I like the Ramones music but hadn’t read any of the history behind the band, so Richie’s story was all completely new to me.
We follow him from his childhood to the current day, through all the bands he joined that led him to the Ramones. And it’s all as you’d expect from the scene - sex and drugs and rock n roll!
Honestly, this was just an average read for me. The anecdotes weren’t particularly interesting (and sitting writing this review I can’t recall any of them!) or scandalous, which you might expect from a biography. The only specific thing I recall is that he says he’s a ‘bit of a joker’ and still occasionally likes to spike people for shits and giggles (as recently as 2018, but decided against it because he didn’t want to ruin the gig…) … okaaaaaay…..
I think fans of the Ramones who are looking to expand their knowledge of each of the members of the band might get more from this than I did, but it was fairly easy reading and it has made me want to read further about the band.
A note on the audiobook - it’s read by Richie himself, but unfortunately this is to the detriment of the experience. He is very monotone and sounds like he’s reading from something he has no connection with, like when a child is reading aloud. This alone knocked a star off my rating.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free review copy.

Fantastic insight into the life of a genuine rockstar - giving the finer details of how a rock icon was made. I would say this is definitely more for fans but with me being a fan of Ramones it kind of made sense for me to get into this book. Richie Ramone has a perfect tone as he narrates his life story, his overall tone put me at ease and the narration just felt like a conversation in a pub -which would be an absolute dream by the way

I enjoy reading nonfiction at times, and I am always up for learning about some of the bands I listen to. So when Netgalley offered a chance to read something about The Ramones, I jumped at the chance.
This was kind of a dry read. The backstory for Richie's childhood wasn't necessary for me. I was here for Ramones, not to hear about before he got with the band. It was nice to hear about Joey and Johnny from another persepective. Plus this book felt like it had a ton of filler content and not enough about the Ramones.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC, and revisitation to an iconic time in history.

I Know Better Now: My Life Before, During, and After the Ramones by Richie Ramone (with Peter Aaron), narrated by the drummer himself, is a memoir that snarls, speeds, and swings with punk energy—but what lingers is its startling emotional clarity. This is no nostalgia-laced tell-all; it’s a raw, rhythm-driven meditation on creative identity, brotherhood, and defiance in the face of chaos.

Richie’s voice- in writing and narration—is unfiltered and unmistakably his. It’s gruff, sure, but it's also brimming with vulnerability that never veers into self-pity. He doesn’t romanticize his entrance into the Ramones’ power vacuum after Marky’s departure. He simply owns it. The intensity of band dynamics—particularly the subtle psychological warfare between Johnny’s authoritarian drive and Joey’s guarded tenderness—simmers beneath Richie’s recollections. He’s the Ramone with something to prove, and paradoxically, the one with the most to lose.

What makes this memoir pulse beyond the expected is its dual rhythm: the ferocious crash of Richie’s drumming mirrored by quieter beats of self-discovery. When he recounts his mother’s death or his brush with heroin, his performance slows, breathes—and that’s when the memoir breaks open emotionally. There’s artistry in the way Richie performs his own life story: not just giving us events, but letting us feel the reverberations of those events in his voice.

The memoir also offers unexpected insight into the often-overlooked post-Ramones years—his classical compositions, battles for creative credit, and attempts to reclaim his narrative in a music industry that often forgets the percussionist behind the beat. This isn't just a punk memoir. It’s a reclamation project, an act of self-production.

For listeners seeking a crash course in punk history, Richie’s tale delivers the goods. But for those willing to tune into the subtext—the longing, the survival, the need to matter on one’s own terms—it’s something more transcendent: it's a rebel's ballad for becoming whole.

I loved hearing all the stories about the Ramones. It was great.
I love punk music and The Ramones were the pioneers of pink music to me. So I enjoyed listening to this very much.

Is Richie Ramone the greatest memoirist in the history of ever? No. Does he consistently stumbling into some pretty interesting niche moments of history? Yes. From his tragic romance with Francine Valli to his time doing lines with Lemmy to his eventual reclamation of his songwriting credits, Richie has enough interesting stories that he could definitely round out a tour at the Punk Rock Museum. As a person who's paid that upcharge to be guided through punk history from a person who lived it (not Richie), this book felt like that. I was being led from set piece to set piece with a bit of name-dropping in between. Major props, though, for not including the name of his ex-wife. That was a classy and respectful move. Also, there were just enough call-outs of Johnny's deeply unpunk personal beliefs without that being the reason for their tiff, and I'm here for calling out all of the people making money off of punk while being personally square AF. I might buy Richie merch, or something that just goes to Joey or Dee Dee's estates, but Ramones' nostalgia is tempered by Johnny being in it for the money, not the revolution.

