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'''''Animal Boy''''' is the ninth [[studio album]] by the American [[punk band]] the [[Ramones]]. Due to conflicts within the group, the album features less of [[lead singer]] [[Joey Ramone]], both in performing and writing, and less of [[lead guitarist]] [[Johnny Ramone]]. [[Bassist]] [[Dee Dee Ramone]] wrote and sang more on this album than previous albums, and [[Richie Ramone]] became the first [[drums|drummer]] to write songs for the band. The album spawned four [[single (music)|singles]], all of which charted on the [[UK Album Charts]]. In addition to singles, the band promoted their album by making a [[music video]] which parodied the [[benefit concert]]s [[Live Aid]] and [[Hands Across America]].
'''''Animal Boy''''' is the ninth [[studio album]] released by the American [[punk band]] the [[Ramones]] 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 of [[lead guitarist]] [[Johnny Ramone]]. [[Bassist]] [[Dee Dee Ramone]] wrote and sang more on this album than previous albums, and [[Richie Ramone]] became the first [[drums|drummer]] to write songs for the band. The album spawned four [[single (music)|singles]], all of which charted on the [[UK Album Charts]]. In addition to singles, the band promoted their album by making a [[music video]] which parodied the [[benefit concert]]s [[Live Aid]] and [[Hands Across America]].


The lyrics in the album range from band member's frustration with each other, themselves, and loved ones, as well as more politically themed songs—a rarity in Ramones music. "[[My Brain Is Hanging Upside Down (Bonzo Goes To Bitburg)]]" saw the Ramones criticizing US President [[Ronald Reagan]] for his actions in [[Bitburg]], [[Germany]] regarding [[World War II]]; Johnny however, did not agree with the message of this song and refused to play it live. Critically, ''Animal Boy'' was not nearly as acclaimed as its predecessor, ''[[Too Tough to Die]]'', receiving generally mixed reviews, where it was often pointed out that the band had strayed far from their original style and were exploring several genres by this point. It also charted in four different countries, including the United States and United Kingdom.
The lyrics in the album range from band member's frustration with each other, themselves, and loved ones, as well as more politically themed songs—a rarity in Ramones music. "[[My Brain Is Hanging Upside Down (Bonzo Goes To Bitburg)]]" saw the Ramones criticizing US President [[Ronald Reagan]] for his actions in [[Bitburg]], [[Germany]] regarding [[World War II]]; Johnny however, did not agree with the message of this song and refused to play it live. Critically, ''Animal Boy'' was not nearly as acclaimed as its predecessor, ''[[Too Tough to Die]]'', receiving generally mixed reviews, where it was often pointed out that the band had strayed far from their original style and were exploring several genres by this point. It also charted in four different countries, including the United States and United Kingdom.

Revision as of 02:36, 11 August 2017

Animal Boy
Studio album by
the Ramones
ReleasedMay 19, 1986
RecordedDecember 1985 at Intergalactic Studios, NYC; mixed at Polar Studios, Stockholm
Length31:44
LanguageEnglish
LabelSire, Beggars Banquet Records
ProducerJean Beauvoir
Ramones chronology
Too Tough to Die
(1984) 		Animal Boy
(1986) 		Halfway to Sanity
(1987)
Singles from Animal Boy
  1. "Bonzo Goes to Bitburg"
    Released: June 1985 (UK
  2. "Somebody Put Something in My Drink" b/w "Something to Believe In"
    Released: April 1986 (Double A-side, UK)
  3. "Something to Believe In" b/w "Animal Boy"
    Released: 1986 (US)
  4. "Crummy Stuff" b/w "Something to Believe In"
    Released: July 1986 (UK)

Animal Boy is the ninth studio album released by the American punk band the Ramones 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 of lead guitarist Johnny Ramone. Bassist Dee Dee Ramone wrote and sang more on this album than previous albums, and Richie Ramone became the first drummer to write songs for the band. The album spawned four singles, all of which charted on the UK Album Charts. In addition to singles, the band promoted their album by making a music video which parodied the benefit concerts Live Aid and Hands Across America.

