Ramones: "Rocket to Russia" (Sire)
New York Post-December 1977
Carl Arrington
RAMONES latest album on for the faint
(3 stars) "ROCKET TO RUSSIA" by Ramones-The hippies had R. Crumb and Zap Comix. We have the Ramones. This is the third album by these juvenile delinquents and it is a vinyl bombardment of laughs, ingenious crudity and music that will kill you if you already have high blood pressure. It has great tune titles like "Teenage Lobotomy," and "Cretin Hop." Best cut is their cover of "Surfin’ Bird." Umma-bird-bird. There, I reviewed it without saying punk.
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Ramones: ‘Rocket to Russia’ (Sire).
Village Voice November 28th 1977
Robert Christgau
Having revealed how much you can take out and still have rock and roll, they now explore how much you can put back in and still have Ramones. Not that they’ve returned very much-a few relatively obvious melodies, a few relatively obvious vocals. But that’s enough. Yes, folks, there’s something for everyone on this readymade punk-rock classic. Stoopidity, both celebrated and satirized. Love (thwarted) and social protest (they would seem to oppose DDT). Inspired revivals (the Trashmen) and banal cover versions (Bette Midler and Cass Elliot beat them to "Do You Wanna Dance?" And, for their record company and ears of the world, and actual potential hit. If "Sheena Is a Punk Rocker" was the most significant number 84 record in history, what will "Rockaway Beach" do for number 20? (Did I hear 5?)
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Ramones-Rocket to Russia
October 1977
Jack Basker
Album of the week: "Rocket to Russia," the third lp by the Ramones, is by far that group’s best record yet. The new album is the fast record ever made-beautiful and exciting in its hard-driven simplicity. This album finds the Ramones a joyous group celebrating the American teen-age experience. Call it "punk," or "new wave," or "power pop," or "surf punk," or whatever you’d like, but two things you shouldn’t forget: the Ramones are first and foremost a rock’n’roll band, and the Ramones are a great band. This could be the album that reopens high energy rock’n’roll music to the American public. The album is accessible, danceable, and lots of fun.