Product Description
Titles include: Blitzkrieg Bop, Chinese Rock, Cretin Hop, Here Today, Gone Tomorrow, I Wanna Be Sedated, I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend, I Want You Around, The KKK Took My Baby Away, Pinhead, Psycho Therapy, Rock And Roll High School, Rockaway Beach, Sheena Is A Punk Rocker and more.
Customer Reviews:
for the ramones fan and guitar player!.......2007-02-10
if you're an experienced or novice guitar player and you love punk music in general, play cover songs for fun, and love listening to the ramones then this tab book is for you! i play the classics of the the greatest punk band that helped pave way for thousands of bands today. this book was worth every penny!
Useless.......2005-12-29
I don't own this book, but who needs it?
Figure out the chords by yourself. It's easy, free and
more fun. Anyone who can't figure out the chords to
"Blitzkrieg Bop" should take up the tambourine instead.
( I've played guitar and loved the Ramones since the mod-seventies.)
it's finally easy to pretend to be Johnny Ramone.......2004-12-26
The Ramones were most none for their 2-minute songs and with the knowledge of three chords you can play along with their songs. Now with this book you can find out what those cords were. Along with lyrics this book brings you the guitar chords that Johnny made that give the Ramones that fast edge. This book collects songs from "Pleasant Dreams", "Ramones Mania", and "All the stuff (and more) volume 2". If you like to play fast, pop-punk, bubble gum music. This book is definitely for. 18 classic Ramones songs in one book, it would have better if it had more songs like guitar tabs for "Hey Ho, Lets Go: The Ramones anthology". Here are the tracks that this book has.
1. Blitzkrieg Bop
2. Chinese Rock
3. Cretin Hop
4. Do you wanna dance?
5. Here today, gone tomorrow
6. I wanna be sedated
7. I wanna be your boyfriend
8. I want you around
9. The KKK took my baby away
10. Pinhead
11. Psycho therapy
12. Rock `n' Roll High School
13. Rockaway Beach
14. Sheena is a Punk Rocker
15. She's a Sensation
16. She's the One
17. Somebody Put Something in my drink
18. Teenage Lobotomy
Book Description
The Ramones' music has influenced nearly every power pop, punk, alternative, and metal band. Monte A. Melnick served as The Ramones tour manager from their early New York club days in the '70s to their farewell gigs in 1996. Filled with memorabilia including photographs and interviews collected along the way, this is his view of life on the road with the band as "babysitter to psychiatrist, booking agent to travel agent, paymaster to van driver." http://www.ontheroadwiththeramones.com
Customer Reviews:
Johnny.......2007-01-27
The more I read and learn about Johnny, the more complicated and intriguing I find him. It could be easy to dismiss him as a jerk but then something like the "milk and cookies every night" story comes up and endears him to you.
Entertaining, sometimes hilarious, but not "user friendly".......2007-01-03
The book is entertaining, and I am glad I bought it and read it. Many passages/statements in the book are hilarious (to me).
Think about these dynamics: Take the 4 (original) band members, who are the only ones that truly were The Ramones, in my opinion: 1 had an Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. 1 is Bi-Polar, which is usually called Manic-Depressive. 1 would often be so stressed out that he would simply leave the band. 1 was a taskmaster. (You can find out whom I am referring to if you read the book.) Oh, you need to add in a man who was with them the entire time that The Ramones were together. Add the other "distractions" that the Ramones and their entourage indulged in and remember that this band played over 2,000 concerts in 20+ years period, and you can just imagine the problems they faced, the interesting things they experienced, etc al.
My only criticism of the book is that it is not "user friendly." There is no index, glossary, etc. Had it been "user friendly," I would have given it 5 stars.
If you get one ramones book..........2006-12-20
I'll keep this quick. This book is very nicely done and has the benefit of Mr. Melnicks archivism. It is not sensational, it is true, and it is written by a guy who was there end to end. If you only want to get one Ramones book this is the one.
An important chronicle of one of the most important bands in rock history.
REAL insight into the band.......2006-11-14
I've read both the Ramones books out so far("An American Band" and "Hey Ho, Let's Go") as well as Dee Dee's two memoirs, but I think Monte's book - which is really an oral history - is actually the best in terms of shedding light on the band's history and personalities. To his credit, everyone gets a fair chance to tell their story, even when it conflicts with someone else's. And many of the stories and photos are something that only an insider like Monte could put on paper. One unfortunate byproduct of the book is that my opinon of Johnny as a person has sunk. While his near-militaristic running of the band was often necessary for them to survive as a unit, he comes off as an angry, bitter man (both in his own words and those of others) who could have certainly been better to his bandmates and the Ramones support crew.
