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by Tom Walker

Monday, October 8, 2007

CBGB gave me the Heebie-Jeebie's

Back in 1977 when I was working as a bartender at 315 Bowery, my mother used to call from Miami, FL. "Tommy are you still working at the Heebie Jeebie's" she would ask.

I just finished devouring Steven Lee Beeber's excellent new book about the Jewish influence on Punk rock. I loved it! http://www.jewpunk.com/
My only complaint would be that he didn't follow his thesis to it's inevitable conclusion, that Joey Ramone was the true Rock&Roll Messiah that Elvis so mistakenly thought he was.
A case could be made that without the Ramones and the rest of the NYC Punk scene, R&R would have died of boredom and old age. The Ramones came along, just in the nick of time, and resurrected R&R.
In his life time Joey never really ascended to the heights of R&R Royalty. He was never crowned like Elvis. Never a superstar in the way of Jagger or Jimmy Page. He wasn't the spoiled , pampered duke in the back of a limo ( no offence, Bowie). He didn't even move to Beverly Hills, where the elite of R&R live in royal splendor. In short, he was very much in the old testament tradition for a prophet. The Jewish Messiah, at least in the christian version, is someone you wouldn't ever suspect. And who would ever think of Joey Ramone as the King Of (Punk) Rock?
The only group of people I can think of who would hold Joey as "the King" would be dissatisfied, alienated , young teenage boy's,the very heart of R&R fandom!

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Who for years traveled the country in search of redemption but now resides in Heaven.