Released September 1, 1992 Length 37:25 Artist Ramones Producer Ed Stasium Genre Punk rock | Recorded February 1992 Mondo Bizarro
(1992) Acid Eaters
(1994) Release date 1 September 1992 Label Radioactive | |
 | ||
Studio The Magic Shop (New York, New York) Similar Ramones albums, Punk rock albums | ||
Mondo Bizarro (a misspelled version of "Mondo Bizzarro", meaning "Weird World" in Italian) is the 12th studio album by the American punk band the Ramones, released in 1992. It is the first to feature their new bassist, C.J. Ramone, who replaced departed member Dee Dee Ramone. The album was re-released in the UK by the record label Captain Oi! on August 10, 2004, with a bonus track, "Spider-Man".
Contents
Background
Mondo Bizarro was the group’s first studio album in three years, having left Sire Records for a new contract with Radioactive Records. The original "Mondo Bizarro" was the title of a 1966 film sequel to "Mondo Cane". Two singles from the album were released; "Poison Heart" was released in June 1992, and Strength to Endure was released that October.
Although Dee Dee Ramone had left the band, he provided the songs "Poison Heart", "Main Man", and "Strength To Endure", as payment for bailing him out of jail due to his long drug addiction.
When Johnny Ramone was interviewed about the album for the End of the Century documentary, he states, "I don't like it. I don't like it at all." This contradicts a statement from a 1992 interview in an Argentine newspaper, quote: "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."
The album was certified gold in Brazil in 2001.
Composition
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 Washington wives out to put warning labels on records, a practice which has become standard. It has a reference to Ozzy Osbourne and Frank Zappa. Quote: "Ask Ozzy, Zappa, or Me. We'll show you what it's like to be free." The song is addressed to Tipper Gore, wife of former Tennessee Senator and Vice President Al Gore.
"Take It as It Comes" is a cover song, originally recorded by The Doors in 1967. "Spider-Man," while having never appeared on the original release but later as a bonus track on the CD version, is a cover of the theme song from the original Spider-Man animated series. It was originally released as an unlisted Bonus track on the original release of ¡Adios Amigos! (later editions omitted it) and then a completely different version was available on the Saturday Morning compilation in 1995.
"Heidi is a Headcase" was written by Joey Ramone and Daniel Rey. According to an interview on the podcast "Ramones of the Day," CJ Ramone stated the song is about a girl named Heidi who both Joey and CJ dated for a period of time.
Ramones
Additional musicians
Additional personnel
Songs
1Censorshit3:13
2The Job That Ate My Brain2:18
3Poison Heart4:04