Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
What Hits?, June 9, 2006
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.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Greatest Hits???Which ones?, June 21, 2006
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...)
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An Excellent Introduction to a Truly Revolutionary Band, June 27, 2007
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!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
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1.0 out of 5 stars
hey ho (yawn)
i guess i just don't do punk. i know it's uncool to trash the ramones, but having 10,000+ songs ranging from jazz, rock, pop, dance, hiphop, folk, indie, and more, this moronic,...
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Published 15 days ago by Maskerville
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