Customer Reviews

Road to Ruin (Dlx)

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Don't listen to the likes of Legs McNeil (whose inappropriate liner notes all but damn this album as some kind of sell-out. Note to Rhino: why be so apologetic?). The fact is, you can pretty much defend any Ramones album as being their best, well beyond the indisputable classics of the 1970s (my other favorites - "Halfway to Sanity," "Brain Drain," and "Adios Amigos," none of which are considered great by allegedly in-the-know rock critics). In many ways, "Road to Ruin" is their best album, the one that truly marks the end of an era for the band, their euphoric highs with their disenchanted lows. It mixes strung-out nihilism with gooey bubblegum so deftly that its simplicity, once again, somehow managed to fly way over people's heads. In any case, the greatest punk was founded on bubblegum aesthetics, and the Ramones knew this better than anyone on the planet at the time...and "It's A Long Way Back" is the greatest album closer ever.

I eagerly awaited the release of the "classic' Ramones album, "Road To Ruin" way back in the day. When it came out, I was surprised by the "slick" cartoon-like album cover, first of all. AND, who was this "Marky" guy, anyway?

I opened up the album, slapped the vinyl (yes, VINYL) onto my cheap $20 turn-table, and book! Here it was!

Okay, first of all, the production was arguably the best of the first four Ramones albums. We got a slight taste of it with the then import only live album "It's Alive", produced by the classic soundmaster Ed Stasium. Stasium had a bit to do with "Rocket To Russia" as well, but the credit for that album goes mostly to Tommy Ramone. Anyways, before I rate the songs, I should note that "Road To Ruin" is absolutly crunching when it comes to the guitar sounds, and the drums are hard hitting and heavy. So THAT's who "Marky" is, I thought to myself!

Now to the actual album. "I Just Wanna Have Something To Do" is pure genius, pure Ramones. The simple yet stunning lyrics ("Hangin' out on second avenue; eatin' Chicken Vindaloo"), the steady beat, this song is the epitomy of the Ramones "sound". And songs like "I Wanted Everything", "I'm Against It" (with the classic line; "I don't like Burger King, I don't like anything"), "Bad Brain", etc, were good stuff. BUT, there was the strangly inappropriate "Questioningly", with it's COUNTRY steel guitar (which of course everyone knows that Jonhnny didn't play), and "Don't Come Close", well, I must admit that I was a bit frustrated at the time (little did I know that "End Of The Century" was less than a year away!). But now these songs make sense in the context of the fact that the Ramones were trying to "diverisfy" their sound in order to (perhaps) get that hit single that had so unfairly eluded them thus far.

It didn't work.

As any old time Ramones fan will tell you, the Ramones were the most unlucky band of all time. Their management either released the wrong song for a single (as was the case when WEA decided to release "I Wanna Live" from the so-so album "Halfway To Sanity", even thought it was released in mid-summer and "Go 'Lil Camaro, Go" was a classic "fun/car/girl" song that could have made a big hit for the Ramones), or they were quite simply way to ahead of their time for the mainstream to "get it". This is the case with "Road To Ruin".

The Sex Pistols got a lot of press and even album sales due to the fact that in their oh-so contrived "rage" they said the "f word" and sand about anarchy, nuclear submarines, dethroning the British Queen, and of course; abortions. And the Pistols only stayed together for 18 months, leaving us with basically one studio album (which, in my opinion, is the most over-rated "punk rock" record ever made), and a dead so-called "bass player". The Ramones were the band that INSPIRED the Sex Pistols, and theby never resorted to such shock value pap as "f words", abortion innuendo, and anarchy. Instead, the Ramones rallied all of us outsiders with the classic war cry "Gabba Gabba we accept you, we accept you, one of us!". And it was a hell of a lot more "punk rock" to sing about selling your [...] for dope money as Dee Dee penned in the immortal "53rd and 3rd". Oh well.

