Up until I was 16, I thought the Ramones were a joke. Seriously, I was too metal to understand the appeal until then. As fate would have it, I was fortunate enough to be a roadie for a local DJ part time in my youth. Which, in a way, helped convert me into a faithful Ramones fanboy.
DJ-ing was a family thing (my mother, Elly, was a DJ), and I did not mind tagging along, especially if the gig was destined to be a good time. Rules: School Dances were always fun, outdoor gigs (regardless of the event) were usually cool, but I kind of hated traditional weddings. I have seen one too many dollar dances to really give a shit.
I actually DJ'd one gig on my own at the Seibenbuerger Club when I was 20. I blew. But I digress....
One night, at age 16 (1991 for those keeping score), I was offered the roadie gig for an event at the Pitt campus in Titusville. Never one to turn down money, I accepted. So we loaded up the blue Caravan and headed to the venue.
I remember it like it was yesterday: a Social Hall with horrible acoustics, filled with students requesting off the wall shit like Bob Dylan. I realized early that we were out of familiar territory... Elly was a wedding/dance DJ, and supplied the educated youth with ample amounts of Technotronic despite their cries for the artsy fartsy.
Now, even though the awkward requests from the college crowd had no place at a traditional dance, Elly, always the professional, did her best to appease them. One tune they all wanted to hear was "I Wanna Be Sedated" by the Ramones. When Elly spinned that record, I shit you not, the place erupted into a fever pitch of excitement. People were bouncing like a room full of retarded rabbits. Then all of a sudden, a human train erupted. It was a weird but wondrous moment that left an impression on the young Nago.
A hundred kids jumping around to a song by the Ramones? Whats up with that?
I am sure the rest of the dance sucked.
After we got got back to Old Wattsburg Road later that evening, I took Elly's Ramones Mania CD from her case. I spun it a few times, and felt nothing. A few more spins yielded the same result. It took some time for the brilliance of the remedial NYC punkers to slowly seep into my consciousness.
Fast forward a few years. The hair was gone, the scene had changed and Nago was an impressionable mind absorbing all that he could. It was prime time for a Ramones revival. I remembered the experience at the dance at BFE Pitt Campus and started a Napster/Ramones download frenzy that included some seriously obscure stuff at the time (including the non-released "Carbona Not Glue" - which is still one of my favorites).
Honestly though, "Blitzkrieg Bob" was the gateway drug. I still love it.
I could go on all night about the Ramones, but I won't. I will say this, I love music that is equal parts sad and upbeat. "The KKK Took My Baby Away" is perfect for this reason. Joey's girlfriend split to marry his guitar player, Johnny. The two never were the same afterward. Johnny was a huge conservative, hence, Joey's metaphorical lyric, which to me was equal parts sad and beautiful in expressing his depression regarding the loss of his love to his partner and friend.
Also, anyone that can wax about the simplicity of horror with a lyric like : "Hey Daddy-o, I don't wanna go down to the basement, there's something down there", deserves a slow clap by everyone that gets it.
One more note: "Sheena is a Punk Rocker" is one of the best Rock and Roll songs ever written. It is right up there with Peggy Sue and Hound Dog. The Ramones studio version is not available on YouTube, so deal with the cover (which still kicks ass).
RIP:
Joey: 1951 to 2001 (Lymphoma)
Dee Dee: 1951 - 2002 (Heroin overdose)
Johnny: 1948 - 2004 (Prostate Cancer)
It is pretty sad that one of the most influential bands of all time had 3/4 of its original members die within 3 years of each other. This is especially tragic considering the band started in 1974 and disbanded in 1996.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramones
Nerds can hitch a ride to rock away beach...
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