A Book Written By One Who Was There!.......2006-08-05
This is an incredible book. Based around the story of Monte A. Melnick, tour manager (and much more) for the Ramones throughout their entire career (1974-1996, and 2,263 live shows), this is actually a superb piece of punk oral history. As well as the voices of Monte, and many of the Ramones (Johnny, Marky, Tommy, CJ and Joey), there's their crew - the road-dogs - the roadie's, lighting guys, sound man, etc., etc. An incredible band, a great story, a wonderful read, and a real insight into the Ramones, and life on the road - sex, drugs, rock n roll, of course, but also the binges, fights, breakups, arrests, OD's, girlfriends, humor, hilarity, boredom, fans, and work ethic. Packed with personal photos and memorabilia this is a must-have for all fans of the Ramones.
Book Description
This is an engaging account of some of the most memorable moments in New York's recording history, as seen through the eyes (and ears) of the many producers, engineers, songwriters, and recording artists who helped make them happen. It explores the explosive 30 years between 1950 and 1980 and the numerous ingredients that made them unique - artists performing live in large, vibrant recording spaces, producers and engineers spontaneously creating new effects and techniques; composers writing parts on demand in the studio; and, most important, recording studios that had life, character, and their own fingerprint sound.
Customer Reviews:
Great Information.......2007-01-22
This book is very useful if, like me, you are a fan of how those fabulous records were made in the greatest period of Music. Well researched, with some great interviews with the poeple who were there.
worth the read.......2006-02-23
The title was suggested by an online group I subscribe with. I like the site, I like the book!
This publication covers a wide spectrum. Too wide a spectrum to treat all decades and styles well, but it covers the highlites.
From a technical standpoint Studio Stories makes a good read. From the persepective of someone with a casual music interest, it's easy to understand and entertaining.
I purchased the book for a behind the scenes reason and I wasn't disappointed.
Comprehensive, detailed, authoritative, and informative.......2005-02-12
In Studio Stories: How The Great New York Records Were Made: From Miles To Madonna, Sinatra To The Ramones, musician and music history expert Dave Simons surveys more than 30 years of New York City's recording industry during a time noted for its expertise, brilliant improvisation, and off-beat eccentricity resulting in the creation of truly classics records for some of the best known and most popular artists working in such diverse fields as pop, rock, soul, jazz, and folk music. Readers are provided the perspective of producers, engineers, songwriters, and recording artists associated with the New York music industry expansive years between 1950 and 1980. Comprehensive, detailed, authoritative, informed and informative, Studio Stories is a superbly written and presented slice of American music history that is especially recommended reading and a simply outstanding contribution to 20th Century Music History and American Popular Culture Studies.
Juggy Murray had a 12 track machine in his studio in 1969 .......2005-01-14
I just got through working on his tapes and everything was done on 12 track in 1969. I found a couple bounce downs (12 to 8 track) those were done at another studio. Overall I find the book very informing and to someone who wanted to know what went on in those days. At Media Sound I was also surprised not to see anything about The Piano on Bridge over Troubled Waters being recorded there and also Bette Midler's conductor doing a song there called Mandy.One reason they closed is they wouldn't honor someone booking time and then giving it to someone bigger if they needed it. Also you can't overlook the fact that Tony Bongiovi and Bob Clearmountain didn't hurt the place while they worked there.
All you need to know about New York-made music, right here.......2004-11-19
This is a compelling read for history buffs and a must-have for anyone who's interested in the great jazz and pop sessions of the 1950's, '60s and '70s (and loves New York as well). The book contains fabulous details about many of the city's fine old recording establishments (Bell Sound, Columbia, A&R, Allegro, many of them long forgotten), the people who worked there, and the artists who recorded the hits on a daily basis. The author sets the scene wonderfully, supplying us with colorful images of Broadway and all of midtown Manhattan as it existed during that time. Nice big studio session shots as well (and not all the usual suspects either). I've been waiting for a book like this to hit the market for quite a while.
Book Description
Dee Dee Ramone doesn’t quite know what he’s getting himself into when he and his wife Barbara move into the squalid Chelsea Hotel with their dog Banfield. He spends most of his time trying to score drugs and walking Banfield, with whom he can magically communicate. Meanwhile, he can’t stand his neighbors and shies away from violence, but wishes everyone were six feet under. He also thinks that the room he’s staying in is the very room where his old friend Sid Vicious stabbed Nancy Spungen, and begins having nightmares of Nancy emerging from the bathroom with a knife wound. After one of his nightmares, an evil force enters his hotel room and hurls him against a wall. Dee Dee also gets involved with the transvestite lover of one of his gay fellow addicts. When his wife finds out, the two fight it out and become seriously wounded. During all this, Dee Dee is tormented by the living and dead demons that plague the hotel, along with the ghosts of his old dead punk rock friends Sid Vicious, Johnny Thunders and Stiv Bators. And that’s when the Devil himself decides to join the party…
Customer Reviews:
Dee Dee Ramone Classic--Hey, Hey, Hey, Dee Dee WASN'T Home!.......2007-05-21
I noticed the comment by a woman who was simply disgusted and freaked out by this book...was she expecting Stephen King? "The Great American Novel"? C'mon, lady, why'd you buy this wacky book to begin with? It's Dee Dee Ramone--what'd you expect? Written as no one else could've done, these chapters, which start out pretty coherent, represent days in the life of Dee Dee Ramone at the creepy old, scuzzy Chelsea. While I believe some of the incidents are real, the majority of the book is Dee Dee's wild and crazy imagination--a lot of it seemingly written at times of withdrawal. Any Dee Dee Ramone fan needs this in their collection. I'll admit, some of it is practically vomit-inducing, but, hey, it's Dee Dee--gotta love him!
