Extras
This album is bare-bones, so I did some research and found that there was an extra track that was only available on the "Real Cool Time" single. It's entitled "Life Goes On", a song about going on after rough times, a classic Ramones songwriting topic.
If anyone knows about moving on in life, it's the Ramones.... I don't enjoy the song one bit as I find Joey's vocals to be as tired as his work on "Real Cool Time". The clapping on this song irritates me as much as the clapping on "Sheena is a Punk Rocker", and "The Return of Jackie and Judy". (I remember these things.)
Album Length
# of Tracks: 12
Album Length: 30 minutes
Shortest Track: "I Lost My Mind" - 1:34
Longest Track : "Bye Bye Baby" - 4:35
No "Blitzkrieg Bop" on this album.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Halfway to Sanity
The "Tough Ramones" era reaches its ultimate stop with Halfway to Sanity, one of the band's misunderstood works and it also marks Richie Ramone's last album as drummer.It's a sad departure as Richie was the best drummer the band ever had and probably the most musically talented Ramone out of them all. It's a shame that Richie wouldn't return to the music scene until this decade, as the guy aided the group during this darker period and also cemented their turn from the experimental pop to the speedy hardcore/hard rock sounds of the "Tough Ramones".
I have trouble reviewing Halfway to Sanity because this is the Ramones album I listen to the most. Leave Home is a best album lyrically and musically, Ramones is almost untouchable due to its status, and Too Tough to Die has one of my favorite songs on it (the title track). Halfway to Sanity somehow captures my interest in a way those three albums can't. It's a mess production-wise as sound is tiny and almost lifeless. The band isn't near as energetic as they were on Animal Boy. However, the band somehow makes a product that can survive this down era.
This is not an album that may be easily accessible to new fans or fans stuck in any "era rut". It's the type of album you would own and listen to if you stay with the band for the long haul and faced every small break in the road. You can listen to it and catch some of the goofiness and even pass out laughing after reading the unintentionally humorous lyrics to "I Wanna Live". This is not the band at their most creative or exciting, but it's the band at a point where they just rock for the sake of rocking. In approximately thirty minutes, the Ramones go through every stage in their career and come back with perhaps the most underrated results of any of their work.
This Ramones album is the mash-up of every other Ramones album before it - if you stayed with them for this long, then you know the tricks of the trade:
You want songs about desperation? Got it.
Crave for more mental music? Look no further
You miss the surf rock hits? Got one here.
Enjoy the 60's style Joey love songs? There's one here too.
How about the recent hardcore stuff? Yep.
You want it all in 30 minutes? You got the idea.
The only surprises here is the strength the songs. The first three tracks on Halfway to Sanity are what I consider to be the finest opening tracks on any Ramones album. "I Wanna Live" has a fantastic riff and the melody here is prime Ramones, and Dee Dee's bizarre lyrics don't hinder it one bit (he does have one great line in there about a prince being broken down). "Bop Til' You Drop" is one of my all-time favorite Ramones songs, and I honestly see it as good as any Ramones song during their prime. The lyrics are either about commercial failure or being used and abused, but like "Swallow My Pride" before it, the song's protagonist continues to rock on. The song just kicks ass - it's as close to the original Ramones formula as you get at this point in their career (no solos or leads, fast playing, quick lyrics) and it's a shame that this song is often put under a bus when this album is dissected for compilations (At least it's in Ramones Mania!). "Garden of Serenity" finishes the trilogy with a song reminiscent of their horror film songs but with a stronger atmosphere than previous efforts. While this song is not specifically about a horror movie, the lyrics are about walking in a graveyard at midnight with a psycho. Joey sings with absolute force on this one as the creepiness of it all comes to an awesome resolution with him yelling "IN THE GARDEN OF SERENITY!".
After those songs, you get songs that range from good to poor. I'm not a fan of "I'm Not Jesus" and "Weasel Face" mostly because of Joey's vocals and the overall staleness of those tracks. "I Lost My Mind", the final "hardcore" Dee Dee song, is hilarious, and for once I enjoy Dee Dee's horrible vocals."Go Lil' Camaro Go" is something I listen to with joy in some days or I skip past it in others. I don't mind Debbie Harry's guest appearance, as I enjoy her on this song more than on "Chop Suey", but her voice is so low that you really have to pay attention to hear her. Joey does his "ooh-mow-mow" singing and it's cool, but this song is walking the Cheese tightrope with recklessness. I enjoy "Bye Bye Baby", Joey's song that's a pastiche of 60's/Phil Spector music. It's a sweet song in an otherwise dark album and it stick out a bit. Speaking of sticking out, "Real Cool Time" is another fun song, but it too is sweeter than the norm. Finally, "Worm Man" finishes the album, a song that captures a bit of the early minimalist lyrics infused with their metallic playing style. It's a good surprise ending that I did not see coming and I enjoyed it greatly.
