Album of the Day

For the Ramones' ROAD TO RUIN, Dee Dee, Joey, and Johnny were joined for the first time by drummer Marky Ramone, as founding member Tommy Ramone moved to the producer's chair alongside Ed Stasium. More accessible than ever without sacrificing the quartet's blitzkrieg power, the 1978 Sire set introduced a nation of pinheads to such outstanding originals as “I Just Want to Have Something to Do,” “Don't Come Close” and the immortal “I Wanna Be Sedated” (as well as a terrific cover of “Needles and Pins”). As Tommy put it, “ROAD TO RUIN reflected not just the Ramones' enduring love for Sixties pop, but a nagging desire to expand beyond the confines of 120 seconds in search of a new vocabulary of harmonic hooks,” and as such it's one of the most consistently enjoyable albums the band ever made.