Customer Reviews

Greatest Hits

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Hits is something of a misnomer when it comes to the Ramones. It's more like the tongue in cheek title that the Red Hot Chili Peppers gave their 1993 EMI collection, "WHAT hits?!?" I am sure that anyone who is a die hard fan probably has all these on CD somewhere, or would have picked alternate titles than the ones presented here since a mere 20 songs sells the band kind of short.

It is going to be a damn long time before we have the likes of the Ramones on this earth again, or a band with this kind of influence. Suffice to say that it's all good (with the possible exception of "Baby I Love You" which had Joey Ramone saturated by Phil Spector's stings). For all the critical nit-picking that has occasionaly been leveled about the lack of variation in the Ramones' style, this CD lays that argument to waste. "Do You Remember Rock And Roll Radio" would be a classic out of anybody's songbook, the Phil Spector production should have made this the breakout record that the band so obviously longed for. But it isn't the same song as the rappy "Wart Hog," which is not the same as "Blitzkrieg Bop" etc, etc.

The unifying thread through almost all of these songs was Joey Ramone's voice, which became more and more soulful as their career proceeded. If Dee Dee and Johnny gave guts to the band, it was Joey's voice that gave it heart. These songs may have been punk-rock-tough, yet these "brothers" were never without spirit. When listening to this disc, it's the Ramones' spirit and heart that will stick in your memory, just as much as any of the classic rock hooks they were so adept at creating.

And just for the record, "Loud Fast Ramones" has 30 songs and rocks harder for just a few bucks more.

If I rate this with 4 stars and not 5 is for one simple reason: C'mon man, lets get serious for a sec, here: I am THE biggest "pinhead" ever (and by that, I mean, the biggest Ramones fan...), but I will always be the first to admit the truth: The Ramones NEVER had any "hits" to speak of. Cult following, over a dozen albums, over 20 years of career... yeah, all of that, but "hits"... I don't think so!

Mainstream success eluded the Ramones during all their career. That's not to say that they didn't have great songs, it simply means that their commercial success was very limited. Few bands have had (and will have) the impact and the influence of the Ramones, but the "Greatest Hits" label really doesn't apply here. Of course, record companies wouldn't know the first thing about common sense, so... clearly in this case they should have used the "Best Of" tag, but...anyway, who cares about semantics?

We're talking punk rock, here, and the Ramones were trailblazers. All the songs here are punk rock classics. As we all know, everyone has their own personal favorites, so everyone has the right to moan and complain about the omission of this song or that song but... the bottom line: if you are a pinhead, you don't need this. If you are looking for a first taste of the Ramones, then this could be the right place to start.

But personally, I would recommend either "Ramonesmania" or "Ramones: Loud and Fast" over this new compilation, simply because they have more songs... it's a little more dough, but it's well worth it. And obviously, "Anthology" is the superior choice...(not to mention the Box Set...)

OK, so most of the Ramones' songs are a lot alike and sound like they were recorded in somebody's garage (hence 4 stars instead of 5), their infectious energy makes them unforgettable. They detonated like a bomb amid the slick disco and overproduced pop music scene of the 1970's. Their music was profoundly influential, but more importantly it was fun ... And it still is, long after Sheena traded in her spiked hair and leather jacket for a mini-van and house in the suburbs. This CD is a great introduction for a musical dilettante like me. Although I'm sure the true Ramones' fans will complain that this song or that has been left off, for those of us among the great unwashed, it delivers the goods. So hey-ho let's go!

In a more perfect world the Ramones would have had a load of hit records. Their songs were written to be hits. Joey Ramone was always thinking that their next release was gonna be the one that would top the charts.

Recent collections handpicked by Johnny Ramone have concentrated on the rougher & tougher stuff but the Ramones are probably more loved for their "shoulda been a hit" material.

The reason why I like this collection is that it primarily highlights the songs that should have been blasting out of our radios for the past 30 years.

This is a great Best Hits CD.

