Despite my voracious mid-90's pop-punk diet, I never glommed onto Cleavland's
Beatnik Termites (and I did sample their work). Did I miss something? Back in 1997 they attacked
Pleasant Dreams as if it was an album of their best originals and came within spitting distances of cutting the Ramones on the album's most memorable song - "The KKK Took My Baby Away". Then, with "You Sound Like You're Sick", they did end up beating the Ramones of 1981 at their own game. It's no wonder it's the only of these cover albums to have been both praised by Marky Ramone ("It was real good") and name checked on the Rhino Ramones re-issues' liner notes. Even if you think that covering an entire album is lame- you owe this a listen.
DownloadP.S. For a European take on
Subterranean Jungle visit the ever-awesome
Ratboy 69 who posted an often-fun version by the Tip-Toppers. A quick listen suggested to these (Canadian) ears that only Americans can really pull off Ramones mimicry - though a Chixdiggit version of
Animal Boy would be great (Sloppy Seconds being possibly even better).
P.P. S. In 1997 former New Jersey-ites the Parasites fit the double-album
It's Alive onto a single LP by doing the Japanese single disc version. The exhaustive (in the fun sense of that word) Hangover Heart Attack has posted it
here. However, this album doesn't tell you anything that you need to know about this otherwise excellent band.
