release date: Apr. 1979
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5]
producer: Tommy Ramone
label: Sire Records - nationality: USA
1st live album by Ramones. The album has legendary status. It's a recorded live concert held on New Year's Eve, Dec. 31, 1977 at The Rainbow Theatre in London. The original release was a double vinyl lp and the tracks are taken from the band's first four albums, basically comprising the best years by Ramones. The band members playing were the original quartet featuring Joey Ramone on lead vocals, Johnny Ramone on guitar, Dee Dee Ramone on bass and backing vocals, and Tommy Ramone on drums. The album nicely documents how Ramones went on stage and just played track after track without long breaks, and many times without pausing at all. It's truly a fine album at the peak of their performance. It was one of the first albums I was introduced to by the band, and I kept it on cassette for many years before finally purchasing it on cd around the mid 90s.
[ allmusic.com, Q Magazine, Rolling Stone 4 / 5 stars ]
