Ramones
Raw

Subtitle "Ignorance in power".

"Our American Dream" for those, like me, who lived those years on the front lines; fighting, moshing, shouting at their concert.

- Because those who love the Ramones love them unconditionally;

- Because everything is forgiven to the Ramones, even objectively unsuccessful albums and quite questionable artistic choices;

- Because we owe so much to the Ramones, having given vital oxygen to the world of Rock in one of its most difficult moments;

- Because Punk would be crippled without them;

- Because they are a world of their own;

- Because they toured for twenty-two years in a van, damn it;

- Because they are the Ramones, end of story.

First Joey, then Dee Dee and Johnny, and finally Tommy; they all left, silently without fanfare. C.J. and Marky remain; the first continues a dignified and honorable career. While the second... it's better not to pile on, covering it with a veil of silence. However, Marky did one good thing in 2004 by curating this bewildered documentary that includes five hours of footage retrieved from the band's archives between 1979 and 1996.

The title of the DVD already highlights the quality of the material contained: rough and raw amateur recordings but with a sure visual and auditory impact. The surreal world of the fake Puerto Rican brothers is shown through the most diverse images and situations: sound checks, sightseeing in the cities hosting a concert, rituals before taking the stage, transfers with the inevitable and cramped van, rare hotel breaks including "mandatory stops" in the bathroom, music videos, interviews, encounters with excited fans, and so on... and so forth...

Among the best parts of the endless document are a few minutes of the historic concert in Rome, Castel Sant'Angelo area, in 1980; with a Joey even more gangly than usual and the other three delivering powerful blows to their respective instruments!!

"We were on tour in Texas; during a transfer we stopped in a small village to eat. I got out of the van to buy something while the guys stretched their legs outside the venue. When I returned to them, a woman approached me and said - Are you the one taking care of those four poor retarded boys? - She really thought I worked for some health facility and was doing volunteer work!!! Four mentally retarded lads..." (Cit. Monte Melnick, the band's historic tour manager).

If all this is not enough for you, then do this and you will understand: place "Ramones" on the turntable; drop the needle on the first track "Blitzkrieg Bop" and turn up the volume to a thousand. What follows will happen on its own...ADIOS AMIGOS!...

Ad Maiora.