Mondo Bizarro | ||||
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Studio album by the Ramones | ||||
Released | September 1, 1992 | |||
Recorded | January–February 1992 [1] | |||
Studio |
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Genre | Punk rock | |||
Length | 37:25 | |||
Label | Radioactive | |||
Producer | Ed Stasium | |||
Ramones chronology | ||||
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Singles from Mondo Bizarro | ||||
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Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [5] |
Robert Christgau | A− [6] |
Entertainment Weekly | B− [7] |
Q | [8] |
Rock Hard | 6.0/10 [9] |
Rolling Stone | [10] |
Spin Alternative Record Guide | 6/10 [11] |
Mondo Bizarro (a misspelled version of "Mondo Bizzarro," meaning "Weird World" in Italian) is the twelfth studio album by American punk rock band Ramones, released on September 1, 1992, by Radioactive Records. It is the first studio album to feature their new bassist, C.J. Ramone, who replaced original member Dee Dee Ramone (although he still featured on this album and the band's subsequent albums as a songwriter). The album was re-released in the UK by the Captain Oi! record label on August 10, 2004, with the band's cover of the Spider-Man theme song included as a bonus track.
Mondo Bizarro was the Ramones' first studio album in three years, after the band left Sire Records for a new contract with Radioactive Records. The title was taken from the film of the same name, a 1966 sequel to the film Mondo Cane .
In his 1998 autobiography, Dee Dee Ramone noted that, while he had left the band, he sold them the publishing for three new compositions—"Poison Heart," "Main Man" and "Strength to Endure"—to pay for a lawyer to help get him out of jail, following an arrest for possession of marijuana. He added, "I don't know why no one in New York, or none of the Ramones, couldn't have loaned me a few thousand dollars, instead of forcing me to go through all the paranoia, confusion and extra pain of a maneuver like that. [...] It seemed that the Ramones couldn't live without me, but at the same time they treated me like an enemy." [12] "Poison Heart" and "Strength to Endure" were released as the album's singles, in June and October 1992, respectively.[ citation needed ]
In a 1992 interview for an Argentinian newspaper, Johnny Ramone said of the album, "Generally I always find two or three songs that I hate. From Mondo Bizarro, I really like almost all the songs and I am very satisfied with the result." [13] However, when he was interviewed about the album for the 2003 documentary End of the Century , he stated, "I don't like it. I don't like it at all." In Johnny's 2012 autobiography, Commando , he awarded the album (along with its predecessor, 1989's Brain Drain ) a "C" grade, stating, "we needed more Dee Dee songs on it. [...] The songs are the weak spots on the album. [...] C.J. was in the band, but his writing wasn't up to par yet." [14]
The song "Censorshit" was written by Joey Ramone about how rock and rap albums were being censored by the Parents Music Resource Center, a group of politicians' wives who sought to put parental advisory warning labels on records, a practice which has since become standard. It has a reference to Ozzy Osbourne and Frank Zappa in the line, "Ask Ozzy, Zappa, or me, we'll show you what it's like to be free." The song is addressed to Tipper Gore, who was the wife of then-Tennessee Senator and eventual Vice President of the United States, Al Gore. In his book Commando, Johnny Ramone stated that he "didn't like the lyrics on 'Censorshit.' It was stupid. I liked the song, though. Joey wrote this song about Vice President Al Gore's wife, Tipper Gore, then he went on and voted for Bill Clinton." [14]
"Heidi Is a Headcase" was written by Joey Ramone and Daniel Rey. According to an interview on the podcast Ramones of the Day, C.J. Ramone stated that the song was about a girl named Heidi, whom both Joey and C.J. had dated for a period of time. [15]
"Take It as It Comes" is a cover song, originally recorded by the Doors for their 1967 debut album. The 2004 CD reissue bonus track, "Spiderman," is a cover of the theme song from the original Spider-Man animated series. It was originally released as an unlisted bonus track on initial releases of the Ramones' 1995 album ¡Adios Amigos! (omitted on later editions), and a slightly different version was available on the 1995 various artists compilation album Saturday Morning: Cartoons' Greatest Hits .
