Monday, March 1, 2010

Joey Ramone - Don't Worry About Me

Joey Ramone
Don't Worry About Me
 
When Joey Ramone succumbed to cancer last year, rock music lost a quiet legend. You might not know that now, but you'll only see more of Joey and Ramones' influence as years go by. While "Don't Worry About Me" is clearly a solo effort with Joey writing all but 2 songs, both covers, it doesn't seem to far from the later Ramones records that came out in the 90s. With lines like: "Sitting in a hospital bed, frustration going through my head, turn off the TV set to take some drugs so I can forget", you can't miss where this album's lifeforce comes from. Even while bed-ridden , Joey was still able to write songs with new inspirations. Case in point, his ode to cable channel CNBC's financial analyst, "Maria Bartiromo". Joey knew that this would be his final influence on rock, and he put all his strength into making it a good one. It's not a sentimental farewell or a hokey send-off, just a solid passionate rock record, a Ramones staple. While the album can get pretty depressing at points, most notably during "I Got Knocked Down (But I'll Get Up)", the album leaves the listener with a newfound appreciation for life with the optimistic title track "Don't Worry About Me". We won't worry about you Joey, but we sure will miss you.
 
- M.J. Lynch
Joey Ramone's web site is: www.joeyramone.com.