Audio ARC provided by NetGalley.

Great to listen to Ritchie Ramone talk about his life and musical career in this autobiographical audiobook. It's a total nostalgia fest, listening to a personal account of all the bands he has known, played in and with. I learnt much about the New York and Los Angeles music scenes in the 70s and 80s and Ritchie's memoirs brings those times back to life in such a vivid way.

I think it's interesting that the Ramones let Richie call himself Richie Ramone because he was in the group, but the different anecdotes he told weren't interesting for the most part. It felt like there was a lot of him as a kid, and I found myself thinking I was a worse kid than he was. The stories about being in the band were kind of dark to me, but also generic, like talking about how he cheated on his girlfriend on tour. I did like that he narrated his own story, which made it feel authentic.

Meh. Richie likes himself a lot and spends a lot of time from this very short memoir talking about random nonsense. Only recommended for huge punk or Ramones fans.

I really enjoyed listening to I Know Better Now. It was interesting and it was fun to learn about Ritchie growing up and what led him to the Ramones and what made him leave. I would definitely recommend to any Ramones fan.

“I know better now” is the life story of Richie Ramone, the drummer for the popular band, the Ramones during their middle years. I was a huge fan of the Ramones as a kid and I honestly did not know Richie existed until I received a copy of this book so it was an interesting look into his life, and his contributions to the band. I received an advanced reader audiobook from Net Galley and am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you to Richie Ramone, RB media, and Net Galley for providing this. The audiobook was a little hard to get through due to how monotone Richie’s voice was. There is nothing wrong with this, I myself am very monotone, but it made it a lot harder to focus on the key aspects of the book without that key emotion that a lot of audiobooks have in modern day. I really did enjoy the audiobook though, so I wouldn’t discourage anyone from reading it due to that. I really enjoyed learning about Richie’s story and his journey with the Ramones. You could tell by how he shared the stories that they were very meaningful to him which really made the book.

More of an autobiography than an in-depth look at life with the Ramones, I know Better Now offers a snapshot of 1970's and 80's New Jersey and the local music scene. Richie had his fair share of 70's middle-class NJ fun - drugs, girls, alcohol, setting things on fire, (you get the picture) - and it still didn't fully prepare him for life with the Ramones.

Richie Ramone is a musician who studied under some great drummers, and his knowledge of musical styles is deeper than I would have thought. Not nice, I know, assuming a drummer in a punk band in the early 80's wouldn't know about the great wide world of music; what was I thinking?

If you want to read about the Ramones and only the Ramones, this book will be something that helps fill out the history from Richie's point of view. It isn't the end-all and be-all of Ramones biographies, and it doesn't pretend to be. You will walk away knowing a lot about Richie.

Richie Ramone narrates the book, which makes it feel like the listener has been invited into his world. He writes/narrates with a very friendly tone, and you can definitely tell what kind of a teen/young adult he was (fun for some, probably not so much for parents).

My thanks to NetGalley and RBMedia/Recorded Books for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Richie Ramone’s memoir, I Know Better Now: My Life Before, During, and After the Ramones (Backbeat Books, 2018), is a punchy, heartfelt chronicle of a life lived onstage, backstage, and far from the spotlight. Known offstage as Richard Reinhardt, Richie is best remembered for his stint as the drummer who helped pull the Ramones out of a creative nosedive in the early 1980s. But what sets this memoir apart from many rock autobiographies is its deep affection for—and vivid recounting of—the years before fame. Far from just a build-up to punk glory, Richie’s childhood and teenage years are rendered with warmth, humor, and sincerity, offering a rare glimpse into the makings of a musician long before the leather jacket and fast beats.

The book opens with Richie’s early life in New Jersey, and these sections are among the most compelling. Whether he’s describing his Catholic school upbringing, his early obsessions with drumming, or the highs and lows of playing funk and pop covers in Jersey nightclubs, Richie writes with the clear-eyed honesty of someone who still remembers what it felt like to be a kid dreaming big. These chapters are full of small, relatable moments—saving for his first drum kit, the thrill of joining his first band, the awkwardness of adolescence—all told without a trace of rock-star ego. While later sections of the book focus more heavily on the Ramones, the personal grounding established early on gives everything that follows a real emotional foundation.

