Extras
As far as I know, this album holds the first release of "Any Way You Want It" on any album. "R.A.M.O.N.E.S." was already available on different versions of Adios Amigos. Both songs are also available on Weird Tales of the Ramones, and their live versions are on We're Outta Here.
Album Info
All time references are based on my iTunes tracklist.
Album Length: 37.6 minutes
Shortest Track: "R.A.M.O.N.E.S." - 1:24
Longest Track: "Pet Sematary" - 3:40
"Blitzkrieg Bop" is on the album. Coming in at 1:37, it is eight seconds shorter than the Loco Live version and 36 seconds shorter than the original cut on Ramones.
NEXT: It's officially the end of the Ramones with WE'RE OUTTA HERE!
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Greatest Hits Live
Again, let's get this out of the way: The Ramones never had hits in the vein of the Clash or the Sex Pistols. The band was excellent, but they rarely got something to chart well enough. If this was a "Greatest Hits" compilation, then there would only be three songs on it ("Baby, I Love You", Pet Sematary", and "Poison Heart"). Of course, the band does not mean hits in the charts, but hits among the fans of the group...(Lampshade, please.)
With the last album being their final studio release, the band set out its final tour which gave us two different live albums. The first was "Greatest Hits Live", an album that's often considered to be a record company mandate and not something the band cared about - and it shows. What you're getting here is not a complete concert, but half of what was one of the final New York City concerts for the band.
The songs and albums chosen for this album were:
Ramones - 3 ("Blitzkrieg Bop", "Beat on the Brat", "53rd & 3rd")
Rocket to Russia - 4 ("Sheena is a Punk Rocker", "Rockaway Beach", "We're a Happy Family", "Do You Wanna Dance?")
Road to Ruin - 1 ("I Wanna Be Sedated")
End of the Century - 1 ("Do You Remember Rock & Roll Radio?")
Too Tough to Die - 1 ("Durango 95")
Brain Drain -1 ("Pet Sematary")
Mondo Bizarro - 1 (Strength to Endure")
Adios Amigos - 3 ("I Don't Want to Grow Up", "Cretin Family", "The Crusher")
Singles -3 (The live rendition of "Spider-Man", plus the two bonus studio cuts: "R.A.M.O.N.E.S." and the cover of "Any Way You Want It")
If you were around/ conscious of the band during this time, then you already had Loco Live and It's Alive available to you. Do you really need Greatest Hits Live today? If you are a fan/completionist, then yes. Casual fans and those who want to start listening to the band need not apply. Outside of the live versions of a few Adios Amigos songs, there's nothing new on this album except for the studio cuts that can be found on compilations like Weird Tales of the Ramones. Plus, you're getting a few songs compared to the monster tracklists of the other live albums. Even the bonus concert on the Leave Home expanded release has the same number of songs available to you for a lower price, and that one is justifiable as the band was still young when it was recorded.
If you decide to purchase this record, then I would say that there are some great things about it. For one thing, I enjoyed this performance more than the one on Loco Live. Every member sounds lively, and Joey does bring in a few great performances. I especially enjoyed his kick ass performance of "Pet Sematary", as I can't stand the studio cut. The rest of the songs have been done to death, but the band had slightly increased their speed again, so there's always a reason to give it a listen.
"Cretin Family" however, is still a horrible song even if it's done live.
It's a fifteen year old album that would hold up well if it was the only Ramones live release. There are so many recordings available to the consumer at this point that it makes this release unnecessary. If they would release this album in a complete state, then I would gladly re-evaluate it. At this state, stick to NYC 1978 or Loco Live.
With the last album being their final studio release, the band set out its final tour which gave us two different live albums. The first was "Greatest Hits Live", an album that's often considered to be a record company mandate and not something the band cared about - and it shows. What you're getting here is not a complete concert, but half of what was one of the final New York City concerts for the band.
The songs and albums chosen for this album were:
Ramones - 3 ("Blitzkrieg Bop", "Beat on the Brat", "53rd & 3rd")
Rocket to Russia - 4 ("Sheena is a Punk Rocker", "Rockaway Beach", "We're a Happy Family", "Do You Wanna Dance?")
Road to Ruin - 1 ("I Wanna Be Sedated")
End of the Century - 1 ("Do You Remember Rock & Roll Radio?")
Too Tough to Die - 1 ("Durango 95")
Brain Drain -1 ("Pet Sematary")
Mondo Bizarro - 1 (Strength to Endure")
Adios Amigos - 3 ("I Don't Want to Grow Up", "Cretin Family", "The Crusher")
Singles -3 (The live rendition of "Spider-Man", plus the two bonus studio cuts: "R.A.M.O.N.E.S." and the cover of "Any Way You Want It")
If you were around/ conscious of the band during this time, then you already had Loco Live and It's Alive available to you. Do you really need Greatest Hits Live today? If you are a fan/completionist, then yes. Casual fans and those who want to start listening to the band need not apply. Outside of the live versions of a few Adios Amigos songs, there's nothing new on this album except for the studio cuts that can be found on compilations like Weird Tales of the Ramones. Plus, you're getting a few songs compared to the monster tracklists of the other live albums. Even the bonus concert on the Leave Home expanded release has the same number of songs available to you for a lower price, and that one is justifiable as the band was still young when it was recorded.
