Road To Ruin (40th Anniversary) (Remastered)
Ramones- I Just Want To Have Something To Do
- I Wanted Everything
- Don’t Come Close
- I Don’t Want You
- Needles And Pins
- I’m Against It
- I Wanna Be Sedated
- Go Mental
- Questioningly
- She’s The One
- Bad Brain
- It’s A Long Way Back
And so, the juggernaut continues. On with the series of 40th Anniversary boxes – this time we revisit 1978, and Ramones album #4! This one follows the usual path, but Road to Ruin is notable for 2 things… It is the first release without the original foursome, with Marky Ramone (aka Marc Bell – previously in Richard Hell & the Voidoids) joining on drums for this album, after the departure of Tommy. And it features yet another Ramones’ classic in ‘I Wanna Be Sedated’!! Tommy
Ramone shifted to a full time position on the other side of the control room glass for this record, producing the album with long-time foil Ed Stasium. And again it is original engineer/mixer Ed Stasium as the architect of the audio behind the 40th Anniversary Deluxe edition. Ed Stasium will be once more be supplying a new (2018) mix, stripping back the sounds to their punk rock core, as the original RTR had the producers looking for sales gold, & going for a more layered &
slicker production. This will be paired with another remastered stereo version of the original mix. Disc 2? Yes once again – a set of rough mixes of the album, plus additional mixes & rarities. This will include proper versions of 2 unreleased outtakes – ‘Come Back She Cried,’ & ‘S.L.U.G.’ & a bevy of alternate versions of the classic ‘I Wanna Be Sedated’ (the 1988 mix, the ‘Ramones On 45’ mega-mix,) plus single mixes of ‘Don’t Come Close’ and ‘Needles & Pins’. Disc 2 also
has instrumentals, acoustic versions, & alternative mixes, & more. The live component for this set is a radio broadcast from WNEW-FM of a show at from The Palladium NYC Dec 31 1979 (never previously - officially - released)
Same hard bound book packaging, with 1LP & 3 CDs, & a booklet with new liner notes essays & photos. These will include a piece from former Punk Magazine founder/writer/illustrator John Holmstrom, where he gives the background on how the cover art for Road to Ruin came to be, plus an essay from LA journalist Roy Trakin, who was embedded in the CBGB’s scene at the time as a writer for New York Rocker, plus another short missive from engineer/producer Ed Stasium. There are some great
photos & images for inclusion, such as the pic of the ‘5 Ramones’ which has both Tommy AND Marky, and the ‘alternate’ version of the John Holmstrom art which was done for the front cover, & was rejected by Sire. Box is limited edition & individually numbered. And following Ramones 1-3, there will also be a 1CD in slipcase w/ stereo remaster. Release date is aligned to match up close to the original 1978 release date of Sept 22.
To follow (Jan 2019) there should also be a new stand-alone vinyl version of the ‘Road To Ruin’ LP, using the 2018 remastered stereo audio, and an associated RSD vinyl piece to come in April 2018. And of course, there will be digital remasters!