, after hearing the band’s “Road To Ruin” album, legendary produce Phil Spector expressed his desire to make The Ramones’ next album “End of the Century.” While the album did little for them and didn’t make them the mainstream giants Spector wanted them to become, just listening to songs like “Do You Remember Rock & Roll Radio”, “Danny Says” and “Rock & Roll High School” and you can see how insane it is that more people don’t know what they were capable of.
The Ramones always seemed to be one of those bands that pretty much everyone could agree on. The punks liked them. The metal heads liked them and even the alternative music fans liked them. They were a common bond and their live shows were always an experience. Seeing The Ramones live was always a great experience and the fans were never shy to pledge their allegiance to the Commanders In Chief of Punk Rock. The Ramones would take the stage in their leather jackets and jeans and from the first count off of “1-2-3-4” you just knew that you better hold the fuck on with all you have. It was like a freight train just hit you and then an hour and five minutes later slammed on its breaks leaving you sliding off the front of it, getting up and saying “What the fuck just happened?” 7 minutes into the show they were already well into their 5th song.
The Ramones were about as unpretentious as you could get. They didn’t constantly brag about themselves and they weren’t the media hogs that many of their predecessors where. While they might not have been arrogant and full of themselves, they were confident and knew that they were good if not the best at what they did. When The Ramones walked onto a stage, they didn’t beg you to scream louder. They didn’t try and pump you up and get you to mosh. They just walked out onto a stage and the audience knew what to do. They were so excited to see this legendary band that they knew what they were seeing and knew that they were going to get a show like no other.
When I hear a Ramones song, I hear great rock and roll. I hear substance and I hear depth. I hear a group of misfits from Queens, NY that made a name for themselves by being themselves. I’m a much better musician than I was back when I first heard The Ramones. If I had never heard The Ramones there’s a good chance that I would’ve never taken that step to performing live with my first band and seeing that I could do a lot with very little. Over the years, I grew to be a better musician and a better performer but The Ramones was what gave me that nudge and said “You don’t have to be Iron Maiden to play RIGHT NOW! You can play NOW and get to that point eventually.” The Ramones gave me confidence in myself as an upcoming musician and made me feel that even being uncool could be cool in the music world. When I hear a Ramones song, I smile to myself and I say “Thank you.” When I hear a Ramones song, I’m thankful that I got the opportunity to not only see them a few times but personally thank them. I’ll never forget it. The Ramones were touring for their “Acid Eaters” album and they were doing a sold out show at The Roxy in Atlanta. After the show, I waited out back with 30 or so others for our heroes to come out. Johnny Ramone was walking by and I yelled his name. He stopped and came over to me and I said, “Johnny, thank you for inspiring me and giving me the confidence to be what I am today.” He just grinned and goes, “You’re welcome” and walked away. The Ramones are no longer with us but they have left behind a legacy of music that will continue to influence and inspire.
Joey, Johnny, Tommy, Richie, Marky and CJ, thanks again! Thank you always!
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