If you decide to purchase this record, then I would say that there are some great things about it. For one thing, I enjoyed this performance more than the one on Loco Live. Every member sounds lively, and Joey does bring in a few great performances. I especially enjoyed his kick ass performance of "Pet Sematary", as I can't stand the studio cut. The rest of the songs have been done to death, but the band had slightly increased their speed again, so there's always a reason to give it a listen.
"Cretin Family" however, is still a horrible song even if it's done live.
It's a fifteen year old album that would hold up well if it was the only Ramones live release. There are so many recordings available to the consumer at this point that it makes this release unnecessary. If they would release this album in a complete state, then I would gladly re-evaluate it. At this state, stick to NYC 1978 or Loco Live.
Adios Amigos Pt. 2 - The Other Members
(It's been a while since I last promised the complete Adios Amigos review. I never expected the review to go past 2010, but it's better late than never.)
What about the other three members's input (Joey, CJ, and Marky)?
Joey brings two great songs in the mix, starting with the T.Rex homage "Life's a Gas". It's a sentimental song, and while it drags for a song that repeats its verses and chorus, Joey sounds like he believes every word he sings. (It's probably the best time to mention that Joey is in great form on most of this album.) It's a deep cut gem, and one that Joey fans shouldn't pass, His other contribution is "She Talks to Rainbows", a song about unrequited love for someone with a mental disorder, and another song whose mood is so thick that it's depressing. This is one of the best tracks on the album, and one of the best songs that Joey wrote for the band in general.
CJ has two songs of his own, "Scattergun" and "Got Alot to Say". Both are not as strong as Joey's input, but they have their own moments of joy. "Got Alot to Say" is a humorous song about someone who really doesn't have a lot to say, and its short length makes it a tight and quick affair. "Scattergun" is slower and sounds like something that would have fit nicely in Mondo Bizarro as it's akin to "Main Man". It's not my cup of tea, but it's better than some of Dee Dee's work on this album.
With Joey and CJ bringing in most of the active member input, Marky wrote one song, "Have a Nice Day". It's similar to his previous work, "Anxiety", in that both are short and both follow the classic Ramones song structure from their earlier albums. It's a good song, but Joey sounds a bit rough on this one (probably trying to match the speed on it).
Before I finish this up, I would like to mention that "I Love You" is a boring cover in the same vein as most of the Acid Eaters album - an almost note-by-note copy with nothing new except for Joey's horrible vocal performance.
The three Ramones's output brings in one classic song, a great one, and three good ones. Does that mean that they were more than capable of working without Dee Dee? No, but it does mean that the rest of the band were better songwriters by the end. It's possible that Dee Dee sold them the songs and they ran with it instead of making more of their own tracks. They had the potential to make a fun album here, and it's mostly a successful effort. Buy it and enjoy it outside of its historical value. The deep cuts are worth a listen.
What about the other three members's input (Joey, CJ, and Marky)?
Joey brings two great songs in the mix, starting with the T.Rex homage "Life's a Gas". It's a sentimental song, and while it drags for a song that repeats its verses and chorus, Joey sounds like he believes every word he sings. (It's probably the best time to mention that Joey is in great form on most of this album.) It's a deep cut gem, and one that Joey fans shouldn't pass, His other contribution is "She Talks to Rainbows", a song about unrequited love for someone with a mental disorder, and another song whose mood is so thick that it's depressing. This is one of the best tracks on the album, and one of the best songs that Joey wrote for the band in general.
CJ has two songs of his own, "Scattergun" and "Got Alot to Say". Both are not as strong as Joey's input, but they have their own moments of joy. "Got Alot to Say" is a humorous song about someone who really doesn't have a lot to say, and its short length makes it a tight and quick affair. "Scattergun" is slower and sounds like something that would have fit nicely in Mondo Bizarro as it's akin to "Main Man". It's not my cup of tea, but it's better than some of Dee Dee's work on this album.
With Joey and CJ bringing in most of the active member input, Marky wrote one song, "Have a Nice Day". It's similar to his previous work, "Anxiety", in that both are short and both follow the classic Ramones song structure from their earlier albums. It's a good song, but Joey sounds a bit rough on this one (probably trying to match the speed on it).
Before I finish this up, I would like to mention that "I Love You" is a boring cover in the same vein as most of the Acid Eaters album - an almost note-by-note copy with nothing new except for Joey's horrible vocal performance.
The three Ramones's output brings in one classic song, a great one, and three good ones. Does that mean that they were more than capable of working without Dee Dee? No, but it does mean that the rest of the band were better songwriters by the end. It's possible that Dee Dee sold them the songs and they ran with it instead of making more of their own tracks. They had the potential to make a fun album here, and it's mostly a successful effort. Buy it and enjoy it outside of its historical value. The deep cuts are worth a listen.
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