Road to Ruin (The Mr. T Experience album)
Encyclopedia
Road to Ruin is the eighth album by the Berkeley, California
punk rock
band The Mr. T Experience
, released in 1998
on Clearview Records. The album is a cover of the Ramones
' 1978 album Road to Ruin
in its entirety.
, The Mr. T Experience had previously released a song about them called "The End of the Ramones" on their 1989 EP
Big Black Bugs Bleed Blue Blood
.
The Mr. T Experience version of Road to Ruin, released in 1998, between the albums Revenge is Sweet, and So Are You
and Alcatraz
, marked the first appearance of the band name abbreviated to "MTX" on an album cover
. It was also the first album since the 1988 Rough Trade
release Night Shift at the Thrill Factory
, to not be released through Lookout Records. Although Night Shift at the Thrill Factory, and its predecessor Everybody's Entitled to Their Own Opinion
would see later re-issues through Lookout Records, Road to Ruin carries the distinction of being the only album to never see a release through the label.
According to the liner notes, the album was originally released as a tour edition of 300, pressed on half-blue, half-yellow marbled 12" vinyl
. The original tour edition also featured a felt, cloth-like front and back cover, separated into two 12" squares. The album was later re-issued on black vinyl with a standard album jacket, limited to a pressing of 1700 copies. To date, it is the only Mr. T Experience album to not see a release on compact disc
.
The album is one of several covers of Ramones albums released by punk rock bands in the 1990s. Screeching Weasel
released their version of Ramones
in 1992, a complete cover of the Ramones first album, and in 1994 The Queers
released Rocket to Russia
. Both bands are contemporaries of the Mr. T Experience, having played numerous shows together throughout each others careers. Later, in 2000, the Mr. T Experience EP The Miracle of Shame
would include another Ramones homage entitled "Mr. Ramones."
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band The Mr. T Experience
The Mr. T Experience
The Mr. T Experience is an American punk rock band formed in 1985 in Berkeley, California and currently recording for Lookout! Records. They have released ten full-length albums along with numerous EPs and singles and have toured internationally...
, released in 1998
1998 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1998.-Events:*January 28 – "Weird Al" Yankovic gets LASIK surgery to cure his myopia...
on Clearview Records. The album is a cover of the Ramones
Ramones
The Ramones were an American rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first punk rock group...
' 1978 album Road to Ruin
Road to Ruin (Ramones album)
Road to Ruin is the fourth studio album by the American punk rock band The Ramones. It was released on September 22, 1978 through Sire Records...
in its entirety.
Background
Being heavily influenced by the RamonesRamones
The Ramones were an American rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first punk rock group...
, The Mr. T Experience had previously released a song about them called "The End of the Ramones" on their 1989 EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
Big Black Bugs Bleed Blue Blood
Big Black Bugs Bleed Blue Blood
-Performers:*Dr. Frank - vocals, guitar*Jon Von Zelowitz - vocals, guitar*Byron Stomatos - bass*Alex Laipeneiks - drums*Eric Mead - guitar on "T-Shirt Commercial"*Janis Tanaka - bass on "T-Shirt Commercial"*Eban Ostby - drums on "T-Shirt Commercial"...
.
The Mr. T Experience version of Road to Ruin, released in 1998, between the albums Revenge is Sweet, and So Are You
Revenge is Sweet, and So Are You
Revenge Is Sweet, and So Are You is the seventh album by the Berkeley, California punk rock band The Mr. T Experience, released in 1997 by Lookout! Records.-Track listing:-Performers:*Dr...
and Alcatraz
Alcatraz (album)
-Performers:* Dr. Frank – vocals, guitar* Joel Reader – bass* Jim "Jym" Ruzicka – drums* Eric Noyes – hammond organ on tracks 1, 3, 8, & 10, piano on tracks 1 & 4* Gabe Meline – hammond organ on track 13, piano on track 10, ARP on track 5...
