Premettendo che io semplicemente amo alla follia i Ramones (batterista a parte, che mi sa di sfigato tra gli sfigati), bisogna ammettere che i Ramones vanno messi nell'olimpo del Punk, insieme ai Sex Pistols, Clash, Dead Kennedys e l'onnipresente Avril Lavigne (che di punk ha poco e niente, ma il mondo sembra convinto del contrario).
Loro sono puro punk: non sanno nè comporre, nè arrangiare (le parti di batteria sono agghiaccianti) e neppure suonare.
Vanno considerati per il loro significato nel movimento punk, che ha avuto il merito di spazzare via il prog rock che stava diventando solo tecnica fine a sè stessa (anche se evidentemente non l'ha spazzato via tutto, visto che ci sono in giro ancora delle creature malvagie come Malmsteen, le cui canzoni sono esercizi di pura tecnica, forse apprezzabili da un chitarrista – virtuoso, ovviamente, perchè io non riuscirei a fare neanche una millesima parte di quello che fa il nostro Yngwie), ma dal punto di vista musicale, se scrutato da un'ottica rock, sono il nulla pneumatico (e anche i fan più sfegatati del punk devono convenire che il mio ragionamento è abbastanza sensato).
Ma lasciamo parte i vaneggiamenti inutili e passiamo alla de-recensione.
Il disco parte con “Pet Sematary” che, diciamocelo, del punk incendiario di “God save the queen” o “Anarchy in the U.K.” ha veramente poco e questa storia del non-essere-punk prosegue circa fino alla decima traccia, a parte “Anxiety” (canzone veramente molto carina). Infatti dalla traccia numero dieci alla diciotto sono presenti una serie di live che sono il reale fulcro del cd e rappresenta il sound dei Ramones duri e crudi ed, in definitiva, più punk.
“Sheena is a punk rocker” con quella batteria assolutamente assurda (evidentemente non sanno che i piatti ed il charleston NON vengono usati per tenere il tempo in sedicesimi - tra l'altro a volumi altissimi) è un pezzo simpatico che scorre liscio fino alla fine; “Surfin' Bird” un pò noiosetta, con un intermezzo di Joey che urla “Surfin' Bird” e fa dei versi assurdi; “I wanna be sedated”, una delle canzoni più belle dei Ramones, anche se in questa versione è cantata con un Joey dalla voce molto profonda.
“Rock and Roll Radio” con un'introduzione di batteria che è simpatica (niente di sublime), ma la melodia è un pò scontata, a parte il basso (molto curato a livello di arrangiamenti).
“Blitzkrieg bop”, la canzone che riassume i Ramones, col suo “Hey ho, let's go!”, in questa versione più veloce dell'originale e con una serie di “accorgimenti” che la rendono più appetibile.
Insomma, in conclusione non è niente di speciale, ma è imperdibile per un collezionista che vuole avere in una raccolta i pezzi migliori del gruppo che ha fondato il punk americano.
Elenco tracce e testi
02 Cretin Hop (00:00)
There's no stoppin' the cretins from hoppin'
you gotta keep it beatin'
for all the hoppin' cretins
cretin! cretin!
I'm gonna go for a whirl with my cretin girl
my feet won't stop
doing the cretin hop
cretin! cretin!
1 - 2 - 3 - 4
cretins wanna hop some more
4 - 5 - 6 - 7
all good cretins go to heaven
(Repeat)
03 Rockaway Beach (00:00)
Chewin' out a rhythm on my bubble gum
The sun is out and I want some
It's not hard, not far to reach
We can hitch a ride
To Rockaway Beach
Up on the roof, out on the street
Down in the playground, the hot concrete
Bus ride is too slow
They blast out the disco on the radio
Rock, rock, Rockaway Beach
Rock, rock, Rockaway Beach
Rock, rock, Rockaway Beach
We can hitch a ride
To Rockaway Beach
Rock, rock, Rockaway Beach
Rock, rock, Rockaway Beach
Rock, rock, Rockaway Beach
We can hitch a ride
To Rockaway Beach
It's not hard, not far to reach
We can hitch a ride
To Rockaway beach
It's not hard, not far to reach
We can hitch a ride
To Rockaway beach
Chewin' out a rhythm on my bubble gum
The sun is out and I want some
It's not hard, not far to reach
We can hitch a ride
To Rockaway Beach
Up on the roof, out on the street
Down in the playground, the hot concrete
Bus ride is too slow
They blast out the disco on the radio
Rock, rock, Rockaway Beach
Rock, rock, Rockaway Beach
Rock, rock, Rockaway Beach
We can hitch a ride
To Rockaway Beach
Rock, rock, Rockaway Beach
Rock, rock, Rockaway Beach
Rock, rock, Rockaway Beach
We can hitch a ride
To Rockaway Beach
