Finally got my turntable hooked up in the new place so I can now give this RAMONES box set a full and proper whirl. And that’s because the main big deal here is the vinyl: it’s the original album, Ramones, newly remixed by original producer Craig Leon in mono. There are three CDs, too, with the original stereo mix, the new mono mix, a disc of single mixes, demos and outtakes, and a disc containing a never-before released live set recorded in Los Angeles at the Roxy in ’76. Finally, a 12″-sized booklet delves into the early history of the band and their freshman release, still a purely powerful punch in the face forty years later.
The first thing I felt when putting on the vinyl was that these cuts were made for mono. The impact is apparent the moment “Blitzkrieg Bop” blasts outta the speakers. Compared to the original stereo mix (via a mid 2000s pressing), the difference is greater than you’d expect, considering what stands out most in stereo are the cymbals, high hats and tambourines, which are panned fairly left or right. 
The lead vocals, guitars and bass were pretty much mono anyway, so the high end being panned one way or the other is almost a gimmick or an afterthought. According to Leon, despite feeling then that mono was the way to go, there was no way in 1976 they could release the record in anything but stereo. Eventually he came up with a suitable stereo mix, and that’s what we’re all used to. But you’re gonna wanna hear it in mono if you already like this record. And I know you do!
Because it’s a deluxe edition, on top of the essential vinyl you also get the previously noted CDs with lots of fun Ramones stuff. I like the live disc best – it’s got both sets the Ramones did at the Roxy in L.A. on August 12, 1976. The first set was mixed in ’76 while the second set was recently mixed by Craig Leon and Sam Okell and both sets are great, though not very different from each other. Still, if you’re gonna do a 40th anniversary release, why not pull out all the stops?
The box set is presented in a 12″x12″-ish hardcover book and it’s really nice. I could’ve used more photos and less verbiage (says me, the writer), but otherwise, Ramones couldn’t be better served by this package. Instead of sniffing some glue or going down to the basement, I suggest you snap this baby up, pronto.
5/5 (Sire/Rhino, 2016)
Released early this year, I was finally able to get a copy of Complicated Game: Inside the Songs of XTC and naturally devoured it immediately. Being a huge fan of XTC and its two songwriters, ANDY PARTRIDGE and Colin Moulding, this book has been on my radar since before it was announced. I’ve been an XTC devotee since I first discovered their 1980 album Black Sea, and haven’t deviated from that devotion since. XTC is a band that has really matured over the decades and their songwriting is at the forefront of that growth. I fully expected this book to illuminate Partridge’s songwriting and it completely lived up to its subtitle.
If there’s anything that could be improved, it would be the release of a second volume. Partridge has written so many great songs that this one volume (nearly 400 pages) misses many of his best songs. The only other nitpick I have–and this is primarily because of the book’s subtitle–is that it does not include Partridge’s partner in XTC songwriting, Colin Moulding. He may not have written as many of the band’s songs, but Moulding has written some of the band’s best. Witness “Making Plans for Nigel,” “Ball and Chain,” and “King for a Day.” That being said, there’s a way to remedy that. They could come out with a second volume that includes more of Partridge’s songs and some of Moulding’s. Done and done.
NuDisc 