Review Summary: This album by the Ramones-core legends is a decent compilation, but could have been better.
Summer Hits No. 1 (2004) is no ordinary compilation album. For some reason, they decided to re-record fifteen of their old songs with a new line up, keeping only Joe Queer. This is virtually a covers album seeing as a third of the album wasn't original, not to mention the multitude of songs co-written with Screeching Weasel front man Ben Weasel (who was of course never in the band). Its main flaw is it leaves many of The Queers' best songs off, and the ones it does include sound very similar, but otherwise it is a fun album.
The first four tracks are almost like an album unto themselves. "This Place Sucks" is a quick intro, and sets the tone for the album better than any other song on here could have. Then comes a popular track, "Monster Zero", which ties in to "You're Tripping", both originally from Love Songs for the Retarded (1993), almost seamlessly. These two tracks are very similar, but you get the feeling it was done on purpose (this is a trend throughout the album). "Kicked Out Of The Webelos" is re-worked brilliantly, with new lead guitar tracks and slightly altered lyrics. So far, this is really the only song that sounds different from the original version. "…Webelos" and "This Place Sucks" are also the only tracks first recorded by the original version of the band, which featured Wimpy Rutherford (vocals), Joe Queer (guitar) and Tulu (drums). Check out their earlier compilation album "A Day Late and a Dollar Short" if you like this style.
Finally, "Love Love Love" off of the Queers most revered album, Don’t Back Down (1996), comes up, and it resets the album from hardcore to more of a poppy sound. It is also the first song on the album that is written solely by Joe Queer. "Another Girl" also comes from Don’t Back Down and is the first cover song on the album. This song really shows the Queers doing what they do best: Ramones-core.
The Queers have done many covers over the years, and second to "Sheena Is a Punk Rocker", "My Old Man's a Fatso" may be their best. This song was originally featured on Beat Off! (1994), but as opposed to their original cover, this one sounds a little more unique to the Queers and less like the Angry Samoans. If you've never seen The Queers live, the room practically explodes when they break into this great song.
What fans of The Queers may not know is that Joe "Queer" King (vocals, guitar) was friends with Ramones front man Joey Ramone, and "I Wanna be Happy" was co-written with the legendary punk singer. Ramone intended on releasing his version on his next album, but he sadly succumbed to lymphoma before he got the chance (R.I.P.). You can really tell Ramone helped write this song, as it is quite similar in style to his posthumous solo record, Don't Worry About Me (2002).
Another song off of Love Songs for the Retarded, "Ursula Finally Has Tits" displays the goofy, often crude lyrics they so proudly sing (although it's not nearly as pedophiliac as "I Like Young Girls", not featured on this album). "Like a Parasite", also off of Love Songs for the Retarded, again ties into the next track, "Psycho Over You". "Psycho Over You" is in my opinion the best track on this album, and one of my favorite Queers songs, along with "Debra Jean" and "Webelos". It lacks the catchy lead guitar bit featured in the original, and the chords are slightly re-arranged in the first chorus, making it the most altered song on the album.
"Punk Rock Girls", an anthem for the band, is probably the only song on that is much improved from the original version. The best thing about this rendition is the absence of cheesy keyboard parts, which in all honesty were just plain annoying on Don’t Back Down. Once again, this track ties into "Ai***eruyo Kanojo", the worst song on the album. Every time I hear this song two things come to mind: first, "Why is this song here?" and second, "Why is 'Debra Jean' not in its place?" Despite the fun lyrics, it's just too much like "Punk Rock Girls". It reminds me of when the Ramones re-wrote the lyrics of "Rock n' Roll High School" and called it "Touring". If it were on any other album, it would've been alright, but there's just so many better songs that could have replaced it.
With the next track, they cover a great proto-punk song by The Who called "The Kids Are Alright". This song is a great cover for the album because it shows that they have more influences than the Ramones and early hardcore. It's reminiscent of the Ramones' version of Substitute.
The final track of the album is "F**k the World", which in recent years usually closes their live show. This song encapsulates The Queers' mission to eliminate political messages from punk rock and replace it with humorous, feel good anthems (even though the lyrics are a little bittersweet). This song was also recorded by Screeching Weasel on Wiggle (1993), along with once again being co-written by Weasel.
Summer Hits No. 1 is a fun album, but in all honesty it could have been better. I hesitate to call any album by The Queers that lacks so many of their classic songs a greatest hits album. The main shortcomings are the blatant repetitiveness of the songs and the excess of covers and/or Ben Weasel's contributions. I don’t know if they were even trying to make a greatest hits album, or simply having fun making a compilation album in a different way. Avid fans of the band will enjoy the more modern sound quality of the songs and the live-performance feel, but overall these seem to be the only things going for it.
Pros:
Better sound quality
Live performance feeling
Slight re-arranged chords
Cons:
Too many cover songs and Ben Weasel co-written songs
Lack of many, many classic songs
