These are all potentially subject to revision (except the first four) but here's an attempt at rating all the Ramones studio albums, five stars maximum:
Ramones *****
Leave Home*****
Rocket to Russia *****
Road to Ruin *****
End of the Century ****
Pleasant Dreams ****
Subterranean Jungle ***1/2
Too Tough to Die ***
Animal Boy **1/2
Halfway to Sanity **1/2
Brain Drain **1/2
Mondo Bizarro ***1/2
Adios Amigos*1/2
Friday, March 30, 2012
Brain Drain, Adios Amigos, Halfway to Sanity
Brain Drain is not quite as bad as I remembered. The guitar could be mixed higher. This is a weird album, there's plenty of stuff that is kind of amusing but very little that is really very good. After I listen more I'll perhaps review it. "Can't Get You Outta My Mind" is a great song but I'm still fairly convinced the Pleasant Dreams outtake is better.
Adios Amigos still sounds awful to me, a lot of pop punk that sounds like it's almost good enough to be TV commercials.
Halfway to Sanity is way better than I remembered. I hadn't heard it since the 80s, when I liked it for a while then cooled on it. A song I forgot existed--"A Real Cool Time"--is pretty good. "Weasel Face" is not that bad. "I Wanna Live" is better than I'd remembered. I'm still puzzling over what I think of "Garden of Serenity," it's definitely not that bad, but is it good? I could be convinced either way. The problem, as with so many late songs, is the lyrics--do they say anything to me? Finally, "Bye Bye Baby" is back in my good graces, it's kind of like an early-60s girl song, especially with the drum beat.
Adios Amigos still sounds awful to me, a lot of pop punk that sounds like it's almost good enough to be TV commercials.
Halfway to Sanity is way better than I remembered. I hadn't heard it since the 80s, when I liked it for a while then cooled on it. A song I forgot existed--"A Real Cool Time"--is pretty good. "Weasel Face" is not that bad. "I Wanna Live" is better than I'd remembered. I'm still puzzling over what I think of "Garden of Serenity," it's definitely not that bad, but is it good? I could be convinced either way. The problem, as with so many late songs, is the lyrics--do they say anything to me? Finally, "Bye Bye Baby" is back in my good graces, it's kind of like an early-60s girl song, especially with the drum beat.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
"A Modest Proposal": A Modest Proposal
To my list of phrases which should be discontinued immediately ("...And its Discontents"), I would like to add "A Modest Proposal." As usual, if you have to ask why you'll never know.
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Someone Wasn't Paying Attention
It's started again already:
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/25/character-and-its-discontents/
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/25/character-and-its-discontents/
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Ten Underrated Ramones Songs
Or at least ones I don't hear about much, and are, as far as I know, uncompiled. I take it as obvious that nothing from the first 5 albums qualifies.
In The Park
I Won't Let It Happen
Mental Hell
She Belongs to Me
Death of Me
Don't Go
She's A Sensation
What'd You Do?
Can't Get You Outta My Mind
Stares In This Town
In The Park
I Won't Let It Happen
Mental Hell
She Belongs to Me
Death of Me
Don't Go
She's A Sensation
What'd You Do?
Can't Get You Outta My Mind
Stares In This Town
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
It's Alive
I just listened to the Ramones' It's Alive and here are a few thoughts:
I always considered this one of the best live albums ever, and even one of the best albums ever. But it's hard to hear it the same way after Marky's revelation that everything aside from the drums was re-recorded in the studio.
On the other hand, it does not sound like overdubs...hearing Johnny hack his way through "California Sun," it's downright hard to believe Marky isn't exaggerating.
This version of "Here Today, Gone Tomorrow" has always been my favorite thing on the album...Johnny's brief guitar break seems to me to be one of the greatest things ever done with an electric guitar. All the pathos of the song is distilled into a few fuzzy chords...it's an astonishing experience to hear the guitar swell into the break, and after a few seconds it's all been said and the vocals return. This version made "Here Today" one of my favorite Ramones songs.
"Today Your Love, Tomorrow The World" is one of the most powerful songs ever recorded, both here and on The Ramones. It should have ended this album too. Apparently the lyrics sung live: "I'm a Nazi baby, I'm a Nazi, yes I am!" were unacceptable to the record company, so the studio version has "I'm a shock trooper in a stupor, yes I am!" Since the next line, either way, is "I'm a Nazi schatzi, I'll fight for fatherland!" it's hard to see how it makes much difference. I actually think the substitute lyrics are better than the original, but on this album, and every time I saw the Ramones live (in the 1980s), the original lyrics were always sung. So maybe the studio version has a slight edge because of this. (Note, in case any non-Ramones fans are reading: Joey and Tommy were/are both Jewish, so the lyrics should not be taken straightforwardly).
I always considered this one of the best live albums ever, and even one of the best albums ever. But it's hard to hear it the same way after Marky's revelation that everything aside from the drums was re-recorded in the studio.
On the other hand, it does not sound like overdubs...hearing Johnny hack his way through "California Sun," it's downright hard to believe Marky isn't exaggerating.
This version of "Here Today, Gone Tomorrow" has always been my favorite thing on the album...Johnny's brief guitar break seems to me to be one of the greatest things ever done with an electric guitar. All the pathos of the song is distilled into a few fuzzy chords...it's an astonishing experience to hear the guitar swell into the break, and after a few seconds it's all been said and the vocals return. This version made "Here Today" one of my favorite Ramones songs.
