Sacred Bones Records cannot and do not ever fail. They are Brooklyn’s finest. Speaking of Brooklyn’s finest, so are The Men. Did you ever hear Leave Home and Open Your Heart? Both became instant classics. Their debut (Leave Home) is more rowdy compared to last year’s incredible Open Your Heart. They’re a band worthy of your time.
Time. Time can be wasted. Time can be enjoyed. Time can be a drag. Spend it wisely, or unwisely. On yourself, or with the one you love. The beautiful thing about time is that it is YOURS. No one can really tell you what to do, if you don’t want to do it. I don’t wear a watch. I don’t own a diary. I don’t make plans. Things just happen. I like to nap.
Electric is the new single from The Men’s third record, New Moon which is out 5th March on Sacred Bones Records. Brooklyn’s finest are about to make some noise. This is enthralling and boisterous. This is The Men ladies and gentlemen. Get to know. They will lure their way into you somehow, it might as well be now.
Electric is just as pleasant taster from the new record, and I may just be utterly biased with this, but I think it’s going to be one of the best records of the year. Just throwing that out there with every ounce of confidence I have.
“And their kindness was not a weakness. And when they were there they were there for you.”
I’ve magically, and much to my horror got some form of flu going on. It’s probably just a cold, but this feels worse. My eyes hurt, glands are swollen and everything tastes of metal. I just wanted to enjoy a cup of tea; but it didn’t down too well. Cough medicine that tastes like sweets doesn’t always help, but it tastes nice. I don’t want that strong stuff that looks like piss from an angry Bull. No thanks. I want something that tastes like Skittles and takes me longer to get better. For I am a wuss, and I do not care.
So, with all this sickness building up inside of me I awoke this morning to discover Suede had a new song out. I was dreading it because I didn’t want it to be shit. Then I thought to myself, “SUEDE HAVE NEVER BEEN NOR WILL THEY EVER BE SHIT.” I couldn’t face another disappointment so early in the year. Don’t fail me, don’t fail me.
I sat and listened. Intensely and lovingly. I listened.
I’m still listening.
The opening chords got me in the heart. The opening chords remind me as to why I love Suede. I will always back new bands, but I’m sorry. When a band I have loved since I heard Animal Nitrate in 1992 come back with a new song; I am going to place them above all. Suede have always had a place in my heart that allowed me to enjoy music in a different way. With a new album set to come out in March, I think it will change again how I listen to music.
For me, I regard Brett Anderson as one of the greatest songwriters ever. Everyone was always “Oasis or Blur.” Neither bands appealed to me. I didn’t want “lad” songs nor did I care for dull anthemic sounds. I wanted poetry. I wanted lust. I wanted something darker but purer. I found everything I wanted in Suede. Flamboyantly dapper with his words, Brett Anderson manages to capture everything in a way no other does. I just love them more than my brain is allowing words to form.
Barriers shows their genius once more, but then again; if you love Suede, you love them for life. Nothing can rip you away from them. They are your safety net. They have the songs that describe your life in all its gory and glory. Perfection in a wonderful form. Barriers is going to be one of the best songs you will hear all year, and the record Bloodsports will be one of the best records we are blessed with too this year.
Don’t give in completely to new band hype, because they may not last as long as some of the greats(such as Suede) have lasted.
Many have frequently stated that you must suffer for your art. I’m unsure how true this is, or if I even believe it. Surely if you are a good writer or painter, you can place yourself in various positions without having to hit rock bottom. You can empathise with those who are in a dark place rather than torturing yourself on a daily basis.
