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Rating: 
Summary: Do Their Parents Know They're Ramones?
Review: "All I ever wanted was to see smiles on the kids' faces" - Marky Ramone In 2004, life without the Ramones and, in particular, Joey and Dee Dee, remains a novel concept. After the playing the last of some 2,200 (very) odd gigs in 1996, the band hung up their leather jackets, t-shirts, torn jeans and tennis shoes and rode off into the sunset to the strains of Ennio Morricone's "The Good, The Bad & The Ugly" theme. Anyone with a pulse is cognizant of "da bruddahs" rightful coronation as rawk royalty, although most of the accolades didn't start arriving until they went away. Everett True postulates they functioned as much like a gang as they did a band, but a more accurate analogy might be La Cosa Nostra, with Johnny as capo di tutti capi and the rest as misfit goombahs. Until the end, it appeared the Ramones' creed was "in for life" and to this day, there appears to be some sort of omerta regarding Richie, who came up to the bigs for a cup of coffee when Marky was too drunk to sit upright on his drum stool. True, himself a huge fan, paints a picture, warts and all, of four maladjusted kids from Forest Hills who had a musical vision that was rammed home with all the subtlety of a trouser cough on a crowded elevator (thanks, Andrew!), succeeding as purveyors of pure white noise in spite of themselves. Embittered somewhere along the way about the brass ring that seemed to elude them in the form of hit records and credit for if not creating punk rock, then at least kickstarting it, the Ramones turned to infighting, drugs, booze and tinkering with their sonic fabric. The rift between Johnny and Joey is as much attributed to a struggle for control of their musical direction as it is to Johnny's stealing Joey's girlfriend and then marrying her. Is it any wonder long-suffering tour manager Monte Melnick's job is likened to that of a special-ed teacher chaperoning four retards on a 20-year field trip? Surprisingly, for all of the legend surrounding Dee Dee's heroin addiction and the lengths he allegedly went to to cop, it's given short shrift by True, although he doesn't sugarcoat Marky's liquor-soaked tours of duty. As I read True's account of Joey's passing while laying in a hospital bed surrounded by family and friends, I cried like a baby while riding a bus home from work surrounded by total strangers. As punk marches into the 21st century, the Ramones have been rightfully iconized as the ultimate anti-heroes and the most influential band this side of The Beatles - no, make that the most influential band ever - architects of a unique universe of bad taste, volume, melody, and momentum. Despite that dubious achievement, there is a noticeable dearth in print about them, but True's book takes to places none of the others do, whether you like it or not.
Rating:
Summary: Do Their Parents Know They're Ramones?
Review: "All I ever wanted was to see smiles on the kids' faces" - Marky Ramone In 2004, life without the Ramones and, in particular, Joey and Dee Dee, remains a novel concept. After the playing the last of some 2,200 (very) odd gigs in 1996, the band hung up their leather jackets, t-shirts, torn jeans and tennis shoes and rode off into the sunset to the strains of Ennio Morricone's "The Good, The Bad & The Ugly" theme. Anyone with a pulse is cognizant of "da bruddahs" rightful coronation as rawk royalty, although most of the accolades didn't start arriving until they went away. Everett True postulates they functioned as much like a gang as they did a band, but a more accurate analogy might be La Cosa Nostra, with Johnny as capo di tutti capi and the rest as misfit goombahs. Until the end, it appeared the Ramones' creed was "in for life" and to this day, there appears to be some sort of omerta regarding Richie, who came up to the bigs for a cup of coffee when Marky was too drunk to sit upright on his drum stool. True, himself a huge fan, paints a picture, warts and all, of four maladjusted kids from Forest Hills who had a musical vision that was rammed home with all the subtlety of a trouser cough on a crowded elevator (thanks, Andrew!), succeeding as purveyors of pure white noise in spite of themselves. Embittered somewhere along the way about the brass ring that seemed to elude them in the form of hit records and credit for if not creating punk rock, then at least kickstarting it, the Ramones turned to infighting, drugs, booze and tinkering with their sonic fabric. The rift between Johnny and Joey is as much attributed to a struggle for control of their musical direction as it is to Johnny's stealing Joey's girlfriend and then marrying her. Is it any wonder long-suffering tour manager Monte Melnick's job is likened to that of a special-ed teacher chaperoning four retards on a 20-year field trip? Surprisingly, for all of the legend surrounding Dee Dee's heroin addiction and the lengths he allegedly went to to cop, it's given short shrift by True, although he doesn't sugarcoat Marky's liquor-soaked tours of duty. As I read True's account of Joey's passing while laying in a hospital bed surrounded by family and friends, I cried like a baby while riding a bus home from work surrounded by total strangers. As punk marches into the 21st century, the Ramones have been rightfully iconized as the ultimate anti-heroes and the most influential band this side of The Beatles - no, make that the most influential band ever - architects of a unique universe of bad taste, volume, melody, and momentum. Despite that dubious achievement, there is a noticeable dearth in print about them, but True's book takes to places none of the others do, whether you like it or not.
