Me First and the Gimme Gimmes are almost like a forbidden pleasure for me. First off, I hate cover songs anymore, primarily because it often seems the people who usually do them fail to put their own personal stamp on the song, or, if they do, the stamp is more akin to, “Look at us! We’re so cool/funny! We really have no business covering this song because we suck worse than the song/aren’t even in the same league as the band we’re covering.” I hate that. Next off, I pretty much hate pop punk these days. Granted, there was a time when my whole life revolved around when the next Descendents or Husker Du album was coming out, but those days are long gone, thanks in no small part to every two-bit Blink 182/NOFX/Queers/Screeching Weasel clone group that has ever dragged itself up from the pits of Hades. So why do I like a band that relishes in performing songs that gave me nightmares as a child in a style that normally makes me want to climb into a bell tower and smoke a few people? Hell if I know, but DAMN are they good at it. This, their third album, is just as funny, catchy and downright smokin’ as their last effort. Their focus of attack this time out is on the ‘60s and they put their own indelible stamp on some of the worst songs from that decade, and even render the Stone Pony’s “Different Drum” listenable, the original of which probably makes even Linda Ronstadt and the Eagles cringe every time it comes over a nearby radio speaker. MFGGs certainly won’t change my life or anything, but they did learn me that there are exceptions to even the most rigid of rules. Besides, how many punk albums do you own that your mother knows all the lyrics to before you even put the damn thing on?
–jimmy (Fat)