Maps of Music

Acid Eaters (1993)

Where the lyrics of Acid Eaters take you, and where it was really made.

The Ramones' only album made entirely of covers came out in 1993, late in the band's career.

Key places

Basic tracks recorded at Baby Monster Studio (1993)

Recording site Baby Monster Studios — The basic tracks for Acid Eaters were recorded at this New York studio, and overdubs were also done here. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Overdubs at Chung King House Of Metal (1993)

Recording site Chung King Studios — Overdubs for Acid Eaters were recorded at this New York studio, and the album was also mixed here. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Acid Eaters: thirteenth studio album by the American punk rock band Ramones
• Released in 1993, toward the end of the band's career
• The band's only album made entirely of covers
• Forms a tribute to the Ramones' favorite artists of the 1960s
• Highlights garage rock influences such as the Seeds and the Amboy Dukes
• Also covers the Beach Boys, the Who and the Rolling Stones

Background

• Ramones had released covers on most albums, almost all from the sixties
• Covers began with a version of Chris Montez's hit "Let's Dance" on the debut album
• Earlier covers include "Do You Wanna Dance?", "Surfin' Bird", "Needles and Pins" and "Baby, I Love You"
• Jan and Dean's "Surf City" was performed live once, on August 20, 1982 in New York City, and makes its studio debut here

Production

• Produced by Scott Hackwith, frontman of the alternative rock band Dig
• First time the Ramones worked with him
• Guest backing vocals: Pete Townshend on "Substitute", Sebastian Bach on "Out of Time", Traci Lords on "Somebody to Love"

Recording

• Basic tracks recorded at Baby Monster Studio, New York
• Overdubs recorded at Baby Monster Studio and Chung King House Of Metal, New York
• Mixed at Chung King House Of Metal, Saturn Sound in Burbank, and Sound On Sound, New York
• Mastered at Masterdisk, New York

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · www.discogs.com

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Formation

• An American punk rock band formed in Forest Hills, Queens, New York City, in 1974.
• Founding members Jeff Hyman, John Cummings, Douglas Colvin and Thomas Erdelyi took the stage names Joey, Johnny, Dee Dee and Tommy Ramone.
• The name was inspired by Paul McCartney's pseudonym Paul Ramon from his Silver Beetles days.
• The band made its CBGB debut on August 16, 1974, and became regulars at the club.
• Sire Records signed them in late 1975.

Members

• Joey Ramone (lead vocals, 1974–1996; died 2001).
• Johnny Ramone (guitar, 1974–1996; died 2004).
• Dee Dee Ramone (bass, 1974–1989; died 2002).
• Tommy Ramone (drums, 1974–1978; died 2014).
• Marky Ramone, Richie Ramone, Elvis Ramone and C. J. Ramone joined as later drummers and bassists.

Career

• The debut album Ramones was released in April 1976 and helped spearhead punk; its influence on British and American punk is widely cited.
• The band performed 2,263 concerts and released fourteen studio albums.
• Rocket to Russia (1977) was its highest-charting album, reaching number 49 on the Billboard 200.
• The band broke up after a farewell show at the Palace in Hollywood on August 6, 1996, following the Lollapalooza tour.
• Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002 and given a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011.

Reception

Reappraisal

• Johnny Ramone, in his 2012 autobiography Commando, called the album "hit-and-miss"
• He said many songs "were done with studio work, arrangements, and tricks, which was really different for us"
• He said the band "experimented to mixed success"
• He wrote that they were getting suggestions from everybody, which became a pain, citing a cover of the Zombies' "She's Not There"
• Johnny awarded the album a "B−" grade
• Bassist C.J. Ramone gave the album a "D" grade, saying it was done strictly for the money

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• Townshend arrived half an hour late for his session, so Johnny gave up and left the studio to watch a Yankee game.
• The album started as an EP until manager Gary Kurfirst promised a bigger advance and a bigger cut if it became a full release.
• The band promoted the album on the Cartoon Network talk show Space Ghost Coast to Coast, in the first-season episode "Bobcat".
• Sebastian Bach and Traci Lords received very special thanks along with Pete Townshend but are not credited.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · www.discogs.com

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