face it DEE DEE wrote it enough said. Great book .......2007-01-07
Dee Dee will always be missed so much. This is a great book with insight from him.
why buy this book when you can just talk to people on drugs for free?.......2006-01-14
worst book ive ever read. ever. totally horrible. the gore is kinda okay at first, but then it just gets too surreal. like a dream, but not a cool dream. its like when you have some dream you thought was super cool, and then you tell your friend, and your friend is like "wow not only does that make no sense, but you are totally retarded". anyways, this book is a total waste of time and money, and all i learned from it is dont stay at the chelsea hotel or you will get AIDS, or get murdered.
Next time, leave the Punk Rockers in Hell........2005-01-12
I don't know if i'm not up on things or what but this book never really made sense to me. The first half was ok. It was gory and pointless but at least I could understand where Dee Dee was going. However, when all of his punk rock friends show up as ghosts, everything goes to hell, literally. The rest of the book is a frantic, drug-induced dream that I don't really care to read about. Everything about this book is a mess and it should be kept off of every intelligent reader's bookshelf.
A great book for Dee Dee fans around the world.......2004-11-08
The book Chelesa Horror Hotel was an excellent book depicting the "fun" yet tragic life of the Ex-Ramone, Dee Dee Ramone. It shows in great(almost too great)detail, Dee Dee trying to survive in a horriable hotel, called the Chelsea Hotel. Some aspects of his life would be living with his "loving" wife Barbara, doing heroin with his dead pals (Sid Vicious, Johnny Thunders etc.) and trying not to get eaten alive by the Satanic Cult in the basement. Dee Dee has but one friend in life, his "talking" dog. The one thing i did not like about this book, was that sometimes you could not tell the difference between reality/fiction. He would explain what he saw was happening when he was high in the same detail as he would during his normal life. If you don't mind that then The Chelsea Horror Hotel is a MUST READ.
Book Description
Lobotomy is a lurid and unlikely temperance tract from the underbelly of rock 'n' roll. Taking readers on a wild rollercoaster ride from his crazy childhood in Berlin and Munich to his lonely methadone-soaked stay at a cheap hotel in Earl's Court and newfound peace on the straight and narrow, Dee Dee Ramone catapults readers into the raw world of sex, addiction, and two-minute songs. It isn't pretty. With the velocity of a Ramones song, Lobotomy rockets from nights at CBGB's to the breakup of the Ramones' happy family with an unrelenting backbeat of hate and squalor: his girlfriend ODs; drug buddy Johnny Thunders steals his ode to heroin, "Chinese Rock"; Sid Vicious shoots up using toilet water; and a pistol-wielding Phil Spector holds the band hostage in Beverly Hills. Hey! Ho! Let's go!
Customer Reviews:
sincere and confessional.......2007-08-01
This book was surprisingly good. Dee Dee's sincerity and honesty really showed through this confessional autobiography. The book is filled with Dee Dee's insight about his journey from a highly dysfunctional family to being a successful song writer and punk star. It made me realize how much he contributed to the band and even during the times he was out of the band he was still writing songs for the Ramones on a freelance basis. What impresses me about Dee Dee is that his main goal was happiness and he was well aware of his struggle, his own ghosts and faults. This book also is simply enjoyable to read. Dee Dee is a great writer with tight chapters that wrap up nicely. I really love this book and will definitely reread it a couple more times.
great book for any Ramones fan. .......2007-01-07
There are only a few good books out there about the Ramones. This is one of them.
Black Humor At It's Finest.......2006-10-15
Most people seem to miss the point of this book. Dee Dee is joking around... he's being authentic... being Dee Dee... a PUNK and a drug addict. Everything is exagerrated and shot through Dee Dee's Special Black Humor Lens. Every page has priceless moments where Dee Dee takes the piss out of someone... like the Idiots who buy this book and actually expect Dee Dee to be some sort of self-important Rock Historian. He invents endless bizarre stuff like Marc Bell doing the "Chicken Beek Boy Dance" and references it every 5 pages to really rub it in. Brilliant.
But where the book really shines is Dee Dee's brutally honest portrayal of the life-long battle addicts wage with there addictions. Usually a losing battle. His humanity is bared for all. And we are all one and the same. In contrast to Phony Rock Stars and Celebrities who carefully cultivated air-brushed images that absolutely no one believes anyway. After reading this book... I just love this guy. I would have cried the day he died.
my favorite book of all time.......2006-07-27
This was the first book that i finish in my life, i hated reading. It takes you through dee dee's lifestyle and mentality, the lows and highs, and ofcourse his relationships with the ramones. Now if you love this style of punk, not that mohawk stuff, then this book is a must read. Dee dee is punk rock, he wrote most of the ramones songs except for joey's love songs so, the geniuse behind the voice is this man.
anyways blah blah blah get this book if you're a real ramones fan and not just a pop fan "Gabba Gabba Hey !"
