Like many artists who've passed on to that great gig in the sky, Joey Ramone left behind a bunch of tracks and demos — some finished, some half-finished — when he died in 2001. The best of them ended up on his 2002 solo debut Don't Worry About Me. Most of the others are collected on ... Ya Know?, a 15-song set built on demos Ramone recorded over the years and fleshed out by producers Ed Stasium and Jean Beauvoir, both of whom worked with the Ramones. Joan Jett, Steven Van Zandt, and members of Cheap Trick are also along for the ride. Unsurprisingly, ... Ya Know? is kind of a patchwork. A couple songs, including a slowed-down "Merry Christmas (I Don't Want to Fight Tonight)," were even recorded by the Ramones. But when Ramone belts out "Rock 'n Roll Is the Answer," it sounds like affirmation from the great beyond. — Gallucci
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