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Conception

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After the band's previous album Rocket to Russia saw poor album sales, drummer Tommy Ramone left the his performing position to focus primarily on production. Tommy suggested that the members find a new drummer rather than just disband, so they began searching for a replacement in clubs around New York City.[1] While at CBGB, the bassist Dee Dee Ramone approached Marc Bell (Marky Ramone)—who had previously been the drummer in Richard Hell and the Voidoids—asking him if he was interested in joining the Ramones. A month after this confrontation, Bell was invited by Danny Fields and Monte Melnick to audition for the band. Around twenty others auditioned to be drummer, with Tommy overseeing the final choice. Bell played "I Don't Care" and "Sheena Is a Punk Rocker" and each member agreed to allow him into the band. From there on, Marc Bell went under the alias of Marky Ramone.[2]

Three weeks after Marky joined the band, the Ramones began recording Road to Ruin in Midtown Manhattan at Media Sound Studios, a premises of a former Episcopalian Church.[3][4] Album engineer Ed Stasium explained the recording process: "After Tommy left the band, we went straight into working on the Road to Ruin album with Marky. We rehearsed a long time with Marky, just getting it down. Then we went into the studio, recorded, and mixed the record at Media Sound. We spent a lot of money, and the entire summer, on Road to Ruin."

The artwork's concept was originated by Ramones fan Gus MacDonald, who sent the band an illustration of the members performing with a lobster claw coming out of the speaker and a snake around their feet.[5] This sketch included original drummer Tommy, so the drawing had to be modified by artist John Holmstrom, a Punk magazine associate and designer.[5][6]

Lyrics and compositions

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Being the first Ramones release to run over thirty minutes total, the album introduced many characteristics which were previously unheard of in punk, such as guitar solos, acoustic rhythm guitars, and ballads. These attributes were debated on by the band's fans as well as critics, who questioned whether these changes were simply expanding their musical fashion or selling out and abandoning their punk rock edge.[7] Though "Bad Brain," "I Wanted Everything," and "I'm Against" each serve to intensify the audience, the most popular tracks on the album are the songs which part from their initial style.[7]

"Road to Ruin reflected not just the Ramone's enduring love for Sixties pop, but a nagging desire to expand beyond the confines of 120 seconds in search of a new vocabulary of harmonic hooks, albeit linked to the guitar-crunching sonics established on their first three albums. The riff-driven gabba-gabba fury was still evidence on 'She's the One' and 'I Wanna be Sedated,' but something was missing. Road to Ruin was a flop Stateside, even thoguh it had been a very deliberate attempt to secure American radioplay."

— Tommy Ramone[8]

The album opens with midtempo "I Just Want to Have Something to Do," which contains lyrics pertaining to ambivalence and anomie. In the song, Joey manages to rhyme "Second Avenue" with "chicken vindaloo."[7] The next track, "I Wanted Everything," is compared to Merle Haggard's song "If We Make It Through December," being called its "punk counterpart" by Rock: A Canadian Perspective author Larry Starr.[9] "Questioningly" is a ballad focusing on failing relationships and heartbreak. "Don't Come Close" uses elements which can also be heard in country music, such as twang.[7] "She's the One" suggests that the band will continue making records,[10] while "Needles and Pins" is a cover of the The Searchers' song "Needles and Pins."[7] Rolling Stone critic Charles Young noted that the song could have easily been a joke, but said that Joey "really puts his guts into these antiquated but beautiful lyrics and pulls it off."[11]

"I Wanna Be Sedated" invoked the stress which the band was under during touring.[7] The song was written by Joey while in the hospital where he was treated for burns on his face and in his throat. The injury was the result of an exploding kettle full of boiling water which served to treat sinuses.[12] The album concludes with "It's a Long Way Back," which was written by Dee Dee depicting his childhood in Germany.[13]

Reception

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Commercial

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Even though the band had attempted to gain more mainstream acceptance, it did not expand the band's audience as much as they had expected. The album lack of commercial success showed for a negative effect on the member's morale, and this exasperation would continue into the band's future.[7] On the US Billboard 200, Road to Ruin peaked at number 103,[14] while on the UK Albums Chart it reached 32.[15] The album also debuted at 25 on the Sweedish Sverigetopplistan chart.[16]

Critical

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Initially, the album received mixed reviews from critics. Roy Trakin of the New York Rocker called the album "uneven" and "sometimes lazy," and preferred Tommy's drumming style over Markys, writing: "his light, distinctive, jazz-influenced drumming is sorely missed on Road to Ruin as Marky is of the heads-down basher school."[17] Rolling Stone critic Charles Young noted that the album is not as humorous or influential as their debut, but that the band is not at all "losing its grip."[18] He observes that the band modified their style because "dumb" people did not understand the music, while "smart" people did.[18] Young also inquired that "I Wanna Be Sedated" was the album's "killer cut," comparing it to "Blitzkrieg Bop," "Loudmouth," and "Cretin Hop."[18]

Critical acclaim for the album did not transpire until decades after its release. AllMusic senior editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine gave the album 4.5 out 5 stars, saying the album fails to "yield the same results as the other records."[19] He goes onto examine that their music sounds as if they were playing only to sell records, and that since the band was still in its prime, explaining that "such nondescript material sounds good, but the record has neither the exuberant energy or abundant hooks."[19] Music critic Robert Christgau wrote that the album was constantly "topping itself," and implied that each track on the album was very listenable except "Bad Brain," which he called "repetitious."[20]




  1. ^ Leigh 2008, p. 183.
  2. ^ Leigh 2008, p. 184.
  3. ^ Bowe 2010, p. 55.
  4. ^ True 2005, p. 94.
  5. ^ a b True 2005, p. 93.
  6. ^ Leigh 2008, p. 258.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g Schinder & Schwartz 2008, p. 550.
  8. ^ Heylin 2005, ch. 14.
  9. ^ Starr; Waterman; Hodgson 2008, p. 200
  10. ^ Thompson 2000, p. 581.
  11. ^ Bowe 2010, p. 57.
  12. ^ True 2005, p. 100.
  13. ^ True 2005, p. 120.
  14. ^ "The Ramones US albums chart history". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2010-12-23.
  15. ^ "Chart Stats - The Ramones". chartstats.com. Archived from the original on 2012-12-08. Retrieved 2008-12-22.
  16. ^ "swedishcharts.com - Discography Ramones". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2010-12-23.
  17. ^ Cite error: The named reference bowe 57 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  18. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference rs1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  19. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference amg was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  20. ^ Cite error: The named reference rc was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
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