REVIEW: TEENAGE HEAD With Marky Ramone

Having reformed several years ago, Hamilton new wave/punk legends Teenage Head capitalized on a 2003 meeting with Marky Ramone, asking him to record with them. The result was this collaboration, with the band re-recording several of their most iconic songs and going deep into their catalogue. Produced by Daniel Rey (whose credits include the Ramones’ Brain Drain), the results are fun, with Ramone’s drums adding a different feel to vintage songs such as “Picture My Face” and “Teenage Beer Drinkin’ Party.” New vocal touches from Frankie Venom and arrangement changes keep the release interesting, and the liner notes capture guitarist Gord Lewis’ pure enthusiasm for the project, but the band and the songs are older now — part of the beauty of the originals lies in the absolute freshness of the recordings. That said, this album rolls along without a stumble.