I write songs/poems. I personally think they are bloody awful. I don’t show them because I don’t want anyone to see how shit they are. However, I do have some stupid dream of having them published in a book one day. I haven’t done anything about it because the fear of rejection plagues me more than I want it to not because I am lazy. Some of what I have written is quite dark, but not because I feel so utterly hopeless and depressed. I know what depression. I’ve seen what it does to people, and I’ve never felt like that. People who say they are depressed but can still go out and function aren’t depressed. You cannot move, you cannot do a thing; that’s depression. My gran had it before I was born, and a bit when I was younger. Friends have battled with it, and there is nothing you can do but watch helplessly hoping one day it leaves them alone so they can go back to being the person they once were. You don’t need to be in love to write about love. Feelings of love and joy can fill you by watching a certain film, listening to a certain song or gazing at a piece of art. It is everywhere. Everything and nothing can be inspiring.
Being able to put yourself in the mind-set of others teaches you to be a more accepting and gentle person. I’ll happily be the first to admit that I am far too sensitive. I know I need to toughen up, but it just will not ever happen. I cannot be cruel to get something I want. I cannot harm someone on purpose; I’d rather just hug everyone instead. I’d like to think one day that being a gentle soul will go in my favour. Until then, I wait. Or just accept it. Same thing I suppose.
I’m drawn to the darker things. Dark songs, creepy literature. It is all fascinating. I’m not religious at all (I believe there’s a spiritual being above us all, but not in a powerful sense) but anything that questions God or whatever in songs really gets my attention. That’s why I love bands like Dum Dum Girls, Crocodiles and The Long Wives. There are religious references, but not in a “I BELIEVE IN GOD AND YOU MUST TOO” kind of way; far from it. I am all for people questioning each other in a non-threatening manner. I’m not religious but that doesn’t mean I’m going to belittle someone who does. We all have our own things to believe in; nobody should ever try to shy someone away from what they believe in. Unless it means promoting hatred and intolerance, then I’ve got an issue with it.
I honestly had no point in writing this. I never do. It’s a cheap outlet I suppose, as always. I just thin we need to stop thinking we must feel low and hopeless in order to achieve something great. You can function being a happy person. But it seems, when you are happy people have an issue with it. Yet when you feel like shit, people may deem you as being draining. You cannot win, so forget them. Yet I know it is hard. You do not need to suffer in order to do something of worth. You justify your own worth, not the objects and people that surround you.
It’s that annoying time of the year where we’re given a handful of bands that we have to force ourselves to love over the next 12 months, because some twerp told us to. Don’t believe the hype. It’ll just turn you into someone you don’t want to be. I can apply this to many things, but sometimes when you have an opinion; others turn on you. I’d call them “bell ends” but I’m trying to be nice. Trying. I don’t know if I am, I don’t think so. Anyway, ignore the hype and go find someone YOU like. Someone you haven’t been forced to love. I could give you so many bands and singers that deserve your time and ears, but others have beaten me to it. Besides, I’m just a nobody from nowhere and no one is going to listen to that are they.
But maybe there is someone out there who is searching for a sort of new band, or a band that just go against all the drivel we are meant to consume and love. So, if you are that person this band are for you.
YOOFS are three lads from Bournemouth. I cannot comment on Bournemouth or the music scene there because I know nothing. However, as I am judging by the music that YOOFS make I am just going to assume that it’s a really good place. Anywhere is better than where I currently am, and have lived. I’ve made mistakes. People and places. Fortunately, I never have to return.
YOOFS are pleasurably noisy. YOOFS are a beach-band. Can I make beach-pop into a sub genre? Can I be that idiot that makes up a sub-genre and everyone falls for it? I’ve done it. I’m declaring these guys as BEACH-POP. It’s going to be a thing. I’ve decided. If this catches on, then I will have to hang my head in shame. Anyway, they are delicate and bold. Two things that many struggle to be, but very few naturally are. They are just brilliant.
As I write this, I am listening to their EP, We Used 2 Be Fun. If you need to feel like you are anywhere but where you are. If you need to feel like you’ve found a connection in a band; then this is the band for you. They are like a blissed-out version of Tame Impala. It’s hard to look at someone who doesn’t dig Tame Impala. I can’t quite understand how someone couldn’t like them, or YOOFS.
