With over four hours of Ramones concert footage and television appearances along with an array of interviews and bonus features, The Ramones: It’s Alive 1974-1996 DVD set is a Ramones fanatic’s dream come true. Music supervisor Tommy Ramone provides a personal touch in compiling the band’s best moments on stage into a comprehensive anthology. From their earliest shows at CBGB to final concert footage at the River Plate Stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina, it is apparent how the Ramones grew from a New York bar band into beloved legends, and to many, the face of punk rock itself.
Disc 1 cumulates in an excerpt from 1977’s It’s Alive! concert at the Rainbow Theatre in London. Disc 2 introduces Marky, C-Jay, and Ritchie Ramone and follows the band through Europe, South America and large-scale festivals in the United States. Grainy, black-and-white footage of trademark songs such as “Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue” and “Blitzkrieg Bop” play like rock’n’roll surveillance tapes. As the years progress, we watch the band move past humble beginnings to arena shows and endless seas of fans. Bonus features such as The Ramones’ guest appearance on the Sha Na Na television show in which the band dueled with their hosts in a rousing “battle of the greasers,” will bring smiles and giggles.
-Jamie Ludwig
Ramones: It’s Alive 1974-1996
Tommy Erdelyi
DVD 262 Miniutes
$14.99, Rhino
Ramones: www.ramones.com
Rhino: www.rhino.com