When Morrissey reviewed the Ramones’ debut: “Talentless”
When the Ramones burst onto the scene with their first eponymous album on April 23, 1976 (to which Rockol dedicates a special mixtape today), Morrissey was still Steven Patrick Morrissey, a boy who would be seventeen in a month. Speaking of his youth, the musician would later declare: “Pop music was all I had“. During adolescence, Morrissey he became passionate about music, literature and writingbecoming an admirer of glam rock in the 1960s, before taking on the role of lead singer of a Manchester punk band in 1977. As a teenager, the future Smiths frontman also nurtured the desire to become a professional writer even considering a career in music journalism, so much so that he often writes letters to the specialized press. When “Ramones” hit the shops, young Morrissey must have gotten his hands on a vinyl copy of the record. And he must also have felt a certain itch to listen to unable to contain the need to share his opinion. Steven Morrissey in fact wrote a letter to the British weekly “Melody Maker”, containing his personal and ferocious review of Joey, Johnny, Dee Dee and Tommy’s debut album. The almost 17-year-old Morrissey’s writing came published in the July 24, 1976 issue of Melody Maker titled “The Ramones suck.”
“The Ramones Suck”
The Ramones are yet another arrogant band of talentless degenerates, whose most notable achievement to date is managing to push beyond the confines of New York City, and solely thanks to a barrage of persuasive articles presenting them as God’s gift to rock.
They were greeted with immediate adulation from an army of duped fans. Musically, they have nothing to do with subtlety or any form of variation: their rule is to be as incompetent as possible.
For a band that is supposed to represent American youth, New York, suburban life, nonconformity, sex and struggle, or whatever it is, the failure is total. And in the harsh light of day, their imperfections become even more apparent.
The Ramones make The Stooges look like concert masters, and I think the only place for their dissonant music is the sweaty downtown Manhattan venues they’re no doubt accustomed to.
The New York Dolls and Patti Smith have proven that there is still life pulsating in the swamps and slums of New York, and they are the only artists from the New York club scene worthy of any praise. The Ramones have absolutely nothing of relevance or importance to add and should rightfully be archived and forgotten.
— Steve Morrissey, Kings Road, Stretford, Manchester.
“Then Morrissey apologized to us”
Last January, the NME invited Marky Ramone to take the quiz “Does Rock ‘N’ Roll Kill Braincells?!” to find out how much he could remember about his own career. Inevitably, a question came up about Morrissey’s review of the Ramones’ first album. Although not yet part of the punk rock band at the time of the album’s release, Marc Bell – more commonly known as Marky – responded: “He later apologized to us and he realized that what he said was wrong. I guess it took him a little while to get up to speed with what we were doing.” He added: “I was a Ramones fan when I played with Wayne County and the Backstreet Boys and Richard Hell. When I saw them live I thought, ‘This is definitely something new.’ I had never heard anything like it and I knew it would influence so many bands. That’s why I was very happy to join them in 1978, and to be part of it. It took a while for us to be understood. Then came what are now called punk bands like Green Day, Rancid and Offspring, who all have the Ramones touch, they took from us and also have some good songs.”
