BAD CHOPPER
Track Listing:
| Real Bad Time | ||
| MP3 | Sick Of It | |
| Ain't No Criminal | ||
| Why | ||
| Headshot | ||
| Diabla | ||
| MP3 | Do It To Me | |
| Come On Now | ||
| Lucky Girl | ||
| 1965 | ||
| All The Pretty Girls | ||
| Good Enough For Me |
Reviews:
| GRAVYZINE.COM |
| Respect is due to anyone who can step in to the shoes of an original Ramone and that's exactly what Bad Chopper's head honcho CJ Ward aka CJ Ramone did when he replaced Dee Dee (RIP) in 1989. So big expectations for this 3 piece (completed by guitarist Brian Costanza and Out Cold vocalist Mark Sheehan on drums), and they certainly deliver. 12 tracks of mid paced, catchy punk rock with the inevitable Ramones influence and hooks aplenty. Guest lead guitar spots from Walter Lure and produced by famed Ramones knob twiddler Daniel Rey ensure that the quality is kept to a premium. An absolutely essential album for fans of punk rock done properly. |
| NEW YORK WASTE, FALL 2008 |
| Call him Ramone or Ward, it doesn't really matter. To anyone who knows anything about punk rock, the man remains one of the most important musicians of the New York scene. Not as important as Dee Dee, but then again who is? And I know CJ won't blame me for writing that. Dee Dee was the heart of the Ramones, and most certainly the greatest punk songwriter ever; at least that's what I think. But don't go and label CJ as Dee Dee's replacement. First, because Dee Dee can't be replaced. Second because CJ was equally as important in the band history as his band mates. If it wasn't for him, would the Ramones have been able to go on long after 1989 when Dee Dee quit? Not only did CJ bring a new energy to the band and won over the hearts of the die-hard fans (and lord must it be tough to come after Dee Dee!) but also because who else (if anyone) could have done it with such talent and honesty? I don't have to remind you readers that, at some point, CJ was singing half of the songs when the band was performing live; not only that but he wrote some pretty damn cool tracks as well. So if you guys don't mind, and despite the fact that CJ didn't get to join them on stage at the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame ceremony, I will credit him as being responsible for giving the greatest punk rock band in the world some 7 extra years of live performances, and that's quite a big achievement in my book if you ask me. But enough said about the past, it is now 2008 and CJ is finally back with a brand new solo album with his band Bad Chopper. The group is just back from a successful tour of South America and their long awaited debut album was released on Acme Records. The CD (also available on LP) features 12 tracks which will sound like a good lesson in rocknroll to any MTV-friendly so-called punk rock band and Hot Topic poseur. This is the real thing. Produced by Daniel Rey and featuring a guest appearance by Walter Lure, Bad Chopper takes no prisoners and delivers a kick ass album; proving that CJ can definitely live on without the Ramones, and that there is still hope for the punk rock scene. Don't expect a Ramones-sounding album, Bad Chopper is no cover band; and that's something I appreciate in an artist to come up with something new. Then again, if the Ramones were still around and playing, maybe that's what they would sound like--the spirit is definitely there. But hey, I might be putting too much thinking into this when truly it doesn't matter. As I already said, call him Ramone or Ward, CJ is still one of the most important musicians of the punk rock scene, past and present, and Bad Chopper's debut CD is one of the the most exciting and powerful albums I've heard in a while. |
| THE NOISE #285 |
| How is it that the oracles throughout the passages of time can write such great almanacs yet never have included the universe of Bad Chopper within their pages? Their energy, which has been tightly packaged in cellophane wrapping, should have predicted it all. Their polished neo-punk/stoner-yet-touching-on-metal sound slipped through the cracks of sanity and continues to decrease leaving only Bostonians the pleasure of their existence. Most notably are the guitar sounds--very full, round and tight. There's a great use of stereo panning that adds richness to their already massive sound. The lyrics are to die for: "Lucky girl, give me back my heart." Come on now, who hasn't felt that way before? My favorite track is "1965" because it reminds me of the days when people were easily brainwashed and provoked into believing anything their leaders told them. Maybe I can propagate ya'll... BUY THEIR ALBUM (or at least listen to it)...better yet LET'S START A WAR AND KILL INNOCENT (poor) PEOPLE. |
| PEACEDOGMAN.COM |
| Cheap talk... CJ Ramone
plus a member of Out Cold who previously played with GG Fuckin Allin. Guest appearances by
Walter Lure (Heartbreakers) and Daniel Rey (producer, co-writer with The Ramones, former
