Me First and the Gimme Gimmes are almost miracle workers in my book. How could they actually make me like that miserably depressing Terry Jack tune “Seasons In The Sun”? By covering it in their own bizarre punk style – they’re all able musicians, the Gimmes, but at times they play the song just badly enough that it’s a redeeming trait. But their latest album – once again clocking in at a measley (and expensive) half-hour only – proves that they can, indeed, play the hell out of something if they so choose. And they’ve once again chosen the oldies, sticking to the 60s and early 70s so familiar to me from my own oldies radio experience. I love the music of this era – and the Gimmes attack it with aplomb, actually delivering well-played and at times almost reverent (note I said “almost”) covers of these tunes.
The highlights include “Elenor” (a Turtles cover), a little Lennon & McCartney tune called “All My Lovin'”, the Beach Boys’ “Sloop John B”, and an astonishingly good version of Cat Stevens’ “Wild World”. But not content to sing only those songs originally essayed by men, the Gimmes also have a field day with Petula Clark’s “I Only Want To Be With You”, Tammy Wynette’s “Stand By Your Man” (which, halfway through the song, becomes “Stand By Your Band”, a tribute to groupies everywhere), and “My Boyfriend’s Back” (in which not one single word is changed, not even to reflect gender). The results are hilarious, but the vocals, performances and production are sharpening quite noticeably. They’re not butchering the songs this time, as 
was the case with a few of their offerings on the last album, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes Are A Drag.
Highly recommended – and they’re touring now! – though I do wish they’d turn out something more along the lines of the length of an actual album.
- Blowin’ In The Wind (1:44)
- Sloop John B. (2:09)
- Wild World (2:30)
- Who Put The Bomp (2:02)
- Elenor (2:33)
- My Boyfriend’s Back (2:26)
- All My Lovin’ (1:54)
- Stand By Your Man (2:01)
- San Francisco (1:47)
- I Only Want To Be With You (2:12)
- Runaway (1:59)
- Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? (2:07)
- Different Drum (2:31)
- You’ve Got A Friend (2:32)
Released by: Fat Wreck Chords
Release date: 2001
Total running time: 30:27
