Leave Home – Ramones

Leave Home is a leaner, sharper, and more confident follow-up to the Ramones’ debut. Recorded just months after their first record, it showcases tighter performances and stronger songwriting, with standout tracks like “Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment,” “Pinhead,” and “Glad to See You Go.” The band doesn’t veer from their minimalist formula but refines it, with production that brings more punch and clarity while still delivering the unrelenting energy and humor fans expect.

What makes Leave Home especially rewarding is its consistency and pacing. Each track hits fast and hard, with barely a moment to breathe between bursts of distortion and shouted choruses. It’s a perfect example of how refinement doesn’t have to mean compromise—the Ramones maintained their grit and irreverence while improving their sound. The album stands as a cornerstone of punk rock, solidifying the band’s identity and influence for decades to come.\

Reviews

"People who love the joke for its power, wit, and economy will be happy to hear it twice." – Christgau’s Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies

"The Ramones are as direct and witty as before. They've also lost just a pinch of their studied rawness… The Ramones make rousing music and damn good jokes." – Rolling Stone

"April Long from NME especially favored ‘Sheena Is a Punk Rocker’, calling it ‘a punk-surf-pop crossover that has never been rivalled.’" – NME

"In this album, the Ramones are witty, menacing, goofy, cynical, and head-over-heels in love, all at the same time." – PopMatters

"14 three-chord thrillers with no room for fillers, the primitive joy of Leave Home is that every second of every track is absolutely essential." – Long Live Vinyl