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).