Ramones fans who never got around to picking up the band’s key early albums on CD will have an easy way to do that later this month when Rhino Records releases a new box set collecting the band’s first six records: Ramones (1976), Leave Home (1977), Rocket to Russia (1977), Road to Ruin (1978), End of the Century (1980) and Pleasant Dreams (1981).
As MusicTAP points out, the six-disc box set The Sire Years 1976-1981 is due out Oct. 29. As currently priced at Amazon.com, it’s a pretty good deal, too: $38.35 for the box, or a little more than $6 a CD.
Rhino hasn’t announced details of the box set, so it’s not yet clear whether these are straight-up issues of the original albums, the 2002 bonus-laden remasters or something entirely new. Also not yet known: whether there will be a second Sire Years box, since the Ramones’ years on Sire actually extended out another five albums, through 1989’s Brain Drain.
UPDATE: We’ve check in with Rhino, and the discs on this box set will feature the 2002 remasters of the original albums, but without the bonus material.
PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS
- Vintage Video: Watch the Ramones rip through 25 songs in 50 minutes in Germany, 1978
- Arturo Vega, designer of the Ramones’ iconic logo, 1948-2013
- Ramones’ 1976 debut added to the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry
- Stream: Joey Ramone, ‘Rock ’N’ Roll Is The Answer’ — off new album ‘…Ya Know?’
- Ramones reissuing first 4 albums on 180-gram vinyl with bonus blue-vinyl 7-inches
Seems a bit of a waste. I guess they must want to preserve the integrity of the initial releases. It would’ve been possible to combine multiple albums onto single discs. No joke intended. I did it for a buddy of mine a few years ago.
Also their “Sire Years” ended outside the US a lot sooner than “Brain Drain.” They were on Beggars Banquet in the UK by the time they released the “Bonzo Goes To Bitburg” EP.
In the uk the Sire releases ended in 83′ with ‘Subterranean Jungle’. ‘Too Tough’ came in 85 on Beggars Banquet’ with ‘Animal Boy’ and ‘Halfway’ following the next 2 years, ‘Brain Drain’ was on Chryslis as were the remaining albums to follow in the 90’s.
Not sure about this one…
Time for comprehensive boxsets from The Velvet Underground, Patti Smith & Blondie and though.
5D, are you forgetting Peel Slowly and See boxed set in terms of the Velvets? Were you aware of it even? It’s been eighteen years to the month since it’s release (scary), so depending on your age, it’s entirely possible you’re unfamiliar with it. Please clarify.
PS&S is a great starter set! Easily one of the best box sets EVER!All the albums plus some essential rarities…BUT since its release, there has been a lot of material both in studio and live performance that has surfaced… and let’s not forget the remaining unreleased Max’s tape they have yet to secure!
Exactly. But the way it was worded, I wondered “Okay, was the initial poster aware of the first release?” It has been a while since its release. And you’re right, the Norman Dolph acetate that came out officially last year with the reissue of VU and Nico, the Loaded Expanded Edition that came out shortly after the boxed set, and if you really wanted to be a completist, Squeeze. It’s due a revamp, yes. Maybe Lou’s waiting for John and Mo to pop their clogs.
Good for the younger kids who weren’t around yet when the ramones were still alive. Older fans have worn these out many times over. and owmed these for years. Its quite apparent from your polls nobody gives a fuck about the ramones anymore. You’d think Depeche Mode was equivalent to the second coming of christ, yet the ramones are tied with some unheard of nobodies called cabaret voltaire..
No bonus tracks, eh? So it’s a straight reissue of the albums with slightly tarted up sound (kind of pointless for punk rock).
Man, how much $$ do Linda, Barbara and Mitchell need?!!?
Why no “It’s Alive”?