Sex Pistols the first punk rockas? Feggedaboudit! Punk is as American as the Ramones, formed in Forest Hills, New York, in 1974. They were on their third LP when the Pistols debuted. Keying off their '60s U.S. pop and garage-band influences while sneering at the bloated state of '70s rock, Joey, Johnny, Dee Dee, and Tommy virtually invented the loud 'n' snotty punk style and 'tude, playing in Bowery dives like CBGB. The band scored a deal with Sire Records and soon conquered the world, but on their own terms. By their 2,263rd, and final, concert in August 1996, the Ramones had outsmarted and outlasted most of their critics-and inspired countless followers. Now the godfathers of punk take a rocket to Rhino on this two-CD career-spanning collection. Produced with the band's cooperation, Hey! Ho! Let's Go! contains nearly 60 hard 'n' fast tracks from 14 albums, from 1976's Ramones to 1995's Adios Amigos-that's more than two-and-a-half hours of peak-volume punk. Also includes a hardback book gathering rare photos and memorabilia, along with extensive liner notes.

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