Rating: 9/10

Track Amount: 14

Running Time: 31 minutes and 14 seconds

Genre: Punk Rock

Personnel: Joey Ramone (vocals), Johnny Ramone (guitars), Dee Dee Ramone (backing vocals and bass guitar), Tommy Ramone (drums)

Producer: Tony Bongiovi, T. Erdelyi

Recording Location: Sundragon Studios, New York City, USA

Record Label: Sire Records

Art Direction: John Gillespie

Best Tracks: Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment, Suzy Is A Headbanger, California Sun

Quick Verdict: Minimal music made just how it should be

The Ramones were just getting started at this point. After the revolutionary success of their self-titled debut album, they quickly recorded and released this, their second album, in early 1977, just as Punk Music itself was taking off in music culture. The songs on this album were notably somewhat more sophisticated musically than on the debut album by the Ramones. Even so, this album remains a cult classic amongst Punk Rockers and received overwhelmingly positive reviews from many critics of the time. The simplicity and immediacy of the music won over more fans at this stage. Let’s go back to 1977 and hear this album, and we shall hope that it is a thoroughly consistent listening experience.

1. Glad To See You Go begins with a neat guitar progression and powerful drums, leading into a simple and dumbed-down Pop/Rock/Punk listening experience. Nonetheless, this is addictively listenable and fantastic for what it is. Very short and interesting musically and melodically, just like how simple and effective Punk Music should be. A very wonderful and explorative tune that deserves to be heard by many more out there. The guitars, drums and singing are top-notch and enjoyable to the full. A really great song to begin this album with, and the vocals are divine to conclude with.

2. Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment launches right into it with guitars and drums throughout. This is a hilarious song about receiving electroshock treatment from a doctor. Hilarious, wonderful, energetic and youthful sounding, this is great music that still sounds as aggressive and wonderful today as it did way back in 1977. Less than two minutes long, but very wonderful to listen to throughout. Another great song to listen to.

3. I Remember You is a slower, and dirty guitar based song that sounds absolutely blissful to listen to. This is another short, sharp blast of Punk Rock Music that still sounds thoroughly awesome many decades later. A seriously cool and divine tune that is fresh and inspired. The Ramones sound quite unlike anyone else, before or since, which is a strong selling point for their own music, especially given this album’s consistency. Although this song is a little repetitive vocally, it is still awesome enough to sit through. A seriously dope tune that is eternally rewarding for repeat listens. Very, very cool to listen to. It ends fairly quickly.

4. Oh, Oh, I Love Her So is another short tune that sounds like a bit of an updated take on The Beach Boys. This is a cool and hard-sounding midtempo rocker at hand. The Ramones deliver a wonderful and impressive song that has a unique and brilliant set of music and sounds throughout. This is an ode to young love as such, and it sounds extremely cool and unlike anyone else. The late 1970s had Disco rivalling these guys, but this has a much more immediate appeal than most Disco Music from this era. Another fantastic and simple song to listen to. There is a brief instrumental break followed by a single guitar chord at the end of it all.

5. Carbona Not Glue is a song that got the band into legal difficulties with the title of the song itself, over the use of the word Carbona, which was trademarked. It begins with some awesome and punchy melodic guitar chords at hand. Joey Ramone sings in his typical American drawl, but sounds wonderfully melodic on this song in particular. A seriously wonderful tune about the drug habits of use by any means necessary that one can get their hands on. An absolutely awesome song that is very iconic in its own way. The Ramones deserve a lot more credit for changing how music was heard than what they currently get. Top. It fades out nicely at the end.

6. Suzy Is A Headbanger is a cool tune from the start, with some neatly melodic guitar chords and riffs that are eternally memorable. This launches into a cool song that is very much a fan favourite for those of you out there who dig Punk Music of any sort. The guitar riff breakdown is also fantastic, and this album should inspire young men and women to play guitar to this very day. An absolutely solid and enjoyable song to listen to. This is proto-Sex Pistols-style music, and of course, John Lydon was paying close attention to the Ramones. A great song, period.