As much I enjoy this album, I am not blind to its faults. There are points in this album where the band sounds tired. I don't know if the band is to blame or if it's the production, but for tracks like "Bye Bye Baby", you can tell that there was potential for that song to sound as close to a Spector song as anything out of End of the Century. The song on this record sounds slow and never reaches a high point. The same goes for "Real Cool Time", a fun song that seems to sound as if the boys ran out of gas late in the album with Joey putting minimal effort on the vocals. In general, the sound on this album is low and not even raising the volume does it justice. It sounds muddy.
Nothing really comes close to giving the complete Ramones sound after Halfway to Sanity. Brain Drain is akin to Animal Boy, and Mondo Bizarro/Adios Amigos is a strange hybrid of their earlier sound with a 90's power pop update. While the band would continue some of the motifs of the "Tough Ramones", Marky's return in Brain Drain would also bring with it a return to softer sounds. Therefore, Richie's departure also marks the end of the band's metalesque/hardcore sounds. I love this album. I can't type all of my emotions as clear I want them to be on this post, but I've tried. There's absolutely nothing new or surprising on this album. It's just the guys doing what they do best - quality songs with catchy riffs and hooks, and that's all there is to it. This may not be a good album for new fans, but older fans should give it a try.
NEXT: Dee Dee Ramones's Last Stand - BRAIN DRAIN!
I have trouble reviewing Halfway to Sanity because this is the Ramones album I listen to the most. Leave Home is a best album lyrically and musically, Ramones is almost untouchable due to its status, and Too Tough to Die has one of my favorite songs on it (the title track). Halfway to Sanity somehow captures my interest in a way those three albums can't. It's a mess production-wise as sound is tiny and almost lifeless. The band isn't near as energetic as they were on Animal Boy. However, the band somehow makes a product that can survive this down era.
This is not an album that may be easily accessible to new fans or fans stuck in any "era rut". It's the type of album you would own and listen to if you stay with the band for the long haul and faced every small break in the road. You can listen to it and catch some of the goofiness and even pass out laughing after reading the unintentionally humorous lyrics to "I Wanna Live". This is not the band at their most creative or exciting, but it's the band at a point where they just rock for the sake of rocking. In approximately thirty minutes, the Ramones go through every stage in their career and come back with perhaps the most underrated results of any of their work.
This Ramones album is the mash-up of every other Ramones album before it - if you stayed with them for this long, then you know the tricks of the trade:
You want songs about desperation? Got it.
Crave for more mental music? Look no further
You miss the surf rock hits? Got one here.
Enjoy the 60's style Joey love songs? There's one here too.
How about the recent hardcore stuff? Yep.
You want it all in 30 minutes? You got the idea.
The only surprises here is the strength the songs. The first three tracks on Halfway to Sanity are what I consider to be the finest opening tracks on any Ramones album. "I Wanna Live" has a fantastic riff and the melody here is prime Ramones, and Dee Dee's bizarre lyrics don't hinder it one bit (he does have one great line in there about a prince being broken down). "Bop Til' You Drop" is one of my all-time favorite Ramones songs, and I honestly see it as good as any Ramones song during their prime. The lyrics are either about commercial failure or being used and abused, but like "Swallow My Pride" before it, the song's protagonist continues to rock on. The song just kicks ass - it's as close to the original Ramones formula as you get at this point in their career (no solos or leads, fast playing, quick lyrics) and it's a shame that this song is often put under a bus when this album is dissected for compilations (At least it's in Ramones Mania!). "Garden of Serenity" finishes the trilogy with a song reminiscent of their horror film songs but with a stronger atmosphere than previous efforts. While this song is not specifically about a horror movie, the lyrics are about walking in a graveyard at midnight with a psycho. Joey sings with absolute force on this one as the creepiness of it all comes to an awesome resolution with him yelling "IN THE GARDEN OF SERENITY!".
