Search - Me First & Gimme Gimmes :: Are a Drag

The best cover band ever...

Paul H. | 07/07/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"MFATGG can do no wrong. On this, their second full length album, the best cover band ever has moved from covering the soft rock hits of the 70's to reworking the songs of Broadway into punk classics. 12 covers of showtunes. Most are two minutes or less, and always leave you wanting more. The best songs are "Over the Rainbow" from The Wizard of Oz, "Summertime" from Porgy and Bess, The Phantom of the Opera theme song, "Favorite Things" from The Sound of Music, and "Stepping Out" from Cabaret. "Favorite Things" also steals it intro from the Bad Religion song, "Generator". This CD is so good, no matter what kind of music you, like you'll have to at least appreciate these songs. They play them with a sense of reverence and not at all with a condescending or 'punker than thou' attitude. Go. Buy. Now."

Gloriously Entertaining

Paul H. | USA | 08/22/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Gimmicky? Not as much as one might think. While a lesser band might have intended this collection as a batch of cynical parodies, Me First & The Gimme Gimme's Are A Drag comes off as a loving tribute to Broadway and other assorted musicals. The tunes are played quite straight-faced, and the tight musicianship and raw yet charming vocals make for some very enjoyable repeated listenings. Think a great pop-punk band hooked on Andrew Lyodd Webber and Rodgers & Hammerstien. Other bands might attempt to do what the Gimme Gimme's set out to accomplish (see New Found Glory, whose movie theme song covers come off as more grating than particularly entertaining), but it doesn't get better than Me First. Any band that can pull of a ska-punk version of "Cabaret" deserves a pat on the back. And for those who'd like to know....the songs and their corresponding musicals:Over The Rainbow (The Wizard Of Oz)
Don't Cry For Me Argentina (Evita)
Science Fiction Double Feature (Rocky Horror Show)
Summertime (Porgy & Bess)
Favorite Things (The Sound Of Music)
Rainbow Connection (Muppet Movie)
Phantom of the Opera Song (duh)
I Sing The Body Electric (Fame)
It's Raining On Prom Night (Grease)
Tomorrow (Annie)
What I Did For Love (A Chorus Line)
Cabaret (duh) (why does every website list this a "Stepping Out"?)"

Kickin myself in De Toosh

monmothma | seattle | 05/15/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"WOW! I got this CD for Xmas from my roomate! I never had the chance to really listen to it and would like to kick myself in de toosh. This weekend I went road trippin with two frenchies who understood NONE of the cultural references and still fell in love with the.. ahem.. Orchestrations.The Fact remains, these guys are incredibly clean, tight musicians, and the music is just hard enough, with enough pop, and heck, we ALREADY know all the lyrics, to make it an instant favoirte. No matter if you are learning the harmonies with two frenchies in thier wonderfully broken english. Quintessential party music."