The Ramones - Rocket to Russia

"Our records have the bitterness of life in them," quoth Dee Dee Ramone, and Rocket to Russia brought the pain. Despite carrying on the celebratory tone of the Ramones' debut and Leave Home in the likes of "Sheena Is a Punk Rocker," "Cretin Hop," a tribute to dirty "Rockaway Beach," and covers of the Trashmen and "Do You Wanna Dance?" their third LP displays a dark humor that's less jokey than the previous releases' goofs on bad mental health and dysfunctional relationships. The group's best-produced of its first three releases, Rocket achieves an almost smooth texture thanks to a clean mix and increased use of Beach Boys-inspired vocal harmonies. Still, the joyous grind of Johnny's guitar is front and center for much of this enduring album. Rhino's refurbished version offers five bonus tracks, including a rough early version of "It's a Long Way Back to Germany" and a demo, "Slug," which imagines (?) a world crawling with insects. --Rickey Wright Amazon.com

Best of the Best

It's so passe to give favorite reviews glowing reviews - it seems that if an album is beloved, it deserves some kind of classic status.

With Rocket to Russia, the Ramones earn this album's classic status from the first groove. This captures the humor of their first LP and melds it with punk cum Beach Boys feel. Their sound is completely original, but warmly familiar, and all of the tunes are written rightly and cleverly. This isn't hardcore, but it certainly seemed hardcore when it was released (not even Saturday Night Live would touch them), and it's completely unpretentious. Even people who weren't initially fond of the Ramones have slowly come to appreciate their special genius - and Rocket to Russia captures that genius as well as any of their records. My signed copy is a prized possession. June 29, 2008

The Ramones keep on rockin'

Their debut may be more historically significant, but this is still the better album. Rocket To Russia, the Ramones' third record, is one of the greatest punk records ever waxed, and a watershed moment in the tortured history of rock 'n' roll. Here, the group's signature mixture of Chuck Berry, The Beach Boys, Black Sabbath, Iggy Pop, and Phil Spector is at its absolute zenith. These songs are pure gutter angst, burnt-out bursts of emotion that ring with hilarity and hatred, joy and spite, love and confusion, apathy and honesty. And you can dance to it! The end result is a package of pure, unfiltered goodness, full of meat 'n' cheese masterpieces like "Cretin Hop" and "Locket Love." "Rockaway Beach" and "Sheena Is A Punk Rocker" are metallic bubblegum-surf ravers, and "Teenage Lobotomy" is an irresistible, ferocious anthem. "I Don't Care" is quintessentially bemused teenage sneer, and the cover of "Do You Wanna Dance" is just plain fun. And then there's the rollicking cynicism of "We're A Happy Family," and the bounce of "I Wanna Be Well." So, a punk classic then... January 20, 2008

Over Your Head

Simply put, this album is what rock'n roll fun is all about. For those of you who don't really get it, it is futile to try and explain it to you. December 26, 2007

The Ramones Rocket to Russia

I bought this album because I owned it approx 30 years ago and had a vague memory of it being good. I was not dissappointed, in fact it seems to have improved with age, or maybe my taste has. Whichever is the case Rocket to Russia is in my humble opinon the best ever Ramones album. Cretin Hop is an all time classic not to mention Teenage Lobotomy, Sheena is a Punk Rocker and the best ever version of Surfing Bird. there are also 5 ripper bonus tracks. Long live the Ramones. January 10, 2007

Does punk get any better than this? I think not...

Unlike some reviewers here, I didn't exactly grown up in the punk era of the late 70s/early 80s. Yeah I was around, but the diaper rash kinda hampered my appreciation for the genre. I kind of backed into the Ramones in high school after wondering where Green Day got their ideas from (and I am happy to say that once I heard the real thing I dropped Green Day and started buying albums from the likes of the Ramones, Talking Heads, The Clash, Devo, etc. etc.). This music wasn't really THAT old when I first discovered it, and it has really stuck with me through all my phases.

Anyway, in this era of emo, mall-punk, sloppy pseudo-hardcore and the like, it's refreshing to throw this one on the player and remember that punk rock can be far from the cheesy and awkward "devolution" which has occurred. Perhaps this fact alone shows the limitations of the genre as well. I mean, there is by definition only so much you can really do with a few chords and a lot of nervous or angry energy. That potential was largely maxed-out by around 1986 (although you never know, some would have said the same about 50s rock n roll). The point is, nothing that has happened since the release of this album takes anything away from its superior quality and the absolute pop PERFECTION of these rock n roll nuggets. It's got an angry Beach Boys sound that was stunningly unique for its time, and it's just so much fun to listen to nearly anywhere. If you like punk rock, this should be the first stop you make.

-HW November 25, 2006

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