The album Butch Vig called “the best punk record ever”
The entire world of rock shifted on its axis the first time punk broke through to the mainstream. Although many concerned parents were appalled at seeing the new age of punk fashion everywhere, the mentality of breaking down the status quo to pave the way for something new was a breath of fresh air in the age of bloated 1970s progressive rock. While Butch Vig would eventually help carry on the punk tradition as a producer and musician, he claimed that no band ever came close to what the Ramones achieved.
Then again, there was no real blueprint for what punk rock was supposed to be. While it was known just as much as a fashion statement in the early days, the biggest rule behind many punk outfits had no rules, rebelling against any kind of authority that stood in the way of them expressing themselves.
While acts like Sex Pistols may have sounded the clarion call for punk in England, The Clash would be one of the few who brought the genre into greater focus. Compared to the artists who were just looking to spread destruction everywhere they went, Joe Strummer had the idea of making music that could enact change in the world, writing songs with militant lyrics on tracks like ‘London Calling’.
Although Vig would be enamoured with what The Clash were doing overseas, he admitted that one band from New York got to him first. Before the true punk revolution crashlanded on American shores, Ramones had already written the blueprint for what the genre was supposed to be.
Not knowing the basics of music theory nor caring to, every member was looking to play the starkest pop rock they could, leading the charge with thunderous power chords played at lightning speeds. Although ‘Blitzkrieg Bop’ would later become a fixture of every garage group looking to learn their chops, Vig saw the record as a statement of intent.
Looking back on the album with Line of Best Fit, Vig thought that Ramones’ debut was among the greatest pieces of work the genre had to offer, stating, “The first Ramones record is the greatest punk rock record of all time. It inspired The Sex Pistols. It inspired everybody. A thousand punk rock bands were formed after they saw The Ramones. They were the first true originals to do that.”
While Vig would find his true calling behind the board, his first bands would be various offshoots of punk, turning the knobs for artists like Sonic Youth and Killdozer before getting the chance to work with Nirvana. Even though Kurt Cobain would help bring about the rise of grunge with Vig on the album Nevermind, the sounds of the record contained all the hallmarks of what Ramones stood for.
Even with the raw aggression from the guitars and Cobain’s screaming vocals, the inherent hookiness of the songs kept fans coming back for more, all while spreading the word of taking the charts away from the pretty boys on MTV. Alternative music may have become the biggest genre known afterwards, but Vig knew that he got his greatest strengths from what Ramones taught him all those years ago.
