Even if you are a newcomer to the world of punk rock, you must be aware of the punk tradition of covering songs that came before...sometimes even decades before the current band re-recorded them. The new version is often harder, or faster than the original, and of course contains the new band's particular characteristics of style. Loco Live is an album of covers. The amazing thing is that the covers are done by the same band that did the originals--the ineffable RAMONES.

This album contains 32 of their best songs in all of their "live" glory. This record is unique in the fact that these are songs that you may have listened to for years, but you have never heard them quite like this. Recorded late in their career, Loco Live was an answer to those critics who had declared the RAMONES to be decrepit old men who gave what they could to Rock and Roll, but should now stand back and watch as a younger generation took over. The RAMONES refused, and rocked out this album in response.

I call this an album of covers because these songs are vastly different from their original recordings. Joey is at his bird-like best. So much so that at times he simply neglects the words in favor of whatever melodic throaty sound he can produce. Most of the time you simply can not understand him, unless you know the words by heart. For example, on Ignorance is Bliss, it sounds like he's saying "aneurysm" instead of ignorance is bliss. The words come out so quickly and with such a snarl, that it's almost incomprehensible. This record is faster, harder, and angrier than anything else the RAMONES put out, and that makes it a punk rock classic.

The only caution I have is directed toward the newcomer to the RAMONES music legacy. In order to fully appreciate this record, you need to know the words to these songs. (Much in the same way that you need to know the right lyrics to appreciate The Parasites cover of "It's Alive" where they sing the wrong lyrics as printed in the original liner notes released in Japan!) Anyway...if you don't know these songs, I recommend that you buy some collection of the RAMONES like "All the Stuff and More" or "Loud, Fast, RAMONES" or "Hey Ho, Let's Go Anthology" to get your bearings, and then throw caution to the wind with Loco Live.

This record rocks from beginning to end. Put it in and watch it burn a hole in your speakers. Loco Live embodies the spirit of Punk Rock like none other, and shows why punk bands today still dress like, sound like, and try to play like, The RAMONES!

As a joke,when people would squish up their faces and ask me"what do the Ramones sound like,"I would answer"well,they're kinda like the satanic Beach Boys."Yes a joke,but it got the point across to everyone that they're really not like anyone,but it seems that everyone wants to sound like THEM.How craphole bands like Blink 182 and Good Charlotte can sell millions of albums and live in mansions and the Ramones ate dogfood is just further testament to the vast ignorance of the record buying public and the futility of believing in a just and loving god.From the beginning of their career to the end of it,The Ramones were the seminal punk rock group.If you haven't heard The Ramones,you have never,repeat,never heard true punk rock.This is about as close as any newbie will ever be to seeing them live,and that's a shame.The songs are fast,the audience is loud,and the setlist is phenomenal.There's no other band in the world that could plow through that many songs in 65 minutes without an encore.To be honest,The Ramones never once needed an encore to please their fans.This is in my opinion the greatest and truest live album ever recorded,a real treat for the fans,and one of the rare occasions it wasn't just a marketing ploy to further gouge the public at large for a greater profit margin.This is honesty people.Raw and angry sounding,this was the locomotive coming at you full force for the absolute love of their fans.A true gem of an album,Loco Live oughta please even the most jaded and arrogant among you.

In my opinion, this is the greatest live Ramones album out there. Although it is the first album released without DeeDee, it does a wonderful job of capturing the energy of the live Ramones concert.

Some people might prefer It's Alive over this one, since it contains all the early stuff and all the songs sound similar to the originals. However, this album is much louder and faster, and contains newer songs as well as the classics, all performed at unremittingly breakneck tempos.

The only unfortunate thing about this album is that Joey went back into the studio and re-recorded vocals for a lot of this album (you can tell where this has happened most of the time, in the places where is voice is smoother than in the rest of the album). This does, however, make the album a bit better musically.

Overall, I think anybody who complains that "all the songs sound the same" on this album is missing the point. This is a live Ramones album, which means that that this album is all about energy. Pure, nonstop energy. And, for that purpose, it's one of the greatest live albums ever.

Highly recommended.

Very good, very fast, very hard. Pure adrenaline from the begin to finish. After 32 songs the spanish punk rockers in Barcelona still loud: HEY HO LET'S GO!... so what can i tell you

LOCO LIVE is the way the Ramones should be listened to: Loud and fast. Most people take IT'S ALIVE over this but I disagree: Not only does it have more songs, it has the better set (containing late classics like Pet Cemetery, The KKK took my baby away or I wanna live ). The songs are played faster and harder and that is a good thing to me, you can't help but get up and dance. This is a Ramones recording in every sense of the word, Joey is at on top of his game and the rest of the band is tighter than ever. They don't care about playing correctly, all they do is ROCK and they do it great, it's a no-holds barreld performance if there ever was one.

Everything you'd ever like to hear from this band is included in amazing versions : From the opening of Durango '95 and the first chants of Teenage Lobotomy they just don't quit over the whole running lenght. Rockaway Beach, Sheena is a punkrocker, Love Kills, it's all here. The sound quality is crystal clear but raw at the same time.

This is the place to start in getting into this group. There's not much to be said exept that you should buy it and rock out!