Ramones: It's Alive 1974-1996 (2007) Review

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(More customer reviews)Pound for pound, this is one of the best live albums ever released. I bought it on import vinyl back in 1979 and it was one of the first CDs I bought upon upgrading my stereo system. The Ramones smoke through their set list like there's no tomorrow. Recorded on New Year's Eve in 1977 at the Rainbow Theatre in London, this set sounds much better (probably because of Tommy's co-producing) then the recently released "Ramones - NYC 1978" CD which was recorded at The Palladium in New York City just a week later. It also includes "Judy Is A Punk" which is absent from the NYC show. All in all, a must have CD for any Ramones fan. 2 notes to Tod Nelson : it was Dee Dee (not Joey) who shouted out "1,2,3,4!!!" before each song and this CD clocks in at just under 54 minutes not 48 (you may have been cheated). R.I.P. Joey, Dee Dee, and Johnny.

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Punk forefathers Joey, Johnny, Dee Dee, Tommy, Marky, Richie, and C-Jay Ramone outlasted almost every one of their legions of followers.For over twenty years, they delivered their signature garage-flavored, ear-shattering chainsaw level and pop-skewed sound through a string of now-classic, loud-and-fast punk rock LPs, and 2,263 concerts together.This new two DVD set captures the essence of the legendary racket they made with over four hours of rare and previously unreleased live footage that's the closest you can get to experiencing this blitzkrieg of a band.From their earliest performances at lower Manhattan's CBGBs to international festivals in front of hundreds of thousands of fans, IT'S ALIVE 1974-1996 is your VIP ticket to the Ramones.Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002, the band may be gone, but their sound and influence are indestructible.

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Ramones - Raw (2004) Review

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(More customer reviews)Before I put Ramones Raw in the DVD player I thought it might seem bittersweet to watch, what with three of the band members now deceased. But instead of making me feel sad, the footage only made me happy that the world ever got to experience this thing called Ramones in the first place.
The DVD contains five hours' worth of footage, including concert footage from 1980 to 1996, clips of television appearances (Howard Stern and Uncle Floyd), their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and "I, Ramones," a concert shot in Italy.
With exception to concert footage, most of what we see was shot by Marky Ramone on his Super 8 camera. Apparently Marky was determined to capture life on the road for the band and it is his behind-the-scenes footage that makes this DVD worthwhile. The title is appropriate as some of what you see is indeed raw, and it gets a bit confusing at times because things aren't in chronological order.
Some of the more interesting footage includes the band's van being mobbed by screaming and fanatical fans much like the Beatles in "A Hard Day's Night," and Johnny sarcastically giving tour manager Monte Melnick a hard time anytime things get chaotic: "Really well organized, Monte. Nice job." Not.
We also get to see the usually stoic Johnny actually laugh and joke as well as sobering evidence of Dee Dee's physical and mental decline from drug use as we see clips of a youthful and vibrant Dee Dee and a hardened and somewhat narcissistic one. There are also lots of shots of the boys sitting on the toilet, which they themselves find hilarious.
Joey appears to be an easy-going, laid back guy who gets along well with everyone. But the footage suggests, as has been reported since Johnny's death, that he and Johnny did not get along very well after Johnny stole his girlfriend. We don't see the two fight or bicker. Instead, they simply and quietly avoid each other.
Diehard fans of Joey, Johnny, Marky and Dee Dee won't be disappointed with this one. It's a lively snapshot into the life of four ordinary guys whose impact on music was anything but ordinary.

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Hey, Ho, Let's Go! It's the world-famous Ramones in their first officially authorized DVD! The Definitive Ramons DVD Containing Over 5 Hours of Material! Climb in the van, buckle up and hang on tight to experience life on the road with the founding fathers of punk rock, The Ramones! The band that started it all stars in this comprehensive video scrapbook containing over 5 hours of rare material spanning the Ramones' history-making career (circa 1979-1996), most of which is seen here exclusively for the first time anywhere! Vintage concert footage (shot on film in 1980, archived and nearly forgotten for over 20 years), rare TV appearances, backstage footage and lots more are set within the core: a plethora of home video from the Ramones' personal archives. This exclusive fly-on-the-wall opportunity is the next best thing to actually being in the band! Featuring an eclectic mix of celebrity guests including The Doors' Robby Krieger performing live with the Ramones, Eddie Vedder, Carly Simon, Gilbert Gottfried, "Grandpa" Al Lewis (of TV's The Munsters), Bono & U2, Debbie Harry and many more! See why the Ramones have stood the test of time with their simple yet immortal brand of music that's influenced generations the world over. From their humble NYC beginnings at CBGB's to induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Ramones have done it all. Now you'll feel like you're right there with them the whole time with one of the most important bands to break ground since the Beatles led the British Invasion! Don't miss the world-famous Ramones in their first officially authorized DVD: Ramones Raw! Featuring 21 vintage live performances of Ramones classics including "Blitzkrieg Bop," "I Wanna Be Sedated," rare gems like "I Can't Make It on Time" and more! Songs include: Blitzkrieg Bop, Teenage Lobotomy, Today Your Love Tomorrow the World, Rockaway Beach, Touring, Apeman Hop, 53rd and 3rd, Cretin Hop, I Wanna Be Sedated, I Don't Want You, Judy Is a Punk, I Can't Make It on Time, Do You Remember Rock and Roll Radio, I Just Wanna Have Something to Do, Rock and Roll Radio, Pinhead, Take It as It Comes, She's the One, Sheena Is a Punk Rocker, I Don't Want to Grow Up, R.A.M.O.N.E.S.
Over 90 Minutes of Special Features with More Ramones Songs:
Feature-Length Commentary Track with Johnny Ramone, Marky Ramone & Director John Cafiero, 8 TV Appearances, 18 Deleted Scenes, 12 Easter Eggs, 1 Full-length Bonus Program (27 minutes).
Executive Producer: Marky RamoneProduced, Directed & Edited By: John Cafiero

