Teenage Head with Marky Ramone CD

I don’t know how TEENAGE HEAD convinced the drummer from the RAMONES to come to Toronto and play TEENAGE HEAD covers, but here’s the proof. Well it turns out that it started the other way round. TEENAGE HEAD did some backing for Marky Ramone when he was up here for a spoken word tour. He did some music as well and TEENAGE HEAD was the backing band. That’s when TEENAGE HEAD approached Marky about jamming out TEENAGE HEAD’s rockers. The band drummed up the money, scheduled everything and basically worked out all the details to make this happen. I get the sense that it was TEENAGE HEAD’s determination that was a factor in convincing Marky that this was a project worth doing. It turns out that both folks were mutual admirers of each other. That’s not that far of a stretch when you consider that both bands play a fairly melodic version of punk that takes the BEACH BOYS sound and it gives it some fire. There is a whole lot of magic on this recording. Gord Lewis likens this recording to the ones where old time jazz greats would get together. I tend to agree with him. This is an instant classic with legends playing classics. TEENAGE HEAD’s classics. Gord Lewis tells the story beautifully of this recording in the extensive liner notes and he gives away some of their secrets like the engineer who sets a metronome click track to TEENAGE HEAD’s original recordings. A lot of work went into this and all is revealed. This is a once in a lifetime kind of event. We are lucky that this has seen the light of day. Loads of local folks can now breathe a sigh of relief. (Sonic Unyon / www.sonicunyon.com) - SP