7. Pinhead begins with some thunderous drums and treated vocals, before launching into a much more controlled-sounding song at hand. Regardless, this music is very solidly consistent, even if it isn’t the Ramones quintessential debut album. This is just as essential listening, however. An amazingly joyous and thoroughly frenetic song about being accused of being dumb. This sounds like the music that inspired many bands to follow, including The Clash and the Dead Kennedys, as such, amongst many other notable Punk musicians. A more downtempo song with some pitch-shifted vocal samples at the end. A bit weird, but cool nonetheless.

8. Now I Wanna Be A Good Boy begins with some punchy guitars and drums at hand, before launching into another joyous and upbeat tune at hand. This music continues to be consistently awesome and fun to listen to throughout, just sounding absolutely awesome. Drum breaks are present as well, before this launches into a section of chugging palm-muted guitar work at hand. This is simple music for simple-minded people out there. A really great song to match the album, with some suspenseful and awesome progressions throughout. Decent and listenable.

9. Swallow My Pride is a more downtempo and dirty-sounding guitar-based tune with some awesome singing, sounds and simplicity for those of you who dig minimalism in their music. An absolutely divine and awesome tune to listen to, complete with handclaps in some sections. This is a cool and interesting song that continues the power and furious energy of this album. A seriously cool listen throughout that has some neat and wonderful energy about it all. This sounds a bit like what The Clash would eventually record around this time with their own debut album. Another fantastic song to listen to.

10. What’s Your Game is a lush-sounding song that doesn’t quite sound like the Ramones. Still, this more ballad-style material at hand is sweet and lovely for the Ramones. This music is straight-up pretty and enjoyable. This was probably intended to be a song for the ladies in the group’s audience upon listening to it. Even so, the variety on this album is not a bad thing, and certainly, there have been worse examples of that in Punk Music. With a reference to “Sweet Mary Jane” (possibly a weed reference), this does sound very good, although some listeners will find it odd. Good to hear regardless.

11. California Sun is one of the most popular songs from this album. It begins with a count-in and leads into a powerful and interesting piece of music with some awesome drumming, call-and-response vocals and guitar. This sounds fast, interesting and sharply melodic throughout. The Ramones did simple Punk styled music better than most musicians could ever dream of. The desire to go to California and enjoy the sun and have some fun is present here lyrically, matched with memorable Punk Rock Music that is enjoyable and blissful throughout. Another solidly good song by the Ramones. Awesome stuff to listen to.

12. Commando begins with a shouted count-in and launches into another gloriously good and quick tune at hand. This music sounds extremely and simply catchy at hand. The song itself is genuinely cool and groovy throughout. The sounds and performances by the Ramones are seriously cool and sweet, in their own simple way. A fantastically glorious and upbeat tune about the nature of war and being sent off to fight in what someone else decides for young people to do is here. Short and sweet.

13. You’re Gonna Kill That Girl begins with some soft guitar playing and some melodic singing, which is different for the Ramones. It is a good listen, which launches into a brutal story about a murderer on the loose. This song sounds particularly groovy and unique throughout for its rather tragic tale at hand. A seriously refreshing and cool song that has power and energy throughout. Its depiction of violence and abuse is very out there, but this music is nicely structured and well delivered by the Ramones. A thoroughly good song, in all respects. This song features an outro that the Dead Kennedys borrowed later on for their own Kill The Poor song. Neat.

14. You Should Have Never Opened That Door is the final song on this short album. It begins with some upbeat and melodic playing on the guitars and drums to match it. This is a story about the horrors and problems that a young mother can experience in the world. This has some interesting playing and performing, which sounds really interesting and melodic. Punk could show the world that it could be melodic here as well. A good finish to a very decent album that has some interesting songs and music to match it. It fades out nicely at the end.

To be clear, this is not the greatest Ramones album ever made. Having said that, it is a solid follow-up to their classic debut album that has power, passion and energy throughout it all. The music and songs do have an overall consistency that makes this yet another winner in the Ramones back catalogue. It is also pleasantly short for what it is. Should you listen to this album? Definitely give it a try if you can, unless you hate minimal music. This is very much a keeper overall.

If you like this article, please like, share, comment and follow me on The Ultimate Music Library. Thank you, Chris Airey.