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Monday, August 09, 2004
Guest Editor - Melbourne International Film Festival
Today we have a special treat - avid filmgoer (and indy music specialist) Ken "Grasshopper" Ho spent a fair bit of the last couple of weeks attending films at the Melbourne International Film Festival. He went to see a film about the Ramones, who are one of my all-time favourite bands. Here's his review:
END OF THE CENTURY: THE STORY OF THE RAMONES
A very well-made documentary telling the full story of the Ramones from their origins in Queens, NY until their anti-climactic final gig in August 1996. The Ramones can rightfully be labelled as one of the most seminal rock groups of all-time (and I mean up alongside the Beatles, Stones, Velvet Underground, Led Zeppelin). In the 80's and 90's, successful groups as diverse as Nirvana, The Smiths and Metallica would cite the Ramones as an influence. Twee Scottish indie bands of the mid-80's such as Talulah Gosh and The Pastels recorded for a label called 53rd&3rd (named after a Ramones song) with catalogue nos. such as AGARR001 (with the AGARR standing for As Good As Ramones' Records). And metal stalwart Lemmy wrote a tribute to the Ramones for his band Motorhead, simply called "Ramones". For the band themselves though, big success always managed to elude them, especially in the USA. In the first instance, English groups who virtually copied their sound wholesale such as The Clash and Sex Pistols grabbed their limelight at the critical moment in 1977. Then, when a generation had passed and punk broke in 1991, the Ramones again missed out on their chance as the Seattle bands and later the new punks of Rancid, Offspring and Green Day all went on to sell millions as unashamed followers of the Ramones.
The inside story of the band is as sad and tragic as their career path. The four outsiders who met up to form the band were vastly different personalities and it's worth pointing out that they really were on the margins. As Marky Ramone noted in his spoken word visit in May, the rock underground today is largely made up of kids who are quite hip and already "in". They have connections to people in the scene and in other creative fields. I suppose he means Yeah Yeah Yeahs' singer Karen O getting her hip fashion buddies to design clothes for her and The Strokes' Julian Casablancas being the son of the head of Elite Modelling Agency etc. The Ramones really did seem to be made up of those who weren't cool or hip in any sense. Perhaps metal might have that kind of status these days. Whaddya think?
Johnny was the hard man of the group. He describes himself in the documentary as VERY stand-off-ish. He was not even a huge music fan until he saw the New York Dolls play on an off-chance. But after he saw them, he bought a guitar in the next day or two and decided to become a guitar player. Johnny gets the most air-time in the doco being the only living member of the 3 key Ramones. He is admirably candid about himself and the band. He says that he was a real cunt as a teenager and although he got into college in Florida, he was back in NEW York after a week, deciding that it was not for him. From the ages of 18 to 20, he was a delinquent. Then, as he re-tells in the film, he simply straightened himself out one day at the age of 20 and whipped himself into shape - out went the petty crime, drink, drugs, violence and overnight he changed and decided to plan the rest of his life. The New York Dolls catharsis came shortly after and by the age of 22 he had formed the Ramones. As extraordinary as this sounds, it certainly fits in with the way he conducted himself as the Ramones unofficial leader. He was very business-minded. He came up with the look of the Ramones – the bowl haircuts and leather jackets, and didn't allow deviations from it. He was determinedly drug-free and in control. He also hated most industry people he came into contact with. He wrote the majority of the songs with Dee Dee with Joey occasionally writing lyrics.
Joey was the singer and a romantic. He was tall and geeky and suffered from OCD. The interviews with his elder brother are illuminating. Joey was shy and gawky and found solace in rock 'n roll. Joey's love was girl groups, bubblegum music, surf groups, then the British invasion, then the Stooges and the Dolls. It seemed that only in his own mind could he be a rock star. His brother re-tells his astonishment at seeing Joey's first live performance with his first band The Snipers. Joey's brother describes it as an amazing transformation but that he could also see that his brother was finally coming into his own.
Dee Dee was the bass player and comes across as a kinda Lenny sidekick to Johnny's George. He is a loveable rogue with a child-like outlook. He is clearly a smart guy as he co-wrote most of the songs but he was also susceptible to outside influences, be they other people or drugs. I wouldn't draw comparison with Sid Vicious though coz Sid was really thick.
The tragedy in the story mainly stems from the fact that in about 1979, 4 albums into their career, Johnny won over Joey's girlfriend Linda, whom Johnny would later marry and to whom he is still married to this day. Johnny and Joey hardly spoke to each other for the last 17 years of the band's existence, despite the fact the two of them were the only two to be in the Ranmones for the entire life of the band. The band never got their breakthrough record. Johnny even admits to giving up hope of a hit after the Phil Spector produced debacle (1980's "End of the Century") and deciding after that to simply keep the Ramones profitable as a job, which they did until 1996. They toured constantly, even becoming huge stars in South America. By the early mid-90's, they were playing stadiums in Brazil and Argentina but clubs in North America. Their farewell tour of South America saw them play to 60,000 people at the River Plate Stadium in Buenos Aires. The bootleg DVD is available on eBay.
They were inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame in 2002 but even then, it was too late for Joey who died aged 49 in 2001. Dee Dee would die 2 months after the Hall of Fame presentation, of a heroin overdose. Unlike the likes of Iggy and Lou Reed who were ignored when they produced their great records but were given their credit decades later, the Ramones truly never got their due.
