Music review: C.J. Ramone – ‘Last Chance to Dance’
The Ramones were the heart and soul of the New York City punk scene origination.
In 1976, these torn jeans and leather jacket-wearing rockers delivered short and concise songs containing frenzied guitar riffs, hammering drums, catchy melodies and brash lyrics.
While all four original members are now gone, the style and attitude of the band lives on through the dedicated efforts of Chris Ward.
Ward joined the Ramones when Dee Dee Ramone left the band in 1989 after the release of 鈥淏rain Drain鈥� and was immediately renamed C.J. Ramone.
Ramone continued to serve as bassist until the band鈥檚 final performance in 1996.
Twenty-five years after joining the legendary punk rock band, Ramone celebrates with his second solo effort with 鈥淟ast Chance to Dance.鈥�
While the latest album clocks in under a mere 30 minutes, it is loaded with an abundance of garage-rock potency and unapologetic machismo with simple, infectious hooks and punk rock gusto.
On his first release for Fat Wreck Chords, Ramone pens all but one of the dozen tunes and is joined by guitarists Steve Sota and Dan Root (Adolescents) and David Hidalgo Jr. (Social Distortion) on drums.
The ex-Marine offers up plenty of swagger and punch on tunes like 鈥淕runt,鈥� 鈥淢r. Kalashnikov鈥� and 鈥淲on鈥檛 Stop Swinging,鈥� while also performing a spirited version of Alice Cooper鈥檚 鈥淟ong Way to Go鈥� from 1971鈥檚 鈥淟ove It to Death.鈥� Pulsating arrangements like 鈥淵ou Own Me,鈥� 鈥淧itstop鈥� and 鈥淥ne More Chance鈥� are traditional Ramones-esque rockers that would comfortably fit on albums such as 鈥淩ocket to Russia鈥� and 鈥淩oad to Ruin.鈥�
鈥淟ast Chance to Dance鈥� continues to honor the legacy of the Ramones in resplendent punk fashion.
Clint Rhodes is the 缅北禁地 music reviewer. He can be reached at crhodes@heraldstandard.com.