Customer Reviews

Ruin Jonny's Bar Mitzvah

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is a live recording by the world's greatest cover band. The Gimmes are a collection of super-talented musicians posing as a couple of shmucks, and they rock. The whole performance is hysterical in Me First fashion, you will not stop laughing as well as enjoying many new offerings from these punk-rock kings. Do yourself a huge favor and by all available releases from the Gimmes. Do yourself an even bigger favor and by them direct from Fat Wreck Chords and save yourself a few bucks.

By the way Fat Mike may not be a genius but his political sense is deadly accurate.

After reading some of the other reviews, I've got to say... some of you people need to relax about the lack of refinement on this CD, and get a sense of humor. First of all, don't forget they're still a punk band. Punk *by definition* does not have to be perfect or conform to any rules -- some of you obviously aren't old enough to have ever attended a live punk show in the 70's/80's (or even now). If you need orderly conduct in your music, then you should be listening to Jessica Simpson, not punk. But even with all the mistakes and drunkenness, they still manage to "rock out" and play a pretty tight set...

As for the goofy banter and sloppiness, I found it charming and amusing. There's nothing "obscure" about their humor, unless of course you have a very narrow and conservative sense of humor (in which case, you've probably been taking their music far more seriously than it's meant to be taken). Just because you don't get it, doesn't mean that it's not funny.

The title alone, "Me First and the Gimme Gimmes Ruin Jonny's Bar Mitzvah" made me laugh, and it was obvious to me that it was a live album. If you couldn't figure that out from the title and cover, you should be blaming yourself not the band.

Okay, so this review was more of a critique of other reviews. But hopefully it will convince a few people to ignore reviews from some of the more uptight and humorless "fans", and give this CD a chance.

I got this after I heard 'Are A Drag' and figured that it couldn't be for real. Well, I'm sure that it is. These guys are great. I turned a lot of people onto them that wouldn't even get into punk but know these songs and enjoy what they do with them. The quality of the recording is pretty amazing. It might be lame to say, but it's probably one of the best live recordings that I've come across. Their remakes of tunes are just great and you can tell that they are pretty serious about their love for the music that they do. I didn't cringe like one reviewer did at Stairway to Heaven, it was as short as it needed to be without being blasphemous. The singing is really great on this and the things that they say between the songs are quite humorous. One wish? They recorded their break (which was kind of odd but not unlike them probably) so that it ate up time on the disc. I would've like more songs, they were just sounding great!! If you like music because it entertains you, this is for you. I am a pro musician and usually analyze music. I don't to this; it's meant to be for enjoying and nothing else.

After their last album, Take A Break, which was fairly polished (as polished as the Gimme Gimmes can be), they come out with this hard rocking, error laden, seemingly drunken mess that had me laughing and rocking all the way through it.

They stick with their normal all-covers approach but this time present it in a live manner. Though it is more like a skit and less like an actual performance, the music is still done live (i think) and that's what makes it great. It may be a gimmick, and it may be lacking in the musical perfection of studio polished bands, but the timing and the resolution they employ in their songs still make it one of the best releases of the year. Also, the two "hidden" tracks at the end of the album are amazing stand-outs.

This album was everything I thought it would be and then some. Anyone who dislikes this album needs to just enjoy the album for what it is, and enjoy it. With lines like "Let's give a hand for mefirst and the gimme gimmes, because without them we wouldn't be here." How could you not love this!!

First of all, I really got a kick out of this album. I love MFATGG (and that's Gimme Gimmes NOT Gimmie Gimmies for those who claim to be fans but can't even spell the name of the band correctly) because they are never EVER serious about what they're doing. That's what makes them the quintessential punk cover band. They don't take themselves seriously, and they certainly don't expect their fans to take them seriously ("we have dozens of fans"). Nearly all of the members are (or recently have been) in other bands - Chris Shiflett, for one, is in two other bands, the Foo Fighters and his own band in which he is the lead singer, Jackson United (a play on his stage name "Jake Jackson," though unfortunately their new album is only available in Australia, Japan, and Europe). These guys are in it for the fun of it, and to have any kind of expectations of any of their albums is not only short-sighted but also very naive.

In short: No, you aren't supposed to take this seriously. No, this isn't recorded at a real Bar-mitzvah. Yes, it is an album poking fun at bad cover bands. Yes, it is "live" and a bit rough around the edges. And yes, you are supposed to have a good time while listening to the album. If you can't take a joke and don't enjoy bands that love being facetious, then by all means, don't by the album. But if you have a sense of humor and love all things cheesy and over the top (two things MFATGG definitely ARE), don't hesitate to buy this album.

Man, these guys got guts to blatantly put out a CD & video based on a bad bar mitzvah. I've been a Gimmes fan for about 5 years and this one is for fans really. If you are starting off on Gimmes you are better off listening to the earlier stuff like "Have A Ball", "Are A Drag", etc.

Having already got all Me First's previous studio work, i couldnt wait for this little beauty--and i wasn't disappointed.
Firstly, only a band of the calibre of the G.G'S would have thought of the comic genuis of recording their live album at a young boy's barmitzvah party !---truly original.
The tracks themselves are all,as ever, played with verve/gusto and with the effortless tight musicianship that is the boy's trademark. My personal faves would be Heart OF Glass(a truly shattering experience), Come Sail Away (Eat your heart out Styx--this is how it should sound) and the rollicking rendition of Poodle Haired pop-pansies REO Speedwagon's Take It On The Run (a real awesome piece of work---with Spike Slawson on great form).
Whilst it is not their greatest ever work (with the timeless Have A Ball and Are A Drag holding that accolade), this is a mightily enjoyable effort from the Morecambe & Wise of punk and i cannot wait for a full blown UK tour.

This album is everything I expected as well...It's great for getting to know the band a bit because you get a little exposure to their sense of humor. I think the screw-ups, quick recoveries and their humorous approach to all of it showcase the talent these guys have even more than a finished production album. The more I listen the more I love it.

I just want to know how this kid got these guys to play a bar mitzvah. That's pretty awesome...

I've been a fan of the Gimmes since 1998 when i first heard "HAve a Ball", after reading the first couple reviews i wasn't sure if it was any good or not, but i ended up bying it anyways. And Good on me because it's Great!! It's sooo funny, every single one of these guys are sooo talented but they don't let it show at all (For Example: Jake Jackson (Chris Shiflet) is the guitarist for the Foo Fighters, and he's awesome, but he pretends that he can't play the intro for Stairway to heaven) And the phony fights in between the songs are priceless (At one point Joey Cape invites the audience to dance, And good old Mike starts yelling at The Caper and the audience, Joey's replie, "I was just lonely") but yeah, most songs are good, i especially like Delta Dawn. Buy It! It's sooooo funny!