Ramones: Raw

You know a band has made a deep impression on music when far more albums are issued after its demise than were ever heard while it was together and recording. Since Sex Pistols broke up, there have been countless collections of hits, demos, live songs and outtakes, on labels big and small, with sound quality ranging from professional-caliber to decidedly dubious. Raw is the latest, compiling 11 live tracks recorded in September 1976, along with four tacked-on January 1977 demos. The intent is to paint a picture of an important band during its formative stages, and Raw succeeds a lot better than you'd expect it to. Any new Sex Pistols album is going to be an opportunistic endeavor, but Raw transcends that fact by delivering inspired performances that are somehow improved by the thin, hissing mix. The album's liner notes are mostly unnecessary, presenting a rudimentary band history you can find in any decent reference book, but what matters on Raw are the pre-Sid Vicious Sex Pistols' blaring, balls-out performances. It's not exactly essential, but compare it to last year's live reunion album Filthy Lucre, and ask yourself if Raw's live tracks don't deliver twice as much fury and energy.