Me First and the Gimme Gimmes Albums (7)
'Have Another Ball!'
Release Date 7/8/2008
Tracks 12
Label Fat Wreck Chord
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Billed as a "lost album" in a liner-notes story that involves danger, intrigue, and a Malaysian Quonset hut, Have Another Ball! features tunes by Simon & Garfunkel, James Taylor, Diana Ross, and other past pop stars as re-imagined by Fat Wreck Chords' Me First and the Gimme Gimmes. Whether this album was truly meant to be the original version of their 1997 release, Have a Ball, is questionable, but it certainly is a companion piece, with many of the same artists featured on both. That's not the only thread of familiarity -- the Gimme Gimmes give another frenetic performance here, as could be expected, and their enthusiasm for the material is palpable. Like the rest of its releases, the band is both passionate and tongue-in-cheek to some degree throughout Have Another Ball!, but the group is never derisive; the bandmembers love these songs too much to be so. Instead, they concentrate on adding their own flourishes to the songs they cover -- adding elements of "Blitzkrieg Bop" to James Taylor's "You've Got a Friend," turning the melancholic pedal guitar of "The Boxer" into a ringing punk riff, and appropriating a synthesizer introduction for use on electric guitar in a brilliantly executed version of Neil Diamond's "America" -- all while maintaining the same energy and glee that infused Have a Ball 11 years prior. But be warned: it all goes by quickly, perhaps too much so. Due to the tempo of the songs, the number of them included, or both factors, the album feels more like an EP than a full-length release. When the Gimme Gimmes hit "Only the Good Die Young," the ninth song out of 12, it feels as if they're just getting started. Still, the infectious, addictive nature of these gleeful covers is a testament to the group's enthusiasm and talent for tributes. Have Another Ball!'s brevity (it clocks in at just under 30 minutes) may necessitate repeated listens, but it's well worth playing the album as often as required. ~ Katherine Fulton, All Music Guide
'Love Their Country'
Release Date 6/30/2006
Tracks 12
Label Fat Wreck Chords
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What The Critics Say
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes just can't get enough of other people's songs. The grabby bunch took their sledgehammer to pop and rock on their debut Have a Ball, show tunes got their come-uppance on Are a Drag, the '60s were sent reeling with Blow in the Wind, and R&B was smashed and grabbed on Take a Break. After that, the band took a break, at least from their studio; their fifth album was live. But now the demanding bunch are back, and this time, it's country that gets a kicking. More C&W-styled numbers are easy targets, be it the ever popular "(Ghost) Riders in the Sky," which here gallops straight into hardcore, "Desperado," which will never escape this incendiary melodic punk rock arrangement, and "On the Road Again," which is delivered up in a similar sizzling style. "Jolene," having already suffered the indignities of a goth make-over, is now manhandled by the Gimmes, who storm Dollyland with utter abandon and a barrage of guitars and battering drums, all the better to keep their man -- hmm, shades of Brokeback Mountain. "Annie's Song" is dragged off of John Denver's country roads, and dumped center stage in the middle of a rock concert, which is just where it belongs. Hank Williams' "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" gets even more inspired treatment, including a bagpipe! Even a seemingly straightforward punk do-over like "Goodbye Earl" provides some scintillating moments, from the Rancid meets the Clash styling to the bright harmonies and soaring lead guitar licks. The musicianship really shines through on this set, the guitars blaze, the bass becomes assaultive, and the rolling drums sound like the thunder of mortar in the distance, while the production is equally notable. But hey, the Gimmes can play country, too -- well almost -- the first half of "Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old)" boasts some fine fingerpickin' guitar, although the country styling keeps sliding into surf: hey, your roots are showing, guys. Now this is country music everyone can enjoy, gimme more! ~ Jo-Ann Greene, All Music Guide
'Ruin Jonny's Bar Mitzvah'
Release Date 10/19/2004
Tracks 14
Label Fat Wreck Chords
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
America's greatest cover band keeps finding new worlds to conquer, and on their fifth album Me First and the Gimme Gimmes present a unique ethnomusicological document -- a field recording of our heroes performing at an actual Bar Mitzvah celebration in Malibu, California (or a reasonable facsimile thereof). Ruin Jonny's Bar Mitzvah features the Gimme Gimmes performing a selection of classic rock standards as only they can (fast, loud, and with a high snot factor) as they roar through "Come Sail Away," "The Longest Time," "Take It on the Run" and "Strawberry Fields Forever" for a seemingly puzzled audience of thirteen-year-olds and their parents. Of course, these guys make it their business to have something for everyone, so they also throw in a little bit of country music ("Delta Dawn"), an old Italian favorite ("O Sole Mio"), and not one but two versions of "Hava Nagila"! Pretty much everything is on-board reduced to a blurry haze of power chord hilarity, which is certainly true to form for the Gimme Gimmes, but the one-take live recording (complete with a set break) shows these guys have truly mastered their shtick by this point, and beneath the goofy surface of their style they have a strong grasp of what makes for a good hook and a cool tune, regardless of genre. It's not the same without the presence of the ice cream bar, but Me First and the Gimme Gimmes' Ruin Jonny's Bar Mitzvah is the next best thing to being there (and the enhanced video track allows you to witness the action first hand). So how much do these guys get to play a retirement party? ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
