release date: Jan. 10, 1977
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,94]
producer: Tony Bongiovi, Tommy Ramone
label: Sire Records - nationality: USA
Track highlights: 1. "Glad to See You Go" - 2. "Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment" (4,5 / 5) - 3. "I Remember You" (4 / 5) - 4. "Oh, Oh, I Love Her So" (4 / 5) - 6. "Suzy Is a Headbanger" (4 / 5) - 8. "Now I Wanna Be a Good Boy" (4 / 5) - 11. "California Sun" (4 / 5) - 13. "You're Gonna Kill That Girl" (4 / 5)
2nd studio album by Ramones following 9 months after the debut introduces Tony Bongiovi as new co-producer together with Tommy Ramone (aka Thomas Erdelyi), who would go on to be an acclaimed producer.
The album simply continues where the debut ended, and the album is packed with several great tracks. In a more critical perspective it also seems like a release with a few fillers that do not reach quite the same high level throughout e.g. "Carbona Not Glue", "Pinhead", "What's Your Game", "Commando", and "You Should Have Never Opened That Door". Another thing that doesn't work too great is the production side. The debut was lo-fi-like garage rock-produced, perhaps with something to be desired but it's punk rock, right, so it has to be dirty and simple. This has a tone of hard rock production aspect to it - that I understand is Bongiovi's contribution - that doesn't sound right nor goes hand in hand with the simplicity of the music.
[ allmusic.com, Rolling Stone 4,5 / 5, NME 5 / 5 stars ]