, marked the first appearance of the band name abbreviated to "MTX" on an album cover
Album cover
An album cover is the front of the packaging of a commercially released audio recording product, or album. The term can refer to either the printed cardboard covers typically used to package sets of 10" and 12" 78 rpm records, single and sets of 12" LPs, sets of 45 rpm records , or the front-facing...
. It was also the first album since the 1988 Rough Trade
Rough Trade Records
Rough Trade Records is an independent record label based in London. It was formed in 1978 by Geoff Travis who had opened a record store off Ladbroke Grove...
release Night Shift at the Thrill Factory
Night Shift at the Thrill Factory
Night Shift at the Thrill Factory is the second album by the Berkeley, California punk rock band The Mr. T Experience, released in 1988 by Rough Trade Records. Lookout! Records re-released the album in 1996 with a number of bonus tracks....
, to not be released through Lookout Records. Although Night Shift at the Thrill Factory, and its predecessor Everybody's Entitled to Their Own Opinion
Everybody's Entitled to Their Own Opinion
Everybody's Entitled to Their Own Opinion is the debut album by the Berkeley, California punk rock band The Mr. T Experience, released in 1986 by Disorder Records. It was the band's first full-length album and established their presence in the prolific San Francisco Bay Area music scene of the late...
would see later re-issues through Lookout Records, Road to Ruin carries the distinction of being the only album to never see a release through the label.
According to the liner notes, the album was originally released as a tour edition of 300, pressed on half-blue, half-yellow marbled 12" vinyl
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
. The original tour edition also featured a felt, cloth-like front and back cover, separated into two 12" squares. The album was later re-issued on black vinyl with a standard album jacket, limited to a pressing of 1700 copies. To date, it is the only Mr. T Experience album to not see a release on compact disc
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
.
The album is one of several covers of Ramones albums released by punk rock bands in the 1990s. Screeching Weasel
Screeching Weasel
Screeching Weasel is an American punk rock band originally from Chicago, Illinois. The band was formed in 1986 by Ben Weasel and John Jughead.Since their formation, Screeching Weasel have broken up and reformed numerous times with numerous line-up changes. Ben Weasel has been the only constant...
released their version of Ramones
Ramones (Screeching Weasel album)
Ramones is a cover album by the American punk rock band Screeching Weasel. It covers the Ramones' debut album Ramones in its entirety. The band was approached to cover the album at a party for the completion of their fourth album, Wiggle...
in 1992, a complete cover of the Ramones first album, and in 1994 The Queers
The Queers
The Queers are a punk band formed in 1981 by Portsmouth, New Hampshire native Joe King . The band originally broke up in 1984, but reformed with Joe Queer and a new line-up in 1986. In 1990, the band signed with Shakin' Street Records and released their first album Grow Up...
released Rocket to Russia
Rocket to Russia (Queers album)
Rocket to Russia is a Ramones cover album by pop punk band The Queers. This one of a series of full-length Ramones cover albums Rocket to Russia is a Ramones cover album by pop punk band The Queers. This one of a series of full-length Ramones cover albums Rocket to Russia is a Ramones cover album...
. Both bands are contemporaries of the Mr. T Experience, having played numerous shows together throughout each others careers. Later, in 2000, the Mr. T Experience EP The Miracle of Shame
The Miracle of Shame
The Miracle of Shame is an EP by the Berkeley, California punk rock band The Mr. T Experience, released in 2000 by Lookout! Records. It is the band's only release to include bassist Gabe Meline as an official member, though he had previously recorded with the band in a studio capacity on the 1999...
would include another Ramones homage entitled "Mr. Ramones."
Track listing
Personnel
- Dr. Frank - vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - Joel Reader - bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Jim "Jym" Ruzicka - drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
- Kevin Army - producer, engineer
- Penelope HoustonPenelope HoustonPenelope Houston is an American singer-songwriter best known as the singer for the San Francisco-based punk rock band The Avengers. She was raised in Seattle. In the mid-1970s she attended Fairhaven College in Bellingham, Washington...
- guest vocals on "Questioningly"