Pleasant Dreams

by

Ramones

Edit

A very gossipy liner-note booklet by Ira Robbins accompanies this re-mastering of the Ramones' sixth albulm. Rhino has been packing a lot of goodies into these re-releases, including, in this case, a picture of the original, and far superior, cover to this albulm. That sleeve art depicts a darkly-shadowed image of the band in much the same pose as on 'End of The Century'. It's a more apt image, by far, for this lacking-in-covers moody pop effort.

There are a number of Ramones gems on this albulm. "The KKK..." and "7-11" are classic Joey tunes. "All's Quiet on the Eastern Front" is the mature culimnation of the horror theme of the first four punk albulms. "It's Not My Place" is one of the most catchy, and yet complex, songs that the Ramones ever produced. "We Want The Airwaves" is top-notch rock, and foreshadows some of the brilliant excess of 'Too Tough To Die'. On the other end of the spectrum, Graham Gouldman's production on "She's A Sensation" and "You Sound Like You're Sick" will remind some of 'Century'.

The re-mastering brings out some of the subtleties of the pop production to good effect. After listening to this version, the older release sounds flat and washed-out, an effect that does nothing to compenstate for the restraint Johnny (the guitarist) shows on this albulm. The bonus tracks are exciting for the serious fan. Early versions of "Touring" and "Can't Get You" are satisfying additions to the albulm. The real treat, however, are the Demos left over from the studio session (although it's not nearly all the material originally recorded). Two are Stasium efforts, and, as one would expect, have a classic Ramones sound to them. Debbie Harry's vocals on this version of "Chop Suey" are a great match for Joey's, and make one wonder why this idiosyncratic track should be as forgotten as it was.

This is a not an albulm that is going to have a lot of appeal for the punk fan, who should look earlier, or even later, for a fiercer sound. It is much more a continuing experiment in the '60s-influenced bubblegum that the Ramones' were tearing up in the '70s. This produced some simple fun songs (like "Come On Now"), and those fans who have an appreciation for a surf or pop sound have a chance to enjoy this improved re-release with some valuable Rhino extras.