#794 Ramones - Rocket to Russia

Early in their career, Ramones struck a careful balance, rousing themselves from their debut's proto-Strokesian pre-post-punk disinterest, slowly arriving at something more melodic, more engaged, but still defiant, still cool. There's still no rage, little shouting, negligible guitar acrobatics, but the band still churns out economically-executed minimal hooks. Most importantly, the pacing is excellent, as the album's 14 short double-timers shift gears just often enough to keep you on your toes over the course of its perfectly punk half hour running time 4/5