Customer Reviews

Blow in the Wind [Vinyl]

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The third time is definitely the charm for this punk rock supergroup. For those of you who don't know, Me First & The Gimme Gimmes is the all-cover punk band constructed out of former and current members of NOFX, Lagwagon, Swingin' Utters, No Use For A Name, and more. Their mission: to punkify a decade's worth of songs in less than a half hour. Do they succeed? With flying colors. MFTGGs' first album, while highly entertaining, had some clunkers [do we really need a punk version of "Mandy" or "Fire and Rain?"]. Their second album is a personal favorite of mine, consisting of redone showtunes. The problem was with their audience -- how many 14-year old skatepunks do you know who avidly enjoy Evita, Phantom Of The Opera, and Porgie And Bess? I've been hearing those songs all my life and loved hearing MFTGGs tear up Broadway, but I don't think many other people did. But they finally hit the nail right on the head with their latest album. The theme? The Sixties. Everyone, and I mean everyone knows these songs. "Sloop John B," "All My Lovin'," "My Boyfriend's Back" -- these are classics in any form. There honestly is not one dud out of the 13 tracks on here, and some of the song openings will make you do a double take. While covering these 60's popsters, The Gimmes managed to weave in some punk licks from No Use For A Name, Bad Religion, NOFX, and even The Clash, making for an extremely entertaining listen. I highly recommend this to anyone who even remotely likes punk in any form -- this album will make you laugh, it will make you smile, and it will make you drive around with the windows down singing Bob Dylan and Cat Stevens lyrics at the top of your lungs.

MF&GG have always been one of my favorite punk bands. And I think that they're just getting better and better with every album they release. In "Blow in the Wind," their sound is more refined, the covers are better, and Spike's vocals are still amazing. Me First does cover songs. ONLY cover songs. Some people would say they're not all that punk rock, but any punk band that covers Cat Stephens (Wild World) is pretty punk in my book. Every tune on this album will get your toes tapping, regardless of whether or not you've heard the original. And I love that I knew all the lyrics to certain songs the first time I played the album. I recommend this album who like Fat Wreck Chords bands, or to anyone who just likes the music from the 60's. My favorite songs are "Blowin' in the Wind," "Runaway," "All My Loving," and "Stand By Your Man."

Happy happy pop punk galore! Not only are these all those songs that you were always too cool to sing but somehow know all the words to, but they're sung with the reverence they diserve. I love when bands who do covers make them their own--don't copy the music note for note and apply their own style. Me First and the Gimme Gimmes does this with panache.

Absolutely fantastic--a mini slice of pop-punk heaven.

My first "Me First" album, but not because I just discovered them. I have, in fact, known about them and enjoyed their music for a few years now, but each of their albums has a certain theme, and I'm not really a fan of '70s music or Broadway style. I like stuff from both of those fields, but as a whole, I'm not interested. The golden oldies of the '60s, however, are wonderful. I grew up on them, before maturing into music of my own generation. I hope that their next album returns to this era, perhaps touching upon the '50s. That would be even cooler. The only thing to dislike about this album - aside from the disappointing reality that only 13 of the hundreds of classic rock tunes from the '60s are given cover treatment - is the chatty little barbs that close most of the tracks. Fat Mike will make a spitting sound, or Joey Cape will stutter on briefly about nothing, or Dave will groan into the microphone. This behavior is kinda demeaning to the songs. Their playfulness is nice - these guys are havin' fun, whattaya ya know =^), but it's pointless and inappropriate. Couldn't they just laugh or shout (like at "Stand By Your Man"'s end)? Something more tasteful. This is a fantastic album nonetheless; crisp production values and highly entertaining musical odes to the past

Blowin' in the Wind = B+ (easy to be fond of if you already love this song from earlier recordings)

Sloop John B = A- (they infuse it with more emotion than the Beach Boys did; this is one of the few that's better than the original, which itself was pretty good)

Wild World = A- (I don't think I've ever heard the song on which this is based, so, because the essence of this album seemed to be enjoying remakes of quality original material, at first I wasn't impressed by this one; repeat listenings, however, have changed my mind; the chorus grabs you hard, such that, even as its own song and not a cover, this is one of my favorite tracks on the album)

Who Put the Bomp = A- (they sound so damn wacky at the beginning of the song, like at any time they're gonna break from the note they're on and start screwing around. Adds some kookiness. Another song that you'll really like if you know and appreciate the original, which I believe was by Barry Mann)