The lyrics in the album range from band member's frustration with each other, themselves, and loved ones, as well as more politically themed songs—a rarity in Ramones music. "My Brain Is Hanging Upside Down (Bonzo Goes To Bitburg)" saw the Ramones criticizing US President Ronald Reagan for his actions in Bitburg, Germany regarding World War II; Johnny however, did not agree with the message of this song and refused to play it live. Critically, Animal Boy was not nearly as acclaimed as its predecessor, Too Tough to Die, receiving generally mixed reviews, where it was often pointed out that the band had strayed far from their original style and were exploring several genres by this point. It also charted in four different countries, including the United States and United Kingdom.

Background

By 1985, there was a considerable amount of conflicts between band members. Lead singer Joey Ramone went so far as to withdraw from the writing process despite being a vital part of it on previous records.[1] Joey recalled, "I'd had it with the Ramones. 'Mental Hell' is about that. Part of it came from breaking up with [his then girlfriend] Angela. The other part of it was that I had really had it with the band."[2] In later interviews, however, Joey stated that it was not the conflict that made him stop writing, but rather he had "ideas on the backburner."[3] Bassist Dee Dee Ramone said lead guitarist Johnny Ramone was the reason for much of the stress, supposedly not wanting to do songs Joey would write for multiple reasons. Dee Dee related: "Joey will present a great tune and Johnny won't do it because it's this or it's that. 'I'm not going to play minor chords. I'm not going to play lead. I'm not going to come to England.' For God's sake! That's why Joey gotta do his solo album."[3]

Consequently, the somewhat recently added drummer Richie Ramone stepped up to the writing process, resulting in the hit song "Somebody Put Something in My Drink," which would be released as a single and also appeared on the band's first compilation album Ramones Mania (1988). "Joey was always encouraging me to write songs," explained Richie, "but I didn't really need the encouragement."[4] This would be the first time the band used the drummer as a songwriter since original drummer Tommy Ramone, with Joey saying he wanted to make Richie feel like a part of the band, because he felt past drummers were not so much a part of the band nor any good at writing, while calling Richie a "regular Phil Collins."[5] Johnny would later say the album needed a better production quality, commenting that the guitar moments didn't sound like he had performed them. "The producer on [Animal Boy], Jean Beauvoir," Johnny relates, "was selected by the label, not us."[6]

Marketing and promotion

For the album's front cover, the band wanted to take a photo with a monkey from the Bronx Zoo. George DuBose originally took the picture in the zoo's monkey house, but this photo was rejected by the zoo director. The zoo would not allow the band to borrow a chimp for photographing, so DuBose decided to try and hire Zippy the Chimp from The David Letterman Show and was successful. The resulting idea was to take the picture of the band standing in front of a gorilla cage with Legs McNeil, Joey's brother and Punk Magazine author, in a gorilla costume. Dee Dee is holding Zippy the Chimp, a baby chimpanzee, and because of this, DuBose had to refrain from flashing light as he could possibly spooked it, although according to DuBose, the chimp was already out of control. "Zippy was getting wild," Dubose recalled, "he wasn't looking at the camera and was fucking around with the guys. I wasn't getting the picure because the chimp was out of control, so finally the traner goes up to Zippy and whacks him across the face."[7] The lack of flash resulted in a lowlighted warmer colored photograph, which would be used as the album's cover.[7]

An outdoor stage with the a banner bearing the words "Live Aid" above an image of Afiica and a large audience many raising their hands
"Something to Believe In"'s music video satirized the Live Aid concert. Rather than saying "Live Aid" with an image of Africa, the stage in video says "Ramones Aid" with the band's logo.[8]

Animal Boy was released May 19, 1986. While touring for its promotion, the band only used four to five songs from the album while the rest of the set list was derived from songs off earlier releases. Johnny described this type of concert setlist to promote releases to be common for "a lot of later [Ramones] albums," saying it was "because the material didn't measure up to our other stuff."[6]