I’ve not seen much written about YOOFS, and this doesn’t bode well. It seems entirely wrong that a band with such talent and promise aren’t being heard. I know, as I said I am a nobody from nowhere. But I’m a nobody from nowhere that enjoys finding new music that sounds like nothing else. If it sounds a bit strange, I always fall for it. If it makes me feel creeped out, I will love it. If it makes me feel like I am watching the sun set on a beach, I will love it. Although YOOFS do not creep me out nor are they strange, they do give you a feeling of being at the beach doing a whole load of nothing with no one and being totally happy with that.
Alright, so you can listen to their deliriously stunning tracks right here: http://yoofs.bandcamp.com
Enjoy. Tell your friends and be the envy of your enemies as you listen to one of the most perfect band around.
“And all these loose ends are getting out of hand.”
Royal Chant are Australia’s finest. They didn’t pay me to say that, but we’re chums and I believe in them. Therefore, I am right. My self-doubt projects onto bands I love as belief in them. If you can work out how I got there, then I can only thank you. From the bottom of my empty jeans pocket and loving heart; I thank you. This is going to be a sick (as in I have a cold, I’m not using awful slang) induced ramble about my love for this amazing band.
Did You Pay Cash For That Panic Attack was a song I wrote about a few months ago, I think. If I haven’t, let’s just assume I have done because I have a really bad memory. The intro sounds like it should be done by The Jesus And Mary Chain, it isn’t obviously. But it has that same aggression and darkness to it that caused me to fall in love with The Jesus And Mary Chain many many years ago. Think their Darklands era, that’s the feel you get from Royal Chant.
Aside from being nothing short of amazing musicians, their lyrics (courtesy of Mark) are easy to relate to; especially if your head and heart are full of complex feelings you wish to no longer carry around, but you do because you cannot function any other way. It keeps you going I think. Mark’s lyrics are like poetry. The vulnerable words make the feelings you carry around less heavy and less exhausting. Bands like Royal Chant are necessary. This is from a selfish point of view, but they really are brilliant bunch of guys that deserve every amount of success possible, and they have my unconditional support no matter what. I hope they come to the UK this year because I will do all I can to go to every single date, just because they are incredible as musicians and as people. I simply cannot review their music, because I just want you to listen. I just want you to become a massive fan of theirs because they just wonderful. When they toured America last year, I wished I had a lot of money so I could have supported them, one day I will. Front row, lobbing whisky at them (in a nice way.)
Spread out across the sky Beyond all time & reach . Making amends with eternity And an eternal mess of things. It’s almost over. And God Damn! That was fast. It’s almost over. And it don’t come back
The amount of cough medicine I’ve taken over the past two days is enough to make me think I am slowly turning into Lester Bangs. Well, okay..maybe not THAT much. Cough medicine shouldn’t taste like Skittles. If it tasted of something vile, then maybe I’d be more careful, but when it makes you think you’re being cuddled from the inside then I suppose you should carry on- with caution, of course.
If you want a safer way of feeling like you’re being cuddled from the inside out, then you should probably listen to The Very Most. I have many reasons as to why they are pretty good (by pretty good, I mean I really like them.) The band came together in 2002, and are fronted by Jeremy Jensen. I may be alone in thinking this, but doesn’t he sound like he should be a superhero? Peter Parker. You know it makes sense. If I could draw, I’d probably have a character called Jeremy Jensen. I’m not one for making obvious compliments that work out, but that is a big one. Considering my love for superheroes (they are real.)
Superhero dreams aside, the music is wonderful. The Very Most are influenced by the likes of Camera Obscura and the Beach Boys. Find fault in this, and we may have a problem. They have such a relaxed feel to their music. Do you remember The Magic Numbers? I loved them, mix them with The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart and you have the innocent atmosphere that The Very Most have in their music that you should fall in love with.
Their cover of Here Comes Your Man (from the Patricia EP) is gorgeous. I don’t know how fans of The Pixies may take it, but I love The Pixies and only music snobs would be vile about it. They aren’t important, we do not need them.
