Road To Ruin

About

In terms of music, lyric, and overall attitude, the first three Ramones albums were barely distinguishable from one another. But on 1978’s <i>Road to Ruin</i>, the group’s fourth record, the differences are more obvious: There are acoustic guitar, ballad, and even a few guitar solos (which had largely been stigmatized as extraneous by punk rockers). And while the band had always kept things under three minute, <i>Road to Ruin</i> has songs that go long—relatively speaking: “I Wanted Everything” clocks in at 3:18, and “Questioningly” goes on for 3:21 (or about as long as an ELP keyboard solo). Throughout <i>Road to Ruin</i>, the Ramones sound <i>almost</i> like a normal late-1970s rock band. One reason for that change was the departure of Tommy Ramone, the band’s original drummer, and a key architect of the band’s sound. He stayed on as a producer under his birth surname, T. Erdelyi, but was replaced on the kit by Marky Ramone, formerly of Richard Hell and the Voidoid. Marky was a more experienced drummer, adding more dynamics to the band’s rhythm section—including fill, and a cymbal sound he likened to broken glass—while perpetuating the band’s relentle, rapid eighth-note beat. Everything the Ramones sang about—whether it was eating chicken vindaloo, being bored, or engaging in crazy antics—was true to life, an approach that holds strong on <i>Road to Ruin</i>. The tenderness in Joey Ramone’s voice never undercuts the sneering negativity in some of the album’s darker song, including “I Don’t Want You” and the rampaging “I’m Against It.” Tommy Ramone once referred to his bandmates as “dangerous people,” and the punk rock outbursts on <i>Road to Ruin</i> modulate reckless thoughts and impulses into perfect, short song. Still, the band does slow down for a moment, with the teary Dee Dee Ramone ballad “Questioningly” featuring twangy guitar from album co-producer Ed Stasium. (Guitarist Johnny Ramone didn’t like the song, and likened it to the Eagles—perhaps the biggest insult at his disposal). .

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