Drano Wrote:
billy g Wrote:
Drano Wrote:
Rocket to Russia is great, but their first album is just insane.
nah...rocket to russia is a better album. the first album was **more important** but there's really little explanation for it being the universal favorite from their catalog. I have a soft spot for End of the Century and would put that above the debut too.
It has more energy and hits harder, more immediately. The explanation for it being "universal favorite" is that a lot of people would pick "Blitzkrieg Bop", "Beat on the Brat", and "Judy Is a Punk" as 3 of their favorite Ramones songs. And it just doesn't miss for the remainder of the album, even if it doesn't maintain that same level of excellence.
I agree with you on tackling some of the popular favorites, but eventually you just start to come across as doggedly contrarian.
I'm with Drinky on this one.
Ramones kicks you right in the balls from the get-go.
Rocket to Russia doesn't have the same urgency, and it has two lame covers.
Why is it a universal favorite? Like you said, it's probably the entry point for most people, which also serves to define the band. Loud, fast, raw, fun.
Rocket to Russia is a different record. It's got most of the ingredients, but not the same proportions. It's also more polished.
I would also bet that most people, even music dorks, don't feel the need to own a bunch of Ramones records. The s/t is all you need. This isn't Bob Dylan or Bruce Springsteen or Neil Young covering all sorts of artistic ground. It's the Ramones, and expectations are pretty specific and limited.
