Leave Home

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Leave Home
Studio album by The Ramones
Released	January 10, 1977
Recorded	October 1976 at Sundragon Studios, New York
Genre	Punk
Length	30:49
Label	Sire (US & UK) Philips (Europe)
Producer	Tony Bongiovi, Tommy Ramone
Professional reviews
Allmusic link Robert Christgau (A) link Rolling Stone link Rhino Records expanded release: Allmusic link
The Ramones chronology
Ramones (1976) Leave Home (1977) Rocket to Russia (1977)

Leave Home is American punk band the Ramones' second album. It features the classic Ramones songs "Pinhead" and "Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment." This is the only Ramones album to go through different incarnations on its original release, due to label controversy over the song "Carbona Not Glue."

Contents 1 History 1.1 Carbona controversy 1.2 Rhino expanded rerelease 2 Songs 3 Track listing 3.1 2001 Expanded Edition CD (Warner Archives/Rhino) live bonus tracks 4 Personnel 4.1 Ramones 4.2 Additional personnel 5 References

[edit] History

The band had written most of the songs appearing on their first two albums by the time they were signed to Sire (as evidenced by the song listing of the 1976 live tracks appearing on the CD rerelease). They were placed roughly in chronological order on the first two albums; as explained by Johnny Ramone: "We recorded them in the order they were written; we wanted to show a slight progression in song structure."

Many fans and critics point to the more polished pop sensibilities of the second album as evidence of the band's evolving musical skill and style. The second album was recorded at the relatively upscale Sundragon Studios in Manhattan, New York.

Craig Leon, the producer of the first album, Ramones, had left Sire Records by fall 1976 and was replaced by Tony Bongiovi. Bongiovi had mentored drummer Tommy Ramone while the two were working together at the Record Plant producing Jimi Hendrix's Band of Gypsys album. Tommy also assisted with production on the album, a role he would repeat for many later albums.

[edit] Carbona controversy

The original release included "Carbona Not Glue" as the fifth track on the album. However, the song was deleted from the album after Tony Morris, Managing Director of Phonogram UK, Sire's British distributor, complained. The song "Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue" on the band's debut album had caused controversy with the Home Office, and Morris wanted the new pro-substance abuse song removed. The album was re-released with the single B-side "Babysitter" in its place.^[1] Additionally, Carbona was a trademarked brand of cleaning fluid, so the song's removal may have pre-empted possible trademark infringement lawsuits. The British version with "Babysitter" does not list the name of this song on the back cover and on the inner sleeve. It's just referred on the vinyl itself. Most collectors believe that the "Babysitter" version is rarer than the "Carbona" version.

When Sire Records suddenly switched distributors from ABC Records to Warner Bros. Records (who had bought the label), yet another version of the album was released, with "Babysitter" being replaced by "Sheena Is a Punk Rocker", then a non-LP single already planned to be on the next Ramones album in a different mix.

[edit] Rhino expanded rerelease

Rhino Records re-released the album in a remastered format on June 19, 2001. The bonus tracks on this release are live tracks that encompass a full concert. They were recorded live at their first show at The Roxy Theatre in Los Angeles, California on August 12, 1976).

This release included both "Carbona Not Glue" and one of its replacements, "Babysitter." The former was put back in its original place in the track sequence, and the latter was included at the end of the album, before the live bonus tracks. While the single mix of "Sheena Is a Punk Rocker" was not included, it can be found on multiple Ramones compilations, including the anthologies Ramones Mania and Hey Ho! Let's Go.

[edit] Songs

"Carbona Not Glue" is a follow-up to the song "Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue" appearing on their first album. The band sarcastically suggested that the high obtained from sniffing Carbona cleaning solvent was more pleasurable than that of airplane glue. In the hardcover book included in some versions of Hey! Ho! Let's Go: The Anthology, Tommy Ramone says, "Something like Carbona Not Glue has to be tongue-in-cheek. It's absurd, like saying that you should try something more poisonous." It was featured prominently in the graphic novel Ghost World by Dan Clowes.

The Beastie Boys sampled the song "Suzy Is a Headbanger" on their 1989 album Paul's Boutique. The sample is found at 3:45 into the song "High Plains Drifter."

