Osaka Ramones - Tribute to The Ramones

iTunes Review

Japan’s Shonen Knife have over their 30-year career become one of the most beloved cult bands in the entire world. Guitarist-singer Naoko Yamono is the only remaining original member and it is her persistence that has kept some version of her group on the road and in the studio. This tribute to the most internationally famous punk-rock band of all-time, the Ramones, is perfectly fitted for this Japanese punk trio. The harmonies are note-perfect and the sound, produced by Goo Goo Dolls’ Robby Takac, is suitably pop and punk. The track selection is a solid nod to their entire catalog, featuring the Ramones’ early work (“Blitzkrieg Bop,” “Beat On the Brat,” “Pinhead”), some underrated ‘80s work (“The KKK Took My Baby Away,” “We Want the Airwaves”) and even a track (“Scattergun”) from the band’s final studio album, Adios Amigos. There’s a genuine joy and perversity to “Chinese Rock,” “She’s the One” and “We’re a Happy Family.” Ramones songs are meant to be universal anthems and Shonen Knife proves it to be true.