Rock, rock, Rockaway Beach
Rock, rock, Rockaway Beach
Rock, rock, Rockaway Beach
We can hitch a ride
To Rockaway Beach
04 Commando (00:00)
They do their best
They do what they can
They get them ready for Viet Nam
From old Hanoi to East Berlin
Commando---Involved again
They do their best
They do what they can
They get them ready for Viet Nam
First rule is: The laws of Germany
Second rule is: Be nice to mommy
Third rule is: Don't talk to commies
Fourth rule is: Eat kosher salamis
11 Psycho Therapy (00:00)
Psycho therapy
Psycho therapy
Psycho therapy
That's what they wanna give me
Psycho therapy
Psycho therapy
Psycho therapy
All they wanna give me
I'm a teenage schizoid
The one your parents despise
Psycho therapy
Now I got glowing eyes
I'm a teenage schizoid
Pranks and muggings are fun
Psycho therapy
Gonna kill someone
Psycho therapy
Psycho therapy
I like takin' Tuinal
It keeps me edgy and mean
I'm a teenage schizoid
I'm a teenage dope fiend
I'm a kid in the nut house
I'm a kid in the psycho zone
Psycho therapy
I'm gonna burglarize your home
Psycho therapy
Psycho therapy
12 Teenage Lobotomy (00:00)
Lobotomy, lobotomy, lobotomy, lobotomy!
DDT did a job on me
Now I am a real sickie
Guess I'll have to break the news
That I got no mind to lose.
All the girls are in love with me
I'm a teenage lobotomy.
Slugs and snails are after me
DDT keeps me happy
Now I guess I'll have to tell 'em
That I got no cerebellum.
Gonna get my Ph.D.
I'm a teenage lobotomy.
REPEAT
18 We Want The Airwaves (00:00)
9 to 5 and 5 to 9
Ain't gonna take it
It's our time
We want the world and we want it now
We're gonna take it anyhow
We want the airwaves
We want the airwaves
We want the airwaves, baby
If rock is gonna stay alive
(2x)
Oh yeah
well alright
Let's rock
tonight
All night
Where's your guts and will to survive
And don't you wanna keep rock'n'roll music alive
Mr. Programmer
I got my hammer
And I'm gonna
Smash my
Smash my
Brain!
We want the airwaves
We want the airwaves
We want the airwaves, baby
If rock is gonna stay alive
(2x)
Oh yeah
well alright
Let's rock
tonight
All night
We want the airwaves airwaves
We want the airwaves airwaves
We want the airwaves airwaves
We want the airwaves airwaves
We want the airwaves, baby
20 I Just Want To Have Something To Do (00:00)
"Hangin out on Second Avenue
Eating chicken feelin' blue
I just want to be with you
I just want to have something to do
Tonight, tonight, tonight
Tonight, tonight
Well allright
Tonight, tonight, tonight
Tonight, tonight, tonight
Wait-now
Wait-now
Hanging out all by myself
I don't want to be with anybody else
I just want to be with you
I just want to have something to do
Tonight, tonight, tonight
Tonight, tonight
Well allright
Tonight, tonight, tonight
Tonight, tonight, tonight
Wait-now
Wait-now
(4x)
Hanging out all by myself
I don't want to be with anybody else
I just want to be with you
I just want to have something to do
Tonight, tonight, tonight
Tonight, tonight
Well allright
Tonight, tonight, tonight
Tonight, tonight, tonight
Tonight, tonight, tonight
Tonight, tonight, tonight
22 Indian Giver (00:00)
I can still remember
It wasn't long ago
Things you used to tell me
You said I had to know
Told me that you loved me
And that you always would
Then I said I loved you
You said that that was good
Girl, you made a promise
Said you'd never want me to go
Oh no
Indian giver, Indian giver
You took your love away from me
Indian giver, Indian giver
Took back the love you gave to me
Baby, I was feeling
The way I want to feel
You had me believing
The love we had was real
Things we did together
You said they'd never end
Now until forever
Yeah, that was what you said
Girl, when I was down,
I knew you'd always be there
Oh, yeah
Indian giver, Indian giver
You took your love away from me
Indian giver, Indian giver
Took back the love you gave to me
25 Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment (00:00)
I was feeling sick
Losing my mind
I heard about these treatments
From a good friend of mine
He was always happy
Smile on his face
He said he had a great time at the place.
Peace and love is here to stay
And now I can wake up and face the day
Happy happy happy all the time
Shock treatment, I'm doing fine.
Gimme gimme shock treatment
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