Pleasant dreams

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Pleasant dreams
Ramones studio album

Publication
(s)

July 1981

Label (s) Sire Records

Format (s)

LP, CD

Genre (s)

punk

Title (number)

12

running time

35:01 (CD)

occupation
  • Dick Emerson - keyboards
  • Dave Hassel - percussion
  • Russell Mael - choral singing
  • Ian Wilson - choral singing
  • Graham Gouldman - choral singing

production

Graham Gouldman

Studio (s)

Media Sound Studios , New York , USA
Strawberry Studio North , Dorking , UK

chronology
End of the Century (1980) Pleasant dreams Subterranean Jungle (1982)

Pleasant Dreams ( English for "Pleasant Dreams") is the sixth studio album by the American punk band Ramones, first published in 1981 . With this album, the band continued the experiments with external studio producers that had begun on the previous album, End of the Century , in order to give their music a more catchy sound.

History of origin

Pleasant Dreams came into being and appeared in a phase in which the Ramones were increasingly under pressure from their record company in order to achieve higher sales of their albums through more pleasant studio production. For this reason, the musician and songwriter Graham Gouldman was commissioned by the rock band 10cc to produce the album. The band members were themselves frustrated by the lack of hit successes due to a lack of presence on US radio. The first track on the album already expresses this frustration in the title and lyrics: We want the Airwaves (German, meaning: “We want to go on air”). As with the previous album, the studio work was accompanied by personal and musical conflicts.

The studio recordings for Pleasant Dreams began on March 30, 1981. Previously, the Ramones had recorded some demo versions of the pieces for the album, which had been produced as usual by sound engineer Ed Stasium and ex-band member Tommy Ramone . For the final recordings for the album, the band would have preferred producer Steve Lillywhite , but this was rejected by their record company Sire Records . Instead, Sire pushed through the use of Gouldman, who was more famous at the time, who had composed some hits in the 1960s (including Herman's Hermits No Milk Today ).

Ramones guitarist Johnny Ramone turned down Gouldman as a producer for the group, as this appeared to him as "too lightweight" and "too pop-oriented". Interview quote from guitarist about studio work with Gouldman:

"I knew I was in trouble immediately on the first day when he said, 'Your amp is buzzing too much. Can you turn down your volume? ' [...] He wasn't really right for the Ramones, that's all. We had no choice. "
(German: "I knew right from the first day that I was in trouble when he said your amplifier was humming too much. Can you turn it down?" [...] He really wasn't the right one for the Ramones, that's all. We had no choice. ")

The album also marks the beginning of a band-internal conflict that would accompany the Ramones beyond the end of their careers. Singer Joey Ramone had been left by his girlfriend Linda Danielle in favor of Johnny Ramones while the album was being made (see also section "Song information" - The KKK took my baby away ). The singer was unable to get over this loss and henceforth refused to even speak to the guitarist; behavior that he was to maintain until his death in 2001. Quote from Joey Ramones from an interview in 1999 with the US music magazine Mojo :

"Johnny crossed the line with me concerning my girlfriend [...]. He destroyed the relationship and the band right there […]. And I never felt any love for John anyways. "
(German: "Johnny had crossed a line with me when it came to my girlfriend [...]. It was exactly at this point that he destroyed the relationship and the band [...]. And I had never felt any affection for John anyway.")

All of the tracks on Pleasant Dreams were composed by either Joey Ramone or bassist Dee Dee Ramone ; The album is also the first release of the band, in whose accompanying texts the compositions are attributed to individual band members by name. Part of the vocal recordings were completed by the singer in the absence of the rest of the band members in a recording studio in England, with Sparks member Russell Mael contributing background vocals.

