I bought a second-hand CD a long time ago, specifically for the purposes of having a bit of fun on the blog, and I’ve decided to use the normally quiet festive period, when the traffic and number of visitors drops quite dramatically, to go with it.
The CD was issued in 1996. It is called Beat On The Brass, and it was recorded by The Nutley Brass, the brains of whom belong to New York musician Sam Elwitt.
The concept behind the album is simple. Take one bona-fide punk/post-punk/new wave classic and give it the easy listening treatment.
There are 18 tracks on the CD all told. Some have to be heard to be believed.
Strap yourselves in.
mp3: The Nutley Brass – Beat On The Brat
And, just so you can appreciate the magnificence (or otherwise) of the renditions, you’ll also be able to listen to the original versions as we make our way through the CD in random order.
mp3: The Ramones – Beat On The Brat
From the self-titled debut album, released in April 1976.
THE NEW VINYL VILLAIN 
Ha! That made me smile. I learned bass by playing along to Ramones and Gang of Four records, which have super simple parts. I imagine a middle school teacher could use an arrangement like this to get kids started on their brass instruments. And a life of anti-conformity.