Hollow Victory Speech.......2005-09-19
I opened this book knowing that Dee Dee Ramone had died of a heroin overdose. So, when he teed-off with all of this "I've finally found peace with myself" and "one day at a time" banter, I couldn't help but question the memoir's sincerity right out of the gate.
The book simply exposes Dee Dee Ramone for what he was--a gluttonous fool who tripped into a pile of fame and blew it.
The guy was simply stupid and clueless and the narrative reinforces this at every turn. The relentless war stories are nothing more than a pathetic attempt to convince readers that he was truly hard-core, the real McCoy. It's just run-of-the-mill re-habber self-promotion that grows incredibly stale incredibly quickly.
If you want to read about punk (or the Ramones, for that matter,) read "Please Kill Me." Forget this book. Unless you're truly a die-hard Ramones fan (or a die-hard "higher power" type,) you will despise it.
Book Description
Frank Sinatra was not only the greatest popular singer of the century—he was also the ultimate recording artist. In addition to introducing and perfecting a unique vocal style, he was also his own in-studio producer—personally supervising every aspect of his recordings, from choosing the songs and arrangers to making minute adjustments in mike placement. One of the thrills of listening to Sinatra is wondering how he did it—and this book explains it all, bringing the dedicated fan and the casual music lover alike into the recording studio to glimpse the fascinating working methods he introduced and mastered in his quest for recorded perfection. Featuring 100 photographs of Sinatra working with orchestras and arrangers, listening to playbacks, and, of course, singing, Sessions with Sinatra tells the whole story of how he created the Sinatra sound and translated the most intense personal emotions into richly worked-out songs of unrivalled expressiveness.
Customer Reviews:
Good rare photos and involving writing.......2007-07-12
This book comes from a different perspective and reminds the reader that really , it should be about the music .
I had read some silly books about Mr Sinatra and was glad to come across a serious one - I've always been fascinated by recording studios , having done some recordings myself . I wish I could have been at some of Sinatra's sessions .
This book is the next best thing for me .
I loved it .
Buy if you are even a small fan - this will make you into a bigger one .
Sinatra In The Studio.......2007-06-29
Read this one cover to cover. Incredible detail, both technical and artistic. The only thing that would have made this book better is a complete sessionography or a description of the recording process of each album rather than just select dates. That said, it is an incredible resource. This book, along with Will Friedwalds excellent "The Song Is You" are the definitive works on Sinatra's recording career.
A Wealth of Information on Sinatra Recordings .......2006-05-31
"I adore making records. I'd rather do that than almost anything else." ~ Frank Sinatra, 1961 ~
"Frank had the color and the fire and the brains and the imagination. Intellectual background strangely enough. Artistic sensitivity." ~ Nelson Riddle, 1983 ~
"Most Sinatraphiles would argue that his finest work, and the style he will ultimately be remembered for, was forged with Nelson Riddle. Sinatra-Riddle partnership was musically ideal and illustrates how a symbiotic musical relationship between orchestrator and singer can make a world of difference in what we hear and how we hear it." ~ Chuck Granata, 2004 ~
"Sessions with Sinatra and the Art of Recording" is indeed a wealth of information on everything you should know about Frank Sinatra's recordings. It is divided into five parts: The Big Band Years (1937-1942), The Columbia Years (1943-1952), The Capitol Years (1953-1962), The Reprise Years and Capitol Revisited. Mr. Granata did an excellent job in outlining Frank Sinatra recordings during his entire musical career, and his vast knowledge on all aspects of recording, technical in particular, is so amazing.
The Foreword was written by Phil Ramone, who himself is very well-versed when it comes to recording session engineering, and once said that he "was in heaven on the day that he realized his dream of engineering a Sinatra session."
Nancy Sinatra, who herself is a star in her own right, has written a very loving tribute to her famous Dad and "her hero" on the Afterword. I would single out a quote from her that I found so moving, here goes. . .
"My father always had a genius for picking the right songs, and when you consider the relationship between the tunes he selected, and the remarkably different themes that comes with each passing decade, you can see that his music tells a story that parallels his life and ours. Those songs, and their changing themes, represent Dad's most passionate dream - the one he talked about on dates with my mother - and the realization of that dream, which brought him almost insurmountable pain along with irrepressible joy as he experienced it, and as he lived it."
This wonderful and well-written book also features over a hundred black and white photos of the star himself with his fellow artists, musicians, conductors and arrangers such as Nelson Riddle, Quincy Jones, Billy May, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Mitch Miller, Rosemary Clooney, Bing Crosby, his daughter Nancy, among others; Nelson Riddle's original score for "Close To You" in 1956; a vocal lead sheet of "April In Paris," (from Come Fly With Me sessions in 1957), which Mr. Granata cited as an example of how great Frank Sinatra was in legato-style phrasing, breath control and vocal maturity.
