Happy 40th: Ramones, LEAVE HOME

40 years ago today, the Ramones released their second album, an effort which sounded suspiciously like its predecessor but still won over both the critics and the band’s fans.

Recorded in October of 1976 at New York City’s Sundragon Studios, the songs on LEAVE HOME flew by even faster than those contained on the Ramones’ self-titled debut album, but they’re no less entertaining for that. Indeed, the sound on this album is better both from a production standpoint and from a musical standpoint, showing that the band were actually learning and growing as a result of the work they were putting in on the road. One song that most listeners didn’t get to hear, however, was a little ditty called “Carbona Not Glue,” which was pulled from the album at the last second because Carbona was a registered trademark. D’oh! And it was Legs McNeil’s favorite song, too…

Thankfully, songs like “Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment,” “Pinhead,” and the immortal “Sheena is a Punk Rocker” were so catchy that it was virtually impossible for listeners to deny their brilliance, but that didn’t mean that they were burning up the pop charts. Indeed, LEAVE HOME didn’t even chart as high as its predecessor, stalling out at #148 on the Billboard 200. It did, however, serve as a breakthrough for the band in the UK, climbing to #45 on the UK Album charts. That ought to count for something, surely.