On The Cutting Edge: an interview with Marky Ramone of the Ramones by Sue Schneider

Joey, Johnny, Marky and CJ are the Ramones, fresh from releasing their 19th album Adios Amigos. Considered founders of the punk movement they helped inspire bands like The Clash and the Sex Pistols. Even in today's music the Ramones' influence can be heard; and they've been around for close to 21 years! Added to their credit is a starring role in the 1976 film Rock 'n' Roll High School. Highlighting the music of the Ramones, the movie is a non-stop cult classic about a high school out to thwart the principal at every turn. Some of the songs included in the movie are Teenage Lobotomy, Blitzkrieg Bop, I Wanna Be Sedated and the title track Rock 'n' Roll High School. If you've ever had the chance to witness the Ramones in concert you know that their high-energy show discharges off-the-meter excitement and pure fun! They give 110 percent to their audience indeed, it's the chief reason why the Ramones have a die-hard fan followingand they remain the sole survivors of the original punk rock movement. So, like the roar of the impassioned fans at a Ramones concert... "Hey Ho, Let's Go!"

DCM: What do you consider is the reason for the on-going success of the Ramones?

Marky: We're original. We started something that caught on, especially in Europe. It kicked off later and now it's back...the punk movement. We're a no- nonsense band. There are no 10-minute breaks. We've got good songs, good melodies and we're energetic when we play live. Also, we look like a band, together as a unit! I've never wanted to say it before, but you hear it in the influence of our sound in a lot of bands, especially now.

CJ: Plus, I think the Ramones' live show has really carried the career a long time. People know that we are a good live band and when you come to the show it's just fun! That's all it is. Everybody likes to have fun. A lot of bands, especially these days, have become real political and serious and it seems a lot of the fun has gone out of the music business. But the Ramones have always kept that up. We have fun!

DCM: You definitely put on a good show. Most bands do not stay together as long as the Ramones have without a turnover of members. What's the secret that keeps the band members from ripping each other's throats out or wanting to do individual projects?

Marky: We like what we do. I enjoy touring the world. I like being on the road seeing different cities. I like getting up and going instead of sitting around in one place. I think that the feedback from the crowd is important, too. The energy that the audience gives makes us play better, more energetic, because it's great to know that you can draw somebody to see you perform. That's why we stay together. We get a lot of thanks from other bands and people in the industry for being there.

DCM: The Ramones are considered the greatest punk band ever. Would you give a description of your music?

Marky: It's punk, it's rock, it's pop. I hate heavy metal. In the beginning we created this sound that started the punk movement. Punk is an energy with in-your-face lyrics and sound. It's not beating around the bush but presenting yourselves as ordinary guys; and it's not going to a store to pick out some stupid costumes to wear or talking on stage about things that don't matter. We go right into our music and play. There is no laziness involved. It's a way of life.

DCM: What do you think of the new music trends, especially alternative?

Marky: I like it. A lot of bands in the 80s were relying heavily on computers and all the other crap...fake drum machines, and now that's over. The heavy metal bands from the 80s were so pretentious and alike that there was no originality left. Then grunge came along and now punk is here again. It's healthy. Anyone can pick up a guitar and be in a band and play and write some great songs, as opposed to having to be some technical wizard helped by modern technology, which I feel is cheating. The whole idea of the Ramones was, and is, to pick up a guitar and not to be the greatest musician but to create a style that you can enjoy playing.

DCM: Adios Amigos is the title of the new album. Any particular reason for calling it that? It sounds as if you're saying good-bye, that this is the Ramones' last album.

Marky: A lot of people think that this is a good-bye title. It's confusing. Johnny picked the title. I don't want the band to break up as I think we have a lot more life in us. There's a whole new audience that comes to our shows. We'll see how this album goes. I still like touring. I think that the management is doing a great job and I like Radioactive a lot. It's a very unique record company because it hasn't got the typical older record label attitude. I think with that behind us we still have more years to go. I have no idea why Johnny picked this title. Maybe he wants to leaveÑthat's up to him. It's a very good album. I think it's probably going to be one of the best punk albums ever. Our friend Daniel Rey produced it. He's been a big Ramones fan for years and he really captured our sound on this.

DCM: Will there be a tour to support the new album?

Marky: We just did the South. We're probably going to have a tour that will expand to about six to eight weeks in America. Then go to Europe, South America, Japan, Australia, Spain, England, France, Germany and Holland.

DCM: How has the rock scene changed since the Ramones first started?

Marky: Compared to 20 years ago, there are more places to play today. There's better equipment, video cameras, better taping systems where you can tape yourself live and then go back and check whether you're as good as you can be. You have reference to check things out. This can help a lot of bands; so there are different things from when the Ramones began. When we started, disco balls were still hanging on the ceilings and a lot of people didn't want to play us. Radio hated the Ramones because we weren't playing guitar or drum solos, nor were we wearing bell-bottoms. The Ramones weren't from the era of the hippie DJ and they didn't like us. They didn't like these guys that looked like a gang. Leather jackets on, ripped dungarees, sneakers, we were anti- what they were doing. They didn't like that, so they really didn't give us a chance. They couldn't understand us but treated us like aliens from another planet. So we persisted and then along came MTV which helped us to expand. You can be an MTV band. That's what I call bands that are on MTV; a year later they might not be around anymore. You are more easily disposable now than ever because there is such a turnover, and MTV can do that.

