Ramones – Ramones (12-Inch Album on 180g Vinyl)

Released on 23 April 1976, the eponymous debut album by the Ramones is a landmark twenty-nine-minute blast of raw energy that effectively birthed the punk rock genre.

After Hit Parader editor Lisa Robinson saw the band perform in New York City, she wrote about them in an article and contacted Danny Fields, insisting that he be their manager. Fields agreed and convinced Craig Leon to produce Ramones, and the band recorded a demo for prospective record labels. Leon persuaded Sire president Seymour Stein to listen to the band perform, and he later offered the band a recording contract. The Ramones began recording in January 1976, needing only seven days and $6,400 to record the album.

Ramones comprises fourteen tracks, most playing past 160 beats per minute with three-chord simplicity. The album houses genre-defining staples like Blitzkrieg Bop, Beat on the Brat and Judy Is a Punk, with the longest track, I Don’t Wanna Go Down to the Basement, clocking in at just over two-and-a-half minutes.

The album’s cover, photographed by Punk magazine’s Roberta Bayley, features the four members leaning against a brick wall in New York City. The record company paid only $125 for the front photo, which has since become one of the most imitated album covers of all time. The back cover depicts an eagle belt buckle along with the album’s liner notes.

Ramones was unsuccessful commercially, though it received glowing reviews from critics. Many later deemed it a highly influential record, and it has since received many accolades, such as the top spot on Spin magazine’s list of the 50 Most Essential Punk Records. The album was ranked at No. 33 in Rolling Stone’s 2003 list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

Track Listing

Side One

1. Blitzkrieg Bop (2:12)
2. Beat on the Brat (2:30)
3. Judy Is a Punk (1:30)
4. I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend (2:24)
5. Chain Saw (1:55)
6. Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue (1:34)
7. I Don’t Wanna Go Down to the Basement (2:35)

Side Two

1. Loudmouth (2:14)
2. Havana Affair (2:00)
3. Listen to My Heart (1:56)
4. 53rd & 3rd (2:19)
5. Let’s Dance (1:51)
6. I Don’t Wanna Walk Around with You (1:43)
7. Today Your Love, Tomorrow the World (2:09)

Format: Vinyl / 12” Album

Label: Rhino

Catalogue No: RR1 6020

Barcode: 081227932756

Release Date: 9 Feb 2018