Brain Drain is the eleventh studio album by the American punk rock band the Ramones, released on March 23, 1989. It is the last Ramones release to feature bassist/lyricist/vocalist Dee Dee Ramone, the first to feature Marky Ramone since his initial firing from the band after 1983's Subterranean Jungle and the band's last studio album on Sire Records. Dee Dee Ramone stated: “It was tough recording the Brain Drain album because everyone took their shit out on me. I dreaded being around them. It drove me away — I didn't even end up playing on the album. Everybody in the band had problems; girlfriend problems, money problems, mental problems”. Johnny Ramone expressed similarly unfavorable sentiments in his 2012 autobiography, Commando, calling it "one of my least favorite albums, but it has a couple of bright spots, like 'Miracles' and 'Punishment Fits the Crime.'" He awarded both the Brain Drain album and its follow-up, Mondo Bizarro, a "C" letter grade. Dee Dee appears as the bassist in both of the music videos for "Pet Sematary" but was replaced by new bassist C.J. Ramone in the videos for "I Believe In Miracles" and "Merry Christmas."
Songs
"Palisades Park" is a cover song, originally recorded by Freddy Cannon in 1962. "Pet Sematary" was written for the Stephen Kingmovie adaptation of the same name and was issued as a single, becoming one of the Ramones' biggest radio hits and a staple of their concerts during the 1990s. "Merry Christmas " was later included in the film Christmas With The Kranks.
Cover versions
"I Believe in Miracles" was covered by Eddie Vedder and Zeke for the We're a Happy Family—A Tribute to the Ramones album and is frequently covered by Pearl Jam at their shows. "Pet Sematary" was performed live by Germanindustrial metal band Rammstein and was released as a b-side to their single "Ich will" in 2001. Rammstein was joined onstage by Marky Ramone, C. J. Ramone and Jerry Only of the Misfits when performing the song in New York as a tribute to Joey Ramone who had died three months prior. The song was later covered by a psychobilly band, the Creepshow, as a bonus track for their second album, Run For Your Life, in 2008. It was also performed by the Plain White T's for the film Frankenweenie ' "Merry Christmas " was covered by Joey Ramone on his second posthumous album ...Ya Know?''. The end credits of the 2019 version of "Pet Sematary" include a cover version of "Pet Sematary" by the American punk rock band Starcrawler.
