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End Of The Century - Ramones Doco


katie_sane

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"It's accurate. It left me disturbed" - Johnny Ramone

"What would they have done without me? What would I have done without them?" - Dee Dee Ramone.

FINALLY got this!! One of my friends bought it for me on dvd and I watched it the other night. I really enjoyed it - it was very truthful and addressed lots of Ramones issues (including how Johnny 'stole' Joey's girlfriend and married her). The documentary featured interviews with Dee Dee, Johnny, Joey, Tommy, Marky and CJ Ramone as well as Legs McNeil (co-founder of PUNK magazine), Joe Strummer (The Clash), Glenn Matlock (The Sex Pistols), Captain Sensible (The Damned), Debbie Harry & Chris Stein (Blondie), Rob Zombie, Kirk Hammett (Metallica), Eddie Vedder (Pearl Jam), Rancid and Seymour Stein (Sire Records), among others.

"It's not easy being in a rock and roll band" - Dee Dee Ramone

The doco traces the rise of the Ramones - where they grew up, how and when they met, their common bond as Stooges and later New York Dolls fans and the circumstances which led to them forming a band, to their ultimate demise - their inability to communicate, bitter in-fighting and limited success despite being the godfathers of punk.

"If that Ramones record hadn't existed, I don't know that we could have built a scene here, because it fulfilled a vital gap if you like, between the death of the old pub-rocking scene and the advent of punk" - Joe Strummer, The Clash

I thought that the doco was great, well made and really explored the Ramones as a pioneering force. What was really sad about it was the fact that the Ramones beat bands like The Clash and The Sex Pistols to the punchline, they were there first, they taught the British how noise annoys, yet they were totally ignored in their own country. Success eluded them for their entire 22 year career.

"I mean, this music saved rock n' roll. It influenced, you know, millions of kids around the world. And they were never acknowledged." - Legs McNeil

What also strikes you is how intelligent these guys are. From the very beginning, the Ramones were labelled as 'dumb' (hence the 'D-U-M-B everyone's accusing me! from their song 'Pinhead') but nothing could be further from the truth. Dee Dee in particular had some fantastically insightful comments. It is hard to work out who was the brains behind the Ramones, as all of them are incredibly educated, straight talking people.

It is some consolation today that so many bands cite the Ramones as one of their major influences. It sort of proves that all their suffering, all the doors slammed in their faces, all the albums that never went anywhere on the charts was somehow worth it.

End Of The Century is dedicated to the memory of Dee Dee Ramone, who died of a heroin overdose two months after filming. Since then we've also lost Johnny Ramone to cancer. Joey died of cancer a year before filming.

"I'd like to congratulate myself, and thank myself, and give myself a big pat on the back. Thank you Dee Dee, you're very wonderful, I love you." - Dee Dee Ramone at the induction ceremony for the Ramones into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame.

:bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow:

I cannot recommed this movie enough!! Has anyone else seen it???

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I'll be getting it. I am on a bit of a Ramones 'tip' at the moment after buying a CD anthology to replace my records I can no longer play. My wife asked "how can you like music so melodic one minute and such grating poor excuse for a pub band the next?" I guess you have to have grown up with the band to understand.

Gabba gabba hey!

Regards

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That's the thing - I didn't grow up with the band! I discovered the Ramones about a year ago when I was 19 and angry. They were just so real, so human. I bitterly wish I was born ten years earlier!

A lot of people just don't 'get' the Ramones, so I think that you're right Diggs. You have to either have grown up with the band or discover them at the right time in your life!

:bow:

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