Johnny Ramone’s favourite album by the Ramones
The Ramones burned bright and fast. After forming in 1974, the group only lasted until 1996 before their drug use and general misadventure caught up with them. During that time, they were busy establishing themselves as one of the pioneering forces in punk across their 14 albums. But one stood out to Johnny Ramone as a clear favourite.
Johnny Ramone saw it all. As one of only two constant members, alongside Joey, his guitar playing informed the band’s sound from start to finish. With his punk playing and Joey’s recognisable vocals, they set the tone for the band and allowed it to keep developing, even as the lineup switched and changed around them.
In the 1980s especially, the band underwent a lot of change. Marky Ramone was fired due to his worsening alcoholism and replaced by Richie Ramone, who Joey claimed “put the spirit back in the band”. Even Dee Dee Ramone, who had always been a key member of the group and a crucial part of their songwriting process, left the band. Luckily, though, things stayed amicable, and he continued helping them out by penning tracks but not getting on stage.
But the evolution of the Ramones was essential to the evolution of punk. They were the band that set the tone, racing out of the gate quickly as one of the first punk groups that all others looked to. Their influence was heard across the music of their peers and even in modern punk and rock music today. So, with each new step they took, punk eventually took it too.
Yet even though each album has its merits, one stood out to Johnny Ramone as a clear best in class and a favourite of his. He picked out Road To Ruin, their 1978 album, as his favourite.
It was their fourth album, which seems to make a lot of sense. After their debut made them stars and shot their rough, DIY punk onto the world’s stage, their popularity has dipped record upon record since as they were figuring out what to do next, how to keep things exciting and how to keep evolving as suddenly countless other punk units were around them stealing their vibe. But by their fourth, they seemed to have figured it out, with the song ‘I Wanna Be Sedated’ proving a big hit and timelessly beloved rock tune.
But according to Johnny Ramone, what stood out to him was the perfected production. “The production on this is the best of all of them,” he said of the record.
This makes a lot of sense too. The album was produced by their own Tommy Ramone as all the previous ones had been, but he’d just quit the band. Unable to cope with the stress of touring, he made the decision to act solely behind the control desk, potentially leading to an incredible album as the ex-drummer set about trying to prove his decision was right.
He was also joined by Ed Stasium. Stasium had engineered records for the band before, so he knew their sound and style, but this was his first time stepping up to the production plate for them. Fresh off the back of working on Talking Heads’ Talking Heads: 77, he seemed to bring more of a post-punk air to the production, helping to refine the sound.
But also, Ramone’s love of the record simply came down the the tunes included on its tracklist. “There are so many good songs on it,” he said, with many of the tunes enduring as fan favourites.