'Take a Break'
Release Date 7/1/2003
Tracks 13
Label Fat Wreck Chords
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What The Critics Say
Two years after punkifying some of the '60s' more popular songs for Blow in the Wind, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes return with Take a Break, their stab at some of R&B's classier, yet almost forgettable, tunes. The So-Cal five-piece is as rowdy as ever and their own punk rock polish is undeniably infectious. What made Blow in the Wind so great is exactly what makes Take a Break even cooler. It's straightforward rock & roll without the swagger -- tomfoolery without being lame -- and Me First and the Gimme Gimmes are clever in giving new life to some of these tracks. Whereas Lionel Richie's "Hello" and Prince's "Nothing Compares 2 U" banked success with their heavy-hearted tones, the Gimme Gimmes spike that mood for a punchy, feel-good time. A more electric, rough-edged alternative of Seal's "Crazy" is equally fashionable and slick to the original version. Add a bit of quick wit and pinch-hitting percussion, and the energy of Take a Break is more than enough to impress the new millennium punk kids. If not, the band's pouncing banjo dance of R. Kelly's "I Believe I Can Fly" will do it. Me First and the Gimme Gimmes do rock & roll the right way because they don't try too hard. Take a Break once again showcases why they rock in the first place. ~ MacKenzie Wilson, All Music Guide
'Blow in the Wind'
Release Date 3/20/2001
Tracks 13
Label Fat Wreck Chords
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
A tribute mostly to the poppier, more bubblegum side of the '60s, Me First & the Gimme Gimmes' Blow in the Wind is a karaoke masterpiece, surprisingly the finest and punkest record they've released. The Gimme Gimmes' all-star punk rock cover band lineup, which includes members of NOFX, Lagwagon, and the Swingin' Utters, takes on mostly cheesy songs that baby boomer parents might get a kick out of, but which should make any self-respecting punks sick to their stomachs. For instance, the Gimme Gimmes somehow manage to take a dated hippie anthem like Cat Stevens' "Wild World" and make it rock like the holy jihad on the trail of a blasphemous author. Their version of "Elenor" by the Turtles begins with the opening to the Clash's "London Calling," complete with the bird squawk, and then ascends via "Elenor"'s extremely corny lyrics to the song's majestic chorus, which singer Spike Slawson takes way over the top, backed by the Gimme Gimmes' soaring harmonies. Most of the moldy oldies they've chosen to soup up are the stuff of drive-in movie theaters, soda fountains, varsity football games, and making eyes at the opposite sex. Skillfully, they've taken the likes of Del Shannon's "Runaway" and Linda Ronstadt's "Different Drum" and turned them into full-blown, raging, though still very silly, punk rock classics, adding spectacular leads, fancy drum fills, and barbershop quartet-like harmonies. On Blow in the Wind, more often than not, they've created covers that actually blow away the original tunes. ~ Adam Bregman, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Though it doesn't sound like a brilliant idea, Me First & the Gimme Gimmes, an all-star cover band dedicated to regurgitating punk rock-style the most frothy music in their parents' record collections, are actually extraordinarily entertaining and can make the likes of John Denver and Barry Manilow sound not so bad. The lineup includes Fat Mike of NOFX, the guitarist from the Foo Fighters, a couple of the guys from Lagwagon, and Spike Slawson, the Gimmes' sweet-voiced singer, who also plays bass for the Swingin' Utters. On their second record, Are a Drag, the Gimmes tackle all of their parents' favorite showtunes, claiming homage rather than satire. Most of their choices are songs that anybody even remotely into musicals knows by heart. Their cover of "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" has more choruses than the original, rocks pretty damn hard, and is certainly worthy of a swirling slam pit. Though it's not as wild as John Coltrane's version, the Gimmes' "My Favorite Things" is raging enough to send Julie Andrews swan diving off the stage into a sea of sweaty punkers. They mess with the jazz standard "Summertime" by Gershwin, adding some fine surfy leads to a song that's been played a million times over. Also, there's their furious rendition of Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Phantom of the Opera." On Are a Drag, the Gimmes succeed at playing showtunes that punk kids can dig, no small feat. ~ Adam Bregman, All Music Guide
'Have a Ball'
Release Date 5/20/1997
Tracks 12
Label Fat Wreck Chords
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
After releasing countless singles (with an ever-changing lineup), Me First and the Gimme Gimmes continue with a flood of covers done the in the usual Fat Wreck Chords fashion. Contemporary hits such as "Rocket Man," "Mandy," and "Uptown Girl" are sung along with galloping pop-punk harmonies and verse-chorus-verse structures. Not the most groundbreaking or original musical outfit, but they sure are a lot of fun. Besides, their versions of John Denver's "Leaving on a Jet Plane" and Paul Simon's "I Am a Rock" make this one of the more entertaining releases of 1997. Warning: this is not intended for all those who take music seriously. ~ Mike DaRonco, All Music Guide
