--AC

The Reevaluation of the Ramones

When the Ramones first came out back in the 1970s, they were hailed as some kind of minimalist punk rock geniuses. That image lasted for the first four albums before everyone seemed to tire of their schtick.

By the time the 1980s arrived, the Ramones had become seriously uncool, expect amongst the super-diehard faithful. They existed that way for the next dozen years, recording albums on the cheap and supplementing their meagre income through touring and t-shirt sales.

But then came the grunge explosion of the 1990s and suddenly guys like Kurt Cobain and Eddie Vedder started talking about how the Ramones were one of the greatest bands ever. After years in the wilderness, Joey and the guys were hailed as pioneers and heroes. And by the time they played their last show in the summer of 1996, they were able to go out in a blaze of glory.

There's Always More at...

...the official   Ongoing History website. Listen to past shows whenever you want.   Read transcripts of hundreds of past shows and sign up for the podcasts

Update on my audio book series: Volumes 1 and two are available!    Volume 3 has just been released, too. It's feature the following: -Sonic Youth -Pixies -Nirvana -Pearl Jam -Smashing Pumpkins -Beastie Boys -Nine Inch Nails Volume 4 (which will be all about the biggest bands of the 21st century, including Radiohead and the White Stripes) will be available in October.
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Read my Friday column in Metro newspapers across Canada every week.