I'm not made for the nine to five world.

Yuk, to Annie Powers tepid NYT assessment and same to the Post. I keep crashing my Mac trying to find NY Rocker to link to. I sat at my desk and cried listening to Hova's special listener request show yesterday morning. So many unique songs with specific memories attached / free of the punk cliches which would soon follow. The Ramones were America filtered through Queens. They were Freaks and they accepted us, "we accept you, we accept you". They took the west coast R&R of our youth and powered it up to a point of critical mass. Note the early covers : "Warm California Sun" and "Needles and Pins" (n & p is a Sonny Bono composition !!). Every thing changed because of them. The best of the Doll's mutated into the Heartbreakers (Dede co-wrote Chinese Rock), Bowie was over and Bolan was already dead. "....long live the new king : Joey." Not long enough by a long shot. Interesting to hear age 49 described as young. It is if your on boomer time.

post-trama stress support


- bill 4-17-2001 9:05 pm


ELEGY TO JOEY RAMONE

One night in a rock'n'roll dive
Like a thousand I've sat in before
I watched a shitty old punk rock band play
And wondered why I should hear more
But then the bald guitarist announced
To the few in thick Cockney tones
The news that broke my heart in two
Of the death of sweet Joey Ramone

Like Stiv and Johnny Thunders
One more rocker's heart had to stop
No more trips to Rockaway Beach
And an end to the Blitzkrieg Bop
Farewell to youth and rocking good times
Now face your old age more alone
Farewell to my gawky, beak nosed friend
Farewell to sweet Joey Ramone

--Mark Mellon

Patricia Ragan Hoehner, who hangs with the Punk magazine gang, responded by email:

"I forwarded this to John Holmstrom, Mark. He agreed that it was spot on beautiful. He's on his way to Joey's funeral and he said he would print it out and put it with the flowers/memorials etc. Thank you for this."

She included this:

"Don't be sad, cause I'll be there
Don't be sad at all
Life's a gas."

--Joey Ramone 'Life's a Gas' from Adios Amigos

Here's a picture of Joey and his mother, by way of Robert Bohn:


- Tom Moody 4-17-2001 9:39 pm [add a comment]


Is NY Rocker still around? I couldn't find a current site, but here's Lenny Kaye in the Voice.
- alex 4-17-2001 9:40 pm [add a comment]


  • guess JR outlived NYR

    LK for VV = (SOHHNSOH) sound of hammer hitting nail soundly on head - thanks! / ...but he would know.


    - bill 4-17-2001 10:03 pm [add a comment]


    • Now I remember (I think). Didn't NY Rocker become EC (East Coast) Rocker. They are now a freebie, packaged with the Aquarian, or at least they were, I find an Aquarian site, but no mention of Rocker. Does remind me of another Punk era story. In college I knew a guy who worked for the Aquarian. He introduced me to another fellow who had once managed the Talking Heads. This was only 1978 or 79, but he told how he had met up with the band after they had hit the (relative) big time, and they knew who he was, but had to apologize because they couldn't remember his name. That's showbiz for you.
      - alex 4-18-2001 12:05 am [add a comment]






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