Way back in the 80's I once tried to get a friend of mine to listen to Black Flag. He was a guitar player who was into heavy metal and he thought Greg Ginn played terribly. We went our separate ways for a few years, but when we started hanging out together again he was more open to my musical tastes. We would cruise around Murfreesboro blasting Black Flag, Descendents, Metallica, and the almighty great RAMONES. We ended up starting a punk band named the Dislocated. Later he told me I would have won him over to punk rock quicker if I had started with the Ramones instead of blasting him over the head with Black Flag. The commercial success of so many pop punk bands whose sound comes straight from the Ramones legacy is a testament to my buddy's wisdom.
I learned to play guitar at the age of 23 by playing along to the Ramones debut. Night after night I struggled to get my fingers to fit the barre chords right until finally I could do it. I could play along to the whole record. I moved on to Leave Home and so on until I mastered them all. I still tune my guitar to the opening chords of "Blitzkrieg Bop".
Just a few weeks ago my electric guitar lay in a corner dusty and forlorn. I popped in a Ramones compilation CD, picked the guitar up, and proceeded to tear through each song feeling the love of music in my heart renewing itself through those timeless songs. Here's to Johnny and an idea born in the Bowery - today CBGB's, tomorrow the world, and now forever a legend. I felt awed both times I saw the Ramones play Nashville. Now I feel very lucky too. I'll break out my Ramones albums tonight as I did when the world lost Joey and Dee Dee. I'll listen and appreciate. I will dance and I will break out my guitar.
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