Ramones — The Ramones
The Ramones is an American punk rock band from the 70s. They formed in New York. This is the post hippie era and their music is often about trying to break free and about making their voices heard through their music. The Ramones are considered as the pioneers of Punk.
Punk is all about expression and protest. Punk rejects standard beliefs and tries to break from socital norms. The music is more about the emotion rather than playing techniques. The passion is the most important aspect of punk. Punk is also more than just a musical genre, it a way of life and a way of thinking. It was born from the rage of being boxed up. It is aggressive and raw.
Ramones is their self titled debut album. It is a 50 minute album that is up beat and aggressive all the way through. At the time this was a big risk to take as pop music was much more mellow. It starts with the a hit song Blitzkrieg Bop. It is a protest song against war. All trough the album the drums are played hard and fast but simple. Similarly, the guitar part is aggressive, heavily distorted but simple technique wise. The unique vocal texture of Joey Ramone highlights itself through the wall of guitars. The lyrics are very literal. He says what he needs to say without making much use of imagery and metaphors.
The listener can hear elements of rock and roll and blues in their music. All the songs in the album sound similar and have the same raw energy. Because of this it may sound monotonus to the listener. There is limited variety in the album. The same rhythmic patterns are repeated and the melodies are similar.
The Ramones and their debut album Ramones are very influential in the pop culture. Lot of punk bands to come were heavily influenced by the Ramones. Pop culture taken by storm when Punk made its entrance.
https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/22291-end-of-the-century/