By: Jesse Striewski
Unfortunately the world is never going to see another true, bona fide, “new” Ramones album. But thankfully, there’s alumni like Richie Ramone still putting out respectable material in the spirit of the band.
When I interviewed Richie for Rewind It Magazine back in 2018, I could hear the enthusiasm and pride in his voice as he spoke of his former band. That love for his former group has without a doubt transpired over into his solo work, and what he’s created is no doubt a breath of fresh air for die hard Ramones fans.
Prime examples; “Not Afraid,” “When the Night,” and “I Sit Alone (Yeah Yeah)” sound as though they would’ve fit flawlessly in Too Tough to Die-era Ramones, and you can nearly hear the same intensity vocal-wise on these tracks that Richie also supplied on “Wart Hog” back in the day. There’s even a surprisingly banging cover of “Cry Little Sister,” which in all honesty I wasn’t expecting much from when I first saw it on paper.
The Ramones may be no more, but the music will forever live on, and thanks to former members like Richie – so will the heart of the band; God bless ’em for it.
Rating: 3/5 Stars
