Ramones – The 1975 Sire Demos

Flat LP, clear audio, splatter vinyl, unique cover, reasonable pricing. A must for any other twenty plus year Ramones fan.

Hey, it beats getting snippets from the CD’s however many years ago.

This is a great RSD release - but how could it not be? These recordings are among the best the band ever did and deserved a proper release. That said, I'm a bit annoyed by a couple of things.
1. While the master itself sounds great and the splatter vinyl looks incredible, I'm not convinced that a whole lot of thought was put into this release. Similarly to the RSD release a few years back that was "The Sundragon Leave Home Mixes", I'm convinced that this is nothing more than a pressing of the bonus tracks that were part of CD-2 on the Self-Titled 40th anniversary LP/CD set that came out in 2016. I say that because that specific CD only had 13 of the 15 demos from this session.... just like this LP. It's missing "I Don't Want To Go Down To The Basement" and "Judy Is A Punk". These two tracks were part of the session (and have turned up on past bootlegs of songs from this session - notably a 5-song 7" that was released in the late 80s... and no, I'm not referring to the Marty Thau 2-song session at 914 in Sept '75) and Johnny Ramone himself stated that 15 tracks were recorded during this session. Therefore, it makes me wonder just how much effort was put into this release.
2. Given the $50 price tag, it would've been nice to have a bit more background information on this session. It doesn't even say that these were produced by Tommy and recorded at Dick Charles Studios over February 2nd and 10th, 1975. It simply says "produced for release by Bill Inglot". I understand that - given all 4 are dead - information would be a bit scarce.... but I have no doubt that a bit of research by an early fan of the band could've unearthed some really cool knowledge for a booklet. Maybe an interview with co-engineer Jack Malken? Monte? Mickey Leigh? Close friends of the band who first heard the demos?

Again, any huge Ramones fan will be happy to have this, and I definitely am. I just would've preferred to have the entire 15-song session and a bit of extra info given the hefty price tag. Regardless, great RSD release.

My copy seems to sit high on the platter. It plays absolutely fine though, and looks great. Definitely my RSD favourite

Splatter is consistent on my copy. I love this release. As a new collector, it is my first Ramones piece, and the songs bring me back to my years of blasting their first record. These versions also have a kind of intensity to them that slightly edge out the album versions in my opinion.

A must have for all hard core Ramones' fanatics.
Most songs sounds even better than the original first LP.
The basic artwork is not the best cover they ever had, even tho' Bob Gruen's front cover picture is very very nice.
My wax here is clear with scarce black splatter streaks.

I have several records with demos from the Ramones that were not processed in the studio, which I don't think is a bad thing, but I have to honestly say that it is a revelation for me to now be able to enjoy these demos in this fantastic and clear sound. The mastering people did a great job, thank you for that...!!!

The splatter is beautiful and the sound quality is very nice, especially considering the only other LP with these demos sounds like shit. The only downside is this LP is pretty noisy. Even after cleaning, there was still this constant pop after "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend" along with a bunch of other places with crackles.

Proud owner of a beautiful looking splatter. Sounds fantastic. The sleeve is not very sturdy but this release does come with a plastic inner.

Sharp, crisp sound. Nice to own a piece of Ramone's history. R.I.P. boys, much respect.

Finally an official vinyl release of these great demos, as heard on the self titled deluxe CD. I had these demos on a bootleg but the quality was terrible. These sound fantastic!! I love this first version of ‘53rd & 3rd’ as it sounds better than the later album version IMO. Nice flat vinyl, the clear with black splatter looks great. Price was steep at £37.99 with no inner, but not gonna complain because this is a great addition to complete an early Ramones collection. I bet many Ramones fans will be over the moon by this release. Grab it if you can!