The debut book by AVN Online associate editor and AVN contributor Frank Majors is being released this month by Sanctuary Music Group’s Publishing Division, Sanctuary Publishing. On the Road with the Ramones was co-written by Majors -- under his rock ‘n’ roll pseudonym Frank Meyer -- with Ramones tour manager Monte A. Melnick and tells the story of the seminal New York punk band’s 22-year career on the road.
An oral history with a narrative, Meyer and Melnick interviewed the band members of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Famers, their friends and family and members of Blondie, Talking Heads, New York Dolls and many others for this full color 302-page tome. Punk magazine editor John Holsmtrom illustrated the comic cook-like cover. Holsmtrom also penned the cover to the band’s Road To Ruin album cover and the back cover to their Rocket To Russia release as well as being the former editor of High Times magazine.
"This book has been very therapeutic for me,” Melnick told AVN.com “After so many years on the road with the Ramones when the group retired I felt I had to get certain stories out in the open and put them to rest."
"I consider myself lucky have found Frank as my co-writer for this book,” Melnick continued. “Not only is he a great rock journalist but he also is in a working band. In telling my stories to him we were able to capture the feeling of what it's like working with a touring group."
“Monte and I made a great team because he wanted someone that was a solid writer, a fan of the band but also who understood life on the road,” said Meyer. “As a touring musician for almost a decade, I knew about that lifestyle so we connected right away.”
Meyer played in the band The Streetwalkin’ Cheetahs, who issued eight albums, appeared on 55 other releases and toured the world extensively before he left the group to concentrate on writing full time.
The book is out in Europe now and will hit the shelves in the United States later this month.
Fans of the Ramones can pick up On the Road with the Ramones at bookstore near you in the near future or www.amazon.com. More information can be found at the book’s homepage or at www.thestreetwalkincheetahs.com.
Meyer currently plays in the band Sweet Justice, who open for legendary punk super-group Rocket From The Tombs (featuring members of the Dead Boys, Television and Pere Ubu) at the Knitting Factory in Los Angeles this Tuesday, November 18th at 8:30 p.m.
