Brain Drain [Bonus Track] by The Ramones (CD) [IMPORT - Canada]

"Brain Drain [Bonus Track]" (06/14/2004) Rock & Pop Ramones (The), Captain Oi! Records (UK)The Ramones: Joey Ramone (vocals); Johnny Ramone (guitar); Dee Dee Ramone (vocals, bass); Marky Ramone (drums). Producers: Bill Laswell, Jean Beauvoir, Daniel Rey. Most people ignore the Ramones' later work for one reason or another. The most likely reason is that the boys themselves play relatively few post-1979 songs in concert. In the case of BRAIN DRAIN this turns out to be a mistake, as it's the album most evocative of the classic Ramones sound since SUBTERRANEAN JUNGLE. "Merry Christmas (I Don't Want to Fig...ht Tonight)" and the cover of "Palisades Park" are so lavishly produced that they could have been outtakes from the Phil Spector sessions (though minus the negative karma that accompanied that time period). "Don't Bust My Chops" finds the Ramones revisiting the crunchy guitar sound of the mid-'80s albums, only with better hooks this time around. "Zero Zero UFO" returns the boys to familiar goofball territory and "All Screwed Up" keeps them there. BRAIN DRAIN also contains an actual bona-fide almost-hit single in "Pet Sematary," a song written for the Steven King film. Contains one of the Ramones' biggest radio hits, "Pet Sematary" (written for Stephen King's movie of the same name), "I Believe in Miracles," and "Merry Christmas (I Don't Want to Fight Tonight)." The final Ramones album recorded for Sire Records (their label from day one), and sadly, the last to feature bassist and creative leader Dee Dee Ramone. [The CD was also released with a bonus track.] ~ Eduardo Rivadavia Though it contains one of the Ramones' biggest radio hits, "Pet Sematary" (written for Stephen King's movie of the same name), 1989's Brain Drain finds the "bruthas" from Queens at an all-time inspirational low. And since the aforementioned track is actually reviled by most of the band's hardcore fans, the listener has to make do with opener "I Believe in Miracles" and closer "Merry Christmas (I Don't Want to Fight Tonight)," which bookend the amazingly dull tracks in between with the record's only bright moments. The final Ramones album recorded for Sire Records (their label from day one), Brain Drain was sadly also the last to feature bassist and creative leader Dee Dee Ramone. [The CD was also released with a bonus track.] ~ Eduardo Rivadavia