RAMONES, THE - Leave Home LP

Label: Sire

Released a mere nine months after the Ramones' groundbreaking debut, 1977's Leave Home was in many respects a continuation of the sound and attitude of the first album, with its unrelenting barrage of chunky guitar downstrokes and Mad Magazine-influenced lyrical absurdity. But even a cursory listen reveals the Ramones had made plenty of progress in less than a year. The performances on Leave Home are tighter and better focused than they were on Ramones, and Tommy Ramone's minimalist drumming gained a bit of swing that was absent on the debut.

The Ramones sound more comfortable with their attack, never quite as simple as it seems, while also bearing down with a greater speed and ferocity that finds them hitting their stride in the studio. Just as importantly, the production is noticeably more polished this time out, which helps more than one might expect.

Leave Home was a positive step forward for the Pride of Forest Hills, and it's one of their best and most satisfying albums.