In addition to touring, Sire Records and Beggars Banquet Records released four singles to help promote the album in hopes to receive more radio airplay. The first single off Animal Boy was "My Brain Is Hanging Upside Down (Bonzo Goes to Bitburg)," issued in Great Britain by Beggars Banquet Records in June 1985. "Go Home Anne" is the first B-side, and is produced by Ed Stasium and mixed by Lemmy, lead singer of Motörhead.[9][10] There were multiple explanations given for why the single was not released in the United States. The product manager at Sire Records explained that it was both a "financial and political" decision, while there are claims at the parent company, Warner Bros. Records that "It just wasn't considered a good enough record."[11] The single's jacket depicted Reagan before going to Bitburg at the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp giving a speech, however this was removed in later pressings.[12][13] British newspaper Melody Maker claimed it was removed because the band received pressure from "Moral Majority, the Patriotic League of the Alamo, and the SS."[11]

The music video for "Something to Believe In" was a parody of benefit concert Live Aid and Hands Across America.[14][15] The video was described by author Everett True to be "reassuringly foolish" and "a welcome return to [the Ramones] old sense of humor."[16] Several guests are featured in the video, including The B52s, Weird Al Yankovic, Spinal Tap, Ted Nugent, The Circle Jerks, Toni Basil, Rodney Bingenheimer, Holly Beth Vincent, and Afrika Bambaataa. Because the music video was praised by Warner Bros., they released "Something to Believe In" as a double A-side with "Somebody Put Something in My Drink."[16] "Something to Believe In" was also released with "Animal Boy" in the United States and "Crummy Stuff" in Great Britain through Beggars Banquet Records.[17][18]

Lyrics and composition

Animal Boy featured a range of genres and musical elements that had never been seen in previous albums. Heavier and more frequent use of the synchronizer, as well as the use of extremely minimal and "gimmicky" lyrics, made critics and fans alike feel as though this was the least like their early albums, despite Animal Boy' predecessor Too Tough Too Die being acclaimed for the band returning to their roots. "The main problem with Animal Boy" explain author Everett True, "was that there was no longer one discernible Ramones sound: it sounds as disjointed as the band members probably felt. The guitar parts could've been played by anyone, and Richie's drumming was slipping away from Tommy's original template. The Ramones were turning into a 9-5 job, night not day."[3]

"My Brain Is Hanging Upside Down (Bonzo Goes To Bitburg)"
On the topic of "My Brain Is Hanging Upside Down (Bonzo Goes To Bitburg)," editor Bill Wyman of Salon arts wrote: "I didn’t need to be told about Reagan at that time, but as we listened to Joey’s pained, pleading voice, as we heard Johnny lob guitar bombs and as we were swept away by the Spectorian, rushing production, we marveled again at the Ramones’ capacity to surprise."[19]
Problems playing this file? See media help.

The album begins with Dee Dee singing "Somebody Put Something in My Drink", which was written by Richie who stated that he came up with the lyrics while he was dating Frankie Valli's daughter, and he mistakenly drank after someone else in a nightclub.[4] Rolling Stone editor David Fricke described Joey's vocal performance in the song as an "exaggerated wino growl while Johnny crushes the chord changes with his trash-compactor guitar."[20] "Animal Boy" and "Apeman Hop" were written to have compositions similar to "Cretin Hop" from 1977's Rocket To Russia, but described by True to be "a thousandth as good."[21] "Love Kills" is inspired by the Alex Cox biopic Sid and Nancy (also known as Sid and Nancy: Love Kills). The lyrics explain that the couple will never be able to win with drugs, despite the writer himself, Dee Dee, died of a heroin overdose.[21] The fifth track, "She Belongs to Me," is a ballad written by Dee Dee and Beauvoir regarding unrequited love, and features a heavy use of synthesizers compared to that in previously released albums, which would have used a soft acoustic guitar or occasionally strings.[3] Side A of the album concludes with "Crummy Stuff" with Dee Dee as lead vocalist. It is especially so here that the band plays with a pop punk style, with very repetitive lyrics based on the bands past being hectic and never meeting expectations.[21]

Side B begins with one of the band's only politically based songs, "My Brain Is Hanging Upside Down (Bonzo Goes to Bitburg)" The lyrics comprised Joey, Dee Dee, and Beauviour's feelings while watching US President Ronald Reagan visit military cemetery in Bitburg, West Germany to pay tribute to the victims of Nazism. In an interview with East Coast Rocker, Joey explained: "What Reagan did was fucked up. Everybody told him not to go, all his people told him not to go, and he went anyway. How can you fuckin' forgive the Holocaust? How can you say, 'Oh well, it's OK now?' That's crazy!"[22] Dee Dee also asserted that Johnny had made the band seem right winged. "It was the first time we could make a statement to show we weren't prejudiced," he explained. "We'd just had these skinheads at or gigs, punks walking around wearing swastikas."[22] Johnny disliked the song and went so far as to never play the song live, saying Reagan was his favorite president of his lifetime.[22]

