Anthology: Hey Ho, Let's Go!

by

Ramones

Edit

Okay, a lot of the die-hard Ramones geeks have cast their ballot in favour of trashing this superb compilation, simply because it's not full of b-sides that were relegated to b-side status for a very good reason! This is a review on the album as a 'greatest hits' collection, not a mindless gripe on what songs should have been put on according to the pettiness of a few kids.

Having said all of that, the only reason this collection doesn't get 5 stars from me is because there are too many Ramones compilations on the market already. And by the time the boys decided to (finally, thankfully) call it a day, they had released so much tripe in the later years that they forgot to put together a 'definitive' collection that includes the last ten years or so.

This is the one to get. It's chock-full of their best material (including the import-only "Carbona Not Glue"), and their most representative material as well. Most of the video-based tunes are here, and the selection is chronological, unlike the mind-warping 'Best of Smiths' albums. The liner notes are decent, and they've put on JUST EN0UGH to satiate even the die-hardest die-hard for his/her desert island collection.

Anybody who complains about why there isn't a box set is missing the point; until there IS a box set, this is the one to buy. Especially recommended for the uninitiated.

After the Beatles, the Ramones were the most influential rock group of the past 40 years, and they deserve a lot better than this hodgepodge. There's nothing on here that you shouldn't already have, and the hour or so of rarities and B-sides they recorded are nowhere to be found. Why are box sets always so awful? They don't satisfy the true fans and they're too expensive to appeal to anyone else. Start with ALL THAT STUFF VOLUMES 1 and 2, IT'S ALIVE, TOO TOUGH TO DIE and ANIMAL BOY, then get the rest of them in any order you can. Gabba gabba hey.