Mondo Bizarro - Ramones > Reviews > The Review That Ate My Brain

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics	Thought-provoking
Quality and consistency of tracks	A couple of weak links
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Average
Value for Money

Advantages:	Some great Tunes
Disadvantages:	production has caused it to age

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Not many bands could say they change the face of popular music, The Ramones could. Without them there would have been no punk on either side of the atlantic.

This album has all the classic Ramones ingeredients, Johnnys Buzz saw rythm guitar, Markys no frills (no fills) drumming and Joeys distinctive voice. No one played like the Ramones cause they could not play like anyone else. The songs are pure pop punk for the beach boysesque Touring to the tribal pounding that is the Job that ate my brain, almost every song is a gem of pure bublegum pop punk. There are a few standouts like Censors**t a frenzied attack on the religious right, and the psychadelic cover of the Doors Take it as It Comes.

New Bass player CJ distinguished himself with his lead vocal preformances on "Main Man" and "Strength To Endure". His voice is a lot rawer than Joey's, but still very powerful and unique, which adds something to these songs.

This was the first Ramones album after Bass player and main songwriter Dee Dee Ramone's departure, despite this there are still 3 of his songs on the album. The best of which being the very poingnat Poison Heart a semi autobiographical song which has become even more so after his death from a Heroin overdose in 2000. In fact according to Dee Dee's autobiography (Poison Heart - Surviving the Ramones) he origonally wrote this song for the late Johnny Thunders and he could not listen to the demo of it that he recorded with him.

Whilst this Album is nowhere near as good as the classic first 4 Ramones albums, it would be a good starting point for anyone who has never heard them before.