The Ramones – Questioningly (1978)

I almost came to hand to hand combat in the office today with a colleague about the relative merits of The Ramones and The Clash. Needless to say, several HR procedures were ignored and I fear that I may have a grievance raised against me. See you in court buddy.

But look, I love the two bands almost more than life itself, but, if I had to push one band off a cliff (not completely sure how that circumstance might arise, but bear with me) it would have to be Joe Strummer and the boys. The reason is straightforward and nothing to do with Joe being the son of a diplomat. Hell, I’m a servant of the crown myself. No, the reason is one of influence. Without the Ramones, much UK punk may never have happened or would have been poorer. Remember while Joey, Dee Dee, Johnny and, er, the drummer were setting out a blueprint for the next 30 years, Joe Strummer was arsing about in the “only got one good song” pub rockers the 101′ers. You’ve got to look at the pluses and minuses when putting a business case together; I should know, I’m an analyst. Trust me.

Anyway, just to be awkward, I’ve skipped the era defining first three Ramones albums (released within the space of 18 months) and instead chosen this gem from “Road to Ruin” released in 1978. The Ramones invent alt.country.