"Today Your Love, Tomorrow The World" is one of the most powerful songs ever recorded, both here and on The Ramones. It should have ended this album too. Apparently the lyrics sung live: "I'm a Nazi baby, I'm a Nazi, yes I am!" were unacceptable to the record company, so the studio version has "I'm a shock trooper in a stupor, yes I am!" Since the next line, either way, is "I'm a Nazi schatzi, I'll fight for fatherland!" it's hard to see how it makes much difference. I actually think the substitute lyrics are better than the original, but on this album, and every time I saw the Ramones live (in the 1980s), the original lyrics were always sung. So maybe the studio version has a slight edge because of this. (Note, in case any non-Ramones fans are reading: Joey and Tommy were/are both Jewish, so the lyrics should not be taken straightforwardly).
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
"...And Its Discontents" And Its Discontents
It's time to retire "...and its discontents." I don't think any explanation is needed, but any reader who requires one should send me a SASE and it will be duly furnished.
Friday, March 9, 2012
Elections and Beer Revisited
I'm rethinking my remarks about Nixon in the previous "elections and beer" post. I realize this is all confirmation bias, whatever that means, but we don't worry about such things here at BLECCH!
McGovern seems like a real wet blanket. Hunter Thompson, an ardent supporter, speculated that he had no sense of humor. The same HST spent an hour talking football with Nixon one time, however, and reported that Tricky Dick knew his shit. This sort of thing--knowing your shit about football--makes you pretty beer-worthy, indeed the fact that Nixon was interested in anything at all aside from winning elections makes him more beer-worthy than a good many politicians.
It's true that Nixon's visage seems to symbolize "no fun," i.e. non-beer-worthiness, but McGovern's rigid earnestness might clear out a bar even quicker. So I'm giving 1972 to Nixon.
As for Hubert Humphrey, I have read a bit about him but rarely seen film of him in action. He was reputed to be some sort of liberal 'firebrand' in his early days, but at least judging by Robert Caro's account in his biography of LBJ, he seemed to be a pretty pathetic character by the time he ran for president. So I am giving Nixon the benefit of the doubt in 1968; it's at least plausible that he was more beer-worthy than Humphrey at this point.
McGovern seems like a real wet blanket. Hunter Thompson, an ardent supporter, speculated that he had no sense of humor. The same HST spent an hour talking football with Nixon one time, however, and reported that Tricky Dick knew his shit. This sort of thing--knowing your shit about football--makes you pretty beer-worthy, indeed the fact that Nixon was interested in anything at all aside from winning elections makes him more beer-worthy than a good many politicians.
It's true that Nixon's visage seems to symbolize "no fun," i.e. non-beer-worthiness, but McGovern's rigid earnestness might clear out a bar even quicker. So I'm giving 1972 to Nixon.
As for Hubert Humphrey, I have read a bit about him but rarely seen film of him in action. He was reputed to be some sort of liberal 'firebrand' in his early days, but at least judging by Robert Caro's account in his biography of LBJ, he seemed to be a pretty pathetic character by the time he ran for president. So I am giving Nixon the benefit of the doubt in 1968; it's at least plausible that he was more beer-worthy than Humphrey at this point.
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Elections and Beer
I was thinking about the current political standard of who one would "like to have a beer with," and it seems like a pretty iron-clad predictor of general election victory. The only exception is Nixon; most sane people would probably have a beer with anybody before Nixon, or even do anything rather than have a beer with Nixon. But consider:
Obama v. McCain: most I imagine would drink with Obama.
Bush v. Kerry: Definitely Bush.
Bush v. Gore: Definitely Bush.
Clinton v. Dole: Definitely Clinton.
Clinton v. Bush: Definitely Clinton.
Bush v. Dukakis: Bush by a whisker.
Reagan v. Mondale: Reagan wins.
Reagan v. Carter: I'd go with Carter but most people would probably go with Reagan.
Ford v. Carter: Carter by far.
Johnson v. Goldwater: I doubt there'd be anyone on the planet better to have a beer with than LBJ.
Kennedy v. Nixon: See my above remarks about Nixon.
Ike v. Stevenson: Ike for sure.
I don't know enough about most of the also-rans before that (Dewey?) but if it wasn't for Nixon winning twice, this would be pretty well infallible, and even so Nixon didn't run against particularly beer-worthy opponents. Although, if Bush's two elections were fraudulent that introduces another wrinkle...
Obama v. McCain: most I imagine would drink with Obama.
Bush v. Kerry: Definitely Bush.
Bush v. Gore: Definitely Bush.
Clinton v. Dole: Definitely Clinton.
Clinton v. Bush: Definitely Clinton.
Bush v. Dukakis: Bush by a whisker.
Reagan v. Mondale: Reagan wins.
Reagan v. Carter: I'd go with Carter but most people would probably go with Reagan.
Ford v. Carter: Carter by far.
Johnson v. Goldwater: I doubt there'd be anyone on the planet better to have a beer with than LBJ.
Kennedy v. Nixon: See my above remarks about Nixon.
Ike v. Stevenson: Ike for sure.
I don't know enough about most of the also-rans before that (Dewey?) but if it wasn't for Nixon winning twice, this would be pretty well infallible, and even so Nixon didn't run against particularly beer-worthy opponents. Although, if Bush's two elections were fraudulent that introduces another wrinkle...
Thursday, March 1, 2012
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