What I adore about The Very Most is that you can hear the love they have for the music, that’s a pretty rare thing to possess. Anyone who has a passion for anything in life are much more interesting than those who waste their days doing nothing. Barely living, just exisiting. I know I love music that at times, could cause someone to question their sanity and possible purpose on this planet; but I am a fan of gentle sounds that just sway the soul; The Very Most are one of those bands. Considering they’ve not taken over the world (YET) they have a huge discography that just needs to be heard, so you may as well start here : http://theverymost.bandcamp.com/
So there you have it. They may not be a “new” band but they play with heart and have a wealth of passion for what they do; which is something to truly admire.
If Nick Cave ever went completely folk-based or embraced country music in an insane way, he’d probably join a band from Denmark called The Boombox Hearts.
If you want creepy and dark folk music, then this is the band for you. If you want to feel like you have sinisterly taken up residence in a desolate cabin, then The Boombox Heart are destined to be yours. I dislike contemporary folk bands. I use the term folk loosely. You know the artists I mean, from Mumford & Sons to Laura Marling. It doesn’t do anything to me, but I know it does for others. I don’t get the appeal at all. Every song has left me bored, I don’t want that. I like the true essence of folk ie: Joan Baez, Woody Guthrie. Give me that, I’ll be alright. I wouldn’t call The Boombox Hearts a folk band. I’d just call them a band. A band in the truest sense of the word. A band that evidently love what they are doing, and the motivation they have in doing so is the music. Simple as. That’s just how it should be. If you’re not going to believe in your own art, then who will.
I’m not up on Danish bands. The only Danish thing I am familiar with, is the (second best programme ever, The Wire beats all) Danish programme, The Killing. So I can say that The Boombox Hearts are now my favourite Danish band, but this is motivation to listen to more Danish bands; especially if they sound like this.
The Boombox Hearts are currently working on their debut record, which I hope is out this year. There are a wealth of new bands I could have chosen to write about as my first pick of new bands for 2013. I didn’t just go with these guys because Ivan sent me a lovely email, but because although they have some eerie songs; they also have some truly gorgeous and gentle songs. With it being a new year, I suppose we should start gently. Maybe come March and I’ll be really into Thrash Metal. Who knows.
The band have a stunning EP up on bandcamp called Monte Carlo, which could possibly be an indicator to how the debut record will sound. I have no idea, but I do know that this band deserve to go far and claim a place in your heart.
With this being my 1000 post, I thought I should try write something of worth. Whether or not it is, well that’s a different subject entirely. It may make sense, it may just wind up being another nonsensical rant, which is usually is. I don’t need telling, I already know. As the end of 2012 approaches (or it may already have depending on your location) you see a lot of people taking to social networking sites declaring how the next year will be THEIR year or they are going to change. It irks me because, you can make whatever change you wish at any point. You announce these things but by the second week of January you hate yourself more than you ever did. Make life easier on yourself, and just carry on as normal. I say this, but I make life hard work for myself at times. It’s a fault, one of many.
I don’t like discussing my weight/how chubby I am because I’m not exactly a fan of myself. I could have easily been like most and said START OF THE YEAR I AM GETTING FIT. Over the past year and a half, I have been working on losing weight. It’s not easy. Fortunately, I really do enjoy going to the gym for a few hours and listening to music. I’d take a book with me but whilst on the treadmill I do look like a panic-stricken bear. When I go there, it doesn’t just get rid of my horrendous fat, but it clears the mind. I currently work at HMV, but it’s only a Christmas job. I love it. I bloody love it. For every grumpy customer, there is one that just makes your day. I’ve held up queues talking to people about bands, I’ve been hugged by customers because I helped them, I’ve had people sing to me then ask “do you have that one?” and the old favourite, “Excuse me..do you work here?” It is a brilliant job and those I’ve worked with are equally as brilliant. It was my third year there, and I think this year was my favourite. It just gives you a sense of pride and self-worth knowing you’ve helped someone. I must add, it is usually the older generation (60+) that are much kinder. Kids today are just rude really. Or maybe it’s the kids over here. I have no idea. Put down your iPads kids, and go take a walk. Use your mind. Come 5th January and I’ll be out of work, and on the Monday I’ll be taking that awful trip to the job centre to sign on. If you’ve never had your soul crushed and your dreams shat on; I suggest you go on the dole. If you want to be treated like dirt and have a wealth of self-hate upon you; go on the dole. My degree is useless, but I have no means of going back to uni. Of course in an ideal world I would have my own record shop, with a healthy selection of books. Later on I’d have my own publishing company. And finally, I’d be able to get a dog. These are hopes and dreams that maybe I’ll one day achieve.