In a live 2009 performance of the song Beautiful Day on The Late Show With David Letterman, U2 frontman Bono sang lyrics from "I Remember You", and name-checked Joey Ramone in a tribute to New York City. [1]

New York Radio station WNEW refused to play the song "Glad to See You Go" due to its off-the-cuff reference to Charles Manson. The song was actually written by Dee Dee about his volatile ex-girlfriend, Connie.

"Pinhead" was inspired after the band attended a screening of the 1932 film Freaks when a show in Ohio was canceled. The song became, along with "Blitzkrieg Bop", something of an anthem for the band, as the chorus of "Gabba gabba hey," based on the line from the film "gooble gobble, gooble gobble, one of us, one of us" (uttered in the song as "gabba gabba/we accept you/we accept you/one of us") became a rallying cry for the band. At many shows a roadie named Bubbles in a pinhead mask would take to the stage at the end of the show, carrying a large sign with the phrase written on it.

"California Sun" is a cover song originally recorded by The Rivieras in 1964 and also covered by The Dictators.

[edit] Track listing

All songs written by the Ramones except where noted.

1. "Glad to See You Go" (Dee Dee Ramone, Joey Ramone) – 2:10
2. "Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment" (Dee Dee Ramone, Johnny Ramone) – 1:38
3. "I Remember You" (Joey Ramone) – 2:15
4. "Oh, Oh, I Love Her So" (Joey Ramone) – 2:03
5. "Carbona Not Glue" (Dee Dee Ramone) – 1:56
6. "Suzy Is a Headbanger" (Dee Dee Ramone, Joey Ramone) – 2:08
7. "Pinhead" (Dee Dee Ramone) – 2:42
8. "Now I Wanna Be a Good Boy" (Dee Dee Ramone) – 2:10
9. "Swallow My Pride" (Joey Ramone) – 2:03
10. "What's Your Game" (Joey Ramone) – 2:33
11. "California Sun" (Henry Glover, Morris Levy) – 1:58
12. "Commando" (Dee Dee Ramone) – 1:51
13. "You're Gonna Kill That Girl" (Joey Ramone) – 2:36
14. "You Should Never Have Opened That Door" (Dee Dee Ramone, Johnny Ramone) – 1:54

[edit] 2001 Expanded Edition CD (Warner Archives/Rhino) live bonus tracks

15. "Babysitter" (Joey Ramone) – 2:44
16. "Loudmouth" (Ramones) – 2:08
17. "Beat on the Brat" (Joey Ramone) – 2:36
18. "Blitzkrieg Bop" (Tommy Ramone, Dee Dee Ramone) – 2:13
19. "I Remember You" (Joey Ramone) – 2:17
20. "Glad to See You Go" (lyrics by Dee Dee Ramone, music by Joey Ramone) – 2:03
21. "Chain Saw" (Joey Ramone) – 1:51
22. "53rd & 3rd" (Dee Dee Ramone) – 2:27
23. "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend" (Tommy Ramone) – 2:22
24. "Havana Affair" (Dee Dee Ramone, Johnny Ramone) – 1:53
25. "Listen to My Heart" (Dee Dee Ramone) – 1:47
26. "California Sun" (Henry Glover / Morris Levy) – 1:58
27. "Judy Is a Punk" (Joey Ramone) – 1:23
28. "I Don’t Wanna Walk Around With You" (Dee Dee Ramone) – 1:31
29. "Today Your Love, Tomorrow the World" (Dee Dee Ramone) – 2:52
30. "Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue" (Dee Dee Ramone) – 1:28
31. "Let’s Dance" (Jim Lee) – 2:06

• Tracks 16-31 recorded live at The Roxy in Hollywood, CA (8/12/76).

[edit] Personnel

[edit] Ramones

• Joey Ramone – lead vocals
• Johnny Ramone – guitar
• Dee Dee Ramone – bass, backing vocals
• Tommy Ramone – drums, producer

[edit] Additional personnel

• Tony Bongiovi – producer
• Ed Stasium – engineer
• Greg Calbi – mastering
• Moshe Brakha – front cover photography
• Arturo Vega – back cover art
• John Gillespie - art direction
• Pat Chiono - design
• Tommy Ramone - producer

[edit] References

1. ^ Gimarc, George (1994). Punk Diary: 1970-1979. New York: St.Martin's Press. 53.

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