But what's important is to have your own recognizable style. When I listen to the radio and I hear a band I want to know who that is immediately but with the Ramones you can tell and that's important to me. Sort of an identity to the guitar playing, the singing and the rhythm. There are so many bands that sound alike that it seems there's some kind of a formula that's accepted at the moment to push bands that have the same sound because it's easy to play and easy to sell.

DCM: What are the upcoming plans for the Ramones?

Marky: The album came out June 20th and now the tour. After that we will meet with our manager and see what he has in store. I really want the band to continue. I think we are playing better than ever. It's wait and see. We'll take it one year at a time.

DCM: What made the Ramones decide to record The Doors' song Take It As It Comes on the album Mondo Bizarro?

Marky: We all like The Doors and we think that Jim Morrison was a great lead singer. We didn't want to do an obvious hit but rather a song that was a little more obscure. A song that wasn't a Light My Fire or Touch Me or any like that so we chose that one. Robby Krieger came down to the Palladium one night about three years ago and played with us on that song. Robby loved the song and was really happy the way it came out. He had a great time that night playing in front of a thousand people. That's why we did it because we were always Doors fans. Personally, my favorite song is Touch Me. When that song came out it was great, more than just a rock type of song, it was so moody and so glorifying.

DCM: Going back to where you stated that the radio wouldn't play the Ramones...when The Doors first started no one really cared for them either.

Marky: The radio still doesn't play us. Maybe it will get better for this album but that's one of the reasons you say to yourself, This could be the last albumÑif it doesn't get any better. Hopefully we will get more input. I can see why they wouldn't play The Doors either because they were very extreme at the time and now history has proven that they were great!

DCM: The Doors are often described as having been on the cutting edge of music and the Ramones have had the same said about them. Do you have any comments regarding this?

Marky: You should always try to be on the cutting edge because there's so much mediocre stuff out there that it all just falls into the same kind of style and feel. Then if it's accepted that's another story. If you're on the cutting edge you'll be noticed, whether it's good or bad, at least you can say you did what you thought was right...different.

DCM: The Doors Collectors Magazine is trying to get Morrison's pending charges from the Miami concert expunged. Do you have any thoughts on stage acts today and how musicians should behave while on stage? Marky: Well, I can't say who should act how, because I feel if you want to act a certain way and it's not going to hurt anybody then go right ahead. If you're just going to do it to attract media attention, don't do it, because you're always going to have to top yourself. If it's done to create sensationalism then that's fine, if that's the way you really are then more power to you.

DCM: Jim Morrison was known for his stage antics; having seen the Ramones perform, you, on the other hand, are pretty tame on stage.

Marky: Our energy is very up, but we're not into sexually provocative stuff. We don't feel we need to do that. We are an energy band letting the energy speak for itself. We don't go around sticking ourselves with glass and nails. We don't grab our crotches; to me that's lame. It's been done so many times...what's next?...give me a break!

DCM: Are you a Doors fan?

Marky: When I first heard John Densmore play I thought it was very jazz/rock-oriented. I was about 13 years old when The Doors came out and I was into drummers like Ringo, Mitch Mitchell, Ginger Baker, Keith Moon and it was nice to hear a drummer in an American rock band that was great. Since I was just learning to play drums I listened to anything and everyone that I really enjoyed. I appreciate Robby Krieger's guitar playing now more than I did then but he had a lot of competition at that time: Clapton, Hendrix, Beck, PageÑthose were the big four. It's always hard to compare anything to them.

DCM: What would you consider your favorite Doors album?

Marky: I would say the first one, The Doors. And for a single, Touch Me.

DCM: Did you ever see The Doors in concert?

Marky: No, I was too young. I was too little. I had to go to school. I was in ninth grade and had to do homework. I couldn't stay out 'til midnight back then.

DCM: What do your parents think about the Ramones? Marky: They like the fact that I chose something that I like doing. They keep rooting for me to have an album that will be a tremendous hit in America. They bought my first drum set when they didn't have much money. I look back now and realize they worked really hard for that.

DCM: So they were behind you from the beginning?

Marky: Yeah, they saw something there. A lot of parents want you to be in a secure field, a secure business, a secure job with a pension and the music business is not like that. So they were a little wary of me going into it.

DCM: I guess parents worry what with sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll.

Marky: Yeah, that's everywhere, though. Wall Street, sports...football and baseball, the parties they have afterwards, the cocaine, the booze and the athletic groupies. It's in everything.

DCM: What prompted the decision to do Acid Eaters which consisted mainly of cover songs from the 60s?

Marky: We picked 12 of the singles we wanted from the original psychedelic era. At that time the psychedelic era was big again, all these bands were on TV wearing bell-bottoms and paisley shirts. Everyone wanted to look or sound like Jimi Hendrix or the Grateful Dead. We figured we would give it a go and turn people on to all of the bands that were responsible for that sound and look when it was original. Acid Eaters came out very 60s-production sounding; we didn't want to overdo anything and it sounded very raunchy.

DCM: You had a few special guests on this album?

Marky: Yeah, Pete Townshend, Traci Lords, and Sebastian Bach. Traci is managed by our manager so it was easy to get in touch with her. She did the Jefferson Airplane song Somebody To Love. She sang Marty Balin's part and Joey (Ramone) sang Grace Slick's part.

DCM: Anything additional you would like to say to fans of the Ramones and The Doors?

Marky: Yes, I think the new Ramones album is one of the best punk albums. It's really good punk/pop. The songs are memorable. Go out and buy it. And my favorite Doors song is Touch Me!