That said, it’s clear the book was written with Ramones fans in mind. In the first third, references to the band show up early and often—almost too often. At times, it feels as if an editor encouraged Richie to name-drop the Ramones throughout these pre-fame chapters to keep readers invested. While not overly distracting, it does occasionally undercut the natural rhythm of his early life story, as if he needs to justify why we should care about his teenage battles with authority or high school heartbreaks. But the truth is, Richie’s voice is engaging enough on its own. Even without the promise of punk stardom, his youth makes for genuinely enjoyable reading.

The story shifts gears in 1982, when the Ramones are circling the drain. Years of internal strife, inconsistent albums, and personal turmoil have left the band in a tailspin. Enter Richie, then a 26-year-old drummer gigging in obscurity, who is suddenly thrown into the chaos of punk’s most legendary outfit. From the moment he joins, he makes an impact—not just as a drummer, but as a songwriter and performer. He pens the ferocious fan favorite “Somebody Put Something in My Drink” and becomes the only Ramones drummer to sing lead vocals onstage. His tight, high-speed playing injects new life into a band that desperately needed it, and his contributions to albums like Too Tough to Die, Animal Boy, and Halfway to Sanity remain criminally underrated.

Richie recounts his years with the Ramones with candor and a keen eye for detail. He takes readers behind the curtain—into the dressing rooms, vans, and hotel bars—where band dynamics play out in real time. The dysfunction, the fatigue, and the grind of near-constant touring are all laid bare. He doesn’t sugarcoat the tension, nor does he glamorize the punk lifestyle. Instead, he delivers a grounded, often sobering portrait of what it meant to be part of a band that was both legendary and, at times, barely holding it together. When he abruptly quits the group in 1987, the decision feels earned and understandable—not dramatic, but inevitable.

After leaving the Ramones, Richie fades from the public eye, and the book follows him into this quieter, more introspective period. These chapters explore his struggles with identity, creativity, and addiction, offering a vulnerable look at life after the spotlight. For those who only know Richie as the guy behind the drum kit, these later sections round out the picture of a man still wrestling with the legacy of his time in the band.

What sets I Know Better Now apart from other rock memoirs is Richie’s refusal to mythologize his story. He’s proud of what he accomplished with the Ramones, but he’s not here to rehash the usual punk folklore. Instead, he offers a balanced, unfiltered account that’s more about survival than stardom. There are no long-winded rants, no settling of old scores—just the honest reflections of a musician who knows exactly where he came from and what it took to get there.

For Ramones fans, the book is essential reading. It sheds light on a pivotal period in the band’s history, giving overdue credit to the drummer who helped keep them going when they could have easily fallen apart. But even for readers less invested in punk history, Richie’s memoir stands on its own as a thoughtful, entertaining, and deeply human story. It’s about music, yes—but also about family, ambition, reinvention, and resilience.

In the end, I Know Better Now isn’t just a rock ’n’ roll memoir—it’s the story of a life spent chasing rhythm, both literally and figuratively. Richie Ramone may have entered the public consciousness through the snarling, high-speed world of punk, but his story resonates far beyond the stage. With heart, humor, and a drummer’s sense of timing, he finally tells his tale—and it was worth the wait.

I Know Better Now: My Life Before, During, and After the Ramones by Richie Ramone with Peter Aaron is available now.

No idea how this popped up on Net Galley as I see it was published years ago, but I am certainly pleased that it did. The Ramones mean a lot to me. I know they had a contentious relationship with each other. While my Markey is by far, my favorite drummer, I always liked Richie's records. I thought he gave them the boost they needed. He kept them going, and much like CJ, he infused them with something that they needed at the right time. He deserves to be in the HOF.

In hindsight, I should’ve paid more attention to the title of Richie Ramone’s memoir (written with Peter Aaron), I Know Better Now: My Life Before, During and After the Ramones. Turns out, I was really only interested in his life with the Ramones.

The highlight, hands down, is the backstory behind the Ramones staple “Somebody Put Something in My Drink”-and even that was only mildly interesting. For context: Richie wrote the song, inspired by a real-life incident where his drink was spiked with LSD, and it became one of the band’s best-known tracks from his era.

Coming off the high of Nate Bargatze’s thoroughly entertaining Big Dumb Eyes, Richie’s memoir had a tough act to follow. As a huge Ramones fan, I was hoping Richie would surprise me. He didn’t.

Like many rockstar memoirs, this one leans heavily on the overplayed trio: sex, drugs, and rock and roll. For me, it was just too much. I didn’t need all the details of Richie’s underage escapades and high school drug experiments. It wasn’t edgy-it was just tedious.

