In a wonderful serendipity, since I just got off the phone with Classmates.com, I caught the last half-hour to forty-five minutes of the classic teen rocker flick, “Rock and Roll High School”, which features the Ramones, Warhol scenester Mary Woronov, and the inevitable Clint “Balok” Howard (hmm… The Howard family and Star Trek… haven’t I been here before?), Ron Howard’s I-think younger bro.
Ah, I love this movie. What luck! Shot at the height of the Ramones’ superpowers, the filmmakers made the nearly incredible decision to include nearly an entire albums’ worth of Ramones tunes in their entirety. The centerpiece of the film is a five-or-six song concert in which the songs are presented pretty much as is, live on stage.
]]>As is, that is, except for the subtitled lyrics to “Teenage Lobotomy”, presented presumably in the hopes of provoking a singalong. Oh, what a fine movie.
Ya know what? This country could learn a lot from the wholesome, all-American values presented in this picture, and we’d all benefit immensely if only more filmmakers would make totally idiotic bits of froth about teenagers and turn over half the movie to a great rock band like this. It’s like finding a diamond ring in a crackerjack box.
But I still ain’t gonna buy the posthumous Joey Ramone album.
Now, maybe one of the killer all-instrumental covers of Ramones songs played Ventures-style by the Ramonetures, that I’ll consider.
Did you know that the Ventures had a sponsorship arrangement with the legendary Mosrite guitar company?
And that the guitar wielded by Johnny Ramone in “RnRHS” is a Mosrite?
And that the Ramonetures‘ guest members, Billy Zoom and DJ Bonebrake, are also members of the other greatest rock band in America, X?
Now you do.
Mike, I’m going back through your writings and commenting! RnR high school? one of the best motion pictures of all time!! eaglebaur enterprises!! man genius…. made in the very last days of the ghost of a chance that an independent film company could make a film for rock bottom budget and actually get it shown at drive ins and small town theatres across the country! CAN NOT HAPPEN TODAY. The white moserite that Johnny played (still does i think) was the same guitar that Fred “sonic” Smith played in the MC5 circa 1966-72. It’s like it was a member of both bands and I’m sure inspired Johnny quite a bit…I can’t recall off the top of my head how johnny came in possesion of it…I suppose it’s my Catholic upbringing that causes me to look at inanimate objects like guitars as main characters in RnR history
but you know, mike from playing in bands that guitars (mandolins) and amps AREN’T inanimate objects ARE THEY?
It was WHAT?
Johnny bought it at random in a pawnshop!
Apparently he didn’t have any idea that it was the Ventures axe of contract for a while either.
This MC5 tie in must be examined!
And hell no, they aren’t inanimate.
Did I tell you that my blue ‘lectric mando was built by a guy who apprenticed from Semie Mosely ih his last days? Built with machine tools from the Mosrite shop. It has that body scalloped edge.
Did you know that Loretta Moseley, Semmie’s wife,and original Mosrite guitar makers still manufacture the only original Mosrites? You can reach her at P.O. Box 85, Jonas Ridge, N.C. 28641