Although Mondo Bizarro was considered to be a "comeback" [16] [17] for the Ramones—following both lineup and label changes, and the dwindling sales of their previous albums from the mid-to-late 1980s (up to and including Brain Drain, which was originally meant to be the band's "comeback") [18] —the album peaked at number 190 on the Billboard 200 chart, the lowest chart position in their career. [19] However, the album's lead single, "Poison Heart", did become one of the Ramones' top ten hits in their native America, peaking at number six on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. [20] The album was certified gold in Brazil in 2001. [21]
Robert Christgau, who gave it a positive review, stated: "More like an old country singer (George Jones leaving Epic, say) than the world's greatest rock and roll band (greater than Mick's side project, anyway), Joey and whoever [...] do right by their formula. Reasons to believe: the Dee Dee ballad Joey sings, and the Beach Boys tribute that goes, 'Touring, touring, it's never boring.'" [6]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Censorshit" | Joey Ramone | 3:13 |
2. | "The Job That Ate My Brain" | Marky Ramone, Garrett Uhlenbrock | 2:17 |
3. | "Poison Heart" | Dee Dee Ramone, Daniel Rey | 4:04 |
4. | "Anxiety" | Marky Ramone, Uhlenbrock | 2:04 |
5. | "Strength to Endure" | Dee Dee Ramone, Rey | 2:59 |
6. | "It's Gonna Be Alright" | Joey Ramone, Andy Shernoff | 3:20 |
7. | "Take It as It Comes" (The Doors cover) | Jim Morrison, John Densmore, Robby Krieger, Ray Manzarek | 2:07 |
8. | "Main Man" | Dee Dee Ramone, Rey | 3:29 |
9. | "Tomorrow She Goes Away" | Joey Ramone, Rey | 2:41 |
10. | "I Won't Let It Happen" | Joey Ramone, Shernoff | 2:22 |
11. | "Cabbies on Crack" | Joey Ramone | 3:01 |
12. | "Heidi Is a Headcase" | Joey Ramone, Rey | 2:57 |
13. | "Touring" | Joey Ramone | 2:51 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
14. | "Spiderman" | Bob Harris, Paul Francis Webster | 1:56 |
Ramones
Additional musicians
Technical
Chart (1992) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Albums (ARIA) [25] | 93 |
Finnish Albums (The Official Finnish Charts) [26] | 11 |
Japanese Albums (Oricon) [27] | 69 |
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [28] | 41 |
US Billboard 200 [29] | 190 |
Year | Single | Chart | Position |
---|---|---|---|
1992 | "Poison Heart" | Modern Rock Tracks | 6 [20] |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Argentina (CAPIF) [30] | Gold | 30,000^ |
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) [31] | Gold | 100,000* |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Douglas Glenn Colvin, better known by his stage name Dee Dee Ramone, was an American musician. He was the bassist and a founding member of the punk rock band the Ramones. Throughout the band's existence, he was the most prolific lyricist and composer, writing many of their best-known songs, such as "53rd & 3rd", "Chinese Rock", "Commando", "Wart Hog", "Rockaway Beach", "Poison Heart" and "Bonzo Goes To Bitburg". The latter won the New York Music Award for best independent single of the year in 1986, while Animal Boy, which the song is from, won for best album.
Rocket to Russia is the third studio album by the American punk rock band Ramones, and was released on November 4, 1977, through Sire Records. It is the band's last album to feature original drummer Tommy Ramone, who left the band in 1978 to focus on production. The album's origins date back to the summer of 1977, when "Sheena Is a Punk Rocker" was released as a single. That summer was known as the peak of the punk rock genre since many punk bands were offered recording contracts. The album's recording began in August 1977, and the band had a considerably larger budget with Sire allowing them between $25,000 and $30,000; much of this money went toward the album's production rather than recording.
