RAMONETURES - Ramonetures (Munster Records – MR 178) Spain 2000 LP (Surf, Punk) vinyl: NM (mint-) | cover: NM (mint-)

As you may have guessed from the name of this band/CD, "Ramonetures" is songs by the Ramones played in the style of The Ventures. It's really that simple: punk rock played as surf rock.

Featuring 16 classic Ramones songs (such as "Rockaway Beach," "Rock & Roll High School," "The KKK Took My Baby Away" and "I Wanna Be Sedated), "Ramonetures" starts out being kind of fun, but the novelty quickly wears off. Ramones songs are better as Ramones songs, and not as surf guitar instrumentals.

The band is pretty good, and it should be considering it features Mel Bergman (Phantom Surfer/Go-Nuts) and fuzz guitar legend Davie Allan. The production is perfect and the cover art pretty impressive, too (in fact, if the young lady on the cover would give me a call I will gladly raise this CD's rating to three guitarsaws instead of just two and a half).

Still, as a fan of both the Ramones and The Ventures, "Ramonetures" is sort of funny and mildly entertaining but not really the kind of CD you'll listen to over and over again.

Ramonetures: Nokie Ramone - lead guitar; Don Ramone - rhythm guitar; Bob Ramone - bass; Mel Ramone - drums.