"Mental Hell," the next track and second track written by Joey, dealt with his recent stress with the band, said that it was about his relationship with his girlfriend, Angela, ending. Author Dave Thompson described "Eat That Rat" as "reaching back to their pure punk past."[23] While "Eat That Rat" is one minute and thirty-seven seconds long, the shortest track on the album is the next song, "Freak of Nature," which clocks in at one minute and thirty-two seconds. The song was said by Johnny to be written by him and Dee Dee while changing reels in an open-reel audio tape recording at the studio.[6] "Hair of the Dog," a piece about the guilts of alcoholism,[24] is the third and final song written by Joey. The album's last track, "Something To Believe In," which was described as a "psuedo-AOR attempted teen anthem" by Susan Cummings of Spin and also a "surging, yearning anthem" by author Scott Schnider,[24][25] was influenced heavily by Britpop.[23]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[26]
Robert ChristgauB+[27]
Rolling Stone(favorable)[20]

The album received mixed reviews from critics. Eduardo Rivadavia, editor for AllMusic, criticized the album for using more modern commercial conventions and heavy use of synthesizers and keyboards in an attempt to reinvent the band's style. Rivadavia specifically pointed out "Somebody Put Something in My Drink" which he wrote "wastes an aggressive vocal performance from Joey Ramone by supporting it with a shamelessly polished synthesizer backing track."[26] He goes on to call "Something to Believe In" "unbearably soft," summing up that the album was a "career low," while he still rated the album three out of five stars.[26] Music critic Robert Christgau gave the album a "B+" deemed both "She Belongs to Me" and "Crummy Stuff" to be "defensive-sounding" but called "Something to Believe In" an anthem, while also praising "My Head Is Hanging Upside Down (Bonzo Goes to Bitburg)."[27] Rolling Stone critic David Fricke called the album a "reductionist masterpiece" that "proves they still have a lot more to give," claiming it to rival previous albums Leave Home and Rocket to Russia.[20]

The Ramones' decade of discontent on rock's commercial and social fringe has hardened their little rascal hearts; "Mental Hell" is a "My Degeneration" crawling-the-walls blues, and Dee Dee spits out the words of the ninety-seven-second harangue "Eat That Rat" with venomous zeal. "Love Kills," originally intended for the soundtrack of Alex Cox's forthcoming Sid Vicious-Nancy Spungen docudrama, sounds like standard-issue bamalama until you decipher the agitated mix of bitter loss and righteous anger in Dee Dee's rabid yapping.

— David Fricke, Rolling Stone[20]

In the United States, the album entered the Billboard 200 on June 21, 1986 at 146, and rose to 143 the following week. Despite staying on the chart for six weeks, the album's peak position did not rise above 143.[28][29] It entered the UK Album Charts on May 31, 1986 where it stayed for two weeks and reached a peak position of 38.[30] The album entered the Canadian charts on June 7, 1985 at number 96,[31] moving up to 94 a week later.[32] The album returned to position 96 June 21, and leaving the chart on July 12.[33][34]On June 11 it entered the Swedish Sverigetopplistan charts where it stayed on the chart for one week at position 37.[35]

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Somebody Put Something in My Drink"Richie Ramone3:23
2."Animal Boy"Dee Dee Ramone, Johnny Ramone1:50
3."Love Kills"Dee Dee Ramone2:19
4."Apeman Hop"Dee Dee Ramone2:02
5."She Belongs to Me"Dee Dee Ramone, Jean Beauvoir3:54
6."Crummy Stuff"Dee Dee Ramone2:06
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
7."My Brain Is Hanging Upside Down (Bonzo Goes to Bitburg)"Joey Ramone, Dee Dee Ramone, Jean Beauvoir3:55
8."Mental Hell"Joey Ramone2:38
9."Eat That Rat"Dee Dee Ramone, Johnny Ramone1:37
10."Freak of Nature"Dee Dee Ramone, Johnny Ramone1:32
11."Hair of the Dog"Joey Ramone2:19
12."Something to Believe In"Dee Dee Ramone, Jean Beauvoir4:09

