When I first saw the press release for a new Blu-ray set titled 1!2!3!4! The Ramones Atmos Collection, featuring the first four classic albums by New York punk legends The Ramones remixed in Dolby Atmos, I had to pause. Of all the bands you might imagine in a surround-sound format, The Ramones never crossed my mind.
Even The Rolling Stones have mostly avoided surround sound—and for good reason. Their “loose-but-tight” rock mixes are so meticulously crafted that spreading them across multiple channels risks falling apart.
A press release quote from engineer Ed Stasium (who helmed Leave Home, Rocket to Russia, and Road to Ruin) intrigues:
“These Atmos mixes present the Ramones’ recordings with the clarity and power with which I always imagined hearing them,” Stasium says. “It might sound a bit cliché, but I find listening to them to be like seeing the sequence from The Wizard of Oz where the film morphs from black & white to color. These Dolby Atmos mixes are transforming the original mixes from 16mm black & white into vivid IMAX!”
And indeed, the Ramones in Dolby Atmos is a revelatory experience.
It’s fascinating to compare the engineering approaches of those early records with this new project. Craig Leon, producer of The Ramones’ 1976 self-titled debut, oversaw the Atmos mix for that album.
While all the mixes generally keep the band’s core—drums, bass, and electric guitar—front and center, I was surprised by just how much was happening in the surrounds. Road to Ruin’s “Questioningly,” for instance, fills the room with tambourine and acoustic guitars, while Leave Home’s “Oh Oh I Love Her So” places harmony vocals all around the listener. “Pinhead” is particularly dramatic: Joey’s vocals occupy the room at the start, and later, the “Gabba Gabba We Accept You” and “D.U.M.B.” chants swirl around you.
There’s nothing dumb about this mix at all.
Rocket to Russia’s “Rockaway Beach” cleverly brings the drums into the room, with splash cymbals filling the air, feeling natural—as if you were in a club mosh pit. Without giving too much away, the handling of “Surfin’ Bird,” especially the break before launching into “Papa Oom Mow Mow,” is a delight.
The Craig Leon–produced debut opens with the powerhouse “Blitzkrieg Bop,” loud and hella ballsy, as the “Hey! Ho! Let’s Go!” chant fills the room. I was surprised to catch tiny glockenspiel-like bells in the Atmos channels during “Beat on the Brat,” something I’d never noticed in the standard stereo mix (though they appear in the mono mix). “Judy Is a Punk Rocker” kicks off with a blast of feedback, as huge multitracked vocals explode across the room.
I could go on but I think you get the idea that if you like surround sound and The Ramones, you probably want to pick up a copy of 1!2!3!4! The Ramones Atmos Collection sooner than later. A limited edition of 2,000 copies, you can find it at Rhino for $59.98 (click here).
For anyone worried about listening to punk rock while chained to the heart of a home theater, rest easy. One of the best things about Dolby Atmos is that it doesn’t demand a strict sweet spot—you can enjoy a fully immersive experience anywhere in the room. Perfect for a listening party, and I’m sure everyone will be up and dancing.
Two words of advice: Play loud!
Mark Smotroff is a deep music enthusiast / collector who has also worked in entertainment oriented marketing communications for decades supporting the likes of DTS, Sega and many others. He reviews vinyl for Analog Planet and has written for Audiophile Review, Sound+Vision, Mix, EQ, etc. You can learn more about him at LinkedIn.