Editorial Reviews Music Review:
Music Review
Voice Is the Original Instrument
Virtuoso Music of Beethoven, Liszt, Schubert, Rameau, Chopin, & Mendelssohn
Music: Ikoyi Blindness/Kalakuta Show
U Don't Know Me [CD-single] [Import]
Where Are We Runnin'? [CD-single] [Import]
Amazon.com
Single-mindedness is not frequently considered an asset in rock & roll, but it's all the Ramones have going for them, and they've certainly made it work over the years. Pile-driving rhythms, ear-shattering volume, a stack of great songs, and those hilarious "one-two-three-four" count-offs--that's pretty much the m.o. of every Ramones show. Greatest Hits Live offers no real surprises, then, but something you wouldn't really expect from a punk band--nostalgia. The group runs through 16 songs recorded live in about twice as many minutes, including "I Wanna Be Sedated," "Beat on the Brat," the "Spider Man" theme, and "Pet Sematary" (which, at three and a half minutes could be considered a jam-type tune for the Ramones). Two studio tracks, the self-congratulatory "R.A.M.O.N.E.S." and "Any Way You Want It" (alas, not the Journey song), don't add much to the discussion. --Daniel Durchholz