After those songs, you get songs that range from good to poor. I'm not a fan of "I'm Not Jesus" and "Weasel Face" mostly because of Joey's vocals and the overall staleness of those tracks. "I Lost My Mind", the final "hardcore" Dee Dee song, is hilarious, and for once I enjoy Dee Dee's horrible vocals."Go Lil' Camaro Go" is something I listen to with joy in some days or I skip past it in others. I don't mind Debbie Harry's guest appearance, as I enjoy her on this song more than on "Chop Suey", but her voice is so low that you really have to pay attention to hear her. Joey does his "ooh-mow-mow" singing and it's cool, but this song is walking the Cheese tightrope with recklessness. I enjoy "Bye Bye Baby", Joey's song that's a pastiche of 60's/Phil Spector music. It's a sweet song in an otherwise dark album and it stick out a bit. Speaking of sticking out, "Real Cool Time" is another fun song, but it too is sweeter than the norm. Finally, "Worm Man" finishes the album, a song that captures a bit of the early minimalist lyrics infused with their metallic playing style. It's a good surprise ending that I did not see coming and I enjoyed it greatly.
As much I enjoy this album, I am not blind to its faults. There are points in this album where the band sounds tired. I don't know if the band is to blame or if it's the production, but for tracks like "Bye Bye Baby", you can tell that there was potential for that song to sound as close to a Spector song as anything out of End of the Century. The song on this record sounds slow and never reaches a high point. The same goes for "Real Cool Time", a fun song that seems to sound as if the boys ran out of gas late in the album with Joey putting minimal effort on the vocals. In general, the sound on this album is low and not even raising the volume does it justice. It sounds muddy.
Nothing really comes close to giving the complete Ramones sound after Halfway to Sanity. Brain Drain is akin to Animal Boy, and Mondo Bizarro/Adios Amigos is a strange hybrid of their earlier sound with a 90's power pop update. While the band would continue some of the motifs of the "Tough Ramones", Marky's return in Brain Drain would also bring with it a return to softer sounds. Therefore, Richie's departure also marks the end of the band's metalesque/hardcore sounds. I love this album. I can't type all of my emotions as clear I want them to be on this post, but I've tried. There's absolutely nothing new or surprising on this album. It's just the guys doing what they do best - quality songs with catchy riffs and hooks, and that's all there is to it. This may not be a good album for new fans, but older fans should give it a try.
NEXT: Dee Dee Ramones's Last Stand - BRAIN DRAIN!
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Animal Boy Addendum
Extras
The Animal Boy CD is the same as the vinyl therefore no extra material. As I wrote in an earlier entry, Johnny Ramone was behind all the Expanded Edition releases. While going over the band's later works, Johnny realized that there wasn't much extra material to be added since they refused to make demos for the executives to choose from by this point in their careers. The only b-sides that I know about are "Go Home Ann", the B-Side for "Bonzo Goes to Bitburg" produced by Lemmy (of Motorhead fame and a longtime friend and supporter of the band) and "Can't Say Anything Nice", a Richie Ramone sung track that was a b-side to "Somebody Put Something in My Drink"
"Go Home Ann" is an atypical song lyrics-wise as it's about a girl who slept with one of the band members and refuses to leave the premises after the band member asks her to. While there have been tracks like "Glad to See You Go" and "You're Gonna Kill That Girl", the band rarely turned the romance songs to the opposite direction as this song does. The closest song that compares to this is probably "Don't Bust My Chops". Musically, it has a sad, eerie mood to it that borders on their creepier tracks like "Garden of Serenity".
The second B-Side, "Can't Say Anything Nice", is rare in that RICHIE RAMONE SINGS! If it wasn't for this blog, I would have never known about this track and others where he had sung. Holy crap does he sound more like a punk kid than Joey or Dee Dee. For what it's worth, I like his vocals more than Dee Dee's but he's a different singer compared to Joey. The lyrics are about leaving a hateful relationship with some girl who is described to be an animal. (Youtube users think it's about a band member or the band in general). Music-wise, the riff is similar to "Hair of the Dog", except the the last few notes change a bit. It's also out of the norm for the group, but an interesting bit of history nonetheless.
I don't know why these songs are not easily available for purchase, but problems with Richie may the the reason why "Can't Say Anything Nice" won't be released anytime soon. As for "Go Home Ann", it's probably a contract issue, laziness, or a presumed lack of interest in the track.
