The Ramones are a misunderstood band. They were an "inside joke", a wink between those who got it. They were waging a deliberate and calculated attack on Progressive Rock, which they and many other Rockers (myself included) despised. While on their first three albums they sound a little "weak" as a band (though the material isn’t), the replacement of Tommy (not a strong drummer) with Marky on the fourth (Road To Ruin, a great album. It was actually produced by Tommy.) cured that. Marky was a very "muscular" drummer, and had been in Richard Hell’s band The Voidoids (and in the Hard Rock band Dust, who put out one album in the early-70’s). The great Jazz drummer Tony Williams in an interview speaking of Marky: "Have you heard the guy in The Ramones? Now THAT is a great drummer."
Here’s a fun fact about The Ramones: In polar opposition to Spinal Tap, the two remaining living original members of The Ramones are Tommy and Marky ;-) !
