The Ramones reached an all-time low by the end of the Eighties after the hardcore bands and the nascent grunge scene gave the genre an acid peel. The Ramones‘ late Eighties albums were so unremarkable that Dee Dee Ramone quit the band to become rapper Dee Dee King in 1989, the same year they released Brain Drain, an album whose only saving grace was a cheeky song about a Stephen King novel that sounded more like the Replacements than the Ramones. In an album guide, Rolling Stone described Brain Drain as “eminently forgettable.”
Au contraire, apparently. Longtime Quebecois thrash-prog metal group Voïvod have covered Brain Drain’s “Zero Zero UFO” with avant-garde musician JG Thirlwell (aka Foetus) for an upcoming tribute comp, Best of Ramones Redux. Where the Ramones’ original features jackhammer drums and Joey Ramone’s gut-rupturing gurgle as he attempted to sound tougher than hardcore bands, Voïvod and Thirlwell’s sounds even more rigid and guttural. And is that an actual UFO taking off before the guitar solo?
Assembled by Marc Urselli, an audio engineer best known for his work with John Zorn, the Best of Ramones Redux album features Ramones renditions by Ihsahn, David J, and Zeni Geva, and others who all set out to put unique spins on whichever songs they liked most.
“While we could have recorded any of their songs, I’ve always dreamed of playing ‘Zero Zero UFO,’” Voïvod drummer Michel “Away” Langevin said in a statement. “I was so excited about the opportunity that I might have played it a bit fast, making it challenging for [vocalist] Snake and Jim [Thirlwell] to fit every word in. Fortunately, Marc’s production really makes the track shine, and we’re thrilled with the final result.”
And if you think Voïvod and Thirlwell’s interpretation sounds wild, check out Deathchant’s take on “Judy Is a Punk,” from another Urselli-produced comp, Ramones Redux, which focuses on the track list for the band’s beloved self-titled debut.
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Best of Ramones Redux track list:
1. Voïvod feat. JG Thirlwell, “Zero Zero UFO”
2. Destructo Disk feat. Timo Ellis, “I Don’t Wanna Be Learned/I Don’t Wanna Be Tamed”
3. Impostor Cult feat. Amy Tung Barrysmith, “Pet Sematary”
4. Oscar Dunbar and the Heat Inc., “You’re Gonna Kill That Girl”
5. Daniele Brusaschetto and Chvad SB, “I Can’t Be”
6. So Hideous feat. Gary Lucas, “The KKK Took My Baby Away”
7. King Potenaz and Nefariant, “Time Has Come Today”
8. Venamoris feat. Eicca Toppinen, “I Want You Around”
9. Kayo Dot and Ihsahn, “Teenage Lobotomy”
10. Duel, “Chinese Rock”
11. Raw Power feat. Sergio Milani, “I Don’t Care”
12. Zeni Geva and Besvärjelsen, “You Should Never Have Opened that Door”
13. Restless Spirit feat. Jeff Matz, “Poison Heart”
14. David J and Paul Wallfisch, “I Wanna Be Sedated”
