Description

This year marks the 40th anniversary of Ramones debut album; recently named the Greatest Punk Album Of All Time by Rolling Stone, and certainly one of the most important and influential albums of all time.

To celebrate the Ramones lasting impact, Rhino has created the ultimate tribute to the bands landmark debut, which comes packaged in a 12 x 12 hardcover book. The 3CD/1 vinyl LP set is a limited edition of 19,760 individually numbered copies and includes a sonically superior remastered stereo version and a meticulously recreated mono mix of the original album, plus rarities, unheard demos, and an unreleased live show, all produced, mixed, and mastered by the albums original producer and mixer Craig Leon.

In addition to the music, the set also features extensive production notes about the recording of the original album by Leon, an essay looking back on the Ramones early days by rock journalist Mitchell Cohen, along with additional pictures taken by Roberta Bayley, whose iconic photo of the band graces the albums cover. The first disc features Leons newly remastered stereo version and mono mix of the album. The earliest mixes of the album were virtually mono, says Leon. We had an idea to record at Abbey Road and do both a mono and stereo version of the album, which was unheard of at the time. Im thrilled that now, 40 years later, we followed through on that original idea.

The anniversary editions second disc spotlights single mixes, outtakes, and demos. Several of those recordings have never been released, including demos for I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend, 53rd and 3rd, and Loudmouth.

The third disc captures the band performing two full sets live at The Roxy in West Hollywood on August 12, 1976. While the bands first set has been available before, the evenings second set makes its debut here. Rounding out the set is a vinyl LP containing the new mono mix of Ramones.