member of Manitoba's Wild Kingdom aka The Dictators). Real talk... Best ex-Ramones release to date. Anyone who heard CJ's Johnny Thunders-styled snarlwhine over The Ramones' cover of Motörhead's "R.A.M.O.N.E.S." knows the dude can handle the mic. Music-wise it's a lot like the previously mentioned track but with a touch more swagger. You got the stripped down rawness of bands like The Ramones and Motörhead and even a touch of the mighty Dictators but with summa that Thunders-styled raw dawg rock n roll flair. Just good trashy rock n roll all over this one with a good amount of snarl and bite from several surviving members of da first church of rock n fucking roll. A solid sense of when to not think too much about the words and when to think a lot about the style. Some of this will stay in your head no matter how D-U-M-B (everyone's accusin' me) some of it is. But, what the fuck!?!?!?! Do you want Foie Gras or a Big Mac? I choose the latter! Why? Because, even as I become a dreaded thirtysomething, I will always love stupid teenaged rock n roll in all it's fine forms. Because I "remember lyin' in bed with the covers pulled up over my head, radio playin' so no one can see". Because intellectuals are finks and frauds. Because I still believe you can juice more out of a 4-track with your heart and soul thrown into it than you can in a bajillion track studio. Bad Chopper's previous incarnation as The Warm Jets proved that with their excellent 45 featuring a more raw version of "Diabla". So did The Electric Eels fer that matter and I doubt they even used a 4-track. Regardless, you can keep your scales and first class production jobs. Hell, have all the Zeke's and what have youz. I will take this scrappy affair and enjoy that my faith as a "truefan" has been restored yet again by another fine release from Acme. I hear pre-orders of the vinyl version get autographed copies. Sold! |
| TERMINAL BOREDOM |
| To say I was skeptical before popping this disc into my CD player would be a vast understatement. Bad Chopper is CJ Ramone’s new band and the first thing I looked at was the name of the band, which is not exactly my idea of a very good band name, and the fact that it’s another new band featuring another ex-Ramone, which often means you should immediately induce vomiting before taking the CD out of the player and throwing it frisbee style into the wall to shatter it into a million pieces. Like I said, I was skeptical. Very skeptical. So to say that I was pleasantly surprised when I pressed the play button and the sound that came screeching out of my speakers is also a vast understatement. The sound that shot through my room and into my ears was good. Real good. The songs were catchy, loud, ballsy, straight to the point, fun, angry, emotional, aggressive, simple, and though somewhat Ramonesy there’s a great mix of garage and hardcore thrown in there to satisfy. CJ’s screechy vocals accompany the music perfectly and the band, which features Mark from Out Cold and GG Allin on drums, guitar and vocals, and legendary Heartbreakers’ guitarist Walter Lure on a couple tracks, is as solid a lineup as you could ask for in a punk rock band. Produced by legendary Ramones producer Daniel Rey. Twelve songs all in all and not a single stinker. Grab this up ASAP! |
| BIG TAKEOVER #62 |
| With three-quarters of the founding Ramones lineup now ticked off this mortal coil and the former CBGB site transmogrified into high-end designer John Varvatos' museum/boutique dedicated to its nouveau riche clientele's rock 'n' roll-wannabe jerk-off fantasies--where vintage Ramones t-shirts run a mere $800 and up--this scribe is now wondering if the tellingly-adrift Blank Generation can ever balance its own checkbook ever again. The fact that Da Brudders' own designer, Arturo Vega, was just quoted in the NY Times at a Varvatos party while arguing with a young punkette, protesting the bourgeoisification of punk's true ground zero, "Work hard and you'll be able to afford," the answer is probably never, ever again. Mind you, that party--featuring live performances by a reformed D Generation, Cypress Hill's Sen Dog, Blondie's Clem Burke, and ex-Rage Against The Machine's Tom Morello, cost a mere $75 a head. So... at least we have Swedish bands like Zooparty, and post-Dee-Dee-era bassist CJ Ramone's own Bad Chopper to remind us what the true, pure essence of punk was all about! As to the music on both discs: they're serviceable Stooges/Ramones-influenced punk with appearances by ubiquitous legends, the Damned's Brian James and Sex Pistols' Glen Matlock with Zooparty, and Johnny Thunders' Heartbreakers' Walter Lure and producer Daniel Rey with Bad Chopper. The standout: Bad Chopper, who provides an awfully raw, wild 12-song ride in 31 minutes. Both these bands mean it, maaaan and they are keeping it real without sounding nostalgic. That and they don't with a heavy price tag, so support these bands! |
| SAN JOSE VISION |
| Whenever I tell someone that CJ was my favorite Ramone and they look at me kind of strange, I say, "Well, you must have never seen the Ramones play live." CJ was insane when he played in concert, thrashing about all over the stage. The Ramones may be gone but CJ is back with his new band, Bad Chopper and a new self-titled album. I love this album! It's everything you could hope for from an ex-Ramone: fast short songs, tight riffs, catchy melodies. My favorite songs are Sick of It and Come On Now. Great stuff! |
| GROOVE (SWEDEN) |