So anyways, "Road To Ruin" is a good "hard rock" album, striking a "punk" chord every now and again. The sound is loud, the guitars are heavy and buzzing, and Marky, when he wasn't drunk, laid down some good beats. This album is worth having, if not for the fact that it has "I Just Wanna Have Something To Do" and "I Wanna Be Sedated" on it. Also, the "bonus-tracks" on this re-issue are nothing new; the live scene from "Rock 'N' Roll High School", a slightly different version of "I Want You Around", and one newly discovered gem, that's all. The bonus tracks on "Too Tough To Die" are the REAL revalation, man!

So if you wanna "rock out", then get this album first. You'll tap your feet, drown in country music inspired beer delirium in the nasty "Questioningly", and just basically go nuts to "Bad Brain" and "I'm Against It". BUT, if you're looking for the truly definitive Ramones sound, then start with "Rocket To Russia" and gradute to the definitve "post 70's" sound of "Too Tough To Die" (wich is, in my esteemed opinion, the Ramones overall best album).

Either way, buy all fo the reissues since you jerks didn't buy 'em while the Ramones were ALIVE, so get 'em now and show that you were really "punk rock" back when you were ACTUALLY listening to Poison, Motley Crue, and Winger!

AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGG!

It seems to be, sadly enough, that the Ramones are more popular now with the mainstream than ever. Now that three members are dead, Ramones fans are sprouting up all over the place. With the death of Joey, Dee Dee, and now Johny, everyone is getting hooked on 'Ramones Mania'. Too bad Frank Zappa didn't also get the recognition he deserved after his death, but that's another subject.

If you are one of the 'Joey or Johny come latelys' and have already purchased Ramonesmania and the double CD boxset, you may be interested in their actual albums. If so, Road to Ruin is a popular choice among die hard Ramoners as their best album.

It goes without saying that "I wanna be sedated" is the most popular Ramones song (my personal favorite is Shock Treatment). It's here along with "I just wanna have something to do." But for songs that didn't make their 'greatest of' packages, you can discover great material like 'Go Mental', 'I don't want you', and 'Needles and Pins'. For years I thought Needles and Pins was a Ramones original. You learn something new everyday.

Well the original punks may be gone, but they'll never be forgotten. Don't embarress yourself with only greatest hits CDs. Show everyone you're true blue and buy one of their actual albums.

Rock on.

Contrary to what some fans and critics believe, "Road to Ruin" is not the last great Ramones album. It is, however, the final album of the band's classic period. It's also the sound of a band trying hard to bust out of the cult basement, maybe realizing that the stripped-to-the-bones punk sound of its first three LPs wasn't going to crack the Top 40 after all.

Which is not to say that "Road to Ruin" is a sellout. Sure, there are a pair of tunes ("Don't Come Close" and "Questioningly") that veer far away from the Ramone-defining buzzsaw guitar sound. But, given the band's obvious love for bubblegum and 60s pop, even the (stellar) cover of "Needles and Pins" doesn't seem such a stretch.

And the rest of the tunes? Well, they're the kind of full-on, jet-fueled rockers you'd expect from the Ramones, but with just a dose of the grim realization that the years ahead may not be filled with limos, champagne and other perks of rock stardom. There are nods to punk boredom ("I Just Wanna Have Something To Do"), an angry kiss-off ("I Don't Want You") and rock's all-time most cryptic ode to angst and desparation ("It's a Long Way Back.") In the hands of a lesser band, such sentiments could result in a depressing record, indeed. But if the Ramones knew anything, it was how to write a catchy tune. And on "Road to Ruin," their pop sense overpowers any hint of punk negativity from start to finish. Along the way, we even get some boy-meets-girl Ramones ("She's the One") and the closest thing the band has probably ever had to a Classic Rock/FM Radio staple ("I Wanna Be Sedated"). And, like the songs themselves, the production of "Road to Ruin" foreshadows future Ramones releases. It's a more muscular sound than on the first three albums with bigger drums, louder guitars.