We treat this time of year as a time of reflection. I don’t like thinking about the past, because it can sometimes make you debate what you want your future and present to be. Although, we cannot control the future. I firmly believe if something is going to happen, it will happen. I can relate this to the one I love. Many years ago, maybe something should have happened. Go forward five years and seeing her whilst in London during Pride (oh I know, but this one was alright so…) this year was truly the best thing to have happened. Part of my brain thought, “This could happen..somehow.” Every day since we have been talking, and FINALLY after waiting 5 years, this beautiful and perfect being is my girlfriend. I’m not a happy person naturally, but who is. But I finally know what sincere happiness and what true love is, thanks to her. It was always going to be her- and now it finally is. I’m working on trying to make her buy me a dog. Baby steps, I know. I know. It’s just lovely to be with someone who is full of love and kindness, and wants to change no part of me. Also means I get to spend more time in London too.
This year I have learnt that patience prevails. If you wait, it will happen. With reference to above, I can also link this in to music. Since 2009, I have been a huge fan of Crocodiles. They dragged me through a break-up, showed me a different (and better) world with their music and their lyrics claimed a part of my heart that needed claiming. I missed out on several tours, cue heartbreak and loathing wherever I was living at the time. 4th September they did a free gig at Rough Trade. Oh fate, how I love thee. I was already in London. I think I was staying for a week. I walked past Brandon and Charlie just outside Rough Trade. My stomach flipped. If I was 14 and mental, I may have chased them. Instead, I am a 26-year-old who gets tongue-tied most of the time. Their free gig at Rough Trade was a special moment for me. I paid no attention to anyone in the crowd. I don’t even think 100 hundred people were there. I sang to every song, I swayed and shut my eyes. I opened them, in awe and in shock of being right in front of the band that did more for me than they will ever know. Sadly, I was too much of a wuss to go up to them at the end and talk to them. Next time, I will. I vow to talk to them. About something, or nothing in particular.
My favourite music moment of this year has to be Dee Dee from Dum Dum Girls covering Just Like Honey by The Jesus And Mary Chain, just for me. Just for me. A nobody from nowhere. It started as a sweeping statement from myself on Twitter one evening. I was listening to Psychocandy, and just wrote on Twitter something like “Imagine if Dum Dum Girls covered Just Like Honey.” The next day I woke to a reply from Dee Dee telling me to email her. So I did. She replied telling me she would try to do a cover for me. A few months later, she emailed me the cover and wrote “For your ears only xx.” I do not think anyone in this world can understand what this meant to me, and still does. And yes, I did cry. I’ve been a fan for many years of Dum Dum Girls, and for this to happen just blew my mind. If I see them when they come to the UK, I just need to thank Dee Dee face to face for it. That’s all I can do. Their music has made certain events less shite, you know how it is. Coming Down is my go-to song. Rest Of Our Lives describes my love for the one I love. Season In Hell gives me hope and Catholicked brings me back to life.
This has gone on long. I think I’ve said too much, but I have more to say.