Mr. Granata wrote about the collaboration between Sinatra and Riddle (Part 3, Pg 92) and called it "A Musical Marriage." Frank Sinatra believed that Nelson Riddle was "the greatest arranger in the world, a very clever musician who was like a tranquilizer - calm, slightly aloof. And he's got a sort of a stenographer's brain." If Sinatra tells him, "Make the eighth bar sound like Brahms," or "make it like Puccini" - Riddle will make little notes, and will obey the Chairman. Their partnership was so fruitful and creative as well, and had produced the finest recordings of all-time, there's no doubt about it. They were truly musically made for each other. They both had good work ethic and the same musical goal. They knew what "each other was doing with a song and what they wanted the song to say." They had a very good rapport in all their collaborations, which is the most important factor to the success of a recording.
This is a very detailed source of information to any new Sinatra fan looking to start a collection of albums for the appendices show lists of Companion Recordings, Basic Collection, Concept Albums under Columbia, Capitol, Reprise, QWest Records. It also enumerates "Fifty Songs That Define the Essence of Sinatra" and most of them are meaningful, special songs that are my all-time favorites.
Congratulations, Mr. Granata for an excellent and well-crafted book you've written. And thank you very kindly for inscribing my copy. ;)
Very highly recommended to any Sinatra buff.
A Model Book .......2006-03-23
Sessions With Sinatra sets a unique standard of excellence in balancing historical research with respectful recognition of Sinatra's importance to Twentieth Century music.
a Strong Book on FS.......2004-05-31
this is One of those Books that if you dig Frank SInatra as I do that you can't put down from start to finish.you get a complete overview of How He worked in the studio&the many sessions he did.Frank Sinatra was a very Prolific&Productive Man.you all the details about Arrangers&Producers,etc.. involved on the Many Recordings that went down.this Book Brings it for the Chairman of the Board.
Book Description
What could be more punk rock than a band that never changed, a band that for decades punched out three-minute powerhouses in the style that made them famous? The Ramones' repetition and attitude inspired a genre, and Ramones set its tone. Nicholas Rombes examines punk history, with the recording of Ramones at its core, in this inspiring and thoroughly researched justification of his obsession with the album.
Customer Reviews:
a punk docudrama about punk.......2006-11-06
I love the concept and execution of this book series. In this version the whole NYC scene is portrayed as a movement and kind of an action adventure game for bored suburbanites. The book allows the reader to know exactly what the times and city's ideas were that allowed these brash "children" to become outsider "adults." The book glazes over the bg of the individuals for either history or lack of history of the members. There is no mention of Dee Dee's prostitution etc. just cliff notes of their basic life and upbringing, reinforced as a persona when they actually start to turn the bowels of the bowery on it's head. The writer explains punk and it's meaning more often then the band but the reader needs to know this and all it's levels of complexity to fully understand why these 4 men were so important. If it was just a straight fact bio of the group their importance at a time of ELP and arena rock might not have been so obvious.
A brilliant documentary on what it means to be punk. Not a leather jacket not a tatooed face or a pierced lip but an idea to do what you what when you what the way you want and let the coroner sort em out.
Blitzkrieg Pop: Ramones by Nicholas Rombes.......2006-09-13
Ramones by Nicholas Rombes is an excellent book for many reasons. Perhaps least of which is that I not only learned something about the Ramones debut, Ramones, but about the origins of punk rock itself. My interest in punk began with my first encounter as a third-grader back in 1987 when a friend and I made a hand-held tape recording of my older brother's of Dead Kennedys's Plastic Surgery Disasters record. That formative experience largely helped shaped what punk has meant to me since then. But, reading Ramones by Nicholas Rombes has provided me a critical history about the four kids from Forrest Hills, Queens whose first album became a flashpoint for punk rock and ultimately has deepened my understanding of what punk is.
The historical, economical, and cultural background Rombes provides puts the Ramones first album in perspective. The Ramones were not a group of flag-burning anarchists nor did they conform to some romanticized, neo-Marxist concept of the people's musicians. No, Rombes explains, the Ramones, who grew up in suburban New York City listening to Elvis Presley, watching B-movies, and reading comic books, actually wanted to make the pop music of 1970s radio better. To improve it, the Ramones spent considerable money, time, and creative effort to faithfully record their first record. Their approach to music was not at all chaotic or destructive as punk rock clichés might suggest. Rombes compellingly argues that contemporary understandings of punk generally misunderstand the origins of punk by extending contemporary ideas concerns backward in time to the mid 1970s. This is an insightful perspective that I never quite would have had if I had not read this book by Nicholas Rombes.
Ramones very well might be probably the first and last academic book on punk music that I will read and rightly so because most anything else would be a disappointment. Ramones by Nicholas Rombes is neither unnecessarily intellectual nor naïve about its subject. I recommend this book to anyone with an interest in contemporary music because chances are if you've heard it on the radio, then it's indebted to the Ramones.
Not a bad read but little is about the album.......2006-09-05
Barely a third of the book's 106 pages are devoted to an in-depth discussion of the Ramones' debut album, "Ramones." The rest of the book is devoted to the early history of the punk movement in the US (and New York City in particular) and a fairly academic discussion of what the term "punk" meant in the mid-70's versus what it came to mean later.
