Rocket to Russia

Album Three for the Ramones, Rocket to Russia, is the Ramones album that SHOULD have made the Ramones a household name. Of course, it didn't....Nothing ever really went the way they should have for the Ramones! But honestly, this record is hit single after hit single. Only problem is that no one bought it.... Well, now you have the chance to rectify that situation. BUY IT NOW! RTR is just one long (well, 33 minute) hit parade for the listener.

Johnny Ramone, who was not much for interviews, would always claim RTR was the Ramones best album. (He never said his "favorite", he always said "our best") When asked why it was the best, Johnny would always answer, "It had the most hits." Well....the Ramones never had any hits, so it's hard to determine what Johnny meant. I figure he meant it had the most "hit" songs with the fans. If you look at the album, really only 4 of the 14 tunes weren't staples of the Ramones live set. That says a lot for any album! This album contains the Ramones best song, Sheena is a Punk Rocker. (Which also was included in later issues of Leave Home). Their ode to 60's rock, Ramones style, it is infectious. It also contains major Ramones "hits" Rockaway Beach, Cretin Hop, and Teenage Lobotomy. Cover tune, Do You Wanna Dance is here as well. You may remember it from the movie Rock n' Roll High School, as the Bruddas and students began their assault on the halls of Vince Lombardi High!

This would be the last album with the original four Ramones. Tommy would leave in favour of Marky, and take over the duties of a producer. Some fans call this the end of the "great Ramones", but it was only the begining! Road to Ruin would be next, and RTR is just a warm up. But, it is the third in a terrific string of albums which you should have already! BUY IT!!!!!

from start to finish..this album is truly the best

Why, oh, why? Simply put: if you're new to the Ramones and didn't have this album before, by all means, pick this up. If you're like me, and you've owned the vinyl or tape for decades, pass on this. I have to agree with reviewer "9pretzel", this remastered/expanded set isn't worth your money. These songs are undeniably among the best to come from the 70s punk scene because they were stripped down. It's what the Ramones were pretty much about! What marketing assistant thought it a good idea to expand on the masters of minimalism? It reeks of packaging and profit. Do yourself a favor, find a second- or third-hand music store and buy a used copy of the album.

Joey and Dee Dee, Rest In Punk.

All Together In One Place!

Is this the best Ramones record? It's not really a question that makes sense: although they didn't live to 200 or make a record every year, like many of their rough contemporaries they paid enough attention to the word from Mose to give their output more sameness than it need have. This is the least sincere one, though, and that's saying something since it's the one that usually gets invoked as blueprint for experiments in Nice-Price soddenness (and this cultural current shows little sign of decreasing, whether less or more people now know how to "pray yow"). Is this a must-have? No, although cuts from it help *Ramones Mania* put a breach in the "hull" of "completists" and the artwork helps demonstrate the possibility that Legs McNeil et al. really were good for something. But it's a "sequin" you can stand to have around, whether you it need it or not.

Great Googly Moogly! These were the words that came out of my mouth after I heard this album. Rocket To Russia should be one of the greatest rock records ever. From "Cretin Hop" to their cover of "Surfin Bird" to "Teenage Lobotomy" to "I Wanna Be Well" to "Rockaway Beach" to every damn song on this album! I love everything about this record. From start to finish it has everything that makes the Ramones great, and then some. If you want some good old fashioned rock n roll, don't go get a Stink-182 or Scum-41 album. Get this and listen to it until you realize how extremely wonderful it really is.