Richie’s time with the Ramones was a brief blip in his life, but it’s the only part I cared about. The rest felt like filler.

To his credit, Richie is the only one who could narrate his story, and he does a fine job. But it’s not enough to elevate this beyond a 2.5 ⭐️ listen for me.

Disclaimer: I received a free advanced reader copy (ARC) from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest, unbiased review. These opinions are my own.

I received an ARC audiobook of this title from the publisher through NetGalley...

When I saw a memoir available from a member of the Ramones, I had two quick thoughts. One, that I had to request it. And two, that I thought the original members of the band had all died.....

This was true, and as it turned out, this was written and narrated by a replacement drummer that came along a few years after the Ramones hit it big. Richie Ramone was actually only there for the recordings and tours of a couple of albums in the mid 80s, and while this was an era of the band that might be seen as past their prime, it was still an important turning point in the history of the Ramones. A last surge of popularity perhaps before the final years....

As most musical memoirs tell the story of an artist or band from early on, this one is different. It does tell how Richard Reinhardt grew up and found his love of music, and it covers his life and career. But the big draw, his time as the drummer for the Ramones, had the unique perspective of an outsider coming in (and going out again). While we do get a great snapshot of how the band worked its routines with writing, recording, touring, and dealing with fans and media, the window of perspective here is that of a new member finding his way into the heart of the band.

Highly recommended for those that enjoy a good story of a modern classic rock band, especially someone that enjoys the music.....

Hey hey, let's go....

Prepare for a raw, unfiltered, and surprisingly poignant journey into the heart of punk rock. Richie Ramone’s "I Know Better Now," co-authored with Peter Aaron, isn’t just an audiobook; it's a visceral experience, a time capsule of a bygone era delivered with unflinching honesty and a healthy dose of self-reflection.

Richie’s voice, as it carries through the narration, brings an immediacy and authenticity that you just don't get from a printed page. You’re not just hearing stories; you’re living them with him, feeling the highs, the lows, and everything in between. This isn't a sugar-coated autobiography; it's a no-holds-barred account of life in one of the most iconic bands of all time.

You’ll get the backstage stories, the gritty details, the struggles, and the triumphs. But more than that, you'll get a glimpse into the mind of Richie Ramone, the man behind the drums. He’s not just recounting history; he’s processing it, grappling with the past, and sharing the wisdom he’s gained along the way.

This audiobook is a must-listen for any Ramones fan, but it’s also for anyone who appreciates a story told with genuine passion and vulnerability. It's a reminder that even the most legendary figures are human, and that growth and understanding come with time. "I Know Better Now" is more than just a memoir; it’s a testament to the power of reflection and the enduring spirit of punk rock.

This was an interesting and insightful read into the life and goings of The Ramones. Through the eyes of the drummer, one learns how significant a role can be and how insignificant one can be treated. This was definitely a GREAT read!

Big fans of the Ramones like yours truly will enjoy this book for sure, because Richie is here to SPILL THE TEA.
All jokes aside, it's a very interesting read, especially when he shares very personal insight to the life of a musician and composer, and his relationship with the other members of the band.
I didn't need to know about all the fellatio he got while touring, but I guess that's part of the deal, right?
The audiobook is narrated by Richie Ramone himself, I thought he did a good job!

* I'd like to thank Richie Ramone, Peter Aaron, RB Media and NetGalley for providing this ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and RBMedia for the digital copy of this audiobook; I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Confession time: I’m not a huge Ramones fan. I know some of their music, but I’m definitely not a Super Fan. But I like a good rock ‘n’ roll story as much as the next person, so I was interested in learning more about the band.

Richie Ramone started out life as Richard Reinhardt, growing up in New Jersey. He had very supportive parents who encouraged him and his drumming. He talks a lot about his time before he joined The Ramones (almost half the book), and it was a case of being in the right place at the right time. Marky was fired, and he was hired to replace him on the drums.

Richie didn’t know any of the other members and tried hard to bond with the other band members. He did get pretty close with Joey, but he did not see the problems between Joey and Johnny. Despite the fact that Richie was in the band for almost five years, he never really becomes a real Ramone. He was a salaried employee with zero compensation from merchandising. That was when Richie decided to leave the band, to be replaced by his predecessor, Marky.

Now I’m curious about the other memoirs written by almost all the other Ramones. Even though I don’t have a deep connection to the band, this was an interesting listen, narrated by Richie himself.