Rating:
Summary: Ponderous, but it'll have to do (til Legs' book comes along)
Review: Everett True was one of the better writers for the great English music weekly Melody Maker, so you would expect great things from this book. And it's long, so you think: finally, someone takes the Ramones seriously enough to write a good, in-depth book about them! Unfortunately, True takes the Ramones SO seriously that this book can be a bit of a slog. It never quite gets airborne as a narrative history of this very exciting and very influential band. The ponderous detail doesn't feed the momentum of the story as it should, and the author's frequently expressed personal opinions/Ramones moments and obvious Joey-worship are distracting and tend to lessen the book's authority. And the manuscript could've used a good NYC proofreader! There are some really glaring, silly errors.
True interviews many people who were close to the band or to certain members, but who are not all over the written record in other places, and this is very good. For the attentive reader, there are lots of great tidbits to be gleaned from these accounts (who knew Johnny Ramone shopped at the late great gourmet store Balducci?). But there is something about the material's organization that isn't as compelling as it should be -- like all the details are not quite adding up to a cohesive statement. Then when you *want* detail -- like source crediting of quoted material, notes at the back for every chapter, or even just an index -- nothing. The overall chronology is also spotty and selective, and a lot of things are just left out completely -- the band's Uncle Floyd show appearances, for instance, merit not even a mention.
OK, so where's *my* Ramones book? Having said all this, this is still a great and valuable book on the Ramones, and True is to be commended for doing it. It is DEFINITELY worth buying. It's not as good a read as Monte's book, but more informative, and until Legs McNeil comes out with a Ramones book -- which would be both informative AND a great read -- this one will at least keep you busy.
Rating:
Summary: Very Good ---a Bit Too Subjective at Times---But Good!
Review: I just finished reading this book, and have gone from being a casual Ramones fan to an intense fan and great admirer of the band. Everett True did an awesome job showing how The Ramones functioned as individuals and as a group. What fascinated me is how the group stayed together for over twenty years, functioning as a band despite intense differences. Each member seemed to have a different vision, temperment and political stance, but they remained professional enough to keep working hard and cranking out great music. True shows liberal Joey, Johnny the ultra-conservative; Dee Dee and Joey the artists, Johnny the workhorse who at times seemed like the "disciplinary glue" that kept the band well-marketed and organized. We see Tommy, who intrigued me the most as he tired of being an active member early on, but stayed involved with the band's production throughout the years. You see the out-of-control sides of Marky and Dee Dee, and the different recovery trips they sought. Band members often fought and held grudges, but rarely did it effect their professional work. Despite a cult following without huge record sales, these guys kept working hard. True also put good effort into showing us the unsung members like CJ and Ritchie, and he shows how various crew members and artists worked as a family. The book's only flaw is a biggie. True frequently cites what the band's best work is as if his personal likes are the final word. This does not happen once or twice, but throughout the book. Annoying! HOWEVER--- to his credit, he did print viewpoints that conflicted with his own, and he did so without discounting each person's word. I honestly can overlook Everett True's subjective flaw, because the work he put into this book is incredible. You can tell that he was a huge Ramones fan from day one, yet was focused enough to paint both their glory and their shortcomings. Judging from other interviews I read with Johnny Ramone, I get the feeling that Everett True painted Johnny as more of a "hardnose bust-yer-chops" type than he actually is. Still, he did show Johnny's near military disclipline may be part of what kept the Ramones professional and reliable. If you've never even heard of the Ramones, I recommend this book. You will read a fascinating account of a rock band that, conflicting individual dynamics, became a cohesive and legendary rock group.
