If You Like the Ramones...: Here Are Over 200 Bands, CDs, Films and Other Oddities That You Will Love

by Peter Aaron

“1-2-3-4!”

With that quick count-off, four hoppin' cretins from Queens who called themselves the Ramones launched the 1970s musical revolution known as punk rock. And ever since, popular music hasn't been the same. Perhaps the most imitated band of all time, the Ramones stripped rock 'n' roll down to its bare bones and beating heart and handed it back to the people, making it fun again and reminding everyone that, hey, they could do this, too.

But “da brudders” didn't just influence their key comrades in the original punk explosion. Their raw, tough sound and divine gift of enduring, melodic songcraft has power-drilled its way into musical styles as divergent as college rock, power pop, hardcore punk, thrash metal, grunge, and the avant-garde, and continues to be felt in newer waves of young acts. And what about the music that influenced the Ramones themselves – early rock 'n' roll, surf rock, British Invasion sounds, garage rock, girl groups, hard rock, bubblegum, proto-punk, and glam rock? Or the nonmusical stuff that also warped the skulls beneath those trademark bowl haircuts – weird movies, cartoons, trashy TV shows, comic books, and other cultural jetsam? It's all here, just waiting for you to discover and dig. Hey Ho, Let's Go!

288 pages, Paperback

First published October 2, 2013

Reviews

[Ryan Fohl]

This book is a good rock and roll history within a larger book. I’m gonna use it as a resource to check out some new to me music. It’s difficult to describe music or a band in writing. So this gets repetitive, the same adjectives are used over and over. (And if the band has women in it get ready for the word “estrogen” to pop up for no reason.) I’m gonna have to watch some of these ramones documentaries the author recommends.

What I learned: cardboard records used to come on the back of cereal boxes.

[Michael Masters]

This book is beyond incredible so far and I know it’s not just because I’m such a huge fan of the authors legendary music. Not only is he tremendously knowledgeable but he can actually write. I mean in a manner that inspires the hell out of me. I’ll write more on this subject when I finish the book but even if the other reviewer is right, I can pretty much guarantee this is still more than worth reading. Mr. Aaron is a passionate human and one of the rare individuals I can truly relate with on multiple levels. Not to mention we share the same name (Aaron is my real birth name). I shall return.