More Johnny

The N.Y. Times has Johnny’s obituary and Kurt Loder has this one up on MTV’s website. Normally I would spit on anyone trying to learn about the Ramones off of MTV, but Kurt Loder has been a long time fan and he understands the music. I don’t understand how he could listen to the Ramones and still have that lame haircut he sported through the eighties and early nineties, but he is legit. He did the liner notes on the two All the Stuff and More compilations and there’s good info in there. So in this one instance the taint of MTV does not override the value of the information it provides.
Photobucket is down right now so I can’t change the picture unless I hot link someone’s. If it’s not fixed by this afternoon then that’s what I’ll do.
I don’t really have a Ramones story. I’ve been a big fan, not just in a total mass sense, for a long time. I remember the first time I heard Blitzkrieg Bop when I was about 8 and I saw Vacation. Mania was the first CD I ever bought. When I was about 19 I got a Ramones eagle tattooed on my arm. That was my first tattoo and still the coolest. I started seriously scrounging for their records about 6 years ago. I’ve got a copy of the European pressing of “Leave Home” with Carbona, Not Glue and a copy of Ramones with the “Beat is on the Brat” misspelling. I think they are the single most important thing to happen to Rock N Roll after 1974. They are the only band that I have listened to nearly every single day since 1992 and Swallow My Pride is still in my top five favorite songs. I never got to see them live. In ’96 when I had the chance I skipped it b/c they were going to play with Pearl Jam. It seemed like a valid reason at the time and I figured they would always do a reunion tour once the world caught up to them. When Joey got sick I realized that wasn’t going to happen and its one of the regrets that I think is worth holding on to. Now I guess I’m left with Rock N Roll High School. If you haven’t seen it you’re a square and that’s a natural fact. Rock On.