The Ramones did in fact have more great albums up their leather sleeves in the ensuing years, but for any fan, it's hard not to see "Road to Ruin" as a turning point. This is probably the first album on which the Ramones understood that they had become THE RAMONES - and that any respect this brought was met in equal measure with heartache, inner turmoil and the indifference of the record-buying public. It's the first album on which the band toyed just a bit with its formula in search of a hit, and the last on which the boys reasonably hoped they might go gold without resorting to more extreme, Spectorized measures. And it was probably the last album the Ramones recorded before figuring out that to make a go of this punk rock thing, they'd have to earn their bread and butter by keeping an ungodly tour schedule - a neverending series of one-nighters they'd keep up till damn near the end of their lives. Road to ruin, indeed.

When I'm elected President of the United States, my first act will be to provide every American with a copy of "Road To Ruin." Even an old aficionado of hippy music like me understands that the Ramones are one of America's great rock and roll treasures. In fact, they were the last truly great American rock band. This is the album to hear if you doubt my words. Put this one in your CD player and turn it way up. You'll soon forget about death metal, grunge, rap and all that other crap that kids listen to these days. You'll be taken back to the fun and innocence of the mid-sixties reinvented into slamming, rocking anthems for more modern times. Road to Ruin combines some of the Ramones very best rockers with three very well-done ballads, including an excellent remake of "Needles And Pins" by The Searchers. The sound quality of this album is superb and I believe there are some studio musicians at work in the background. My opinion of the Ramones recorded output is that there were a few great songs on every album, which added up to an impressive catalog overall, but Road To Ruin is the only one that kills it from beginning to end. It's hard to believe that three of the Ramones are gone already. They named a street in New York City for Joey Ramone. The least you can do is buy a copy of Road To Ruin in his honor. (Don't wait for me to be elected President.)

If you don't like the Ramones, you don't like rock and roll. I don't know how else to say it. If you are tired, sad, or having trouble getting started in the morning, put this cd in and get going to a better, brighter, more blitzkreig-y kind of day. This was my introduction to the band and still my favorite, although the debut is fantastic as well. It's A Long Way Back, I Just Want To Have Something To Do, I Wanna Be Sedated, the list just goes on and on...all killer stuff. Even though some of the hardcore fans decried the 'ballads,' (let's face it, latter day Aerosmith drivel these ballads ain't - thank God), they are just being purists. Every single song on here is great and that's something very few bands can say about any one of their records.
The Ramones took the pop formula and crushed it with Johnny's down strokes and the sneering nasal charm of Joey's impassioned vocals. Honestly, if you don't like this band, I don't value your musical opinion.

Much like The Clash's London Calling, Road To Ruin is The Ramones' standout album and boasts some of their biggest hits. Road To Ruin showcases the band at the peak of their 20-year career, way back in 1977. The Ramones' fourth release contains hits such as "She's The One" and the infamous "I Wanna Be Sedated", and I'm happy to report that there are absolutely no filler tracks on this record, which is rare for an album that has 17 songs on it.

It's probably a waste of time, but being the obsessive compulsive person that I am, I feel the need to pinpoint the band's talent. From Dee Dee's hypnotic basslines and poignant lyrics, to Joey Ramone's sour yet irresistable vocal delivery, to Tommy, the backbone of the band, Road To Ruin has no weak spots. (And don't even let me get started with the guitar...I swear, Johnny Ramone could do more with 3 or 4 chords than anyone of his time.)

The Ramones were one of the greatest and most influential bands ever, and although almost none of their tracks were over 2 and a half minutes long, every one of their songs were catchy, upbeat, well-structured, and most importantly, fun to listen to. Pick up Road To Ruin now!