End of the Century is the fifth studio album by the American punk rock band Ramones, released on February 4, 1980, through Sire Records. The album was the band's first to be produced by Phil Spector, though he had offered the band his assistance earlier in their career. With Spector fully producing the album, it was the first release that excluded original member Tommy Ramone, who had left the band in 1978 but had produced their previous album Road to Ruin. Spector used more advanced standards of engineering, such as high-quality overdubbing and echo chambers. These painstaking methods caused conflict between the band and Spector since the Ramones were accustomed to a quicker recording process. Spector emphasized the production value as well, working with a budget of around $200,000, far exceeding their earlier album sessions.
Acid Eaters is the thirteenth studio album by the American punk rock band Ramones.
John William Cummings, better known by his stage name Johnny Ramone, was an American musician who was the guitarist and a founding member of the Ramones, a band that helped pioneer the punk movement. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002. Until the band's disbandment in 1996, Johnny, along with the lead vocalist Joey Ramone, were the only two original members who stayed since its inception.
Road to Ruin is the fourth studio album by the American punk rock band Ramones, released on September 22, 1978, through Sire Records as LP record, 8 track cartridge & audio cassette. It was the first Ramones album to feature new drummer Marky Ramone, who replaced Tommy Ramone. Tommy left the band due to low sales of previous albums as well as stress he experienced while touring; however, he stayed with the band to produce the album with Ed Stasium. The artwork's concept was designed by Ramones fan Gus MacDonald and later modified by John Holmstrom to include Marky instead of Tommy.
Pleasant Dreams is the sixth studio album by the American punk rock band Ramones, released on July 20, 1981, through Sire Records. While the band members wanted Steve Lillywhite to produce, Sire chose Graham Gouldman in an attempt to gain popularity through a well-known producer. The recording process brought about many conflicts between band members, most notably the strife between Joey Ramone and Johnny Ramone, due to Johnny starting a relationship with Joey's girlfriend. There were also disputes about the overall direction of the album, with Johnny leaning towards hard rock and Joey towards pop punk. Ultimately, the album incorporated high production values and varying musical styles, straying from traditional punk rock on songs such as "We Want the Airwaves", "She's a Sensation" and "Come On Now". It is the first Ramones album not to feature any cover songs.
Leave Home is the second studio album by the American punk rock band Ramones. It was released on January 10, 1977, through Sire Records, with the expanded CD being released through Rhino Entertainment on June 19, 2001. Songs on the album were written immediately after the band's first album's writing process, which demonstrated the band's progression. The album had a higher production value than their debut Ramones and featured faster tempos. The front photo was taken by Moshe Brakha and the back cover, which would become the band's logo, was designed by Arturo Vega. The album spawned three singles, but only one succeeded in charting. It was also promoted with several tour dates in the United States and Europe.
Halfway to Sanity is the 10th studio album by the American punk rock band Ramones, and their last album to feature drummer Richie Ramone. It was produced by Daniel Rey and released on September 15, 1987, by Sire Records. Recording sessions began that April at Intergalactic Studios in New York City, with the band recording instruments before vocals in order to learn songs more quickly. It fared well on charts outside the United States, but peaked at No. 172 on the Billboard 200.
Too Tough to Die is the eighth studio album by the American punk rock band Ramones. It was released on October 1, 1984, and is the first Ramones record to feature Richie Ramone on drums. With ex-member Tommy Ramone producing, the recording process was similar to that of the band's 1976 self-titled debut album. Likewise, the record's style—both lyrically and compositionally—saw the band returning to their roots. The photograph on the album cover, which features silhouettes of the band members, resulted from a "lucky accident" after photographer George DuBose's camera malfunctioned.
Brain Drain is the eleventh studio album by the American punk rock band Ramones, released on May 23, 1989. It is the last Ramones release to feature bassist/songwriter/vocalist Dee Dee Ramone, the first to feature Marky Ramone since his initial firing from the band after 1983's Subterranean Jungle and the band's last studio album on Sire Records. It ends with their unlikely seasonal song "Merry Christmas ".
