Hey kids! Welcome to another Deep Dive episode of CJ Says: A Ramones Podcast.

This week, we drop the needle on Animal Boy—the Ramones' ninth studio album and one of the most idiosyncratically awkward records in the band's back catalogue.

Animal Boy is a far from perfect record. Yet, there are flashes of brilliance buried beneath some questionable production, strange sequencing, curious keyboards, and moments where Johnny's guitar sounds like it’s been away locked in a cupboard. But underneath the sonic clutter is some seriously great songwriting—and, perhaps more importantly, a fascinating snapshot of a band beginning to pull in different directions.

In this week's Deep Dive, we get under the skin (or fur) of 'Animal Boy' to uncover what works, what doesn't, and why the most interesting Ramones albums aren't necessarily the ones where every single song hits the bullseye...Sometimes the fun is in finding the few bullets that somehow survived the gunfight!

Join us as we explore the production, the personalities, the song choices and the wider cultural landscape surrounding the band during the mid-'80s period. By the time Side A is over, you might find yourself listening to Animal Boy a little differently...

As always, head over to www.patreon.com/cjsays to stream the Side B Deep Dive and all the rest of our exclusive bonus content. There is now over 30 hours worth of extra episodes waiting to be enjoyed!

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Hey kids! Welcome to another instalment of CJ Says: A Ramones Podcast.

We've got a great artist interview lined up this week.

Before New York became a cultural phenomenon, it was a state of mind—a city where punk rock, fashion, nightlife, and art collided inside smoke-filled clubs beneath neon lights.

This week, we're joined by one of the true architects of that world…

Miss Guy is a musician, DJ, performer and trailblazer whose journey into New York's underground began with a chance meeting with Malcolm McLaren and quickly evolved into a life spent at the heart of the city's creative explosion. From the drag-fuelled chaos of St. Mark's Place to co-founding the legendary SqueezeBox club night, Miss Guy wasn't simply there watching history unfold—he was actively helping to shape it.

In Part One of this week's fascinating conversation with a proper New York legend, we explore the clubs, the characters, and the beautiful misfits who transformed New York into the creative capital of the punk rock world. Along the way, we discover why style became confidence, how the city's outsiders found strength in one another, and where the Ramones fit in amongst the underground scene that transformed pop culture forever.

It’s time to leave daylight behind and step back in time to a New York that could never exist today. You just had to be there...and Miss Guy was…this is his story!

To stream the second half of this week’s artist interview, as always, head over to www.patreon.com/cjsays

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Hey kids! Welcome to another Deep Dive episode of CJ Says: A Ramones Podcast.

This week, we drop the needle on Too Tough to Die — the album that didn't just save the Ramones…it reminded the world who they were…

By 1984, the musical landscape had shifted beneath their feet. Punk rock had splintered into a thousand different directions, mainstream success remained frustratingly out of reach, and the band themselves seemed caught somewhere between experimentation and lack of direction. Then came Too Tough to Die.

With Tommy Ramone back behind the console alongside longtime Ramones collaborator Ed Stasium, a rejuvenated Dee Dee firing on all creative cylinders once again, Richie Ramone injecting fresh energy behind the kit, and Joey developing a grittier, more confrontational voice, the band stopped chasing the charts and started sounding like themselves again.

In this week's Deep Dive, we explore the songs, the stories, and the subtle reinvention that makes Too Tough to Die one of the most important records in the band's entire back catalogue. This record is the sound of the Ramones planting their boots firmly back on the sidewalk and reminding the world that nobody ever did punk rock quite like the Ramones.

Join us as we revisit the album that truly lived up to its name…Too Tough to Die!

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Hey kids! Welcome to another episode of CJ Says: A Ramones Podcast.

Long before Manic Panic became one of the world's most recognisable hair colour brands, its founders, Tish and Snooky, were simply two young sisters trying to carve out a place for themselves in the beautiful chaos of New York's underground scene.

This week, we sit down with the creators of the legendary company to explore a story that stretches far beyond hair dye and make-up—from their childhoods and the early days of CBGB to forming the gloriously named Sick Fucks, scraping together just $500 to launch a business, and eventually building a global punk rock institution. It's a modern-day fairytale of resilience, resourcefulness, and refusing to wait for permission. It’s a story of kicking down doors and breaking through barriers—much like their old friends, the Ramones.

Tish and Snooky, perhaps more than any other guests we've welcomed onto the podcast thus far, embody the DIY spirit that powered an entire generation of outsiders to reshape the future ahead of them.

This is an episode about friendship, family, creativity, and the fierce individuality that made New York's punk and new wave scene unlike anything that came before—or since.

The Ramones may have provided the soundtrack, but Tish and Snooky helped give punk its colour.

So, come meet the women who proved that sometimes the biggest revolutions begin with nothing more than a personal vision... and five hundred dollars in your back pocket!

