Some of Ramones’ best at ‘Home’

Spencer Patterson

Friday, Sept. 5, 2003 | 8:36 a.m.

To the considerable consternation of my wife, a lot of the music I listen to tends to be meandering and abstruse.

Artists such as Sun Ra, the Grateful Dead and Sonic Youth were never concerned with time constraints or with a desire to be radio friendly, and spinning their discs requires a fair amount of patience.

When I'm ready for a change of pace, though, I often find myself reaching for the four-chord simplicity of the Ramones, specifically the band's second album, 1977's "Leave Home."

The disc picks up where the New York City quartet's self-titled debut left off, presenting another superb set of catchy two-minute punk numbers.

Among them are some of the Ramones' best-known tracks, including "Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment," "Carbona Not Glue," "Suzy is a Headbanger" and "Pinhead."

It should only take one or two listens before you're also singing along with the rest of the cuts on "Leave Home." Loaded with hooks, bubble-gum harmonies and quirky, repeated lyrics, the album is a testament to the Ramones' direct, unaffected approach.

While Johnny Ramone bashes out tough guitar riffs, Joey Ramone tells unconventional tales of leather-and-denim love affairs. "I met her at the Burger King / We fell in love by the soda machine," he sings in "Oh Oh I Love Her So."

Really, you can't go wrong with any of the Ramones' first four albums, with 1977's "Rocket to Russia" and 1978's "Road to Ruin" on par with the band's first two efforts.

Separating 2001's expanded version of "Leave Home," from its reissue counterparts, however, is its bonus material: an entire, 16-track, 1976 concert performance at the Roxy in Los Angeles.

The recording quality of the live material is surprisingly good, providing modern fans with an inkling of what it must have been like to see the foursome in their prime.

Drummer Dee Dee Ramone's cries of "1-2-3-4" before each and every number are priceless, and the show is loaded with such Ramones classics as "Beat on the Brat," "Blitzkrieg Bop," "53rd & 3rd," "Havana Affair" and "Judy is a Punk."

The new package also includes in-depth liner notes featuring an informative essay, lyrics and plenty of wild early band photos. It all adds up to one of the most essential documents of the early punk experience.

And your spouse might not mind it, either.

Artist: The Ramones.

Title: "Leave Home."

Year of release: 1977 (reissued 2001, Rhino Records).

Tracklisting: "Glad to See You Go," "Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment," "I Remember You," "Oh Oh I Love Her So," "Carbona Not Glue," "Suzy is a Headbanger," "Pinhead," "Now I Wanna Be a Good Boy," "Swallow My Pride," "What's You Game," "California Sun," "Commando," "You're Gonna Kill That Girl," "You Should Never Have Opened That Door," "Babysitter." (Bonus Tracks:) "Loudmouth," "Beat on the Brat," "Blitzkrieg Bop," "I Remember You," "Glad to See You Go," "Chain Saw," "53rd & 3rd," "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend," "Havana Affair," "Listen to My Heart," "California Sun," "Judy is a Punk," "I Don't Wanna Walk Around With You," "Today Your Love, Tomorrow the World," "Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue," "Let's Dance."com and 259-2309