Ramones Album: “Raw”

If you love the Ramones in all their ragged glory, then RAW will suit you fine. Just make sure you understand that the emphasis here in on the ragged. Culled mostly from Marky Ramone's (also serving as the executive producer) collection of home super eight's, RAW combines extensive footage of the band as they traveled the world. The material is also not presented chronolgically, and that can get jarring. At times, these low-fi bits get tedious, best serving as bridges between the really good stuff. Of which there is plenty. You get to see clips from (mostly European and South American) concerts, TV clips and the band as they accept a gold disc award.

Oddly enough, the true high points of RAW are in the bonus materials, the 30 minute "I Ramone" concert sequence in particular. The "Up All Night" and "Space Ghost" segments are cool too. But frankly, if you are only curious about the Ramones and want to pick up some home viewing, my advice is to hold out for the superior "

," the warts and all 2004 documentary.

Ironically, since the premature passing of Joey, Johnny and Dee Dee, Tommy and Marky Ramone have been busy keeping the Ramones name more relevant than ever- Tommy producing a Ramones-themed musical à la the current trend of Mamma Mia, We Are the Champions, etc, and Marky with, among other projects, the release of this DVD. The band's image can be found on diverse merchandise, from t-shirts to comic books.

As opposed to the more somber, parochial and straight-forward End of the Century doc, Raw is non-linear and has a more behind-the-scenes, hang with the band feel, with quick, random edits and wipes of (mostly) Marky's video diary footage interspersed with various concert highlights. We get to see first hand what it was like to be a Ramone, especially during the final 10 years of the band.

Whether escaping hordes of manic fans by claustrophobic van in South America (where they were superstars), visiting a local zoo in Australia, signing autographs in Japan or early morning chain smoking at some hotel breakfast joint in Spain, the footage gives a very intimate feel of the band.

Raw shows lots of private joking, internal catch-phrasing, practical joke pulling, and various clowning around. What it does not show is a lot of interaction between other members of the band. Whether by design or default, you will be hard pressed to see Joey, Johnny, CJ and Dee Dee doing much verbal interacting. Nor does it show band members engaging in serious fighting, which surely must have happened on occasion.

The emphasis is on Marky and his camera interacting with the individual members. And each member brings his personality to the lens. Marky's position as a member of the band makes it easy to get the others to be themselves. Thus we get Marky himself as the talkative clown who keeps the vibe loose with good-natured ribbing; Johnny as the sarcastic curmudgeon with a glint of humor in his eye- who Mark refers to as the "Sloth"; Joey as the sensitive, soft-spoken, humorous lug; Dee Dee as the self-absorbed, slightly effeminate raconteur and observationalist, who even in his last days with the band, was appreciative of the fans and of the band's legacy; and CJ as the little brother from the Grunge era, who adds Gen X spark and cred to the band in their final phase. Tommy and Richie are all but invisible.

After watching Raw, some lingering questions remain. The main "tragedy" of the Ramones' story, besides members' premature deaths, is often "why didn't they become superstar rich and famous like they deserved" This theme is central to the End of the Century doc. But the thing is this: Many bands have made zillions without platinum records. The Grateful Dead, Phish, and others have become mega-rich through touring successes and especially merchandising. If the Ramones could fill a 50,000+ stadium in diverse corners of the world, why couldn't they take advantage of that fanbase and get filthy rich doing it?

The Ramones' legendary reputation is etched in stone and their iconic imagery is a natural for merchandise. As Tommy and Marky make money off of the Ramones' legacy today (and I am not here to judge their right to do that), I wonder if it was a question of underdeveloped use of the Ramones name. Richie Ramone left the band over t-shirt profits, which the band refused to share with him. This must have been a major source of income.

Was it simply a question of too little too late? Of undermerchandising? Would it have gone against the punk ethic to overexpose the Ramones trademark? Would a major advertising/promotions/PR firm been able to increase the band's income?

Either way, the Ramones rightfully deserve a place on the pedestal of rock legends. Their fun, energetic no-nonsense punk take on early-60s pop and their dedication to the DIY ethic have inspired millions and will continue to do so.

Raw is a must-have, for it takes you on a fun ride into the inner circle of a great band that will never return. And that is definitly worth the price of admission.