The pieces of music on the album (selection)

  • The KKK Took My Baby Away - The lyrics of this composition by Ramones singer Joey Ramone are about someone whose partner waskidnappedby the Ku Klux Klan . The singer had recently been left by his girlfriend, who was henceforth a relationship with the guitarist Johnny Ramone. Several band biographies share the belief that the song is autobiographical and that "KKK" is an allusion to the guitarist known for his conservative political views. According to Tour Manager Monte Melnick, Johnny Ramone was actually in possession of a "KKK card"; a statement that supports this interpretation.

Reception, criticism

The compositions on Pleasant Dreams and the more pleasing studio production were largely positively received in press reviews: The New Musical Express praised the songwriting , expressive lyrics and production and described the album as "the LP the Ramones had always dreamed of" and the US music magazine In his review, Zigzag described the Ramones as “one of the few true pop groups left on this desolate planet.” Music critic Robert Palmer described the album's music in his review in the New York Times as “the New York version of the Beach Boys ” , and the reviews in the English press were positive.

Critical comments related only to the design of the front of the record sleeve: Pleasant Dreams is the Ramones' first album, on the front of which the band is not shown and on which a changed band logo was used. The New York graphic designer and comic artist John Holmstrom , who had previously been involved in the graphics of several Ramones albums, called it "one of the ugliest record covers of all time" .

Pleasant Dreams reached number 58 on the US Billboard charts in the summer of 1981.

Track list

First edition 1981

  1. We want the Airwaves (Joey Ramone)
  2. All's Quiet on the Eastern Front (Dee Dee Ramone)
  3. The KKK took my baby away (Joey Ramone)
  4. Don't Go (Joey Ramone)
  5. You Sound like you're Sick (Dee Dee Ramone)
  6. It's not my Place (in the 9 to 5 World) (Joey Ramone)
  7. She's a Sensation (Joey Ramone)
  8. 7-11 (Joey Ramone)
  9. You didn't mean anything to me (Dee Dee Ramone)
  10. Come on Now (Dee Dee Ramone)
  11. This Business is Killing Me (Joey Ramone)
  12. Sitting in my Room (Dee Dee Ramone)

Additional, previously unpublished titles in the extended new edition 2002

  1. Touring (1981 Version) (Joey Ramone / Johnny Ramone) 1)
  2. I can't get you out of my mind (Ramones) 1)
  3. Chop Suey (Alternate Version) (Joey Ramone) 2)
  4. Sleeping Troubles (Demo) (Ramones) 2)
  5. Kicks to Try (Demo) (Ramones) 2)
  6. I'm not an Answer (Demo) (Ramones) 2)
  7. Stares in this Town (Demo) (Ramones) 2)

1) Produced by Graham Gouldman, 2) Produced by Ed Stasium, recorded at the Daily Planet Studio , New York, January to February 1981.

Single releases

  • We want the airwaves

literature

  • Hey Ho Let's Go. The Story Of The Ramones by Everett True. Omnibus Press, London / New York 2002. ISBN 0-7119-9108-1 . (English)
  • On the Road with the Ramones by Monte Melnick, Frank Meyer. Sanctuary Publishing Ltd., London 2003. ISBN 1-86074-514-8 . (engl.)
  • Ramones - The Complete Twisted History by Dick Porter. Plexus Publishing Ltd., London 2004. ISBN 0-85965-326-9 (English)

Individual evidence

  1. ^ True: The Story of the Ramones , p. 163
  2. ↑ a b c d e f g Porter: Ramones - the Complete Twisted History , p. 112 ff.
  3. ↑ Quoted from Everett True: The Story of the Ramones , p. 163
  4. ^ True: The Story of the Ramones , p. 159 f.
  5. ↑ Quoted from Everett True: The Story of the Ramones , p. 160
  6. ↑ a b True: The Story of the Ramones , p. 164
  7. ^ Melnick / Meyer: On the Road with the Ramones , pp. 162 ff.
  8. ^ True: The Story of the Ramones , p. 165
  9. ↑ Melnick / Meyer: On the Road with the Ramones , p. 158: "He actually carried a KKK card [...]."
  10. ^ True: The Story of the Ramones , p. 168

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