Album Length
All time references are based on my iTunes tracklist.
Length - 39.2 minutes
# of Tracks - 12
Shortest Track: "Freak of Nature" - 1:34
Longest Track: "Something to Believe In" - 4:07
No "Blitzkrieg Bop" on this album.
Before I end this post, I should point out one thing. This album marks a brief return to the short songs the band used to play. Three songs are under two minutes ("Animal Boy", "Eat That Rat", and "Freak of Nature"), but "Animal Boy" is the only track of those three that feels as if it was completed. "Eat That Rat" and "Freak of Nature" both come off as fragments and not as well-written as the short songs found on the earlier albums. It's not completely fair to compare "Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue" to any of these three as the band had changed the way they write and played since that era, but the difference in quality is apparent. They had a longer song mentality and the days of minimal lyrics and fast playing were relegated to their live shows.
The Animal Boy CD is the same as the vinyl therefore no extra material. As I wrote in an earlier entry, Johnny Ramone was behind all the Expanded Edition releases. While going over the band's later works, Johnny realized that there wasn't much extra material to be added since they refused to make demos for the executives to choose from by this point in their careers. The only b-sides that I know about are "Go Home Ann", the B-Side for "Bonzo Goes to Bitburg" produced by Lemmy (of Motorhead fame and a longtime friend and supporter of the band) and "Can't Say Anything Nice", a Richie Ramone sung track that was a b-side to "Somebody Put Something in My Drink"
"Go Home Ann" is an atypical song lyrics-wise as it's about a girl who slept with one of the band members and refuses to leave the premises after the band member asks her to. While there have been tracks like "Glad to See You Go" and "You're Gonna Kill That Girl", the band rarely turned the romance songs to the opposite direction as this song does. The closest song that compares to this is probably "Don't Bust My Chops". Musically, it has a sad, eerie mood to it that borders on their creepier tracks like "Garden of Serenity".
The second B-Side, "Can't Say Anything Nice", is rare in that RICHIE RAMONE SINGS! If it wasn't for this blog, I would have never known about this track and others where he had sung. Holy crap does he sound more like a punk kid than Joey or Dee Dee. For what it's worth, I like his vocals more than Dee Dee's but he's a different singer compared to Joey. The lyrics are about leaving a hateful relationship with some girl who is described to be an animal. (Youtube users think it's about a band member or the band in general). Music-wise, the riff is similar to "Hair of the Dog", except the the last few notes change a bit. It's also out of the norm for the group, but an interesting bit of history nonetheless.
I don't know why these songs are not easily available for purchase, but problems with Richie may the the reason why "Can't Say Anything Nice" won't be released anytime soon. As for "Go Home Ann", it's probably a contract issue, laziness, or a presumed lack of interest in the track.
Album Length
All time references are based on my iTunes tracklist.
Length - 39.2 minutes
# of Tracks - 12
Shortest Track: "Freak of Nature" - 1:34
Longest Track: "Something to Believe In" - 4:07
No "Blitzkrieg Bop" on this album.
Before I end this post, I should point out one thing. This album marks a brief return to the short songs the band used to play. Three songs are under two minutes ("Animal Boy", "Eat That Rat", and "Freak of Nature"), but "Animal Boy" is the only track of those three that feels as if it was completed. "Eat That Rat" and "Freak of Nature" both come off as fragments and not as well-written as the short songs found on the earlier albums. It's not completely fair to compare "Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue" to any of these three as the band had changed the way they write and played since that era, but the difference in quality is apparent. They had a longer song mentality and the days of minimal lyrics and fast playing were relegated to their live shows.
Animal Boy!
At the moment of this writing, Animal Boy has reached its 29th anniversary (released in May, 1986, recorded on December, 1985), and I have a feeling that no one will commemorate its release with a special 2-CD edition. Prior to Animal Boy, most Ramones albums barely hint at the age of their conception. The first four, for the most part, sound as good and timeless as they did in the Seventies. End of the Century was probably as retro then as it is now due to the efforts to make their album sound like it was made by Phil Spector in the 60s. Pleasant Dreams continues the retro sound with a few songs that stand out of that theme, and Subterranean Jungle was stuck in the '60s-'70s hard rock/pop sound for most of the album. Too Tough to Die has some '80s influences in it, primarily in the synth-driven "Howling at the Moon" (and "Planet Earth 1988" just on title alone), but there's enough tracks to make the album free of the decade it was made in.
