The Ramones - 1976-05-12 - Cambridge MA (SBD)

The Ramones
1976-05-12
The Club
Cambridge MA
Soundboard Recording
320 kbps
Artwork Included

01. Blitzkrieg Bop
02. I Remember You
03. Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment
04. I Wanna be your Boyfriend
05. 53rd and 3rd
06. Havana Affair
07. California Sun
08. Judy is a Punk
09. I Don't Wanna Walk Around With You
10. Today Your Love, Tomorrow the World
11. Beat on the Brat
12. Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue
13. Swallow My Pride
14. Glad to See You Go
15. Chainsaw
16. Listen to My Heart
17. Babysitter
18. Oh Oh, I Love Her So
19. Commando
20. Let's Dance

Bonus Tracks: 1977-11-14 Utica NY
21. Here Today, Gone Tomorrow
22. I Can't Give You Anything
23. Let's Dance

The Ramones - 1976-05-12 - Cambridge MA (SBD)

The Ramones Spring 1976 Daily Double - #1: The mid 1970's were a time of dramatic change in the rock world. The Beatles had disbanded, and many of the icons of the 60’s had died way too young. The Stones, while still producing albums, were not making music of the same caliber as on their early 70’s albums such as Exile On Main Street. The Who, after their monumental album Quadrophenia in 1973, were lamenting fear of middle age and musical irrelevance on their 1975 release, The Who By Numbers. Led Zeppelin’s productivity and quality were suffering from injuries that Robert Plant sustained in a car accident in 1975. Creedence Clearwater Revival had disbanded in 1972, The Grateful Dead took an extended leave from touring and recording after the October 1974 shows at Winterland and the Band had their Last Waltz in 1976, also at Winterland. Bob Dylan's best mid 70's album might have been The Basement Tapes, released in 1975 but featuring music made in the late 1960s!

To paraphrase, Mr. Dylan, the times they were a changing, as rock began to move in a variety of directions as many of the mainstays of the 60's stepped out of the limelight. A musician from NJ, named Bruce Springsteen, made the covers of Time and Newsweek in the same week in 1975, gaining nationwide recognition for his unique songs and lyrics focusing on the plight of the common man. Singer-song writers, such as Elton John, Billy Joel, and James Taylor, were emerging, with a less hard edge to their music. Elton would eventually establish another rock trend of the 70's (and beyond) - the rock star as the over the top, flamboyant cultural icon. Glossy, highly polished album oriented rock emerged, with bands like Fleetwood Mac, Boston and the Eagles creating and riding that wave to produce multi-platinum selling albums. Bands such as Yes, ELP and Genesis, leaders of the progressive rock movement, added layers of instrumentation and technology to their music, moving it away from traditional rock and roll.

Amidst all of this change, The Ramones emerged, adding, their own spin to the all the other transformations in the rock world in the mid 70’s. In 1974, The Ramones played at CBGB’s, the now legendary and defunct rock club in the Bowery District in NY, 74 times! They signed their first recording contract in 1975, and released their first album in 1976. Their hard driving, straight ahead, stripped down, anti-establishment, incessant form of rock, with no song longer than 2 ½ minutes, coupled with the black leather jackets, t-shirt and jean wardrobe, combined to usher in a new era of rock music, called Punk. The Ramones were the clear leaders of the punk movement in NY, taking a stand against the mid 70’s trends toward overblown and/or overly sentimental rock songs and albums. This soundboard recording captures the band on May 12, 1976, 39 years ago today, just a few months prior to the release of their first album. Download this moment in history, then stop back on May 15 for part 2 of this daily double.