I’ve been freelancing for close to 7 years now, and I started this blog in 2008 as part of an Online Journalism module whilst at Uni. I think I was the only one in that class to keep up their blog. There have been times where I thought there was no point in writing. No point at all. There have been times where if, Writer’s Block was a person I would gladly thump it in the gut. But then I hear a song or find a new band, and my love is restarted and I cannot imagine me not writing. I just HAVE to do it. It keeps me going. I have never been paid to write. Never. No one has offered to do so. I’m not about money. I own nothing of worth. Material things mean nothing to me. My Docs have holes in them and I rip jeans more often than I should. I look like a 70s reject. I look like the lovechild of Joey Ramone and Patti Smith; if they ever had a child. I have had more job rejections than I can count, and each one is a kick in the gut. But a motivation to try harder. Although, I don’t know if I can try harder than I do. I’d love to write a book, but god knows what it would be about. Obviously music. I’ve always wanted to follow a band around and write a book about it (Royal Chant I am looking at you, and Warpaint.) The film, Almost Famous is to blame for that goal.
This year (and last) I’ve had many kind words said to me from bands, PR companies and record labels with regard to what I have written about them and their work. You cannot put a price on that. Of course I believe still, that the only person who reads this is my mum but hey. If you’ve got this far, then I’ll buy you a cup of tea one day. I’m easy to find, but please don’t look as you will be disappointed. This part is a thank you to all the bands that have got in touch with me, all the PR companies and record labels. You’ve made writing even more enjoyable. There are stand-out bands and labels I’d mention, but that wouldn’t be fair. You are all brilliant, so thank you.
I will always ALWAYS welcome new music from any genre, so please get in touch (olivia_cellamare@hotmail.co.uk) I don’t care if no one bar your mum knows you exist or if you’ve supported some household name on a lengthy tour. Music is music. Send it.
Don’t forget who you are, and do not let anyone tell you that you cannot do something. Or that your goals are stupid ideas. Freedom comes from the heart, goes up into the mind then is unleashed. Don’t make a prisoner out of yourself. It’s all okay. It’s going to be alright.
It isn’t a common thing to find a record label that have such consistency with the quality of music they put out. All too often many labels put out music in the hopes to make a filthy amount of money with no passion or drive behind them. It seems so very rare to find a label that have a vision of what they want to do, and have the passion to do so. Money isn’t the motive, it’s the love for music.
My love (or obsession) for Sacred Bones Records came about in 2009 when they released The Spoils by Zola Jesus. At first I wasn’t aware of the label, but within a few months I was falling in love with all the bands and artists they had on their label. This year, there is no denying that they have easily been responsible for most of the best record of the year from Pop.1280 to The Men. Everything they’ve put out this year whether it be a full length record to a 7″ single has been perfect. I say this year, but it’s clear I mean everything they’ve ever put out.
Sacred Bones Records is the home to brilliantly odd and noisy bands. The creepy vibes of Pop.1280 to the painful (I mean in a good way) tones of the genius that is, Wymond Miles. There is something for everyone on this label. They have ethereal gems, eerie atmospheric sounds and brutal spurts of energy that send you into a frenzy- from the inside out. Everything about this label is everything I love about music. It’s a home for musicians that really care about music. Musicians that make music because they love music. And with this love, you find yourself being equally as passionate to it. If I was in a band (I am musically ungifted) Sacred Bones is, hand on heart, the label I would trust to release any music I had.
A fair amount of the bands on Sacred Bones do sound quite menacing. I think that’s what appealed to me the most. I think it is obvious that Pop.1280 may be one of my favourites. They have that dark Nick Cave feel going on. Every song feels like you are being hunted down by something or someone in a desolate forest. I adore Zola Jesus to bits. I remember playing Stridulum II the day it came out, and cooking my dinner. I nearly set myself and the house on fire because I was in awe of what I was listening to. My attention was elsewhere, somewhere better. That’s always the case. I cannot listen to music and do something else at the same time, my concentration goes somewhere else. I’m not sorry about that. The world Sacred Bones has opened me up to is a world I always want to be part of. Always.