Personnel

All information credited to Allmusic except where noted.[26]

Ramones
Production and addition musicians
  • Jean Beauvoir – producer, co-mixer, additional guitars, keyboards and background vocals
  • Walter Lure additional guitars (on some tracks)[3]
  • Jorge Esteban – Engineer
  • George DuBose - Art design, photographyy

References

Citations
  1. ^ Leigh 2009, pp. 258, 261.
  2. ^ Leigh 2009, p. 261.
  3. ^ a b c d e True 2005, ch. 23 p. 3.
  4. ^ a b Leigh 2009, p. 261.
  5. ^ True 2005, ch. 23 pp. 10–11.
  6. ^ a b c Ramone 2012, ch. "Animal Boy" p. 1.
  7. ^ a b Melnick & Melnick 2010, p. 212.
  8. ^ True 2005, Ch. 23. pp. 5–6.
  9. ^ Leigh 2009, pp. 237, 249.
  10. ^ Leland, John (October 1985). "Singles". Spin. p. 39.
  11. ^ a b Jaffee, Larry (November–December 1985). "Disc Spells Hit Time for Bonzo". Mother Jones. p. 10.
  12. ^ Jaffee, Larry (November–December 1985). "Disc Spells Hit Time for Bonzo". Mother Jones. p. 10.
  13. ^ Weinraub, Bernard (May 6, 1985). "Reagan Joins Kohl in Brief Memorial at Bitburg Graves". New York Times. Retrieved 2009-01-22.
  14. ^ "Hands Across Your Face". Rhino. Archived from the original on 20 January 2009. Retrieved 14 August 2009. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  15. ^ Doherty, Brian; Gillespie, Nick (August–September 2001). "I Dreamed I Saw Joey Ramone Last Night: The P.C. eulogizing of a punk rocker". Reason. Reason Foundation. Archived from the original on 6 August 2009. Retrieved 14 August 2009. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  16. ^ a b True 2005, Ch. 23. p. 6.
  17. ^ Ramone 2003, p. 244.
  18. ^ Popoff 2010, p. 971.
  19. ^ Wyman, Bill (2001-04-15). "Joey Ramone, R.I.P." Salon.com. Retrieved 2017-07-24.
  20. ^ a b c d "The Ramones: Animal Boy"". Rolling Stone. 1986-07-17.
  21. ^ a b c True 2005, ch. 23 p. 4.
  22. ^ a b c True 2005, ch. 21, p. 30.
  23. ^ a b Thompson 2000, p. 582.
  24. ^ a b Cummings, Sue (August 1986). "The Ramones: Animal Boy". Spin. p. 32.
  25. ^ Schnider 2008, p. 556.
  26. ^ a b c d Rivadavia, Eduardo. "Animal Boy – Ramones". AllMusic. Retrieved 14 August 2009.
  27. ^ a b Christgau, Robert. "CG: Ramones". Robert Christgau. Retrieved 14 August 2009.
  28. ^ "Top 200 Albums". Billboard. 1986-06-21. Retrieved 2017-07-24.
  29. ^ "Top 200 Albums". Billboard. 1986-06-28. Retrieved 2017-07-24.
  30. ^ "Chart Stats - The Ramones". chartstats.com. Archived from the original on 2012-02-14. Retrieved 2008-12-22. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  31. ^ "RPM100 Albums." 1986-06-07. Collectionscanada.gc.ca, Retrieved 2017-07-24.
  32. ^ "RPM100 Albums." 1986-06-14. Collectionscanada.gc.ca, Retrieved 2017-07-24.
  33. ^ "RPM100 Albums." 1986-06-21. Collectionscanada.gc.ca, Retrieved 2017-07-24.
  34. ^ "RPM100 Albums." 1986-07-05. Collectionscanada.gc.ca, Retrieved 2017-07-24.
  35. ^ "Ramones – Animal Boy." Swedishcharts.com. Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 2017-07-24
Bibliography
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