Animal Boy wears its age on its sleeve like no album before it. Look at the cover and tell me that it was not made in any era other than the '80s. Those horrible pastel blue letters should be the warning sign, and the script used to write Animal Boy could not have been used prior to the decade. After you get over the cover, the album is a mixed bag. Animal Boy is not as bad as Subterranean Jungle, but not as good as the album preceding it, Too Tough to Die. The album starts well, but the quality plunges towards the middle and never comes back.
It's quite a shame that it's nowhere near as good as Too Tough to Die, as that album was supposed to be a comeback of sorts after the experimental pop era. Half of the songs here are clearly influenced by the pop of the era and whatever is left ranges from tolerable to good. The album itself opens with the fast rocking "Somebody Put Something in My Drink", a catchy tune made by Richie Ramone about receiving a spiked drink (LSD?). Joey starts his growling vocals in this album, and it works for this song. Next is the title track, "Animal Boy", and it's another fine track. The lyrics are the usual Dee Dee nonsense for a Ramones song in this era, but it's just dandy. Those two tracks are the best on this album and they give the impression of a promising album. It's all smoke and mirrors as the rest of this album collapses on the weight of its overproduction.
The Sid and Nancy ballad "Love Kills" irritates me with Dee Dee's annoying hardcore voice and I really couldn't care for this song past the subject matter (Dee Dee was good friends with couple). The same goes for "Eat that Rat", as Dee Dee is just barking everything to the point of it being incomprehensible. I didn't like "Wart Hog" on the last album, and while I understand the context of his voice on those tracks, it just stinks.
The first bomb on this album is "She Belongs To Me", a bloated love ballad that is so synth-ridden and cheesy than not even Joey's vocals can save it from the cesspool. "Crummy Stuff" is a song that I wish would have a live version that I could listen to as it's probably ten times better than the crap that was put on this album. It starts off well and sounds like a genuine Ramones track, but then the synthesizers hit. I don't understand what happens next but let's just say it's the closest to a musical suicide as the band would get. It's a shame that they butchered that song without thinking twice about playing it straight.
"Bonzo Goes to Bitburg" suffers of the same problems that "She Belongs to Me" has - long, bloated with every '80s bell and whistle and barely a hint of the Ramones's sound. While I'm in the subject of bloated tracks, "Something to Believe In" is another poor song that just becomes a chore to listen to. Both tracks are commentary on then current events, ("Bonzo" is about Reagan, "Something" is supposed to be a satire of "We Are the World") and they both suck. It doesn't mean that boys can't do good political tracks, but they didn't cut it on this album. "Planet Earth 1988" is an example of a good current events track, and those two are not as good as that song.
Special mentions should go to "Mental Hell" and "Apeman Hop"."Mental Hell" is tolerable musically, but Joey's vocals save the day. "Apeman Hop" has a good riff, but the stupid animal noises get irritating (I think Dee Dee is one of the apes, I can't tell who the other ape is.)
As for the rest of this album, Joeys barks out the lyrics to "Freak of Nature" and it's just short enough to be forgetful in the "I'm glad that's over" way. "Hair of the Dog"'s opening is similar to "Daytime Dilemma" from the last album, and Joey sounds bored while singing which pains me because it makes the song banal (in a Ramones-esque way) and a little oomph on his part could have made it fun. (Yes, it's another song that could probably be better live.)
With all said and done, I count 2 good tracks, 3 tolerable ones, and 7 stinkers. My praises go to Joey, as he makes some of the worst songs sound tolerable, but even he couldn't save this album's production problems. The synthesizer kills songs like "Crummy Stuff" and the ape noises on "Apeman Hop" are tripe, and some of the production choices make bad songs like "She Belongs Me" brutal to listen through. Animal Boy is one of the Ramones's worst albums, but the good tracks on this album should be on any Ramones fan's collection. Give those songs a shot.
NEXT: Halfway to Sanity
-------------------------------
NOTE
When I write that some tracks may sound better live, they probably would. Live tracks prior to Loco Live are generally faster, energetic, and it's usually the four dudes playing their instruments. (Unless there's a complex solo or riff other than the riff on "California Sun") The crappy bells and whistles are gone, leaving the boys alone to rip through tracks as best as they can.
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