Rhino High Fidelity (Rhino Hi-Fi) continues its series of acclaimed limited-edition, high-end vinyl reissues by going punk rock! New Rhino Hi-Fi versions of The Stooges’ self-titled debut LP The Stooges and The Ramones’ seminal fourth full-length album Road To Ruin will be available on November 1, 2024, exclusively at Rhino.com and internationally at select WMG stores. Each release will be limited to 5,000 individually numbered copies priced at $39.98. Pre-order HERE.
The Stooges unleashed their groundbreaking debut on August 5, 1969, and they unassumingly ignited a revolution. Led by inimitable frontman Iggy Pop, it spawned classics such as “I Wanna Be Your Dog” and “1969.” The latter notably graced Rolling Stone’s “100 Greatest Guitar Songs,” while the record also claimed a spot on Rolling Stone’s “500 Greatest Albums of All Time.” Retrospectively, Pitchfork hailed it as “raw and immediate and dripping with an aggression that's rarely been rivaled.” It also reached #106 on the Billboard 200.
As part of its liner notes, this High Fidelity release features an insightful Q&A with legendary photographer Glen Craig conducted by A&R producer Jason Jones. During this conversation, Craig recounts chronicling the recording sessions for The Stooges, snapping photos as the musicians performed live in the studio. He recalls, “I shot a picture of Iggy with his shirt off, practically in his underwear, dancing around on the amps and stuff. That’s pretty much the way things went.”
Known as the “Godfather of Punk,” Iggy has achieved induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame® alongside his bandmates in The Stooges. He also garnered a GRAMMY® Lifetime Achievement Award.
The Ramones first unveiled Road To Ruin on September 22, 1978. It notably marked the debut of Marky Ramone behind the drumkit. Collaborating with producers T. Erdelyi and Ed Stasium, the band cut the album at Mediasound Studio A—which just so happened to be a former Episcopalian Church in Midtown Manhattan. Grinding throughout the early summer of ‘78, they churned out signature anthems such as “I Wanna Be Sedated” for the record. The latter has impressively generated nearly half a billion streams. Plus, this staple even garnered a platinum certification from the RIAA in 2018—four decades since its initial release.
Stasium penned new liner notes for the High Fidelity Release of Road To Ruin. He recalls the sessions in vivid detail, discussing the various recording techniques at a fascinating and impressively granular level. He also illuminates the careful meticulousness at the heart of The Ramones’ sound, setting the scene, “We always recorded the band live in the studio.” The producer goes on to add, “The final result was a very musically diverse album, ranging from classic Ramones (“I Wanted Everything”) to a style that some fans called pop country (“Don’t Come Close”), which, believe it or not, has 14 tracks of overdubbed guitars on it!”
The Ramones earned induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame® and a GRAMMY® Lifetime Achievement Award.
