East meets West

"Leave Home" marked the first and unfortunately last collaboration between west-coast soft rockers Seals & Crofts (of "Summer Breeze" and "Diamond girl" fame) and New York's prime exponents of the then cutting-edge punk rock movement, the legendary Ramones. While the very idea of these two apparently dissimilar musical talents pairing up may have a few scratching their heads in bafflement even some twenty-seven years later, it actually works pretty good. I especially like the moments when Joey Ramone turns the lead vocals over to the supposed soft rockers on lines like "and in a moment of passion, explode like Charles Manson" or "hey, he's gonna kill that girl toni--ight." It's obvious that the cover of "California sun" was specifically chosen to spotlight the east/west dichotomy displayed on this record, and the pleasant, inoffensive harmonies and muzaky horns sound truly transcendent juxtapositioned with Johnny's chainsaw power-chords and Tommy's metronomic, primitive drumbeat. There are times when the interplay sounds a little forced, like in the rather extended a cappella harmony interludes in "Commando," but overall, this is a classic not to be missed. Belongs in your collection along with the also classic England Dan & John Ford Coley/Sex Pistols and (now almost impossible to find) Bread/Dead Kennedys long players.

Gabba Gabba Hey!

Second release doesn't quite have the rawness of their debut,but that doesn't make this album suck cause it doesn't. Many classics including the anthem "Pinhead" Still worth getting. 4 1/2 stars.

The beginning of the gabba gabba hey days.

With three versions of this album circling the world, first pressing of 4000 with Carbona not Glue, an import, UK only I believe, with Baby Sitter and finally the most available with the single version of Sheena is a Punk Rocker, I find any version you get your hands on is well worth it. You can kill two birds with one stone buying the All the Stuff More I. vol on CD. You get the sheena version and Baby Sitter at the end in the more section. Leave Home captures the band experimenting if you will, with a little more produced sound but still relying on only one or two tracks for the instruments. Remember that Ramones, the first album, cost $6,400 to make so the sound on Leave Home, yes, is not quite as raw as the first but you'll be headbanging your way through the tracks from the opening chord to the closing. Leave Home also marks the debut of the Gabba Gabba Hey days as Pinhead is recorded and released as it's seventh track. A must buy for any true fans who don't have this one in their collection.