"The solution to peace isn't clear,
the terrorist threat is a modern fear."

No, that's not from a new 2004 song...that was Dee Dee Ramone writing "Planet Earth 1988." As he made abundantly clear on "Jungle," he was becoming the Ramones' new secret weapon, either penning or co-writing nine tracks on "Too Tough To Die." If the heaviness of "Mama's Boy" or the obvious band statement of the title track didn't get you, then nothing could. Even the obvious bids for radio acceptance, "Howling At The Moon" and "Chasing The Night," were as good as anything from the brilliant "Rocket to Russia."

Producers Tommy (Ramone) Erdelyi and Ed Stasium probably had a better understanding of a Ramones sound than anyone outside the band, so they fit "Too Tough To Die" like naturals. Johnny's guitar is prominent, new drummer Richie Ramone gave the band a much needed power shot in the arm. Joey hadn't sounded this committed vocally since "End Of The Century." Listen to the way he attacks "Mama's Boy" and the bonus remake of "Street Fighting Man." Even Dee Dee's vocals on his drug addled "Wart Hog" and "Endless vacation" added an air of fresh vitality to the band.

The Ramones may have been fractious for the previous three albums, but during the sessions for "Subterranean Jungle," Dee Dee and Johnny overcame their differences and became friends again. While that didn't save "Jungle," it sure did jazz up "Too Tough To Die." The most vital of their 80's output, this caught the band at their 10th anniversary and tackling mature issues. "Too Tough To Die" was the Ramones re-staking their place in the Rock and Roll hierarchy at the time when U2 and the Clash were making commercial inroads and social statements. It remains the last truly classic Ramones album, every bit as essential as those first four albums and proof that punk rock could grow up.

After two a bit soft albums issued in early eighties(Pleasant
Dreams,Subterranean Jungle),Ramones return to their origins with
Too Tough to Die.This record is my Ramones'personal favorite,
after fantastic Rocket to Russia.It has everything you expect
from Ramones' album.The only difference between this one and
other Ramones' records is that Too Tough to Die is pretty dark
and aggressive,but it makes it even better.Why?'Cause the album
has its uniqe atmosphere and character.Yeah,we've seen more
aggressive Ramones albums before(Road to Ruin),but this is more
harder then you can expect from the Ramones.That's good,because
they finally made brilliant punk record again(which Pleasant
Dreams most certainly wasn't),which has,in some moments,hardcore
feel.But let's get to the somgs.
The opening track,Mama's Boy,is one of the best on the record,in
ol' Ramones sarcastic and ironic way.Lyrics are great!I'm not
Afraid of Life and title song Too Tough to Die are pure classics

that introduce very often Ramones matter:to fight for the place
in the world and better society,never to give up.They sound great.Johnny's Mosrite in the background of Joey's amazing voice
silently grabs you with its strong,aggresive,but melodic sound,
and it won't let you breathe 'till the end of the album!
The song that follows,Durango 95,is one of my favorite.It's ins-
trumental (?),but it perfectly sets up the atmosphere for the fas
test,strongest and most aggressive song of the album,Wart Hog,pe-
rfectly sang by DeeDee.You can buy record just for that song alone.The other song sang by DeeDee,Endless Vacation,is as good
as Wart Hog,but not better.Wart Hog,maybe,has a little stronger
sound.Danger Zone and Chasing the Night,the closing songs of the
album's first half,are both great,but I like Chasing the Night
more than Danger Zone.But it's only the matter of taste.
Howling at the Moon,song that follows,starts pretty strange-with
the keyboards????But,as seconds flow,it turns to be one of the
Ramones' best.It contains one of the best DeeDee's lyrics and
Joey's vocals.It actually celebrates anarchy,but with little sugar(Sha-la-la).Daytime Dillema is probably the most hilarious
song of the album,and it sets up pretty funny question.Can things
be what they seem?Planet Earth 1988 and Humankind are another
society critics.1988 is written by DeeDee,but Ritchie has beaten
him in Humankind-it contains much better lyrics than 1988.But
1988 is great too.Endless Vacation is superb,subject matter is
very hard,and DeeDee's kinda sick voice makes it all more of a
punch-in-the-head.No Go is appropriate ending for a great album,
with funny lyrics,all packed in Joey's really amazing voice.
Too Tough to Die definitely goes up to TOP5 Ramones' albums:right
there by their old classics.It's undoubtly their greatest record
of the eighties.Own it.

On this 1984 release, the Ramones tried to reclaim their standing as punk originators; bands like Black Flag and the Dead Kennedys had usurped them somewhat. Here, the Ramones never sounded tougher, meaner, or more disenchanted--songs like the title track and "Mama's Boy" are growling, leather-clad masterpieces, far removed from "Sheena is a Punk Rocker" but all the more convincing for that. Dee Dee's shockingly ugly "Wart Hog" showed younger bands who could do louder-faster-crazier best; spitting out rabid, anti-everything lyrics (including some that are incredibly un-PC) that are almost unintelligible, you believe Dee Dee when he gurgles "It's a hopeless void-oid-oid-oid!"

Of course, the Ramones hadn't lost their touch for pop-powered punk. The pro-pot "Howling at the Moon" is joyous and invigorating; "Daytime Dilemma" is a hilarious slam at soap operas. This is a good, mid-period album for a band that would suffer an unfortunate eclipse in the 80s. Today, after they've broken up, it would be a good idea for fair-weather Ramones fans to check this one out.

If you would ask me to pick the worst Ramones albums, the choice would be easy : 'End of the Century', 'Subterranean Jungle' and 'Pleasant Dreams'. Not that any of these albums are bad, but they don't cut it as much as all their other CDs. 'Too Tough To Die' has everything you expect from a Ramones album and more. The production is outstanding and the Ramones never sounded better than this. Songs like 'Too Tough To Die', 'Daytime Dilemma', 'Endless Vacation' or even 'Wart Hog' kick you in the guts and make you come back for more. Joey's contributions like 'No Go', 'Howling at the Moon' or 'Chasing the Night' are fantastic rock songs and prove, that he was just as much a 'Rock'n'Roller' than a 'Punk Rocker'. This album will make you go back to Amazon.com and order the remaining Ramones albums !

Normally I might be a little cynical about these re-issue CDs. I bought every Ramones record on vinyl when I was a kid. Then I later bought them on CD, and it wasn't all that long ago. Now they expect me to buy them AGAIN? Is this just a record lable/conglomerate trying to squeeze more money out of a band that never really achieved "financial success" for them? I don't know. What I do know is that these new re-releases are worth every damn penny I paid for them. Each booklet is packed to the gills with great photos and informative retrospectives on what was going on with the band around the time the album was recorded. Best of all, they include outtakes, demo versions, B sides etc. The best nuggets on Too Tough To Die are the UK B sides to the Howling At the Moon single, which are a cover of the Stones' Street Fighting Man and Smash You, which was recorded during the TTTD sessions but sounds very much like a classic 70s Ramones song. Also, a demo version of Howling At the Moon, which is just guitar, drums, bass and vocals. It sounds so intensely better than the overproduced synth version that ended up on the album, it makes me sad that they chose to ruin such a great song. I was hoping the original version of Bonzo Goes to Bitburg would be here, since it was a single that was released so close to this album, but hopefully it'll show up on the Animal Boy re-issue.

Casual fans should think twice before buying, but if you consider yourself a "Ramones fan" then you really need these re-issues.