Elenor = B (like "Wild World", I don't how this sounded before by its native artist, but it's catchy with the constant drum beat. "Elenor, gee I think you're swell/And you really do me well..." - the chorus is what to look forward to)

My Boyfriend's Back = B (much better than another punk cover of this song, by Less Than Jake or someone. I could swear that at the end of the song they change the lyrics to "my boyfriend's black", which, if true, could lend the song an altogether greater, different relevance)

All My Lovin' = B (the middle song that you can't think of anything to say about. It's catchy and fun, like the others. Sorry I have no deeper insight or technical wisdom to share)

Stand By Your Man = B ("Sometimes it's hard to be a woman"...pretty hard to sing about being one when you're a guy, too. But hard in a wacky way. Then they switch gears and start talking about themselves. "Sometimes it's hard to be a Gimme" This one has the most personal touch, and on a side note, Me First never fails to keep your attention with their perfectly-organized instruments and vocals. Great job, guys)

San Francisco = B+ (the base solos during the "all across the nation/such a strange vibration" parts really stand out; this one is even better as a punk song than as a soft ballad, like the Scott McKenzie version)

I Only Want to Be With You = B+ (who better to update than Dusty Springfield, with her friendly beats and rhythmic song stylings? Replacing it with heavy drums and power chords somehow keeps the magic alive)

Runaway = B+ (they cover Del Shannon beautifully)

WILL YOU STILL LOVE ME TOMORROW = A- (best song on the album; from my experiences with this song, in all its reincarnations, I have reason to believe there's absolutely no way that it could NOT sound great; no exception here. Talented band + terrific source music = a memorable cover song, with all the sentiment, nostalgia, and late-night wonder of this song's essence intact)

Different Drum = B (the right choice for a closing song; it's a farewell to conformity)

This is shaping up to be a glorious year for new albums by established artists. Score another ace in the hole with Me First and the Gimme Gimmes as they Blow in the Wind

If you like punk & you like cover bands, then this album is perfect for you. I can sit around & listen to this CD for days. Awesome.

..OK, I was a guy that always said that punk covers [stinks],but I've never known a real cover punk band,like those guys, Foo fIGHTERS,NOFX,lagwagon,nufan and swingin utters memmbers covering old 60's showtunes is a great idea,their versions are pretty respectful and very punkies.....is great,if you wanna buy this cd,don't forget blow in the wind,who put the bomp,and will you still love me tomorrow,...those songs rule!

I had no idea who this group was when I bought the CD, I just picked it up and said of their album cover, "A group of guys wearing Fez's... how can I go wrong?!". I was NOT disappointed. Listening to this fast paced move through some of the best songs of the 60s makes you want to get up and grove!

A punk-pop supergroup who do nothing but covers, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes are a terrific guilty pleasure and loads of fun. This disc isn't as good as the wonderful "Have a Ball" (which focused more on 70s covers), but it's still great. Highlights include "Runaway," "My Boyfriend's Back" and "Blowin' in the Wind." I also love the "London Calling" quote at the beginning of "Elenor," as well as the reference to Cat Stevens' conversion to Islam at the beginning of "Wild World." The liner notes are hilarious, too. If you like this, check out the aforementioned "Have a Ball" and "Are a Drag" (which lovingly covers showtunes as only MF and GGs can do). Great stuff! I love it!

This is MFATGGs' 3rd album, and by far the best yet; it employs the sharpest harmonies (sometimes 3 and 4 part)and perhaps the most fun selection of songs. My favorite track is "Sloop John B": having it on this album in my car in the morning gets me going! This album is the soundtrack to a dream taking place in an alternate-universe Las Vegas during a blazing summer when the vinyl seats of your beat-up old Mustang stick to the backs of your legs. In short, it is fabulous.

When I was younger, I used to listen to a lot of Beach Boys, Venturers, etc. Then I got into NoFx (Fat Mike plays bass for MFATGGS) & Bad Religion and listened to nothing else. I recently picked up this album, and I have to say the classics have never sounded better (except for maybe Catch 22's version of Sloop John B), especially on Runaway. MFATGGS keep the spirit of the originals, but add an incredible amount of skater punk energy.

I highly reccomend this, whether you grew up with the original versions of these songs or if you're a skater kid looking for some high energy tunes.