I grew up in a rednecked college town in Nowhere, Mississippi, living in a trailer, though not in a trailer park. Somehow, I managed to get through our hopelessly inadequate high school and knew only that I needed to get out, anywhere but where I was.

One night in 1975, I saw Patti Smith perform "My Generation" on Saturday Night Live. Watching her on my 9 inch black-and-white TV was more colorful than any life I knew. Patti showed me that I needed to flee for my life because, before then, I didn't even know there was a My Generation.

I ended up in Atlanta in the summer of 76, looking for rock-and roll that would save my life, despite all the complications. I wandered into Alex Cooley's Electric Ballroom one night to see a new band called The Ramones. They played two sets, and that night changed my life. I had never heard anything like their music before, and the feeling I had most of all was that I had come home. Although there were probably only 100 people there that night, they were the only people who mattered.

I bought a copy of "The Ramones" the next day. Over the next few years, I saw the Ramones repeatedly. My turntable always had a copy of either "Ramones," or "Leave Home," or "Rocket to Russia." I stopped listening to every album I had before the Ramones, and it was almost 20 years before I revisited the mainstream voices from the 70s (which I still do not like too much). After listening to the Ramones, "Love Will Keep Us Together" seemed even more stupid and banal than it had before.

Through the 80s, the pogo became the slam dance, the intellectual thrill of punk became an excuse for violence dedicated at ourselves, people stopped listening to what bands were saying in favor of watching a fashion show, people stopped caring. But the Ramones rocked on. The inspiration continues. My four-year-old son picks out CDs for us to listen to together, and one of his favorite songs is "Blitzkrieg Bop." I like his taste.

Play this disc over and over and over and over. If it's been a while, you'll find it all the better for the break. I have been listening to it constantly for well over two months now.

Hey, Ho, Let's Go!

RIP, Joey Ramone. You saved a lot of lives.

The Ramones were a perfect antidote for disco and new wave when they started, and nowadays they help ease the bitter taste of boy bands and teenyboppers. They play stripped-down punk rock, driven by four-on-the-floor drumbeats and powered by electric guitars and Joey Ramone's sneering, but on-key vocals.

The Ramones and the Sex Pistols are often paired together as the founding fathers of punk. While there's no denying the Pistol's raw power, I prefer The Ramones because they were more musically astute (translation: they could sing and play their instruments), and didn't let their rebellion translate into sloppy playing and singing. This greatest hits package serves as a good anthology of the band's work, collecting all of the essential tunes.

A lot of it is mindless fun, like "Sheena is a punk rocker" and "Rockaway Beach." Despite the amped-up sound, The Ramones are rooted in 50's and 60's pop; some of their best tunes sound like the Beach Boys with the distortion cranked up.

What's surprising, though, is the intelligent edge that creeps around the corners. "Bonzo goes to Bitburg" is a clever attack on Reagan's visit to a Nazi Cemetery, "Commando" is a good anti-war rant, and "Chinese Rock" gives a portrait of a drug addict hitting rock bottom.

The only detriment to the album is that it reveals the Ramone's technical limitations. Even with some tracks produced by Phil Spector and the like, slick studio work can't hide the fact that they're strictly three-chord rock. But at 30 tracks, any artist would start to sound repetitive.

So take it in smaller doses, and let the Ramones' rock their way into your central nervous system. Their music is not only listenable, it's better than caffeine.

MANIA is a compilation of the greatest hits of the RAMONES. You get 30 songs on one disc. If you are already a fan of the Ramones, this is another gem to add to your collection. If you are tired of the music that is being played today (boy bands and Britney Spears), then go out and get this CD. It is a breath of fresh air. The songs are short and brutal and their is no BS in their music. How can you not love songs with titles such as: BEAT ON THE BRAT, I WANNA BE SEDATED, THE KKK TOOK MY BABY AWAY, SHEENA IS A PUNK ROCKER, PSYCHO THERAPY, SOMEBODY PUT SOMETHING IN MY DRINK. The RAMONES showed that all you need is 3 chords, and an attitude and you can rock. So go out buy this album and be ready to rock. If you want a good companion to this album, pick up DON'T WORRY ABOUT ME by Joey Ramone. Rock On

In light of Joey Ramone's recent death, I think this album would be a good place for those who are wondering what the Ramones music was like. The Ramones are a seminal band, without them the whole punk movement would never have begun, and we'd still be listening to 40 minute drum solos.

Listen, learn, enjoy. The sheer fun of the 2-3 minute romp with Dee Dee yelling 1-2-3-4 can't be beat. Of course, when you get done with this, you'll want all the albums, and that's to be expected. If you're new to the Ramones, start here, and discover.

"I don't wanna be a pinhead no more/I just met a nurse that I could go for."

I pretty much agree with the review from "a music fan from California", except I do think that these guys, at their best, were about as good as rock gets. Setting aside their historical importance for a second (and it can never be forgotten that they are one of the most influential bands in rock history), you have to admit that the kind of loud drone they got going on songs like "Blitzkrieg Bop", "Sheena is a Punk Rocker", "Pinhead", "Cretin Hop", etc. was pretty damn cool. I think it's best to consider the Ramones a singles band. Their albums -- even their best one, Rocket to Russia -- are inconsistent, usually because of some ill-advised pop warbling ("I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend", on this set, is an example of that kind of dreck.) This greatest hits package does a good job of picking most of the highlights, although if you find Rocket to Russia, you might as well get that, too.