The documentary is solid. Full of important information and moves along at the right pace, spending most time on the 70's and early 80's. The interviews are informative and there is the absence of wise-cracking, talking-head fevered egos, maybe with the exception of that Legs McNeil character who was the first person to write a punk fanzine or something.
Thanks Ken!
END OF THE CENTURY: THE STORY OF THE RAMONES
A very well-made documentary telling the full story of the Ramones from their origins in Queens, NY until their anti-climactic final gig in August 1996. The Ramones can rightfully be labelled as one of the most seminal rock groups of all-time (and I mean up alongside the Beatles, Stones, Velvet Underground, Led Zeppelin). In the 80's and 90's, successful groups as diverse as Nirvana, The Smiths and Metallica would cite the Ramones as an influence. Twee Scottish indie bands of the mid-80's such as Talulah Gosh and The Pastels recorded for a label called 53rd&3rd (named after a Ramones song) with catalogue nos. such as AGARR001 (with the AGARR standing for As Good As Ramones' Records). And metal stalwart Lemmy wrote a tribute to the Ramones for his band Motorhead, simply called "Ramones". For the band themselves though, big success always managed to elude them, especially in the USA. In the first instance, English groups who virtually copied their sound wholesale such as The Clash and Sex Pistols grabbed their limelight at the critical moment in 1977. Then, when a generation had passed and punk broke in 1991, the Ramones again missed out on their chance as the Seattle bands and later the new punks of Rancid, Offspring and Green Day all went on to sell millions as unashamed followers of the Ramones.
The inside story of the band is as sad and tragic as their career path. The four outsiders who met up to form the band were vastly different personalities and it's worth pointing out that they really were on the margins. As Marky Ramone noted in his spoken word visit in May, the rock underground today is largely made up of kids who are quite hip and already "in". They have connections to people in the scene and in other creative fields. I suppose he means Yeah Yeah Yeahs' singer Karen O getting her hip fashion buddies to design clothes for her and The Strokes' Julian Casablancas being the son of the head of Elite Modelling Agency etc. The Ramones really did seem to be made up of those who weren't cool or hip in any sense. Perhaps metal might have that kind of status these days. Whaddya think?
Johnny was the hard man of the group. He describes himself in the documentary as VERY stand-off-ish. He was not even a huge music fan until he saw the New York Dolls play on an off-chance. But after he saw them, he bought a guitar in the next day or two and decided to become a guitar player. Johnny gets the most air-time in the doco being the only living member of the 3 key Ramones. He is admirably candid about himself and the band. He says that he was a real cunt as a teenager and although he got into college in Florida, he was back in NEW York after a week, deciding that it was not for him. From the ages of 18 to 20, he was a delinquent. Then, as he re-tells in the film, he simply straightened himself out one day at the age of 20 and whipped himself into shape - out went the petty crime, drink, drugs, violence and overnight he changed and decided to plan the rest of his life. The New York Dolls catharsis came shortly after and by the age of 22 he had formed the Ramones. As extraordinary as this sounds, it certainly fits in with the way he conducted himself as the Ramones unofficial leader. He was very business-minded. He came up with the look of the Ramones – the bowl haircuts and leather jackets, and didn't allow deviations from it. He was determinedly drug-free and in control. He also hated most industry people he came into contact with. He wrote the majority of the songs with Dee Dee with Joey occasionally writing lyrics.
Joey was the singer and a romantic. He was tall and geeky and suffered from OCD. The interviews with his elder brother are illuminating. Joey was shy and gawky and found solace in rock 'n roll. Joey's love was girl groups, bubblegum music, surf groups, then the British invasion, then the Stooges and the Dolls. It seemed that only in his own mind could he be a rock star. His brother re-tells his astonishment at seeing Joey's first live performance with his first band The Snipers. Joey's brother describes it as an amazing transformation but that he could also see that his brother was finally coming into his own.
Dee Dee was the bass player and comes across as a kinda Lenny sidekick to Johnny's George. He is a loveable rogue with a child-like outlook. He is clearly a smart guy as he co-wrote most of the songs but he was also susceptible to outside influences, be they other people or drugs. I wouldn't draw comparison with Sid Vicious though coz Sid was really thick.
The tragedy in the story mainly stems from the fact that in about 1979, 4 albums into their career, Johnny won over Joey's girlfriend Linda, whom Johnny would later marry and to whom he is still married to this day. Johnny and Joey hardly spoke to each other for the last 17 years of the band's existence, despite the fact the two of them were the only two to be in the Ranmones for the entire life of the band. The band never got their breakthrough record. Johnny even admits to giving up hope of a hit after the Phil Spector produced debacle (1980's "End of the Century") and deciding after that to simply keep the Ramones profitable as a job, which they did until 1996. They toured constantly, even becoming huge stars in South America. By the early mid-90's, they were playing stadiums in Brazil and Argentina but clubs in North America. Their farewell tour of South America saw them play to 60,000 people at the River Plate Stadium in Buenos Aires. The bootleg DVD is available on eBay.
They were inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame in 2002 but even then, it was too late for Joey who died aged 49 in 2001. Dee Dee would die 2 months after the Hall of Fame presentation, of a heroin overdose. Unlike the likes of Iggy and Lou Reed who were ignored when they produced their great records but were given their credit decades later, the Ramones truly never got their due.
The documentary is solid. Full of important information and moves along at the right pace, spending most time on the 70's and early 80's. The interviews are informative and there is the absence of wise-cracking, talking-head fevered egos, maybe with the exception of that Legs McNeil character who was the first person to write a punk fanzine or something.
Thanks Ken!
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