End Of The Century: The Story Of The Ramones review

Hey, ho, let's go: the story of punk's pied pipers The Ramones gets a respectful but refreshingly honest retelling in this pared-down rockumentary. Gaining access to the bickering band members just before Joey and Dee Dee's recent deaths, End Of The Century: The Story of The Ramones outlines the legacy of the black leather jacketed foursome as their whirlwind brand of blitzkrieg bop saved rock `n' roll from itself.

Never finding mainstream acceptance - - but paving the way for everyone from Blondie to The Clash to The Sex Pistols - - The Ramones were always the bastard offspring of '70s music: a band too tough to die despite all the arguments, girlfriend stealing and drug abuse. Frank interviews capture the sense of what could have been if history had been different; yet it's the archive concert footage that really amazes, brilliantly showcasing The Ramones' unique brand of all-revved-up-and-ready-to-go musical aggression.