I don't know for sure if this is the best of the Ramones' albums, but that's just because this is the first one I've bought. What I do know, however, is that this album is almost completely flawless. Every song on this CD is good; there is no filler whatsoever. Even the bonus tracks are good. Okay, so the two demo tracks aren't AS good as the rest, but they're not bad at all. I know if you've heard of the Ramones that you've heard "I Wanna Be Sedated", but this album has a bunch of other great tracks as well, such as "I Just Want To Have Something To Do", "I Wanted Everything", "Don't Come Close", and "She's The One". All I know is this is one album that I will NEVER regret buying. I will listen to it over and over again. If you don't own it, you have no idea what you're missing!

In another review, I named Alice Cooper's Love it To Death as my #3 album behind AC/DC's Highway to Hell and Back in Black- but I was brain-dead that day. Road To Ruin is #3 all time for me! This is the Ramones best album, period! RTR has been the subject of intense debate among Ramones fans. Some, like I point to it as the best. Others point to it as the beginning of the end. Don't be fooled- every single song on this album is great! This is the album on which the Bruddas "matured" ..they include two ballads- the AMAZING "Questioningly", and the Sonny Bono penned, "Needles and Pins", on which Joey does a good job of sounding like a heart broken soul. The expanded version CD, includes "I Want You Around", the Ramones best ballad. But, like most of the added material, if you have the soundtrack to Rock N' Roll High School, you already have these tunes.

The first two songs here just rock! "I Just Want To Have Something To Do" sums up teenage boredom like no other song ever. " I Wanted Everything" is among the Ramones best hidden gems. On what was side two (vinyl years) you start off with "I Wanna Be Sedated", one of their best known songs. And the album ends with the trio of kick-ass tunes, "She's The One", "Bad Brain" and "It's a Long Way Back".

The lyrics are more mature, & the music is more developped. Hell- Johnny even rips off a quick guitar solo!!!! While some may argue less is more with the Ramones, not in this case. Road To Ruin is just the best you can get.

I believe "Road To Ruin" is the greatest Ramones record of all time and I believe I can prove it.
I can advance my argument along some very well traveled paths. Obviously, we have the hands down most awesome album opener in rock history in the form of "I Just Wanna Have Something To Do".
I realize that's a pretty heavy claim (for those of us who take rockn'roll seriously) but I stand behind my assertion. And its in this first song that we become aware of two things simultaneously. On one hand there is the production. It becomes instantly clear to the listener that this is the first Ramones album to recieve a "proper" rock mix.
Polished production should not be used just to make something sound comercially acceptable, it should be used to bring volume and clarity. And in the expert hands of Ed Stasium the band, for the first time, reveal that they are capable of not just shreding
but being legitimately HEAVY.
And to compliment this tighter, more solid sound is the infamous darkening of the Ramones. Legs Mc Neil does a thourogh job of describing this phenomena in the generous liner notes of the expanded edition, but a capsulized example is, of course, "I wanted Everything". The lyrics display an almost chilling and certainly unsettling contrast to the lovable but goofy tales of Pinheads and Happy Families. Even stuff like "You Should Never Have Opened That Door", for all its shock value (at the time), dosent make you take it quite as seriously as the darkest material on "Road To Ruin".
Other surprises from this album include a couple of country tinged numbers, "You Dont Come Close" and Dee Dee's beautiful "Questioningly". I can still vividly recall the sensation of hearing both of these tunes, along with "Needles And Pins", for the first time seventeen years ago.The effect, at first, was jaring. But over a short period of time I was able to see the genius of their inclusion on the album.
The "Road To Ruin" is the sound of the Ramones realizing they had nothing to lose and nothing to prove. To the music industry, the burgeoning punk scene or to the critics.THAT is why this is their best album, THAT is why you need to take it as a whole. As far as the bonus songs for this edition go, they are chronologically appropriate for completionists and if ya dont like em', program your unit not to play them.
All and all a gorgeous package with the aforementioned stunning production improved slightly (if you can improve perfection)by a crisper mix. In the end, it all boils down to this: without this album you cant truly understand the Ramones and your limiting your understanding of rock itself, and you don't want to displease the almighty Gods of Rock, right?