NYC 1978: Live January 7 at the Palladium, NYC
Recorded two years after emerging as the preeminent architects of the American punk, this live set catches the Ramones in all their unvarnished glory. Far from being the benign, cartoonish elder statesman of their later years, here the Ramones are surly, unredemptive toughs snarling through their three minutes blasts of irony and rage. Primitive versions of "Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue," "Cretin Hop," and "Blitzkrieg Bop" raw and powerful enough to stand up to anything that theMC5ever released. Just as captivating are the acerbic and witty asides Joey Ramone tosses off to the clamoring crowd, and Dee Dee Ramone's signature countdown. It's also revealing to hear source versions of their own masterpieces, including skeletons of "Rockaway Beach" and "Sheena is a Punk Rocker," as well as surprisingly faithful interpretations of "Do You Want to Dance," "Surfin' Bird," and "California Sun."--Jaan Uhelszki