“

In a way, the Ramones are an ideal band to anthologize. No matter how cohesive their records were (or not), their albums always played like collections of singles and since singles are easy to anthologize, it stands to reason that the best of the Ramones' songs will sound good in nearly any context; hell, the haphazard Ramones Mania proved that. However, Rhino's double-disc Hey! Ho! Let's Go: The Anthology has much greater goals than being just being another collection -- it strives to be the final word on the Ramones... The problem is that the Ramones did drop in quality sometime after End of the Century. They never bottomed out, but their music became less exciting, which is evident in this anthology, as the second disc is simply not as compelling as the first. That's not to say it isn't good -- with "The KKK Took My Baby Away" and "My Brain Is Hanging Upside Down (Bonzo Goes to Bitburg)", it can be great -- but it isn't timeless like the entire first disc is. Yet, this is nitpicking, since Anthology does a flawless job in summarizing the band's career. True, most listeners will wear out the first disc while rarely reaching for the second, but this is still essential. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, all music group

”

The Ramones' music has always echoed a Phil Spector-esque sense of melodic structure. Hey Ho Let's Go! is a delirious, nonstop rush of barreling drums and guitars topped with bubblegum melodies. The emphasis is on the band's seminal '70s output. "Blitzkrieg Bop", "Rockaway Beach," "Teenage Lobotomy", and "I Wanna Be Sedated" whiz past like no-frills Lear jets. The Ramones' power lies in their simplicity; you won't even find a guitar solo here. The band's post-'70s output is a mixed bag, but the second disc includes a sampling of its brighter moments. To the Ramones credit, they held on to their ideals and never played unplugged, released a concept album, or recorded a song that outstayed its welcome...

Disc 1:

01. Blitzkrieg Bop
02. Beat On The Brat
03. Judy Is A Punk
04. I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend
05. 53rd & 3rd
06. Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue
07. Glad To See You Go
08. Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment
09. I Remember You
10. California Sun
11. Commando
12. Swallow My Pride [single version]
13. Carbona Not Glue
14. Pinhead
15. Sheena Is A Punk Rocker [original single version]
16. Cretin Hop
17. Rockaway Beach
18. Here Today, Gone Tomorrow
19. Teenage Lobotomy
20. Surfin' Bird
21. I Don't Care [single version]
22. I Just Want To Have Something To Do
23. I Wanna Be Sedated
24. Don't Come Close
25. She's The One
26. Needles & Pins [remixed single version]
27. Rock 'n' Roll High School [original Ed Stasium mix]
28. I Want You Around [original Ed Stasium mix]
29. Do You Remember Rock 'N' Roll Radio?
30. I Can't Make It On Time
31. Chinese Rock
32. I'm Affected
33. Danny Says

Disc 2:

01. The KKK Took My Baby Away
02. She's A Sensation
03. It's Not My Place (In The 9 To 5 World)
04. We Want The Airwaves
05. Psycho Therapy
06. Howling At The Moon (Sha-La-La)
07. Mama's Boy
08. Daytime Dilemma (Dangers Of Love)
09. I'm Not Afraid Of Life
10. Too Tough To Die
11. Endless Vacation
12. My Brain Is Hanging Upside Down
13. Somebody Put Something In My Drink
14. Something To Believe In
15. I Don't Want To Live This Life (Anymore)
16. I Wanna Live
17. Garden Of Serenity
18. Merry Christmas (I Don't Want To Fight Tonight)
19. Pet Sematary
20. I Believe In Miracles
21. Tomorrow She Goes Away
22. Poison Heart
23. I Don't Wanna Grow Up
24. She Talks To Rainbows
25. R.A.M.O.N.E.S.

Recording Date: 1976 - 1995
Compilation Produced by Bill Inglot, Gary Stewart & Don Williams

Release Date: July 20, 1999
Number of Discs: 2
Label: Warner Archives/Rhino Ent.
Catalog No.: R2 75817