If there was any doubt as to who was the most talented songwriter in The Ramones, that debate was put to bed after Joey Ramone's estate released Don't Worry About Me. Every melody on the album is airtight, recalling the glory days of garage rock with a knack for working in bits of surf rock and baroque pop without ever sounding like he's trying too hard to make something for everyone. Even his adventures into straight-up hard rock ("Spirit In My House") are laced with enough of his weird brand of charisma that it doesn't sound out of place on the album. Though he's most remembered for his often detached, sneering vocals, his voice sounds oddly sincere on Don't Worry About Me. Ramone still plays it cool, though, singing about his cancer matter-of-factly, without begging for sympathy. And his cover of Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World" is the perfect tribute to Ramone himself. The song can be alternately uplifting and deeply depressing depending on the context it's heard in, but it makes sense that Ramone chose to sing it through his typical rose-colored perspective. His version remains the ultimate punk rock cover of our time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IoO5nkxT_4