This book is an interesting read, but I'm giving it a 3-star rating because, unlike many other titles in the 33 1/3 series, it is NOT primarily focused on the album it is devoted to.
Great insight...........2005-04-18
A complete picture of the period they represented...1975. The author has not gone into the "gossip" fluff about the group, but has stuck to the facts. Really good research. Very good read.
Product Description
New softcover edition! Once seen as a punk joke, The Ramones eventually came to be taken seriously, influencing almost every garage rocker that succeeded them. The sad, exhilarating warts-and-all-rock bilgraphy tells the whole story of the band from Queens as a paradigm rock saga - a litany of drugs, fallings-out, financial catastrophes, inter-band rivalries, bad management and death.
Customer Reviews:
Best so far - but could be better.......2007-08-13
I enjoyed the book, learned some things I didn't know about the group previously. One EXTREMELY annoying item for me was the author's neverending references to the group as "da bruddas". Man, once was enough but it's used over and over for no good reason. Anyway, the best one so far in spite of this.
Great Book About a Great group.......2007-02-01
This book gives you about all that you want to know about the Ramones. It follows their lives from birth to death and has good coverage of the changing drummers. I also recommend Dee Dee's "Rock Star" book but this book is a great overview of the whole band.
Depressive but true.......2006-11-17
Not every single book I review is sent to me as a review copy by its publisher. Most times this is how it goes, but from time to time I get a copy of the book some other way. Sometimes it's a book I've bought myself and simply thought more people should know about, and sometimes the book is given to me as a gift. And this latter occasion is how I got my hands on Hey Ho Let's Go by Everett True, when my good friend and colleague Mats Eriksson simple gave the book to me at work few weeks ago.
(Mats, an associate professor in Palaeontology in the Department of Geology at Lund University, Sweden, must by the way be eligible for tons of extra metal-credit after having named a fossil, Kalloprion Kilmisteri, after Motörhead's hard-playing frontman Lemmy)
Anyhow, now I all of a sudden had a copy of Everett True's book in my hand. I've never been a devoted fan to the Ramones and I never got to see them live when they were still together and on tour, but obviously I've heard many of their tunes countless of times. Still I didn't really know too much about the band itself, its history and its members, and thus it was very exiting to read Hey Ho Let's Go, especially since it turned out to be a quite detailed and well-written biography about the band. Many people, musicians especially, consider the Ramones to be the Founding Fathers of American and British punk rock, and so it doesn't come as much of a surprise to learn that most, if not all, of the contemporary punk, rock, and metal bands could and should be very grateful to the Ramones.
Groundbreaking bands always offer the most special and fascinating stories, simply since they had that special thing which made them unique, but even though I like the Ramones as much as I did before, perhaps even more than before, I still cannot ignore the somewhat strange and unpleasant aftertaste I got from reading this book. The book in itself of the authorship of True has nothing to do with this, however. He is, after all, a highly skilled journalist of music with much experience, and the stories of Joey, Dee Dee, Johnny, and Tommy Ramone (along with the members who replaced some of the original ones as time went by) are both fascinating and quite thorough. The reader is provided with (almost) anything one could possibly want to know about the band and its ups and downs, and on a regular basis - sometimes almost too regular - fans, other musicians, tour crew, record company personal, and others are interviewed as well.
So no, the aftertaste is a result of a realization of how deep and serious the clashes between the members were, especially between Joey and Johnny, who for many years refused to speak to each other, even though the band was constantly touring around the world. I'd always believed the Ramones to be somewhat of a brotherhood, so learning about all the hatred and frustration surrounding the band was extremely unpleasant, depressing even. Still, that's how it was, so one just has to deal with it.
Considering all the pain and misery involved, it's somewhat of a miracle that the band stayed together as long as it did, and even though True deals with this issue on several occasions he's never really able to provide a satisfying answer, and this is highly unfortunate since that's really the question one wants to have an answer to after finishing Hey Ho Let's Go. This updated edition features a new chapter about Johnny Ramone, who passed away on September 15, 2004.
Great Biography of the Ramones, but True inserts a big flaw.......2005-09-20
"Hey Ho, Let's Go" is one of the best books I've read on the Ramones. It is up-to-date with the death of Johnny Ramone, and offers insight near the end on Joey Ramone's solo.
The book is like any other book-takes you from the beginnings of the Ramones to the regretful end. The book let's us see who wrote what on the first three albums (though I knew Dee Dee could not have written "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend"). And it lets you see the hardships the band experienced until the bitter end, and after: The most interesting being the short few paragraphs on the induction to the R & R Hall Of Fame.
The proplem with the book is True: Often he offers insight to each album and outsiders coated heavily with his opinion, something that I wish people didn't do when writing about like the Ramones and Zeppelin. And it's not just on one or two albums or appear once or twice; True's opinions are everywhere. The book is extremely biased with True and that didn't make me very happy.
