Too Tough to Die
The Ramones' eighth studio album, Too Tough to Die, came out in 1984 on Sire Records. It followed Subterranean Jungle and marked a change of direction: after several records that leaned towards pop, the band went back to the stripped-down approach of their 1976 debut. Former drummer Tommy Ramone, credited as T. Erdelyi, produced, and the sessions were run much as the first album's had been. It was also the first Ramones record with Richie Ramone behind the kit.
The sound is harder than its predecessors, mixing punk with a touch of heavy metal. Dee Dee Ramone takes lead vocals on two tracks, and "Durango 95" remains the only instrumental in the band's catalogue. The cover, a silhouette shot of the four members, came about when photographer George DuBose's camera malfunctioned. Critics welcomed the return to form, though sales were weak, and it peaked lower on the Billboard 200 than any of their earlier albums.
Too Tough to Die: tracklist, credits and charts
13 tracks · 36:13Tracklist
- 1Mama's BoyErdelyi, Ramone, Ramone2:09
- 2I'm Not Afraid of LifeDee Dee Ramone3:12
- 3Too Tough to DieDee Dee Ramone2:35
- 4Durango 95Johnny Ramone0:55
- 5Wart HogDee Dee Ramone and Johnny Ramone1:54
- 6Danger ZoneDee Dee Ramone and Johnny Ramone2:03
- 7Chasing the NightJones, Ramone, Ramone4:25
- 8Howling at the Moon (Sha-La-La)Dee Dee Ramone4:06
- 9Daytime Dilemma (Dangers of Love)Joey Ramone and Daniel Rey4:31
- 10Planet Earth 1988Dee Dee Ramone2:54
- 11Human KindRichie Ramone2:41
- 12Endless VacationDee Dee Ramone and Johnny Ramone1:45
- 13No GoJoey Ramone3:03
- Produced by
- Thomas Erdelyi, Ed Stasium, Dave Stewart, T. Erdelyi, Tommy Ramone
- Recorded at
- Mediasound Studios (New York City)
- Recorded
- July 1984
- Mixed at
- Sigma Sound Studios
- Engineered by
- Ed Stasium
- Labels
- Sire Records, Sire
- Length
- 36:13
Line-up
- Dee Dee Ramone · bass guitar, lead vocals
- Johnny Ramone · guitar
- Richie Ramone · drums (drum set)
- Joey Ramone · lead vocals
- Jerry Harrison · synthesizer · guest
- Benmont Tench · keyboard · guest
Singles
- “Howling at the Moon (Sha-La-La)" b/w "Wart Hog” · December 1984 (US)
Peak chart positions
| Chart | Peak |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart · 1984 | 63 |
| US Billboard 200 · 1984 | 171 |
| Finnish Albums (The Official Finnish Charts) · 1984 | 26 |
| Swedish Albums · 1984 | 49 |
From MusicBrainz, Wikipedia and Wikidata. Only what the sources record is shown.
More from Ramones
Full discography →
The best of 1984
All of 1984 →
More on Sire Records
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Releases and pressings
How we know the release date only month precision available
| Source | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|
| MusicBrainz | 1984 | |
| Wikipedia infobox | 1 October 1984 | |
| Wikidata | October 1984 | |
| US release | 1984 | earliest US date |
14 editions
| Date | Country | Label | Barcode | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | US | Sire Records | 0075992518727 | other |
| 1984 | US | Sire Records | 07599251871 | original |
| 1984 | DE | — | original | |
| 1985 | US | Sire Records | 075992518727 | other |
| 1985 | GB | Beggars Banquet | other | |
| 1989 | DE | TELDEC | 022924450723 | other |
| 25 January 1990 | JP | Sire Records | 4988014731478 | other |
| 1992 | FR | Closer Records | other | |
| 2002 | XE | Rhino | 081227815820 | remaster |
| 20 August 2002 | AR | Rhino | 081227815820 | remaster |
| 20 August 2002 | US | Rhino | 081227815820 | other |
| 20 August 2002 | XW | Rhino | 603497087167 | deluxe |
| 5 September 2007 | JP | Sire Records | 4943674073870 | other |
| 9 August 2014 | US | Rhino | other |
Cover art sources
deezer · native: native 1800x1800
| Source | Size | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| deezer ✓ | 1800×1800 | native: native 1800x1800 |
| fanarttv | 1000×1000 | upscaled |
| coverartarchive | 600×600 | upscaled |