Between 1976 and 1978,
the Ramones could seemingly do no wrong, and
It's Alive, the album that preserved their 1977-going-on-1978 New Year's Eve show in London for the ages, captured the pride of Forest Hills at the peak of their form, turning three-chord downstroke into the stuff of magic. By 1990, the band's albums were generally good but not great, and it seemed as if their days of studio glory were behind them. But anyone who ever saw
the Ramones live will tell you that right up to the end, they never failed to deliver on-stage, and if
Loco Live isn't quite up to the same level as
It's Alive, it proves these guys always gave their fans the sweat, muscle, and cool tunes they came to see. The buzz of
Johnny Ramone's guitar is still gloriously relentless,
Joey yelps like he means it (and if he has a little more to say between songs, most of it's cool),
Marky remains King of the Big Beat, and
C.J. plays at least as well as
Dee Dee (and is nearly as good at yelling "wuntootreeFAH!"). And if the presence of "Mama's Boy," "Someone Put Something in My Drink," and "I Believe in Miracles" don't exactly give
Loco Live an edge over the first-three-albums set list of
It's Alive, the truth is nearly all the newer songs sound stronger (and faster) on-stage, and the old stuff is, as always, a joy to behold. If you're going to buy a
Ramones live album, the blazing
It's Alive is the one to get, but
Loco Live proves these old soldiers never gave up the fight -- 13 years on, they were still loud and proud, and you can't help but love 'em for it. ~ Mark Deming