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"All I ever wanted was to see smiles on the kids' faces" - Marky Ramone

In 2004, life without the Ramones and, in particular, Joey and Dee Dee, remains a novel concept. After the playing the last of some 2,200 (very) odd gigs in 1996, the band hung up their leather jackets, t-shirts, torn jeans and tennis shoes and rode off into the sunset to the strains of Ennio Morricone's "The Good, The Bad & The Ugly" theme. Anyone with a pulse is cognizant of "da bruddahs" rightful coronation as rawk royalty, although most of the accolades didn't start arriving until they went away.

Everett True postulates they functioned as much like a gang as they did a band, but a more accurate analogy might be La Cosa Nostra, with Johnny as capo di tutti capi and the rest as misfit goombahs. Until the end, it appeared the Ramones' creed was "in for life" and to this day, there appears to be some sort of omerta regarding Richie, who came up to the bigs for a cup of coffee when Marky was too drunk to sit upright on his drum stool.

True, himself a huge fan, paints a picture, warts and all, of four maladjusted kids from Forest Hills who had a musical vision that was rammed home with all the subtlety of a trouser cough on a crowded elevator (thanks, Andrew!), succeeding as purveyors of pure white noise in spite of themselves. Embittered somewhere along the way about the brass ring that seemed to elude them in the form of hit records and credit for if not creating punk rock, then at least kickstarting it, the Ramones turned to infighting, drugs, booze and tinkering with their sonic fabric.

The rift between Johnny and Joey is as much attributed to a struggle for control of their musical direction as it is to Johnny's stealing Joey's girlfriend and then marrying her. Is it any wonder long-suffering tour manager Monte Melnick's job is likened to that of a special-ed teacher chaperoning four retards on a 20-year field trip? Surprisingly, for all of the legend surrounding Dee Dee's heroin addiction and the lengths he allegedly went to to cop, it's given short shrift by True, although he doesn't sugarcoat Marky's liquor-soaked tours of duty. As I read True's account of Joey's passing while laying in a hospital bed surrounded by family and friends, I cried like a baby while riding a bus home from work surrounded by total strangers.

As punk marches into the 21st century, the Ramones have been rightfully iconized as the ultimate anti-heroes and the most influential band this side of The Beatles - no, make that the most influential band ever - architects of a unique universe of bad taste, volume, melody, and momentum. Despite that dubious achievement, there is a noticeable dearth in print about them, but True's book takes to places none of the others do, whether you like it or not.

Well written, researched & executed Biography of one of the Greatest Bands of Punk or Rock or Whatever. The story is a little sad, but I now understand even more the work ethic and obstacles that this band dealt with. We know the Great songs, great albums, great Movie, but we get some insight into this not so D.U.M.B. Little band from Queens NY! I still wake up at Night wondering why they were not The Biggest Band in the world! Joey is Put up as an almost mythical Romantic Hero Figure, while Johnny is really villified. Dee Dee is treated as a sort of Retarded Genius. Tommy, Marky, CJ, and Richie are touched upon nicely. 3 out of 5 for the imbalance of viewpoints But overall not to be missed.

I just finished reading this book, and have gone from being a casual Ramones fan to an intense fan and great admirer of the band. Everett True did an awesome job showing how The Ramones functioned as individuals and as a group.

What fascinated me is how the group stayed together for over twenty years, functioning as a band despite intense differences. Each member seemed to have a different vision, temperment and political stance, but they remained professional enough to keep working hard and cranking out great music.

True shows liberal Joey, Johnny the ultra-conservative; Dee Dee and Joey the artists, Johnny the workhorse who at times seemed like the "disciplinary glue" that kept the band well-marketed and organized. We see Tommy, who intrigued me the most as he tired of being an active member early on, but stayed involved with the band's production throughout the years. You see the out-of-control sides of Marky and Dee Dee, and the different recovery trips they sought. Band members often fought and held grudges, but rarely did it effect their professional work. Despite a cult following without huge record sales, these guys kept working hard.

True also put good effort into showing us the unsung members like CJ and Ritchie, and he shows how various crew members and artists worked as a family.

The book's only flaw is a biggie. True frequently cites what the band's best work is as if his personal likes are the final word. This does not happen once or twice, but throughout the book. Annoying! HOWEVER--- to his credit, he did print viewpoints that conflicted with his own, and he did so without discounting each person's word. I honestly can overlook Everett True's subjective flaw, because the work he put into this book is incredible. You can tell that he was a huge Ramones fan from day one, yet was focused enough to paint both their glory and their shortcomings.

Judging from other interviews I read with Johnny Ramone, I get the feeling that Everett True painted Johnny as more of a "hardnose bust-yer-chops" type than he actually is. Still, he did show Johnny's near military disclipline may be part of what kept the Ramones professional and reliable.

If you've never even heard of the Ramones, I recommend this book. You will read a fascinating account of a rock band that, conflicting individual dynamics, became a cohesive and legendary rock group.