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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ramones with an edge!, August 17, 2002
This is by far one of my favorite Ramones albums. I will probably be tarred and feathered by the Ramones faithful but there is little not to love on this album. From the song about the love of Sid and Nancy...Love Kills to Bonzo goes to Bitburg....hell what a ride. Yup, the Ramones got political for a moment. "I see Johnny being pissed that this song was ever produced." The Ramones gained a bit of an edge on this album and it has never felt dated or diminished in any way over the
years. This album makes me even sadder when i listen to it. To think there is not going to be any more music from the boys. Hell, what a sad state of affairs.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Some good songs, but badly produced, January 22, 2004
After the resurgence of the Ramones with "Too Tough to Die," the boys decided to leave co-producers Ed Stasium and Tommy Erdelyi (original drummer Tommy Ramone) behind. The production of "Animal Boy" was entrusted to ex-Plasmatics bass player Jean Beauvoir after he produced their single "Bonzo Goes to Bitburg," which is also included on the album. The problem with that single applies to the album as a whole: it's a good Ramones song in the traditional sense, but the production is way too clean-sounding, with thin guitars and unnecessary synth/electronic effects. The drums sound weak, there's no punch to them at all. It's like Beauvoir was trying to turn the Ramones into just another 80's radio pop-rock act. The most extreme example of the production bringing the album down has to be "She Belongs to Me," which has to be the wimpiest Ramones song ever recorded. The synthesizers drive the ballad along, with barely a trace of guitar to be heard. "Howling at the Moon" used some electronics too, but at least the guitars still sounded beefy and the drums had some power to them. Walter Lure (ex-Heartbreakers) did some guitar work on "Animal Boy," so the level of Johnny's involvement is questionable.On the plus side, you do get the early experiments with a faster, more hardcore-influenced sound that started on "Too Tough to Die." "Animal Boy" and "Eat That Rat" are among the faster Ramones material, with Dee Dee's snotty vocals making the latter a kind of "Wart Hog II." Dee Dee also sings on "Love Kills," a now-classic song about Sid and Nancy. It's ironic in a depressing way to hear Dee Dee sing the line "Drugs don't ever pay," though. "Somebody Put Something in My Drink," supposedly based on Richie Ramone drinking a cocktail spiked with LSD, features Joey shouting/singing a little harsher than usual. This is another change in the Ramones sound that started on Too Tough to Die. With the production, though, Richie comes off sounding like a drum machine. Other strong songs include "Crummy Stuff," "Mental Hell," and "Something to Believe in," the pop single that should have shot the Ramones to #1 on the charts. In my opinion, the below-average Ramones songs that they recorded in the 80's were still better than most of their 90's output. Like "Apeman Hop," for example. I have as yet to hear a positive comment about this song, but I happen to like it. It's got the classic three chord approach that made the Ramones famous, and bizarre lyrics about a cannibalistic monkey man. Maybe it's the Tarzan vocals on the chorus that alienated people. To me it's another comic-book episode from my favorite band of all time. Like "Cretin Hop" and "We're A Happy Family," with the Ramones it was often better when the lyrics made no sense.
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Album from the Greatest band, July 1, 2004
By A Customer
This is one of the Best Ramones albums, The Production is not bad, there is a little too much "synth" of some songs, like "She Belongs to Me", which is not a bad song but it is probably my least favorite slow Ramones song and the production makes it sound pretty weak, but thats alright.
Other songs like "Somebody put something in my Drink" and "Love kills" (which has the greatest "punk" riff ever), "Mental Hell" and "Animal Boy" totally make up for any weakness.The Synths do sound great on "Something to believe in" and "Bonzo goes to Bitburg", which is one of the greatest Ramones songs. Dee Dee sings on "Love kills" and "Eat that Rat", "Love Kills" is an amazing song and "Eat that Rat" is O.k., "Hair of the Dog" is a great song although it doesn't really stand out, and "Crummy Stuff" is also a great song that doesn't really stand out to me. "Apeman Hop" is another great song which would be greater without the Tarzan Backing vocals,
But I like it anyway. This album has some of my Favorite Ramones songs. like
"Bonzo Goes to Bitburg"
"Mental Hell"
"Love Kills"
"Somebody put something in my drink" The rest of the album is great, the only Filler is "Freak of Nature", which is really cool, but kind of weird.
and "Eat that Rat", which is also really cool in its own way.
There is no BAD song on the album, and I listen to it all the time.
If you're looking to buy a Ramones album from the Late 80's era, than I suggest this one first.
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