Halfway To Sanity

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By 1987, The Ramones were obviously never going to be the pop sensation they should've been. Though rockers of all denominations would eventually acknowledge The Ramones' legacy, they were at a crossroads in the late '80s. Hardcore punk had sped up beyond comfortable levels, and the band's few forays in that direction sounded decent but not thoroughly convincing. At heart, The Ramones were pop musicians who knew how to write catchy songs, and that was something they could still do. "I Wanna Live" was a killer opener, augmented by chiming guitars that helped raise the drama of the chorus. "Bop 'Til You Drop," "Garden of Serenity," "Go Lil' Camaro Go," "I Know Better Now," and "A Real Cool Time" are all songs worthy of the group's name. However, they came at a time when The Ramones' core audience was either headed toward more extreme music or had found themselves raising families and not keeping up with their heroes.

via Apple Music

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