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The Filth and the Fury - A Sex Pistols Film (2000) Review

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(More customer reviews)...to pull out all my old Pistols LPs and remember how fun they are to listen to.
This movie almost seemed to zip by too fast, but then, so did the Sex Pistols. Come to think of it, the last 20 years (when I first started listening to them in junior high and chopped my hair off into a spike) also zipped by pretty fast...they put all the best songs, the best performances in here, along with some rare footage.
Sex Pistols fans may have already seen the interview with a nodded-out Sid Vicious and sleazy girlfriend Nancy Spungen (who makes Courtney Love on one of her bad days look like Grace Kelly in comparison) trying to wake him up for the camera as he snores ("Sid, wake up...they're tryin' ta interview ya..."). But what no fans may not have seen is a short, heartbreaking clip of an interview with Vicious after he is out on bail after being arrested for her murder. When the interviewer thoughtlessly asks him if he's 'having fun right now' (what was that reporter thinking? the kid looks completely miserable), Vicious just chuckles bitterly and asks him, "Are you kidding? No, I'm not having any fun, at all." When the interviewer asks him where he wishes he was right now, Vicious' quiet, calm answer to the question is so chilling and heartfelt that it made every hair on my body stand on end. In a scene shortly after, John Lydon talks about Sid getting his aforementioned wish, and for a minute you think that in the voice over he is laughing, because as a rule you don't see John Lydon displaying any other emotion other than general crankiness. Then you suddenly, shockingly realize he's actually in genuine tears over his dead boyhood friend.
But you can also see the fun the Sex Pistols had while it lasted-especially memorable during a retelling of how they played a children's party (still not sure what the story behind this was, or what the people who organized it were thinking, but it was a stroke of genius), with footage of them covered in cake after they start a food fight, to one of the Pistol's best songs (in my opinion), "Bodies". What struck me is how the Sex Pistols (who, at the time, were not far out of their teens themselves) look and act about the same age as the kids at the party. They are obviously having just as much fun as the kids, too- they try to look like tough punk rockers but can't wipe the smiles off their faces as they joyfully have a ball.
The soundtrack, timing, and editing are all perfect. "Submission", another of my favorite songs (and in my opinion, one of their more underrated ones) is played over the credits, and it fits perfectly. As I said, my one complaint that was it zipped by too fast, but talking with my husband after the movie, so did the Sex Pistols. One of the better rock documentaries I've seen. A must see for Sex Pistols fans.

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"Ever get the feeling you've been cheated?" sneers Johnny Rotten at the Sex Pistols' farewell performance. After seeing this picture you'll understand his disgust, but Julian Temple's sharp portrait of the ragged, raw band of working-class Brits won't leave you disappointed. The Sex Pistols left their legacy in a whirlwind 26-month reign, spitting out a caustic, confrontational brand of rock & roll that became the rallying cry for angry, disaffected youths in late 1970s England and defined the punk movement. Their story was first told two decades ago in the cynical The Great Rock and Roll Swindle, also directed by Temple but produced by the Sex Pistols' smarmy manager, Malcolm McLaren, who stage-managed the film into a self-promoting vanity project. For The Filth and the Fury, Temple turns to the four surviving band members to tell their own stories. His vibrant, vigorous direction captures the period of social unrest and alienated youth without turning into a history lesson, and shows the Pistols in all their insolent glory: spewing obscenities and gesturing lewdly to audiences and press alike, screaming out lyrics, overcoming musical limitations with pure passion and attitude. Rare, raw concert footage (including their final performance, which is appropriately enough the song "No Fun") and previously unseen interviews with the deceased Sid Vicious further energize the portrait. There's even footage of the smiling band cutting cake for kids at a fundraiser with nary a nasty gesture or sneering comment. Now there's a side of the Pistols you don't see everyday.

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