Animal Boy is the ninth studio album by the American punk rock band Ramones, released through Sire Records on May 19, 1986. Due to conflicts within the group, the album features less of lead singer Joey Ramone, both in performing and writing, and less performing from guitarist Johnny Ramone. Bassist Dee Dee Ramone wrote and sang more on this album than on previous albums, and Richie Ramone became the first drummer to write songs for the band since Tommy Ramone, the band's original drummer. Richie also wrote for Too Tough To Die (1984). The album spawned four singles, all of which charted on the UK Singles Chart, as well as other charts. In addition to singles, the band promoted their album using a music video for "Something to Believe In", which parodied the contemporary benefit concerts Live Aid and Hands Across America.
¡Adios Amigos! is the fourteenth and final studio album by the American punk rock band Ramones. It was released on July 18, 1995, through Radioactive Records. The Ramones disbanded a year after its release and subsequent tour.
Hey! Ho! Let's Go: The Anthology is a two–disc compilation that attempts to summarize the Ramones' career in its entirety. Every Ramones studio album is represented with the exception of Acid Eaters, their 1993 covers album. Some versions of this album include a hardcover 80-page booklet with liner notes by David Fricke and Danny Fields.
The Ramones were an American punk rock band from New York City. Their discography consists of fourteen studio albums, ten live albums, sixteen compilation albums, seventy-one singles, thirty-two music videos and ten films. The band formed in early 1974, and upon signing with Seymour Stein of Sire Records, the Ramones released their self-titled debut album on April 23, 1976. Despite the recording process only taking a week and being on a budget of $6,400, the album has since become their most accoladed and iconic release. 1977's Leave Home was the band's follow up album, released less than a year later, also through Sire. While it was the first album to chart in the United Kingdom, it did not chart as well in the United States as Ramones, nor their third record, Rocket to Russia, which was released in late 1977. Road to Ruin was the band's fourth studio album and their first to feature a change in the band member line-up, with drummer Marky Ramone replacing Tommy Ramone.
Ramones Mania 2 is a greatest hits album by American punk band Ramones that serves as a sequel to the band's first compilation album, Ramones Mania. It includes 25 Ramones songs, from the band's last three studio albums—Mondo Bizarro, Acid Eaters and ¡Adios Amigos!—and from the band's third live album, Greatest Hits Live, all of which were released on Radioactive Records. Although this compilation was released a decade after 1989's Brain Drain, it does not feature any songs from that album, as the band was with Sire Records at that time. It was released in 1999 as a Japanese-only release on EMI Japan. Unlike the first album, all the songs here are presented in chronological order. It is currently out of print.
"Teenage Lobotomy" is a song by the American punk rock band Ramones. It was released on their 1977 album Rocket to Russia, and became one of their most popular songs.
"Poison Heart" is a song by the punk rock band Ramones. Written by Dee Dee Ramone, who had retired as their longtime bassist in 1989 but still wrote songs for the band. "Poison Heart" was included on the 1992 album Mondo Bizarro and was also released as a single. The song was given to the band by Dee Dee in exchange for bailing him out of jail and has a slower tempo than typical Ramones songs.
The Ramones were an American punk rock band formed in the New York City neighborhood Forest Hills, Queens in 1974. Known for helping establish the punk movement in the United States and elsewhere, the Ramones are often cited as the first true punk band. Though initially achieving little commercial success, the band is seen today as highly influential in punk culture.
...Ya Know? is the second and final solo album by Joey Ramone. It was released posthumously on May 22, 2012, by BMG. The album features producers Ed Stasium, Jean Beauvoir, Daniel Rey, Joey's brother Mickey Leigh and Joe Blaney. Musicians include Joan Jett, Steven Van Zandt, Richie Ramone, Holly Beth Vincent, Genya Ravan, members of Cheap Trick and the Dictators and Mickey Leigh.
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