Let The Day Begin...Let The Day Start!: Day 170 - Ramones

Greatest Hits Live - Ramones

Radioactive

Produced by Ed Stasium and Daniel Rey

Released 18th June 1996

This post today will probably come across as being a bit negative (which would be a little rare as I try to be quite positive about the things I post), but it's really just to show that even your favourite bands don't always get it right all the time!

Greatest Hits Live is the third Live album from Ramones. I have to confess to always being a little disappointed in  Live releases from Ramones, apart from It's Alive (1979). Loco Live (1992) was a full set but the sound on it was absolutely terrible and it was the first album that CJ appeared on and he thinks it was the worst Ramones album ever! It didn't help that the UK and US versions were different. The 1991 Chrysalis version contains 33 songs, including "Too Tough to Die", "Don't Bust My Chops", "Palisades Park", and "Love Kills". The 1992 Sire version has different cover art and track order, and replaced these four tracks with "I Just Wanna Have Something to Do", "Havana Affair", "I Don't Wanna Go Down to the Basement", and an unlisted "Carbona Not Glue". The original tracks were recorded digitally in Barcelona, Spain and overdubbed at Electric Lady Studios in NYC.

This third live album was even more disappointing. Whilst the sound was better, the editing of the show and the tracklisting gave it a very disjointed feel. Also the fact that it was called Greatest Hits Live was a bit questionable as it only contained a few songs that could actually be considered "hits".

It was recorded on the ¡Adios Amigos! Tour in New York City (29th February 1996), the final tour by the band.

I have no idea who was responsible for the editing and the sequencing of this particular recording as only 16 tracks from the show were featured along with two studio recordings:

Durango 95
Blitzkrieg Bop
Do You Remember Rock And Roll Radio
I Wanna Be Sedated
Spider-Man   
I Don't Want To Grow Up
Sheena Is A Punk Rocker
Rockaway Beach   
Strength To Endure
Cretin Family
Do You Wanna Dance
We're A Happy Family
The Crusher
53rd & 3rd
Beat On The Brat
Pet Sematary
Bonus Studio Tracks
R.A.M.O.N.E.S.
Anyway You Want It 

The actual setlist for the night was:

1.Durango 95
2.Teenage Lobotomy*
3.Psycho Therapy*
4.Blizkrieg Bop
5.Do You Remember Rock'N'Roll Radio
6.I believe in Miracles*
7.Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment*
8.Rock'N'Roll High School*
9.I Wanna Be Sedated
10.Spiderman
11.The KKK Took My Baby Away*
12.I Don't Want To Grow Up
13.Commando*
14.Sheena Is A Punk Rocker
15.Rockaway Beach
16.Pet Sematary
17.Strength to Endure
18.Cretin Family
19.Do you Wanna Dance?
20.Somebody Put Something In my Drink*
21.California Sun*
22.Wart Hog*
23.Cretin Hop*
24.R.A.M.O.N.E.S.*
25.Today Your Love, Tomorrow The World*
26.Pinhead*
Encore 1
27.The Crusher
28.I Just Want To Have Something To Do*
29.We're A Happy Family
Encore 2
30.Anyway You Want It*
31.53rd & 3rd
32.Beat On The Brat
Encore 3
33.Love Kills*
34.Chinese Rocks*
35.Havana Affair*

* Not included on the album

Six months after the recording of this album the band would also record their final ever show and release it the following year with the title We're Outta Here. That recording the label actually got right.

Let The Day Begin...Let The Day Start!