#47 Ramones, 'Ramones' (1976)

Previously #33

“Hey Ho! Let’s Go!,’ begins the debut album by Ramones. One of the most iconic and recognisable lyrics of all time was inspired by the Rolling Stones lyrics “High hose, tippy toes” on ‘Walking The Dog,’ the last track on their debut record. Taken from the song ‘Blitzkrieg Bop,’ the title was inspired by Nazi “lightning war” tactic and was written by Tommy and Dee Dee Ramone. Interestingly, Tommy was the son of Jewish Holocaust survivors who were saved by friends. Dee Dee grew up in Berlin, before moving to NYC at the age of 15. Growing up in post WWII Germany, he had a fascination with Nazi relics. The band was spotted at CBGB by journalist, Lisa Robinson, who was instrumental in getting Danny Fields (ex-Stooges manager) to manage them, which subsequently lead to their getting signed with Sire.

The record is short, fast and loud. Clocking in at just under 30 minutes, the 14 tracks average 2 minutes or less, with the longest track, ‘I Don’t Wanna Go Down To The Basement,’ the longest at two minutes, forty. Coincidentally, it’s also the longest album title on the record. It’s a seminal collection of punk songs that would go on to influence almost every punk band that followed, from The Damned to the Clash to The Misfits to Green Day. And not just that, it would have a major influence on metal and grunge too. In fact, the band became so influential, that people would walk around with their logo on t-shirts, not even knowing why they were doing it. Other highlights on the record include ‘Beat On The Brat,’ ‘Judy Is A Punk,’ ‘I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend’… I’ve just realised that I’m simply naming the tracks in order. The whole thing is a highlight.

#rs500albums