It's still hard to imagine, watching this, the sheer impact they must have had on the stodgy music industry of the early seventies. Well no, I take that back because they didn't have a massive impact on the music industry, but they did on the few at the time and the many legions of fans who came later. Like The Velvet Underground before them, at the time their records sold next to nothing, but seemingly, everyone who saw them, especially early on went on to form a band of their own such was their impact.
It's easy to write The Ramones of as three chord wonders who followed a simple plan throughout their career, but their is a depth to The Ramones music that at first isn't evident. Joey for one was a gifted and brilliant singer, not just some punk yelper. The melodies matched anything The Beachboys (who were a huge influence) came up with. Dee Dee who was the bands main song writer delved deep into personal experience to come up with some completely raw and emotive rock lyrics, and Johnny's guitar style was completely his own copied by many but bettered by none.
At the end of the film we see them being inducted into the Rock 'n Roll hall of fame. Afterwards there's a cocktail party. Johnny is predictably missing, but it's Dee Dee who stands out. Welling up with pride but equally looking lost in all the attention. As he walks away alone down the hall tears filled my eyes, knowing of course that he died of a drug overdose only a few months after the film was finished, but that's Dee Dee I guess and that was The Ramones.
Though Joey, Dee Dee and Johnny aren't with us anymore, they of course live on through their music and through this brilliant and touching documentary and, the three dearly departed are probably in rock n roll heaven having a massive punch up as we speak.
If you haven't seen it, see it today. Go out and by their first album, the self titled The Ramones, and revel in the energy and joyousness of being young, dumb and beautiful again. If you're still young, turn off your blips and beeps, trash your 'My Chemical Romance', burn your 'Fall Out Boy' and 'Green Day' and stick this on your turntable instead, you'll be doing your self a great favour.
God bless you boys...
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