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Q: The Clash or The Ramones? A: Daaaaaaaaamn. Now, that's a tough one.
First of all, the Ramones were the first punk band. People will often cite Stooges, New York Dolls, or Electric Eels as the first punk band, but each of those bands fits chronologically in with the end of the bands influenced by the 50's R & B scene and each has rejected that they were punk bands. Also, I don't think those bands specifically had the intent to deviate from a certain mindset like punk has, and rather, were just interested in being as wild and weird as possible, which is really more of a hippie/garage rock kind of thing than a punk thing.
As for the Ramones- they rocked. They rocked like no band before or after. Through a combination of lack of experience, inherent style, and chemistry, the Ramones invented a sound that was shockingly unique for its day. Compare the buzzsaw attack of the Ramones to the carpenters or the burgeoning disco scene. Perhaps you could argue that the Ramones saved rock and roll.
Also, the Ramones have the genius simplicity that no other band has every attained. The first five Ramones albums are so perfect- there is not a single extraneous note- that they were able to take the very best of their music and strip away everything else, leaving a one of the most potent sounds ever. Those songs are so good.
Interestingly, the Ramones perhaps don't reflect what punk has morphed into in the modern era. For the most part, bands that identify as punk seem to base the concept around inherent ethics, politics, and social-equality. You don't really see that in the Ramones music. But, on the other hand, while the Ramones wanted to be rock stars, they wanted to be rockstars by being bad ass rock and rollers, with nasty as hell songs, and never "sold out" their sound to conform to more popular pop sounds. So, in a way, the Ramones had an incredibly strong inherent ethics.
Also, the Ramones, from their beginning until their end, never stopped touring and never really lost their hard edge. They never went solo guy with an acoustic guitar. They remained fast, simple, and hard until their very last show.
By contrast, the Clash are almost the mirror opposite. The band's core messages were devoted to politics and social equality. Although the Clash could and did rock, they weren't scared to make completely non-rock music- see their reggae tunes, their Hip Hop(ish) songs, and most of Combat Rock. Is punk a dedication to the energetic, fun, song solid palette of rock and roll, or is it a willingness to explore sonic ranges?
Unlike the Ramones, who never went "soft," both Strummer and Jones eventually went for the soft, gentle, guy with a guitar style show (though Jones did form BAD before that- an entirely 80's endeavor, which did have some good songs and did experiment with sound). For a while, it seemed that Strummer was going to go pure acoustic with the Mescaleros. Thankfully, before he died, the band sort of juiced back up, as is seen by the Action Town hall concert, and almost rocked out as much as the Clash did by the end of the band's existence.
Also, unlike the Ramones, who never became super famous, and never stopped touring in a van, the Clash were very much rockstars for a while. That's not to say one can't be punk and be a rockstar, but it does show how dedicated the Ramones were to the craft and inherent concept of their art.
So, who is the better band? The band that crated punk, released about 10,000 simply amazing songs and never waivered in their mission? Or the band that created the modern template for punk, released about 10,000 simply amazing songs, and constantly experimented with new sounds and techniques?
Honestly, I can't pick. I love them both too much. It's a wimpy answer, but I'm not sorry to not pick favorites this time. To me, both bands epitomize what it is to be punk rock.
br/> TRIVIA TIME: Which Clash song quotes the Ramones?
TRIVIA TIME II: Which Ramones song did Joe and the Mez's cover?
-John G
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