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ONE WAY Recommends [Issue
#17]
The Ramones By
Dave Lewis
Weird Tales Of The Ramones
(CD
Rhino)
With the first
box set devoted to The Ramones, you can still sniff glue, be sedated, and beat
on the brat, but you can also check out rarely heard alternate mixes, B-sides,
and outtakes. This handsome set is packed with 85 songs (all approved by the
late Johnny) packed onto three discs. A DVD includes some videos and the fun
and extremely dated 1990 documentary Lifestyles of The Ramones. Rhino has outdone
itself with the absolutely perfect pulp packaging, which eschews traditional
liner notes in favor of a dozen or so band-related comic book pages written
and illustrated by some of the best artists in the underground comics scene,
including a 3-D tale by Steve Vance and John Vankin (polarized glasses included,
naturally). Sure, between all the other compilations and the recently re-issued
studio albums, even casual Ramones fans have most of these tunes (at least they
should). But for fanatics and collectors, nothing beats this coffee table set
made by folks who obviously love the band as much as anyone.
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