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Joey Ramone
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Click here to pre-order Don't Worry About Me
Track List:
1. What A Wonderful World
2. Stop Thinking About It
3. Mr. Punchy
4. Maria Bartiromo
5. Spirit In My House
6. Venting
7. Like A Drug I Never Did Before
8. Searching For Something
9. I Got Knocked Down (But I'll Get Up)
10. 1969
11. Don't Worry About Me
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Joey Ramone - Don't Worry About Me
(Sanctuary)
Less than a year removed from Joey Ramone's death at the young age of 49, the singer's first posthumously-released solo album proves to be an illuminating, exhilarating, and depressing listening experience. With songs reflecting the late Ramones front man's journey through the various stages of death and other adult issues he rarely addressed within the context of his band, as well as two covers and a few good ol' Ramones-styled numbers, Don't Worry About Me reads like the chilling diary of a dying star. This is personal stuff, which is a bit unsettling coming from the man who made a living singing about pinheads, shock therapy, and sedatives. This final work from Joey Ramone, though uneven and unfinished, is completely indispensable for any true Ramones fan.
Regardless of their groundbreaking music, which helped jumpstart the punk explosion on two continents, at their leather-clad core, the Ramones were a pop band; the quartet's simple three-chord strategy came straight out of love for the music its members heard as teenagers, from Phil Spector's Wall of Sound to Motown to garage rock and beyond. By starting Don't Worry About Me with a cover of "What A Wonderful World," Joey Ramone makes a statement about both his musical past and his rapidly-coming-to-a-close present. Hearing Joey sing this song—as he faces death—is powerfully affecting; rarely has a rock star recorded an album while battling to stay alive, and the resulting material is some of the most resonant music Joey Ramone has ever written. While the Ramones expressed somewhat similar sentiments in a classic like "I Wanna Be Well," there was emotional safety in that song, as if the main characters were as ludicrous as Ramones creations like Suzy the Headbanger and Sheena the Punk Rocker. Here, the line separating Joey Ramone from his lyrical creations is razor thin; thus, when Joey sings, "Sitting in a hospital bed/I want my life/It really sucks!" in "I Got Knocked Down (But I'll Get Up)," it is hard to keep the tears from your eyes when thinking of the punk icon. Likewise, more indirect songs, like "Stop Thinking About It," "Like A Drug I Never Did Before," and "Don't Worry About Me," pack an emotional wallop most Ramones fans may not be prepared to handle.
The whole record, however, doesn't wallow in this misery, which helps make it a very enjoyable listen. "Mr. Punchy" is one of the finest Ramones songs of the last decade, featuring a guest appearance by the Damned's Captain Sensible. "Maria Bartiromo," while both crunching and catchy, is about the CNBC stock market anchorwoman, which could freak out some Ramones fans when they think about Joey's very un-punk Wall Street fixation. The album's only major misstep is a cover of "1969," the Stooges anthem. Joey doesn't do much to the arrangement to make it special, and unlike "What A Wonderful World," it just seems unnecessary.
Clocking in at under forty minutes, Don't Worry About Me sounds like a pretty typical, though more adult, Ramones record. Joey's backing band, which includes guitarist Daniel Rey, bassist Andy Shernoff (of the Dictators), and drummer Frank Furnaro (Cracker), does a credible job of bringing these song sketches to life—in some cases, after Joey had already passed away. As with Marley's Confrontation or Hendrix's Cry Of Love, Don't Worry About Me might have been an even stronger album had Joey Ramone been granted more time on earth. As it is, this is a fitting send-off to one of rock's most original artists and a life-affirming creation that shows how art can be sustained even in the face of a terminal disease.
by Lem Oppenheimer
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