Released in 1992, nearly three entire years after the release of the disappointing Brain Drain, which saw the departure of longtime bassist, singer and songwriter, Dee Dee Ramone. In my opinion, that album is easily the worst Ramones album (thus far in this series) and a sign that the band really needed to change things up or at least harness some of that old-school Ramones energy. And for the most part, that is was happens on Mondo Bizarro, seeing as it is easily the strongest LP the band put together since Too Tough To Die.
First and foremost, I need to mention the new bassist / singer, C.J. Ramone, as he not only has the task of replacing Dee Dee, but also takes the spotlight on two of the tracks here; ironically, both of which were written by Dee Dee! "Strength To Endure" is a fist pumping anthem and while "Main Man" isn't one of Dee Dee's best, it is a strong track nonetheless. However, it is the final Dee Dee written number "Poison Heart" that really steals the show; it is a very melancholic tune, that details a deep paranoia; no doubt written when Dee Dee was at his most drug addled and bitter.
As well as finding a fitting replacement for Dee Dee, the band also started working with a new record label here, and the production is cleaner and punchier, something that was severely lacking on Brain Drain, this is especially evident on a track like "It's Gonna Be Alright".
Other standouts include Joey's middle finger salute to the PMRC, "Censorshit" which sees the front man not mincing words and features a classic styled Ramones riff. This song is also one of the few politically minded tracks I've heard from the Ramones, post- Too Tough To Die. There's also the blast from the past closer "Touring" which is an amalgamation of the band's early albums, and closes the album off on a light, fun loving note.
While this is a great Ramones album, I'd be lying if I said it was anywhere close to perfect. A few of the tracks here "Cabbies On Crack", "The Job That Ate My Brain" and "I Won't Let It Happen" aren't the most distinctive tracks the band has ever produced, even in terms of their 80's output, but they aren't offensively bland like many moments on Brain Drain or Animal Boy, so I'll let them slide.
But overall, I'd say this album is worth checking out! It even has the added benefit of being the sole Ramones album to feature their rendition of the Spiderman theme song; so that's something!
8.0/10
No comments:
Post a Comment