Blitzkrieg Bop is charged and will send you to the dance floor. Sheena Is A Punk Rocker is also got a great rhythm and pulse to it. Teenage Lobotomy is also fast and classic, like all the songs here. Lastly, I wanna Be Sedated is fun and fast.

Their songs do not dwell on negativity, I think they definitly can lift your spirits and make you want to dance.

Highly recommended !

Ramones are my favorite band ever i would have to say, hence the 5 stars.... but since I have virtually their entire collection, The two best of compilations to get I would have to say are "Loud, Fast Ramones" or "Ramones Mania". Basically if you have those two compilation and their first self titled album, you can consider yourself set for a while. Ramones "Anthology is also awesome. My two favorite Ramones albums of all time are RAMONES "Ramones" and "Mondo Bizarro", Of course I'm talking about getting a quick RAMONES fix here, or if you just wanna check out the band for the first time... you gotta start somewhere right? well i wouldn't start here, I would strongly suggest, for the price and a good starting place either "Loud, Fast" or "Mania", the two-disc "Anthology" is pretty damn good as well... But c'mon ,How bout a rarities disc already or something???

Thank the maker! Someone finally got it into their head that collecting the best-known songs by The Ramones would make for a great record! But in all seriousness, the music is timeless and wonderful---and even though Ramones "Hits" compilations now outnumber actual Ramones albums five-to-one---if by some chance you don't already have any of the others, this one seems as good as any for the casual Ramones listener.

The Ramones are an acquired taste and in many ways you either love them or you hate them. Ironically however I'm sort of in the middle. There's a lot of their grungier, punkier songs that just don't do it for me but just about every one of their songs that I do like is on this album and I even found a few new ones that I enjoyed. Out of the 20 tracks on the album there's about 8 or 9 that I like and that's enough to justify buying it for me. It's not particularly expensive like some huge Greatest Hits compilations so it really was a painless purchase on my end.

I won't pretend to know much about the technical side of things but all the tracks sound fine to me and the CD played well out of the case. That's all the production value I really care about.

Good enough for this casual fan. Die hard fans might have a different opinion but if you're like me and there's a handful of Ramone songs you enjoy then chances are they're on this album.

Greatest Hits by The Ramones is a good cd but there are some great songs missing from this album. The Ramones were the coolest punk band ever and I am huge fan of Rock 'n' Roll High School (my first exposure to them) and how can you not love these fast, short, and timeless anthems. My fave song is I Just Wanna Have Something To Do. I also recommend Rocket to Russia, their best LP. Enjoy!

Even though I've listened to songs by the Ramones throughout my life, e.g. "I Wanna Be Sedated", I honestly didn't know anything about the Ramones until after seeing the ENTOURAGE episode when Vince and Eric try to get the script for a Ramones biopic. After seeing the episode, I had a realization of just how influential the Ramones have been to modern music. The Ramones were so influential that there really isn't any decent current band that hasn't been influenced by their music in some way. What's ironic about their career is that the band never received any real popular acclaim until they broke up and most of the members died. Therefore, it's even more ironic that this cd is labeled GREATEST HITS because the Ramones didn't have any greatest hits.

Talking with people I've discovered are Ramones fans, I've come to believe that GREATEST HITS is a good primer for those unacquainted with the band. This was the first Ramones cd I purchased watching that ENTOURAGE episode and it served as a good introduction for me, illustrating just how wide the scope of their musical talents were. My favorite tunes from the album include "Blitzkrieg Bop", "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend", "Sheena Is a Punk Rocker", "I Wanna Be Sedated", "Rock `N' Roll High School", "Baby, I Love You", "Do You Remember Rock `N' Roll Radio?", "The KKK Took My Baby Away", "Pet Sematary", and "Wart Hog".

If you're already a fan of the Ramones, you already own every song on this album so don't buy it. However, if you've just been introduced to the group, RAMONES: GREATEST HITS is a good album to start with.