I don't know what DVD "Jonathan" was watching, but compared to the crappy "Ramones Around the World", RAW is the definitive DVD to own. This guy has no idea what he is talking about. It has TON'S of new material!!!! Besides the INCREDIBLE Italy footage, it also contains the Ramones appearances on theHOWARD STERN SHOW from the WOR TV series, the USA UP ALL NIGHT APPEARANCES, as well as the weirdest assortment of celebrity appearances that I never even knew about. Their appearances on the UNCLE FLOYD show are worth the 15 dollars alone. NEVER BEFORE SEEN MUSIC VIDEO for "TOURING", File footage of Dee Ramone and his RAP CAREER! And file footage from New York, when Joey Ramone died, including when the city of NEW YORK named a street after him. There is too much material to count. ALSO, it does not say it contains `FIVE HOURS OF FOOTAGE. It says it contains FIVE HOURS OF MATERIAL! That includes audio commentaries, easter eggs, and tons of bonus stuff.

The Italian concert is shown during the main program. It is shown in it's entirety as a bonus feature, without interruption and FOUR EXTRA SONGS that are NOT in the main program. The Songs are:

Commando, I Want To Be Sedated, Gimme, Gimme Shock Treatment and Lets Go!

Get it Straight if your gonna do a review! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS GREAT DVD!!!!!

Ramones Raw is basically Marky Ramone with a handheld camera annoying Johnny, Joey, Dee Dee and C.J. while on tour. There is some great live footage of the band playing some classic songs. The DVD doesn't really tell a story but is more of a narrative of the Ramones life on the road. The inner relations of the band are not touched upon at all. In fact, by watching Ramones Raw you'd never know that Johnny and Joey hated each other with a passion. Most of the running time is lighthearted gags and inside jokes interspersed with concert footage. For a complete look at the inner workings of the band, as well as the making of most of their albums, pick up the End of the Century DVD it is a MUCH more comprehensive look at the band as a whole. Recommended for Ramones Diehards and completists only.

Addendum:

Look, all I can tell you all is that I own everything the Ramones ever put out on vinyl, VHS and disc and I've watch and rewatched this DVD 8 times already. I too cannot get "I Can't Make It On Time" out of my head. I wish Sire would release "End Of The Century - Naked". It's so obvious after seeing the "I Ramones" footage how Phil Spector watered down that album. The Italy concert footage is amazing. Not one of their better shows? C'Mon now! The sound check alone will blow you away. The majority of the DVD is not on "Around The World". Yes, some stuff is, but it's been given different editing which frankly I found amusing. This disc wasn't made for the casual fan; it was made for the die hard fans to enjoy. All the little stuff that the casual fan might find boring is pretty fun for us die hard fans to get to see.

My original review:

I don't usually write reviews, but this time I felt I had to. First off, I've seen the Ramones live 40 times. So you can trust I know the band. Thus don't take it lightly when I say that this is the best video release I have seen from or about the Ramones yet. That includes all the legitimate and bootleg stuff out there on VHS and DVD and even "End Of The Century" (though that was great too).

By the title, I expected a "raw" bunch of clips loosely strung together. The footage is raw home movie footage, though not at all amateurish. The scripting and production around the footage simply blew me away. It was thoroughly entertaining. It's a movie; not just some random raw footage.

The "I Ramones" footage from Italy was amazing to see. It was like watching the concert scene from "Rock `N' Roll High School". The biggest thrill for me was seeing "I Can't Make It On Time" played live and without all the Phil Spector production (complete with Johnny playing some lead parts). The volleyball scene was a howl, as was the rest of bit with "Gilbert Ramone". There's some footage you've may have seen before if you're a die-hard fan, though it's been given a new twist (I won't say more so as not to spoil it for you).

This DVD captures the Ramones at their best, both musically as a band and with each other as people. If you like the Ramones at all, purchasing this DVD is a no-brainer. I'm going to buy 3 more today for my friends.

Marky, thank you so much for making this DVD for us. With the deaths of Joey and Dee Dee and the recent passing 2 weeks ago of Johnny, I was in serious need of a catharsis. Your DVD gave me that and more. It reminded me of why I love you guys so much. The Ramones were and are a bunch of cool people, real and genuine, never pretentious. I owe so much of who I am to your inspiration.

Gabba Gabba Hey Forever!!!

Bobby Ramone a.k.a. Negotious C.U.B.