ALBUM REVIEW: Kepi Ghouli – Ramones In Love (Pirates Press Records)
Kepi Ghouli is best-known as frontman of US garage rockers Groovies Ghoulies, and he’s also a massive Ramones fan.
Hot on the heels of his recent covers album Full Moon Forever (reviewed here) he’s back with a very personal collection.
The seed of the idea was sewn began years ago when Kepi made a compilation tape of all the Ramones love songs in chronological order.
He loved their ballads, but after seeing the Ramones live several times, realised it was unlikely he would ever hear these songs live.
For the last dozen years or so he’s released a love song or two every Valentine’s Day, and last year’s included the Ramones’ I Want You Around.
From that one track the idea of a full album was conceived, and now we have before us 13 cuts of prime Ramones love songs, as interpreted by Kepi and various talented friends.
Under-rated
And although the Ramones are best known for their pedal-to-the-metal punk rock, they couldn’t half pen a romantic tune too.
Kicking off with the stone-cold classic I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend from their debut album, Kepi will soon have you (and your loved one) singing along to some truly under-rated love songs.
He’s taken away the Ramones’ blistering approach, and turned these songs into something new. Some are well-known, others less so, but it’s difficult not to let the subtle arrangements wash over you and start feeling all dreamy.
And just try not singing along to She’s A Sensation, I Want You Around, Needles And Pins or Baby, I Love You…
My personal highlights lie in the deeper cuts; Questioningly, one of the quieter tracks on Road To Ruin, and a stunning stripped-down, bass-driven version 7-11 from seventh album Pleasant Dreams.
The music here contains all kinds of depth and emotions, and shows a very different side to the Ramones. It’ll almost certainly make you listen again to the originals, which you probably glossed over at the time. I know it did me. 8/10.