Excepts for True's mistake, the book is excellent and has a complete discography for the completist in most of us. Gabba Gabba Good-bye.
Hey Ho, Don't Go.......2005-06-12
This is the worst rock book ever. Badly written by a Ramone wanna be, Everett True quotes such valuable resourses as fans. True is a professional writer, so you'd expect better things from him, but nope. It's just one more fan wanting to be part of the Ramones history. Unfortunately, this fan found a publisher.
Buy the End of the Century DVD. You'll learn a lot more.
Book Description
So you want to be a rock ’n’ roll star? Maybe you should listen to what Dee Dee Ramone has to say first. In Legend of a Rock Star the myth of the rock ’n’ roll good life is destroyed once and for all. Touring is hell, and Dee Dee should know, after fifteen plus years with the legendary Ramones, he’s back on the road with a new band and a new set of nightmares. Riddled with acerbic hilarity, Legend of a Rock Star offers a fantastic, unflinching look at the abysmal underbelly of the rock ‘n’ roll dream as Dee Dee and his new brothers tour Europe in a tiny cramped van and try their best not to kill one another. With shifty promoters out to suck him dry, and fans who mean well but just won’t leave him alone, all Dee Dee can do is wrestle with his conscience and hope the drugs aren’t bad. Written in a fierce chaotic prose uniquely his own, Dee Dee also offers a brutally honest, yet surprisingly touching account of the weeks leading up to and just after the death of friend and longtime bandmate Joey Ramone.
Customer Reviews:
my take .......2007-07-29
personally, i was 13 when my slick friend got me into the ramones and i never think of them as 'punk', punk is the sex pistols and mohawks, they were just hard rock, further i don't think dee dee was a 'rock star', though he with joey/johnny were super influential to those who were into it, his book, then, is for those who are up for a short quick read about mostly the last year or the last europe tour, which is not all that poetic, though interesting to hear what a band of his level does when they tour there, i don't think it was particularly revealing of the person, i imagine he is, though it has moments, it was worth finishing especially as it IS short.
Again another great book by DEE DEE.......2007-01-07
Everyone who loved Dee Dee would want to read this.
Dee Dee Ramone is god.........2005-10-11
This is not an autobiography!!! or even Biography.. Its a diary of one of his tours plus a little on Joeys death.. Its amusing as Dee Dee always is.
It Also contains a great discography of Ramones and Solo Dee Dee. Any Dee Dee fan will get a laugh out of this.. Enjoyable and worth a read.
RIP DeeDee Ramone.......2005-08-16
I read this book in one day! To me, this book was like a long version of one of his best songs, but with such a sad ending. Through this book, and in his own words, I got the impression that DeeDee knew that his time on this earth was short.
Rest in Peace DeeDee Ramone.
Hey, Is Dee Dee's Sanity Home?.......2005-01-24
No offense, but this book was a bit off par. As all Dee Dee's/Ramones' fans know, Dee Dee had quite a few encounters with drugs, must have had some encounters with em while writing this *wink wink* ;).
Anyways, I'll get down to the plot. This book is mainly just a collection of Dee Dee's final years, just like a set of memoirs. He tells of him traveling throughout Europe and some of South America, as his band and him plays gigs all throughout these times. Like I said, he must have been on something while writing a lot of this book, because he stretches the truth many times.
One such time, he tells of seeing a driving shootout on the border of Denmark. A group of border runners was shooting and tossing grenades at a border patrol truck chasing after it. Another fun time with reading was him giving a run through of his border encounter, while heading to Norway I think it was, he ran into a manly border patrol woman. Not suprising, him and his friends got a hold of the guns of the border patrol woman and her cronies and ended up blast them all. Sounds like great reading material, huh?
He did go over more lighter subjects, like how he met his wife Barbara in South America after breaking up with The Ramones. Also, he does run through hearing the news that Joey passed away April 15, 2001 while he was in South America.
At the end of the book, there's a dedication section where friends pay their tribute to Dee Dee with little notes and such, telling of times with him and etc. The book also has a few personal pictures of him and Barbara.
Though, this book might sound a little to very over the edge or made up, but I gave this a 4/5 because it was actually entertaining to hear of his "true" encounters with people and his trips to Europe and South America. I recommend this, but don't go into it thinking there's going to be a true/factual plot, or any stories about times with The Ramones, this is his last testament, so it runs through his final years.
Thanks for reading, "Gabba Gabba Hey", and "Have A Nice Day",
Mikey.
Average customer rating:
- gabba gabba hey
- Jason's Review
- The Good, The Bad, and the Bessman Book...
- Fannish & dated but still worthwhile
- the american band
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Ramones: An American Band
Jim Bessman
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Griffin
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Similar Items:
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On the Road with the Ramones
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Lobotomy: Surviving the Ramones
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Ramones: The Complete Twisted History
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Hey Ho Let's Go: The Story of the Ramones
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Legend of a Rock Star: A Memoir
ASIN: 0312093691 |
Customer Reviews:
gabba gabba hey.......2007-01-07
Great read on the Ramones. Very few good books out there this is one.
