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}} ''Ramones'' is the debut studio album by the American punk rock band Ramones, released on February 4, 1976 by Sire Records. After ''Hit Parader'' editor Lisa Robinson saw the band at a gig in New York City, she wrote about them in an article and contacted Danny Fields, insisting he be their manager. Fields agreed and convinced Craig Leon to produce ''Ramones'', and the band recorded a demo for prospective record labels. Leon persuaded Sire president Seymour Stein to listen to the band perform, and he later offered the band a recording contract. The Ramones began recording in January 1976, needing only seven days and $6,400 to record the album. They used similar sound-output techniques to those of the Beatles, and used advanced production methods by Leon. The album cover, photographed by ''Punk'' magazine's Roberta Bayley, features the four members leaning against a brick wall in New York City. The record company paid only $125 for the front photo, which has since become one of the most imitated album covers of all time. The back cover depicts an eagle belt buckle along with the album's liner notes. After its release, ''Ramones'' was promoted with two singles which failed to chart. The Ramones also began touring to help sell records; these tour dates were mostly based in the United States, though two were booked in Britain. Violence, drug use, relationship issues, humor, and Nazism were prominent in the album's lyrics. The album opens with "Blitzkrieg Bop", which is among the band's most recognized songs. Most of the album's tracks are uptempo, with many songs measuring at well over 160 beats per minute. The songs are also rather short; at two-and-a-half minutes, "I Don't Wanna Go Down to the Basement" is the album's longest track. ''Ramones'' contains a cover of the Chris Montez song "Let's Dance". ''Ramones'' peaked at No. 111 on the US ''Billboard'' 200 and was unsuccessful commercially; initially it received mixed reviews from the few critics who wrote about it. However, many later deemed it a highly influential record, and it has since received many accolades, such as the top spot on ''Spin'' magazine's list of the "50 Most Essential Punk Records". ''Ramones'' went on to inspire many bands like the Sex Pistols, the Buzzcocks, and the Clash, among others. Aside from sparking the punk-rock scene in both the US and UK, it has had a significant impact on other genres of rock music, such as grunge and heavy metal. The album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America in 2014. ==Background== The Ramones began playing gigs in mid-1974, with their first show at Performance Studios in New York City.〔 The band, performing in a style similar to the one used on their debut album, typically performed at clubs in downtown Manhattan, specifically CBGB and Max's Kansas City.〔Melnick & Meyer 2003, p. 33.〕 In early 1975, Lisa Robinson, an editor of ''Hit Parader'' and ''Rock Scene'', saw the fledgling Ramones performing at CBGB and subsequently wrote about the band in several magazine issues. The group's vocalist Joey Ramone related that "Lisa came down to see us, she was blown away by us. She said that we changed her life, She started writing about us in ''Rock Scene'', and then Lenny Kaye would write about us and we started getting more press like ''The Village Voice''. Word was getting out, and people starting coming down."〔 Convinced that the band needed a recording contract, Robinson contacted Danny Fields, former manager of the Stooges, and argued that he needed to manage the band. Fields agreed because the band "had everything () ever liked,"〔Rombes 2005, p. 65.〕 and became the manager in November 1975.〔Rombes 2005, p. 66.〕 On September 19, 1975, the Ramones recorded a demo at 914 Sound Studios, which was produced by Marty Thau. Featuring the songs "Judy Is a Punk" and "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend," the band used the demo to showcase their style to prospective labels.〔〔Porter 2004, p. 43.〕 Producer Craig Leon, who had seen the Ramones perform in the summer of 1975, brought the demo to the attention of Sire Records' president Seymour Stein.〔〔〔True 2005, p. 50.〕 After being persuaded by Craig Leon and his ex-wife Linda Stein, the Ramones auditioned at Sire and were offered a contract, although the label had previously signed only European progressive rock bands.〔True 2005, p. 51.〕〔Leigh 2009, p. 126.〕 Drummer Tommy Ramone recalled: "Craig Leon is the one who got us signed, single handed. He brought down the vice president and all these people—he's the only hip one in the company. He risked his career to get us on the label."〔〔Rombes 2005, p. 67.〕 The label offered to release "You're Gonna Kill That Girl" as a single, but the band declined, insisting on recording an entire album. Sire accepted their request and agreed to release a studio album instead.〔Porter 2004, p. 37.〕〔Melnick & Meyer 2007, p. 62.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Ramones (album)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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