| The debut album from CJ Ramone's newest band. CJ, whose real name is Ward, replaced as you know Dee Dee in the groundbreaking Ramones when he left the band in 1989. That CJ was a huge Ramones fan before he got drafted by "colonel-Johnny", and still is, is a fact when you listen to this album. The record is produced by the Ramones producer Daniel Rey, who also plays some guitar here and there. And Walter Lure from the Johnny Thunders Heartbreakers is another guest. It's almost ridiculous how much this album sounds like the Ramones. The second track you almost think is "I Believe In Miracles", but the song is called "Sick of it". On the back is two Mosrite guitars. The attributes and the clichés are all there, but the songs are (maybe because of this) really good. Especially the autobiographical "1965". You do miss Joey's voice, and they could have come up with a better name for the band. Otherwise, this is as close as we get to the Ramones today. The whole record is a tribute to the band and to the three members who passed away too early. Gabba Gabba Hey! |
| MAXIMUM ROCKNROLL #298 |
| Twelve tracks of sleazy yet catchy rocknroll, all done with a heavy hint of Turbonegro and the Dead Boys. Played loud with attitude and a touch of that Fu Manchu vibe mixed in for good measure. |
| SUNHERALD.COM |
| This CD/vinyl release is the long-awaited full-length album from latter-day Ramones bassist C.J. Ramone, who is fronting Bad Chopper on bass/vocals under his real name, C.J. Ward. Immediately following the Ramones' 1996 retirement, C.J's band, the Warm Jets (name later changed to Bad Chopper), played around NYC and did South American touring with various line-ups. Then, he helped raise his children, one of whom is autistic. Parenthood is ongoing, of course, but now C.J. is ready to rock again. Daniel Rey, producer/extra guitarist on some of the Ramones' later albums, is behind the board for this blistering slab of punk rock. There are some similarities to the Ramones (minus most of the witty lyrics), but the Stooges and other punk forefathers also come to mind. Highlights include "Diabla," "Real Bad Time" and the two featuring Heartbreakers/Ramones studio guitarist Walter Lure, especially "Sick of It." Rey's nifty guitar adorns my current fave, "Good Enough for Me" plus one more. Ramones fans and devotees of churning NYC punk rock can get this one locally or online at www.acmerecords.net. |
| SUBURBAN VOICE BLOG #57 |
| Bad Chopper had a 7” under its former name Warm Jets a few years ago and the b-side, “Diabla,” was a killer. With the name-change comes their first album and this band, which includes CJ Ward (aka Ramone) on vocals and bass and Out Cold’s Mark Sheehan on drums and rhythm guitar, bash out basic, sturdy three chord punk rock ‘n roll with a Noo Yawk vibe. In fact, there’s not a lot of differentiation from song to song except for the harder-driving rant of “Why” (with Mark on vocals). The minute I hear the lead guitar lick for “Sick Of It,” it makes me think of the Heartbreakers and, lo and behold, Walter Lure from that band is playing it. Daniel Rey, onetime Ramones producer (and guitarist for Shrapnel back in the day!) contributes guitar on a few songs, as well. CJ’s vocals have a swagger and arrogance, a little overbearing at times but appropriate for the material and it’s made up for with the searing buzz here. And “Headshot” is the first punk rock song I can recall referencing Watergate criminal/talk radio host G. Gordon Liddy. |
| METALRAGE.COM (NETHERLANDS) |
| CJ Ramone's new band...I had to make sure I said that. So here it is, CJ Ramone's new band called Bad Chopper. For those who don't know CJ Ramone, don't sweat it, you didn't miss much. For fans of the Ramones, don't worry, you'll grow up someday. For the people who don't know what a chopper is; it's a motorcycle for straight guys and it's also an aircraft, but if ya take a look at the album cover, mentioning the latter is a bit superfluous and for some less intelligent readers it can be confusing. I'm sorry for that. For everyone that survived the punk scene, their heroes from that band I just mentioned travelled the world for a long time, because they had to pay alimony. I can't say what CJ's reasons are, but according to their site, Bad Chopper is going around the world as well. Musically, if you liked his old band, you'll love his new band. Without getting annoying like a lot of punk bands can get (because they think they're fighting extinction, but what's already dead can't become extinct a second time now does it?) this band rolls on where punk rock once left off. A couple o' chords, an OK singer that's not that special and another guy beating off childhood frustrations on a drumkit. All in all this is a nice album to just put on while playing poker with friends or when you're putting a new carburatorfanbeltthingie on your chopper (or a new rotor if you have the aircraft, which would be awesome!). Without pretending to do anymore, Bad Chopper just rocks on and most of the time, bands like this give away kick ass live shows. If they find their way to Holland I will be attending this and go there by bike. The type without a motor in it that is, because I can't afford a straight man's motor just yet. |
Pressing history:
| FORMAT | PRESSING | DATE | QUANTITY | DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTIC |
| CD | 1 | November 2007 | 1005 | |
| CD | 2 | December 2008 | 1005 | various artwork changes, addition of lyrics to booklet |
| LP | 1 | February 2008 | 1100 |