To stream the second half of this interview and unlock the rest of our exclusive bonus content, head over to www.patreon.com/cjsays

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Hey kids! Welcome to another Deep Dive episode of CJ Says: A Ramones Podcast.

This week, we explore the bizarre world of the Ramones' seventh studio album, Subterranean Jungle—a record that divides fans as much today as it did back in 1983.

An unexpected pair of cover songs kick things off, and the production is notably more ‘experimental’ than anything the band had attempted to date, which begs the question: were the Ramones consciously evolving their sound... or simply fighting to survive as the musical landscape of the early '80s drifted further and further away from the proto-punk, glam, and bubblegum pop sounds that shaped them?

Here, we pick apart the songs, the sound, the stories, and the circumstances that produced one of the most divisive records in the Ramones' back catalogue. From the undeniable punch of Psycho Therapy to the left-field cover songs, uneven songwriting, and alienating production decisions that continue to baffle and bemuse longtime fans, nothing escapes the microscope.

Subterranean Jungle may never top anyone's list of favourite Ramones records—you'd be mad to call it their finest hour—but sometimes the most illuminating insights are found in the albums that refuse to fit neatly into the band’s wider discography.

So grab your leather jacket, drop the needle on Side A, and join us as we venture down one of the Ramones' most intriguing and confusing musical rabbit holes.

To stream our Side B Deep Dive and unlock the rest of our exclusive bonus content, head over to www.patreon.com/cjsays

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This week on CJ Says, we sit down with one of the true originals of American punk rock 'n' roll. Nikki Corvette is a singer, songwriter, and unapologetic rock and roller whose story begins—much like proto-punk pioneers The Stooges and MC5—in the Motor City of Detroit.

Emerging from a scene that prized attitude and authenticity, Nikki quietly embodies both. Equal parts primitive punk rock and infectious girl-group pop, her music proves you don't need to scream and shout to be tough. Long before female voices were finally given the musical recognition they deserved during the '90s Riot Grrrl movement, Nikki was writing the kind of short, sharp, hooky songs the Ramones instinctively recognised as the beating heart of American rock 'n' roll, which is exactly why they embraced her as one of their own.

In this conversation, we talk Detroit, the Ramones, songwriting, stepping away from music, and returning decades later with newfound purpose and perspective. More than a look back at Nikki's remarkable career, this is a celebration of persistence, individuality, and the artists who quietly shape musical history while everyone else is busy trying to define it.

To stream the second half of this amazing interview and access the rest of our exclusive bonus content, head over to www.patreon.com/cjsays -

Be sure to steam and support Nikki's music too, and follow her on social media for tour updates & more info! @nikkicorvette

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Hey kids! Welcome to Episode 011 of CJ Says: A Ramones Podcast.

This week, we drop the needle on the Ramones' sixth studio album, Pleasant Dreams, which might just be the most underrated record of their entire career.

Before we begin, a huge thank you to everyone who’s already subscribed to the show over on Patreon. Your enthusiasm, support, and belief in this little corner of the Ramones universe continues to inspire us every single week. This podcast simply would not be gathering the momentum it has without you. So, thank you!

As for Pleasant Dreams... it's an LP that’s spent decades living in the long shadow cast by the records that came before it. Too polished for some. Not punk enough for others. Yet hidden beneath surface of the album’s glossy production lies a collection of pop punk classics that still carry the unmistakable DNA of the Ramones.

Come with us now as we dissect an album that deserves another listen, another conversation, and maybe—just maybe—a little reevaluation…

What are your favourite moments from Pleasant Dreams? Which tracks hit the right marks for you? And for all those flipping the record with us over on www.patreon.com/cjsays, does Side B continue the momentum set by Side A?

More importantly, where does Pleasant Dreams sit alongside the Ramones albums we’ve explored so far?

Let's drop the needle and find out!!

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There are photographers who take pictures, and there are those who capture culture itself in their images. Bob Gruen firmly falls into the latter group.

In this week’s guest interview, we sit down with the legendary rock 'n’ roll documentarian whose images helped define the look and spirit of 1970s New York - and beyond.

While other photographers exclusively chased stars, Bob Gruen was drawn to the raw energy of downtown Manhattan and the Lower East Side, where he documented all the artists busy reinventing rock 'n’ roll—including the Ramones!!

What made Bob's work so special wasn't just the access that he gained to these punk rock pioneers; it was the moments that he captured. His relaxed, no-nonsense approach enabled him to portray these artists as they really were, in their natural habitat. In the process, he created images that feel less like portraits and more like moments forever suspended in time.

So join us, Pinheads, as we explore Bob Gruen's remarkable story, his connection to the Ramones, and his lifelong belief that rock 'n' roll ain’t just about the music—it's about freedom, authenticity, and being truly present when something truly extraordinary happens…

As always, thank you checking out the podcast. We really appreciate all the support.

Head over to www.patreon.com/cjsays to unlock all of our exclusive bonus content. And visit here for more info on Bob Gruen, including photo prints & featured articles etc:

https://www.bobgruen.com/

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