GABBA GAB A HEY

Rip It Up, Issue 19, 1 February 1979, Page 10

GABBA GAB A HEY

Joey Ramone, 1977

It anyone happened to ask me. I would have told them that The Ramones were the smartest band, bar none, to appear in this half of the '7os. In fact I'd have told them even before they asked, as •my ear bashed 'friends : can testify. Indeed. The Ramones are probably, the neatest concept package of image, ideas and music ever conceived in rock 'n' roll. But the real reason ; I like them is that ; they are simply more fun than anyone else playing today. Basically their idea was to recapture the raw energy and simple fun of music in' the '6os. You know, the Beach Boys' dream of sun. surf and romance. However, a lot had happened since the '6os which left innocent fun beyond revival. In its place The Ramones offered rock 'n' roll pared down to its dynamic

essentials and fa- comic strip vision of modern America. In other words, they're good to dance to and a bit of a laugh besides. This awkward looking quartet immortalised a uniform of black leather jackets, tattered levis and grimy sneakers. Supposedly they were brothers from New York and real dumbos. Of course.- that : was a pack of lies but it was .more fun to believe it .With their first two albums they established a winning musical formula Neanderthal simplicity. But in terms of power, conviction and . above all speed previously undreamt of;, they had the most exhilarating and aggressively youthful sound heard in many a long year. . Lyrically, simplicity and goofiness were agai.i the order of the day. But., as befitted a cartoon version of American, youth. The Ramones’ songs were preoccupied with violence. drugs and nervous breakdown as well as i. hi . miii . . y***. having fun. Undoubtedly there is a wealth of intellectual stimulus to be had in.contemplating The Ramones’ often quite enigmatic lyrics. I’ve always been too busy dancing to their music to think about it myself. Besides the immensely tight rhythm section of Tommy on drums and Dee Dee on bass the

band had. musically speaking, two aces to play. First. Johnny Ramone could deliver the toughest, dirtiest most aggressive guitar sound ever captured on vinyl. Second, Joey Ramone with his hilarious New Yorker’s impersonation of an Fnglish accent was a unique appealing and innovative vocalist. As a musical force The Ramones inspired the New Wave movement. and though literally hundreds of bands cloned off them these two features kept The Ramones a head and shoulders above the

competition. .; ‘ , . : .f.f Their debut album Ramones . and its successor. Romanes; Leave Home, which is undeniably their classic set. established their aptitude for full speed rock and frantic headbanging. This was best exemplified by "Blitzkrieg Bop" and “Beat On The Brat’’ on the first outing and "Suzy Is A Headbanger’’ and

"Pinhead" on the second., “Pinhead”, the ode to the retarded; though in dubious taste became a teen anthem on the strength of the ultimate headbanging riff of all time and its IK "I gtif hilariously inane "Gabba Gabba Hey" chant. Less obvious was The Ramones’ penchant for love songs. reminiscent of the early Beatles in their melodic. simplicity. "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend" from the first album and “I Remember You" from the second were delightrasffiiaHgßlPHHßßßH By this time the British rock press were heaping praise upon the band. Bandied about were such titles as “The Perfect Pop Group". “The Seventies Beatles” and “Simply The Best On The Planet”. The knock-out blow was The Ramones’ boast that they were even faster live. Incredibly they. were, twenty songs in thirty five'minutes with just enough time inbetween for Joey to announce the title and for Dee Dee to shout “1.2. before they raced into the next number.

Always developing, albeit cautiously, upon the initial formula their third album. Rocket To Russia, saw the band delivering a high powered reworking of the Beach Boys surf bop sound. Cuts such as “Rockaway Beach”

“Sheena Is A Punk Rocker” and “Surfin’ Bird” brimmed with the energy and goofy exuberance of the Ramones at their best. However the withering rate of output required by albums of fourteen short, fast songs was beginning to tell. When it came to the second grade songs on Rocket the band could not play with the demented conviction which had carried the day in the past. Listening to their fourth L.P. Road To Ruin it is apparent The Ramones are as smart as ever. Side by side with the familiar power play are three gorgeous ballads “Needles And Pins”. “Don’t Come Close” and “Questioninglv” which Joey renders with all his quirky charm. No cartoon either, there is genuine feeling this time. So. as I say. the Ramones remain the smartest. But the real reason I still like them is they are still the most fun. Dominic Free