Caught on Disc

From Argentina, on Rockaway Records, comes my favorite disc in a very long time. It's called Todos Somos Ramones -- un homenaje, and it's totally something any old-school punk fan should have. Besides that Dead Boys DVD I haven't gotten yet.

Anyway, it's a two-disc thing that comes with a booklet with amazing photos of The Ramones, and great writings about them. The CD also features music -- 52 songs, actually. From bands from all around the world, covering Ramones tunes. And the kicker? Ed Stasium produced it. Who's Ed Stasium? Only the best producer in the world, and the one who did the early Ramones albums, as well as my favorite one, Road to Ruin.

All the bands here sound sharp and hard and loud. Even Ed Stasium checks in with a countrified version of "Cretin Hop" that eventually breaks out into full Ramones force. And you are not going to believe who else shows up here. How about Sylvain Sylvain from The New York Dolls? The Addicts? Dee Dee Ramone with my pal from Youth Gone Mad, Ena? Joey Ramone with The Independents? Not enough? How about Stop with Mickey Leigh, Joey Ramone's brother? Airport, featuring Tony Barber from The Buzzcocks? Even Stiv Fuckin' Bators doing "Poison Heart," and Johnny Thunders doing "Chinese Rocks"! I'm coming as I write this.

Todos Somos Ramones is a zillion times better than that Hey Ho, Let's Go compilation that the now-deceased Johnny Ramone and Rob Zombie put out a couple years back. Who needs sissy bands and singers like Bono and Eddie Vedder, when you get bands here like The Hymans from Belgium doing a better version of "Let's Go" than the Ramones ever did? Their singer is more Joey than Joey. Or The Lurkers from England doing "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend"? Then there are bands like Shock Treatment from Spain, Trotsky Vengaran from Uruguay, The Vigilantes from Sweden, and Fifi & the Mach III from Japan. Not to mention that C.J. Ramone appears on this thing, as well as, ahem, Furious George. And believe me, it was a total surprise. I didn't know we were even on the damn thing until I got it in the mail. I had talked to the record's coordinator a long while back, and forgot all about it, figuring the project was dead. I guess not. And now I'm on disc with Stiv Bators, Sonny Vincent, and The Nutley Brass. I can die and go to Ramones heaven. Actually, forget I said that.

Those Ramones died way too fast.