rhino/wea. 7466 / 85 songs (+18 videos) / 2005

If you still don't have enough Ramones releases cluttering up your shelves, here's another one: A box set with 3-D glasses, a comic book with Ramones strips by 25 artists (including John Holstrom, co-founder of Punk magazine, Sergio Aragones of Mad Magazine, Matt Groening, creator of the Simpsons, Bill Griffith, Zippy creator, and Jaime Hernandez of Love and Rockets), a DVD with 18 music videos; and of course, 3 CDs with a whopping 85 songs. Definitely a labor of love (Johnny Ramone compiled the CDs before he passed away), and a beautiful addition to any Ramones collection, but this is not all that it could have been. People who spend this kind of money on a box set are hardcore fans or collectors that have all the other versions already, and there isn't much unreleased music here that justifies spending money again. As a Best Of, it's too extensive, as a discography, it's too incomplete, as a rarities collection there are too many regular album tracks. The AMG reviewer called this box a “tombstone” for Rock'n'Roll, and that's spot on. There's no difference at all anymore between this release and a 4-CD deluxe edition of previously released Rolling Stones, Beatles or Eagles music that 50-year olds buy out of purely nostalgic reasons. Well, anyway, this is the most beautiful of all the rip-off Ramones rereleases, so go ahead and get it if you must. [9]

Wer immer noch nicht genug von dieser Band hat, kann sich hier die endgültige Dröhnung abholen; eine Mega-Box mit Comicheft, einer DVD mit Ramones-Videos und nicht zuletzt 3 CDs mit “dem besten der 70er, 80er und 90er”, dazu wieder mal Raritäten und B-Seiten, die man aber inzwischen so gut wie alle von vorherigen Reissues kennt. Unbestritten eine toll gemachte Box, aber für eine Best Of zu umfangreich, für eine Discographie zu unvollständig - und für eine echte Raritätensammlung fehlen die Raritäten. Trotzdem, wer sich bisher standhaft gegen den Ramones-CD-Rereleaseterror gewehrt hat, kann jetzt aufgeben und zuschlagen - schöner wird’s nicht mehr.

Tracks: blitzkrieg bop / beat on the brat / judy is a punk / i wanna be your boyfriend / loudmouth / 53rd & 3rd / havana affair / now i wanna sniff some glue / glad to see you go / gimme gimme shock treatment / i remember you / carbona not glue / oh oh i love her so / swallow my pride / commando / pinhead / sheena is a punk rocker (abc single version) / i don't care (single version) / rockaway beach / cretin hop / here today, gone tomorrow / teenage lobotomy / slug (demo) / surfin' bird / we're a happy family / i just want to have something to do / i wanted everything / needles & pins (remixed single version) / i wanna be sedated / go mental / don't come close / i don't want you / she's the one / i'm against it /// rock 'n' rock high school (ed stasium mix) / i want you around (ed stasium mix) / do you remember rock 'n' roll radio? / i'm affected / danny says / the kkk took my baby away / you sound like your sick / she's a sensation / all's quiet on the eastern front / outsider / highest trails above / psycho therapy / time bomb / mama's boy / i'm not afraid of life / too tough to die / wart hog / howling at the moon (sha-la-la) / daytime dilemma (dangers of love) / endless vacation / my brain is hanging upside down (bonzo goes to bitburg) (12” version) / somebody put something in my drink / animal boy / i don't want to live this life (anymore) / love kills / something to believe in (single version) /// i wanna live / bop 'til you drop / i lost my mind / garden of serenity / i believe in miracles / pet sematary (single version) / punishment fits the crime / merry christmas (i don't want to fight tonight)(single version) / main man / strength to endure / poison heart / i won't let it happen / censorshit / journey to the center of the mind / 7 and 7 is / when i was young / i don't wanna grow up / scattergun / makin' monsters for my friends / the crusher / spiderman / life's a gas / she talks to rainbows / any way you want it / r.a.m.o.n.e.s.