Beer Frame

Okay, it’s about two in the morning, so it’s officially Theme Show Thursday. Today’s theme is going to be The Ramones, so I thought I’d write a little about them in this morning’s Beer Frame.

The first Ramones album came out when I was a senior in high school in 1976. I remember reading a review of it in Creem magazine and the reviewer said they sounded like the Beach Boys on speed. Well I liked speed and I liked the Beach Boys, so I bought the album and couldn’t believe what I heard when I played it.

You have to realize this was 1976 and the whole music scene really sucked. Here’s some “number one” songs from 1976:

Barry Manilow—I Write the Songs
Bee Gees—You Should Be Dancing
Bellamy Brothers—Let Your Love Flow
Chicago—If You Leave Me Now
Diana Ross—Love Hangover
Elton John & Kiki Dee—Don't Go Breaking My Heart
Johnnie Taylor—Disco Lady

As you can see, pretty fucking lame. From the opening song on the album, “Blitzkrieg Bop,” I was blown away. I had never heard anything like this in my life. I played that album over and over. And the songs were fucking hilarious. Shit like, “Beat on the Brat,” and “Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue.”

And they looked bizarre at the time. They all wore black leather motorcycle jackets and T-shirts and their jeans were all ripped up. And they had almost identical soup bowl type haircuts. Nobody looked like this at the time.

I really got into punk rock after that and started reading a magazine published in New York called Punk. The editor and designer was John Holmstrom (and he also did the artwork on Rocket to Russia) and the “reident punk,” was Legs McNeil. These guys hung out with the Ramones, Blondie, Iggy Pop, the Sex Pistols, David Johansson and the whole C.B.G.B.’s crew. I remember reading Punk magazine in my bedroom wondering what New York was like.

And years later I found out when I moved here in 1993. And through the years I’ve gotten to know John Holmstrom and Legs McNeil, I met all the Ramones at a book signing in 1993, I interviewed Marky Ramone in 1986 for my magazine fishwrap, got to know their publicist, Ida Langsam and a couple weeks ago I met Dee Dee’s ex-wife, Vera at a book signing and got her to sign my book, “Hi Asshole!”

It’s a crazy fucking world! Here’s one of the earliest clips of The Ramones, you’ll be hearing a lot more from them and about them later. As always, the new posts start around noon. Hope to see you then!

Cheers!

Marty

Comments

[biff]

i've said it before and i'll say it again - chicago or not, peter cetera BLOWS. looking forward to ramones thursday!