Tuesday, August 9, 2011

The Rämouns: Rockaway Beach Boys


The best $1.00 album I ever bought? Though I've bought a lot of dollar albums (Rockaway Beach Boys came from the discard stack in a political-metal store named War On Music) this one by The Rämouns was a glorious surprise. It's a surprise because I had aLready listened to the album over at Ratboy69's site and given it a meh. My initial reaction (mirrored in a lot of badly-written on-line reviews) was based on the fact that it was more Beach Boys than Ramones. Now, upon holding the things in my hand, I hear the strength of playing it 66.6% Beach Boys and 33.4%% Ramones.




On songs like "I Get Around" the band use a Ramones-like instrumental foundation and then over-lay it with a surprisingly assured vocal performance. Unlike so many novelty bands (and I'm not denying the novelty appeal here), this isn't based on mashing up two wildly disparate elements but rather amping up the connection between two things that are already somewhat linked. The glorious surprise is in how deftly this German band pulls off the hybridization.


The album is available from Amazon but for $25.71, which for truth-in-advertising's sake I must warn you is almost a dollar a minute and that's a lot pricier than my copy.

5 comments:

  1. Heh...I hadn't heard of the Ramouns.

    Have you heard the Ramonetures? Ramones covers done surf-instro style.

    ReplyDelete
  2. for more ramones-styled punk rock ,check out SEXBOY over at my blog http://sluggisha.blogspot.com

    thanks
    also for flyers,zines,video,audio,found pics,found tapes ,and other fun stuff check me out at
    http://mediachrist.blogspot.com
    again,thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Well it does sound like Love and Wilson singing over Johnny's guitar, for what it's worth...

    ReplyDelete
  4. Glad I could be their to witness your initial moment of "Hey, this is way better than I remember!" Long live the Rock Walk!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Vic
    Yeah that's a cool record (thoguh the X one looks a bit odd...)

    Thank G O D

    Brian
    Wow that's an even more concise review then mine - well put!

    CPJ
    Who would've guessed I'd be talking up a WOM purchase!

    ReplyDelete

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