Happy 40th Anniversary to The Ramones - Too Tough To Die

Happy 40th Anniversary to The Ramones Too Tough To Die, which was released on this date in 1984.

Some thoughts about the record and a few tunes after the jump.

No stretch to say that this was the last great Ramones album, and it probably doesn't get enough respect. The late 80's and early 90's had a good song here or there, but Too Tough To Die is rock solid top to bottom. A main reason why is the return to the groups roots as Tommy Ramone and Ed Stasium came back to record/produce and Dee Dee got back to doing a bunch of the writing. 

Most of the tunes are direct, fast and hard, a throwback to their early days after a few albums with guest producers, more pop tunes, and zero increases in record sales. Johnny pushed for a harder sound and Joey was sick pre-recording so the band moved in that direction. 

Can't argue with the results. 

"Mama's Boy" starts it off with hard edged, almost surf punk, and uses oddly low vocals from Joey while the title track could have been released in 1977 and fit in perfectly. "I'm Not Afraid of Life" finds Dee Dee trying to write deeper lyrics with less than excellent results but he gets more locked in when he gives the early 80's hardcore scene a Ramones touch on the brutally gross "Warthog", the stop/start fury of "Endless Vacation" and the hyper banging "Danger Zone". 

That gritty early 80's vibe is also alive on "Planet Earth 1988" and "Humankind" (which was the first song written by new drummer Richie Ramone) but the real reason the Ramones are such a great band is that they can mix those bangers with engaging pop experiments like the 50's swinging "Chasing The Night" and the synth based "Howling at the Moon (Sha-La-La)" which is a dynamite tune with excellent singing from Joey. The front man also dipped into his retro rock bag to contribute more 50's influenced punk stylings of "Daytime Dilemma (Dangers of Love)" and album closer "No Go".

The special edition released in 2002 has a bunch of demo's which are fun but also two b-sides, the ripping "Smash You" and the band's cover of "Street Fighting Man", which like the albums title, was probably an ode to the attack Johnny lived through, but only after brain surgery, right before recording the album.

The Ramones are still Too Tough To Die, and on the 40th Anniversary of their last great album you should play it loud and proud!