Joey Ramone — 鈥�…ya know?鈥�
To me, Joey Ramone will always be known as the father of punk rock. The iconic lead singer of the Ramones defined the genre as the band captured the New York City punk sound with a few, fast-paced guitar chords, thundering drumming, catchy melodies and brash lyrics.
In 1976, these torn jean and leather jacket-wearing rockers became the blueprint for other bands to follow for the next 20 years. The charismatic frontman was taken from us in April 2001 after a long battle with lymphoma.
Surprisingly, the music still flowed with the posthumous release of the singer’s first solo album “Don’t Worry About Me.” A decade later, “…ya know?” features more unreleased material from Ramone. The legendary voice of Ramone is captivating as the music was re-recorded by other artists such as Joan Jett, Stevie Van Zandt, Bun E. Carlos of Cheap Trick, Dennis Diken of the Smithereens and Richie Stotts of the Plasmatics.
In 1977, England had the Sex Pistols, and we had the Ramones to fuel the uninhibited punk sound. That same year, I purchased “Rocket to Russia,” the Ramones’ third album. With songs like “Sheena Is a Punk Rocker,” “Cretin Hop,” “Teenage Lobotomy” and “Locket Love,” “Rocket to Russia” became the music bible for my best friend and me as it inspired us to form our first garage band, performing “Rockaway Beach” at our high school talent show.
While I’ve seen numerous shows by the Ramones, one of my biggest thrills was getting to visit the CBGB club in lower Manhattan where the band would often perform to a frenzied crowd before the doors finally closed in 2006. The opener, “Rock ‘n’ Roll Is the Answer,” is a traditional Ramones-sounding rocker that could easily fit on any of the band’s albums. Other standout tracks include the hometown anthem “New York City,” the infectious “Party Line” with backing vocals by Holly Beth Vincent, the pulsating “21st Century Girl” featuring Joan Jett on guitar, the haunting acoustic ballad “Waiting for That Railroad” and a slowed-down remake of “Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want to Fight).” Ramone may be gone, but his music still lives on.
In the famous words of Ramone, “Hey! Ho! Let’s go!”