Ramones releases book “All Good Cretins Go To Heaven”

Next month will be the 50th anniversary of the release of the Ramones’ first album (read the review here), a record that started what we know today as punk rock. A new book, entitled “All Good Cretins Go To Heaven: The Enduring Spirit Of The Ramones” written by Jenn L. Beckwithcelebrates it through the voices and memories of fans and friends who experienced it firsthand, as well as in-depth research into individual members, the group’s history, anecdotes, fan photos, and more.

The story begins in 1974 in New York’s Bowery neighborhood, where four unlikely musicians from Forest Hills, Queens, performed in a nearly empty bar to an audience that apparently included the bar owner, a former Marine, and his dog. What followed was a musical revolution. With their identical look and surnames, their sound and incessant live activity, the band built one of the most loyal fan bases in the history of music.

“All Good Cretins Go To Heaven” is a true love letter to the band from the fan community. The book features fan-submitted photos, concert anecdotes, illustrations and personal memories, along with interviews with family and friends who knew the band. It also explores the history of the group, biographies of each member, the roots of rock and roll, the birth of punk, and the cultural meaning of being “punk.” The book will be released on April 23, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the debut album Ramones.

With three chords and simple lyrics, i Ramones they embraced a stripped-back, high-energy approach that was both primal and revolutionary when they debuted “Ramones” in 1976. They influenced some of the best-known rock, punk and metal bands in the following years: Black Flag, Nirvana, Metallica, Circle Jerks, White Zombie, Pearl Jam And Guns N’ Rosesjust to name a few.