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Album Details

• Artist: Me First and the Gimme Gimmes
• Album: Ruin Johnny's Bar Mitzvah
• Label: Fat Wreck
• Year of Release: 2004
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: dscanland on 2005-02-18

Ever wonder why Me First and the Gimme Gimme's haven't ever done "Stairway To Heaven"? Wonder no longer because that's the first track on this live set. Think they've gone over the top? Uh, what about Blondie's "Heart of Glass" or even Styx's "Come Sail Away"? It is quite entertaining to hear the between song banter and the screw up in the middle of songs. For instance, the band can't pull of the key change in the middle of the old country track "Delta Dawn". Other classic rock tracks they pull off are "Strawberry Fields Forever" ("written by one of the most over-rated bands of all time"), Reo Speedwagon's "Take It On The Run", and "The Longest Time". Of course, at a Bar Mitzvah you need the classics as well so they do "O Sole Mio", "Hava Nagila" (also included in the Christmas arrangement. This is typical Me First material and as always the delivery is pretty much bang on making them, indeed, the greatest cover bands to ever lay their tracks on a CD. The live setting does add a little extra to the album. Ruin Johnny's Bar Mitzvah? Whatever, these guys brought it to life. Stick around for the after party where one of Johnny's uncles gets up and sings "Seasons In The Sun" with a good French accent. Then Johnny gets up a plays drums on "Sloop John B".

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