Ramones

Well, today found out that the last original Ramone, Tommy, died yesterday. They're all dead now, and I guess I'm of the age where the people I look(ed) up to are dying of natural causes, although Tommy was only 62 and no cause of death has been released yet. The Ramones were the door that opened a whole world to me in my pre-teens. No more Bee Gees, no more KISS, this world was a real one, not polished to sell to masses of people who have a fascination with shiny objects. These guys spoke to me like nothing before or since. I can remember watching Rock and Roll High School with my buddy Alex, must have been not too long after it was released in 1979, memorizing the dialog and jumping around to the live sequences. Everything must come to an end. Here's a great live version of my favorite tune of theirs...

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNpxS7iE5Tg]

One of my prized records was the "It's Alive" double LP, such a good live recording of a great set in London 1977, the video is amazing. As I've said a shit ton of time around here, my memory is terrible, but I remember specifically, my second year of college, 1988, at my buddy Gage's house trading him that hunk of gold, for the Bauhaus "Bella Legosi is Dead" blue vinyl 12" on Small Wonder Records (Gage was a huge fan of the Ramones, in fact when I first met him he looked just like a Ramone). I don't know what the fuck I was thinking, but I sold out my boys. I still have the Bauhaus record and a few years ago I made amends and picked another copy of the 2xLP. Here's another one of my favorite tunes from that live set...

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OO2ROJ6pr2w&w=560&h=315]

RIP Ramones...