Take A Break - Me First And The Gimme Gimmes

Are you one of those people who moan about bands always covering old classic songs? You know, maybe you objected to Boyzone covering Love me For a Reason because you always thought the Osmond's with their pearly white teeth and their clean cut all-American image were the better singers?

If you hate cover versions, then I can tell you you'll hate this band.

Me First and The Gimme Gimmes ARE a cover band. They have never ...
...intend to. However, the Gimme Gimmes are not some Irish boy band hoping to storm to the top of the charts by singing a cheesy cover of an Abba song in a sickly sweet four part harmony riding on no talent but a pretty boy image.

That said, they're NOT talentless. The band formed as a jokey little sideline for members of such high profile bands as NOFX and Lagwagon, there is a huge amount of talent, and their tongue-in-cheek punk ska ... more

Are you one of those people who moan about bands always covering old classic songs? You know, maybe you objected to Boyzone covering Love me For a Reason because you always thought the Osmond's with their pearly white teeth and their clean cut all-American image were the better singers?

If you hate cover versions, then I can tell you you'll hate this band.

Me First and The Gimme Gimmes ARE a cover band. They have never released a song they've written themselves, and they probably never intend to. However, the Gimme Gimmes are not some Irish boy band hoping to storm to the top of the charts by singing a cheesy cover of an Abba song in a sickly sweet four part harmony riding on no talent but a pretty boy image.

That said, they're NOT talentless. The band formed as a jokey little sideline for members of such high profile bands as NOFX and Lagwagon, there is a huge amount of talent, and their tongue-in-cheek punk ska covers of a selection of cheesy hits, from sixties classic to popular showtunes from musicals, over a series of four albums has become a bit of a hit in many of the rockier clubs in the UK.

The line up consists of Spike Slawson (from the Swinging Utters) on vocals, Jake Jackson on Guitars, Lagwagons Joey Cape and Dave Raun on guitars and drums respectively, and NOFX'S 'fat' Mike Burkett on Bass guitar.

The album
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Track 1) Where do broken hearts go.
Made famous by Whitney Housten in 1987, this is a song about heartbreak, and not knowing how to get over it. It WAS a sad song with beautiful lyrics that whenever Whitney performed it would bring a small tear to my eye. However, in the hands of the Gimme Gimmes, with Slawsons powerful vocals, heavy power chords and a strong, thumping drumbeat, this song is transformed into a beast of a Ska record.

Lyric example:
I know it's been some time
But there's something on my mind
You see, I haven't been the same
Since that cold November day...
We said we needed space
But all we found was an empty place
And the only thing I learned
Is that I need you desperately...

Track 2)Hello

Everyone knows this song famous by Lionel Ritchie, with that slightly creepy video where Mr Ritchie appears to be stalking that poor blind sculptress, the addition of some pretty impressive guitar solo work and a novelty barbershop quartet style harmony at the end makes this song much better in my eyes, dues to cheese factor dropping from Gorgonzola levels to about the cheesiness of a Dairylea triangle.

I doubt a lyric example is needed..But for those who've never heard this song before....Helloooooo, is it me you're looking for.

Track 3) End of the road.
A classic Boyz II Men track, this is one of those songs that I always hated and couldn't bear to listen to in its original format. Me first and the Gimme Gimmes, as well as adding a heavy layer of punk have done this song a hearty favour by speeding it op so that this ones epic song of misery is over in a flat three minutes. A song I will NEVER like, but can just about tolerate when I know the pain in my ears will end soon.

Track 4) Ain't no sunshine
Originally a Bill Withers classic, this song, which was great in it's original format, if a little slow, has been given a great dose of kickass while retaining all the beauty and meaning of the lyrics. From a band who can be a little heavy handed with the power chords, this song has been treated by them with some degree of respect, (although you do hear a note exhaustion creep in about after the twelfth repetition of 'I know, I know, etc')

Track 5) Nothing compares to you
A song that often gets brutally mis-sung on the nations Karaoke Machines, this one was a hit for the egg-headed Irish beauty that is Sinead O' Connor. Again, the band has, for them, been quite delicate with their additions to this song, the singing is excellent and the song although considerably faster retains its original emotion and meaning.

Track 6) Crazy
Written by Samuel Henry Olusegun Adeola, the man who rather sensibly changed his name to the more pronounceable Seal in order to make himself successful this has always been a favourite song of mine. They band stay true tot he tune, albeit making it faster and adding a little bit of extra guitar, but listen to the subtle lyric changes, for example 'Crazy yellow people walking through my head, One of them's got a gun, he's yelling ' in my ear.'

I'm going to leave off on the track description there, because what I'd really like is for you to go out, purchase this album, and discover it for yourselves. The rest of the tracks are: Isn't she Lovely, I believe I can fly, Oh girl, I'll be there, Mona Lisa, Save the best for last, and Natural Woman. Due to most of the songs being considerably sped up punk versions, the album is very short at just over 32 minutes long.

So, with Nat King Cole turning in his grave, and Seal and Vanessa Williams sitting there calculating the amount of alcohol they can obtain from their small amount of extra royalties, what else is there for me to say, apart from BUY this album. It's may not be the most remarkable album you ever here, there's very little originality whatsoever, but if you like Ska, and you like cheesy lyrics, you'll like me first and the Gimme Gimmes, and they make a great party background listening for a giggle. Due to the band not being particularly well known, I'd recommend trying larger music retailers or the Internet. You can expect to pay around 11.99.

Www.gimmegimmes.com is worth checking out to find out more about the band.

Five stars from me, as despite being wholly unoriginal, it hits all my comedy buttons.
 

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