Jason's Review.......2006-02-10
I loved this book. The Ramones are my favorite band. It was full of facts I didn't even know about the Ramones. So I really liked this book.
This book is full of Ramones facts. It tells you about their albums, band members, and everything important that happened to them! It tells you of moments like when they were fighting, when they got along, why some people left the Ramones and how some people got kicked out. Some things I didn't know before I read this book is that Joey Ramone teamed up and did a duet with Deborah Harry from Blondie. I also learned C.J., Richie, and Elvis Ramones real names.
I think someone who would like this book is a Ramone's fan. Someone who really likes the Ramones. Because it's about the Ramones.
The Good, The Bad, and the Bessman Book..........2005-01-21
I have to say, Jim Bessman did a pretty good amount of research to get some of the information in this book. But the data does not compare to all the stuff featured in the book "Hey Ho, Let's Go: Story of The Ramones", but it doens't fall flat all together.
I originally got this is in mid 2003, but didn't take up reading it until late 2003. Anyways, it does have a fare amount of info- the only Ramones book to talk about the hidden demo "Succubus". And since it was the first Ramones book I read, I learned that the show Marky missed in 83' do to being drunk, was actually at my hometown- Virginia Beach, VA. Though other books said it, this was the first of my hearing of it.
Bessman goes over all the usual subjects- forming of the band, band members, and etc. He does include a nice array of hard to find, or only found in this book pictures. He includes lyrics from songs and such, but ironically, he lost most of the money he made from this book because he included the lyrics with getting permission! (Nice one Jim) And unlike a few other Ramones books, he goes over the short (2 show) lived band member-Elvis Ramone, AKA- Clem Burke from Blondie. Though, he doesn't cover to much of Richie, or the pre-Joey, Johnny, Dee Dee, Tommy grouping- Richi. But if you read Dee Dee's autobiography, he explains some about Richi, and the "Hey Ho Let's Go" book mentions him to.
After reading all English written Ramones books, I've classified them all as "Band Related"- mainly diving into what went on between everyone as time's went by, "Media Related"- primarily focused on what happened around the band before it came about, while they were together, and what they influenced in this world; also tapping in on record sales, videos made, and such. And finally: "Mixed"- these are the best types of Ramones books, including the inside of the band and the outside.
I classify "Ramones: An American Band" as "Media Related", but close to "Mixed". It tells of the band's upbringings and such, but focuses more on the songs themselve than the creaters.
In relation to this book, I recommend "On the Road With The Ramone"- really great mixed book. Provides more inside info than I've seen any other book about The Ramones have. Plus, a vast collection of photos. Also, "Hey Ho, Let's Go: Story of The Ramones" was very well documented.
Though, to finish this up, I have to say that Bessman released this a bit early- making it seem as though The Ramones would have kept touring at least another 10 or so years. But, they broke up about 4 years after this books publishing.
Thanks for reading and have a nice day,
Mikey.
Fannish & dated but still worthwhile.......2005-01-17
Bessman wrote this book in collaboration with all of the Ramones while they were still alive. Because of the Ramones close involvement, it predictably skirts some sticky issues -- like Joey losing his girlfriend to Johnny and Dee Dee's teenage hustling -- but tackles others head-on, like Dee Dee's substance abuse. It does come off as fannish; there are a lot of sentences that end with exclamation marks!
While not as great as the other documents of the 70's New York punk scene -- Heylin's "From the Velvets to the Voidoids" or Kozak's "This ain't no disco" or especially McNeil's "Please kill me" -- this does have a lot of information about the Ramones that is missing from the aforementioned books. However, the better and more up-to-date book is Porter's "Ramones: the complete twisted history."
the american band.......2004-03-20
Book Title: Ramones an American Band
Author: Jim Bessman
Have you ever heard the song Rock n' Roll Radio? Do you know who wrote it? The Ramones, the band that everyone thought was a joke has lasted almost twenty years. This book is about an American band that started a new era of music.
Jim Bessman wrote the book with the Ramones and describes how a couple of kids from New York began playing a kind of music no one had ever heard. The critics either loved or hated the Ramones, but they developed a strong fan following. There were bands that played similar music but not with the fast tempo or chainsaw guitar licks. The lyrics were rough and told about hard times and struggles in New York.
The band started in 1976 with four rough looking characters dressed in ripped jeans and leather jackets. The first concert was played at CBGB, short for Country, Bluegrass and Blues. Their style of music was far from what those fans were used to hearing.
They're formin' a straight line.
They're goin' through a tight wind.
The kids are losing their minds.
The blitzkrieg bop.
That was one of the songs that change punk rock forever. Some even think it was the best song the Ramones had ever written. It wasn't always easy for the band. Some critics hated them and album sales were low, but they never strayed far from their original style.
The book was very well written. I learned a lot about the history of the band and a lot of songs that I haven't heard. You never really know how a song is thought of until you read it on paper and hear the story behind it. That's exactly what this book achieved.
You don't have to be a Ramones fan to read this book, but you might be when you finish it.
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