MARKY RAMONE AND THE INTRUDERS
"The
Answer To Your Problems" (Zoe Records)
"Marky Ramone & The Intruders" (Thirsty
Ear)
"The
Answer to Your Problems?" (Zoë Records)
Reviewed by R. Scott Bolton
Yeah, it sucks that the RAMONES are gone forever but it's kinda cool that the
remaining band members are out doing new stuff. So it comes as no surprise that MARKY RAMONE AND THE
INTRUDERS is a pretty cool record.
The Intruders are about as close as we're going to get to the Ramones these days
so I'll gladly accept their pure punk thrashings and their sometimes humorous, sometimes serious lyrics and plain, guitar/bass/drums
sound.
There are 14 songs on this CD, the longest of which is 3:12 (the shortest of which is 1:38) and they're all great. They're all just fast simple chords and drums and they're as raw as raw can be. But the songs are all well-written and the band rips
solidly through them. Like the Ramones used to do. The vocals of Ben Trokan and Johnny Pisano are younger-sounding voice than Joey Ramone but they fit well. Marky, on drums, of course, simply does what Marky does best.
The best songs on the CD are "One Way Ride," a serious song about suicide that is one of the more sophisticated songs on the CD (don't hold that against it); "Life Sucks" which is as funny as it sounds (sample lyrics: "Someone drank my wine; I stand in the welfare line; Tape's stuck in the VCR; girlfriend stole my car); the sock-hop rocker "Don't Blame Me"; a rough'n'raw cover of the Beatles' "Nowhere Man" and the hilarious, inspirational(?) "Better Than Being You."
MARKY RAMONE AND THE INTRUDERS: It's not the Ramones, but I'll take what I
can get.
MARKY RAMONE AND THE INTRUDERS are: Ben Trokan, vocals/guitar; Johnny Pisano, bass/vocals; Marky Ramone, drums.
For more information, please visit http://www.intruders.net.
"Marky
Ramone & The Intruders" (Thirsty Ear)
Reviewed by R. Scott Bolton
Like "The Answer to Your Problems" and so many of the Ramones albums, this 1997 self-titled CD gives Ramones fans exactly what they want while at the same time giving the critics something to cheer about.
The thirteen tracks on this CD range from fast-paced to shambling rockers (the fast-pacers outnumber the slower) with lyrics that make you laugh, that make you think and that make you mad. It's all pure, simple, punk rock'n'roll, but it sounds great cranked up to 10 and, if for whatever reason you don't like it, the whole thing only runs 30 minutes.
But you'll like it. Especially if you're a Ramones fan or a punk rock fan in general.
MARKY RAMONE AND THE INTRUDERS: Skinny Bones - vocals/guitar; Johnny
"Fingers" Pisano - bass/backing vocals; Ben Trokan - guitar; Marky Ramone, drums.
For more information, please visit http://www.intruders.net.
Rating Guide:
A classic. This record will kick your ass.
Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.
So-so. You've heard better.
Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.
Self explanatory. Just the sight of the
cover makes you wanna hurl.
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Revised: 23 Feb 2020 15:48:32 -0500.