Rating: 
Summary: Biased but worth a Ramones fan's time
Review: I would like to second the review written by davidkam. This book is worth reading as it takes you through the entire history of the Ramones, up to Dee Dee's death. The book also sheds a greater degree of light on the band's dynamics and conflicts than what "Ramones: An American Band," does. There are a couple of major flaws with this book. Firstly, as said by davidkam, much of this book is the writers personal opinion about how each album sounds and what songs are good. Secondly, I often got the sense that he primarily researched the material for his book through the net. Consequently, there are some holes in his continuity. I really wish he would have got off his ... and tracked down Ritchie Ramone, and gone through as many hoops as possible to speak to Johnny. A great deal of the perspective in this book comes from Arturo Vega and some others closer to Joey than any other band member. In the end, it's an interesting read that any serious Ramones fan would probably find worth the time.
Rating:
Summary: Biased but worth a Ramones fan's time
Review: I would like to second the review written by davidkam. This book is worth reading as it takes you through the entire history of the Ramones, up to Dee Dee's death. The book also sheds a greater degree of light on the band's dynamics and conflicts than what "Ramones: An American Band," does. There are a couple of major flaws with this book. Firstly, as said by davidkam, much of this book is the writers personal opinion about how each album sounds and what songs are good. Secondly, I often got the sense that he primarily researched the material for his book through the net. Consequently, there are some holes in his continuity. I really wish he would have got off his ... and tracked down Ritchie Ramone, and gone through as many hoops as possible to speak to Johnny. A great deal of the perspective in this book comes from Arturo Vega and some others closer to Joey than any other band member. In the end, it's an interesting read that any serious Ramones fan would probably find worth the time.
Rating:
Summary: Thorough but mediocre writing
Review: The book is informative. Has lots of good info and interviews, but also many factual errors. These errors are usually insignificant; I suspect the errors are probably because the author is not American and misses a lot of cultural references. My biggest complaint is the book is just too much of the author's opinion. What was wrong with this song mix, etc. I have my own favorites, and don't really care for the author's detailed critiques.
Rating:
Summary: Don't be put off by the first few pages!
Review: This book about The Ramones is poorly written and wretchedly edited. It is fraught with inconsistencies that are only sporadically dealt with by disingenuity. The research is questionable, relying on hear-say, jaded and biased memories, and the author's highly personal point of view of the characters. On the other hand, what I have said might well describe the DIY attitude that is punk. Think of this book not as a academic tome on music, but as an oral history of The Ramones. Imagine you're sitting in CBGBs, a beer in hand, listening to the likes of Hilly Krystal, Handsome Dick Manitoba, Johnny Thunders, et. al., talk about the halcyon days. All of what you'd hear wouldn't be right - whether because of what was said or how you heard it - but you'd still wake up the next morning knowing what it was really like to have a front row seat at the start of punk. Hey Ho! Let's Go!
Rating:
Summary: The Boys! The Band! The Best!
Review: Well written, researched & executed Biography of one of the Greatest Bands of Punk or Rock or Whatever. The story is a little sad, but I now understand even more the work ethic and obstacles that this band dealt with. We know the Great songs, great albums, great Movie, but we get some insight into this not so D.U.M.B. Little band from Queens NY! I still wake up at Night wondering why they were not The Biggest Band in the world! Joey is Put up as an almost mythical Romantic Hero Figure, while Johnny is really villified. Dee Dee is treated as a sort of Retarded Genius. Tommy, Marky, CJ, and Richie are touched upon nicely. 3 out of 5 for the imbalance of viewpoints But overall not to be missed.
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