In the space of five years, Sacred Bones have gone from being an unknown indie label to being responsible for putting out mind-blowing music that so many (with exquisite taste) love.
I know many would regard Rough Trade as the most influential record label ever, and to an extent that is so true because without them, we wouldn’t have so many indie labels giving us amazing music. Sacred Bones are a platform for the weird and wonderful.
Next year, I am mainly excited about the new Psychic Ills record. I have a lot of love for them, and if I’m not mistaken the record will be called One Track Mind. Pretty cool name don’t you think. There is no doubt in my mind that Sacred Bones will have another incredible year putting out mind-blowing music that just catapults you into an insane and intense world. They give us music that must be heard through headphones with no one else around. Most of the songs sound like they should be in the scariest film imaginable. But every feeling you get from listening to the music they put out is so intense, you must simply be alone. I’m not saying you must cut people out, but it’s a rare thing to find someone who will love this label as much as you do. If they get it, you’ve probably found a friend for life. Unless they’re a total shit. If that’s the case, carry on listening on your own.
I’ve finally got round to having a fully functioning record player(the one I had for the past 10 years has died, we had a good run), and I vow to next year get as much 7″s from Sacred Bones as my bank account will let me. Which may not be a lot. I am okay with trying.
Sacred Bones are beyond just being a record label. Once you become a fan of one band, you become a fan of every band they have on their label. That’s exactly how it should be. So thank you Sacred Bones, for giving music some meaning and heart.
When I look into your big brown eyes, and I feel like I’m in paradise. I want you by my side.”
My love for the Ramones isn’t just love. It’s an obsession. A way of life. If I was male, I’d want to be as tall as Joey Ramone. I’d have the hair too. Instead I am short, chubby and I have the same wild hair. I make do with what I have; I have to. It’s alright. I wear my Ramones hoodie with pride, but at the same time loath the thought that someone may assume I know nothing about them and are just wearing it to look “cool.” Please note that the term “cool” is bloody awful and nobody is cool. It’s a redundant word to make people into all they aren’t. Ramones are probably my favourite band ever. Closely followed by The Jesus And Mary Chain. This is all my uncle’s doing, and for that I am eternally grateful.
I always thought I could never pick a favourite record by Ramones because they have done so many. I think it’s around 14 or 15. I’ve always had a place firmly reserved for End Of The Century. I think if it wasn’t produced by (my favourite producer of all time) Phil Spector, my love for the record may not be as deep as this. Merging Punk and the Wall Of Sound together showed the genius of both Phil Spector and the Ramones. I’ve read many stories about the difficulties that occurred when recording End Of The Century. From Phil apparently holding the band hostage (with a gun) to recording the record in several studios; it is still one of the best records ever made.
My personal highlight of the record will always be their cover of the Ronettes song, Baby I Love You. I love this song more than I can put into words, and to hear my favourite band cover it in a way that still keeps hold of the vulnerability in the song is just incredible. Joey’s voice on this song is just stunning. To the point where you find yourself singing along with him and yelling “I LOVE YOU TOO JOEY” at the end of the song. Is that just me? I think it could be. It’s alright.
I know that it is a record that many fans of the band may not like, but for me it isn’t about the songs. It is about the fact that Phil Spector (in all his madness but genius) and the Ramones made a record together. Through all the madness and whatever else happened, a record came from it. It may or may not be “true” to the sound of the Ramones but no band ever stays the same. You cannot ever expect a band to keep making the same record over and over. What would be the point?
I own a few Ramones records on vinyl, but not many on CD. For me, I enjoy them more hearing the crackling in the background on vinyl. Sure you can hear the production more clear on a CD but I want the background noise. Ramones were raw. Regardless of who produced the records, they always stayed true to that. That easily makes them the best band ever. There will never be another band like them. Just like there will never be a producer like Phil Spector. So to have a record like End Of The Century, regardless on your view of it, was a truly great thing to happen to music.
Beat In My Bones. 