Me First and the Gimme Gimmes - Sing in Japanese
Rating
RIYL
The PillowsEastern Youth
Lagwagon
NOFX
Release Date
09/13/2011
Label
Fat Wreck ChordsTracklist
01. Hero - Originally by Kai Band (1978)02. Kokoro No Tabi - Originally by Tulip (1973)
03. Kekkon Shiyoyo - Originally by Yoshida Takuro (1972)
04. C-C-C - Originally by The Tigers (1968)
05. 22 Sai No Wakare - Originally by Kaze (1975)
06. Linda Linda - Originally by the Blue Hearts (1987)
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For the uninitiated, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes are a punk rock super-group of sorts who for the past decade and a half have only played punk-infected covers. Can you guess the shtick of their new EP Sing in Japanese? For the record, no, I’m not proud of you for guessing that they’re doing covers of classic Japanese bands. This isn’t Blue’s Clues.
To cut to the chase, for the Gimme Gimmes fan, this is a day one purchase. It’s just under 16 minutes of the same unadulterated fun you've come to expect. But maybe you’re like me, a casual listener, maybe you recognize the iconic name but have never listened. You’re wondering, does Sing in Japanese have legs beyond the gimmick? Is it worth the eight dollar price tag ($10 at Amazon) for six tracks? My answer: no, not really. It’s suitable for a listen or two on a lark, or to show off to your friends, but only a small fraction of the tracks really retain any sort of replay value.
To chase away any xenophobes now, yes, Spike is singing almost entirely in Japanese, save for a few token English phrases extant in the original songs. If you are the kind of person who needs lyrics to attach to, break out your Japanese-English dictionaries now. But honestly, if you've made a habit of listening to Envy, Daitro, or heck, Nena’s “99 Luftballons,” the Japanese is a welcome change of pace rather than a distraction.
Musically, Sing in Japanese is virtually indistinguishable from all of punk’s various American flavors. “Kekkon Shiyoyo” even features some riffage that distinctly drips with Americana. In some respects, the Gimme Gimmes’ ability to synthesize classic Japanese tracks into punk that is easily consumable by American audiences is to be applauded, but a part of me wishes there was a more distinctly Eastern “flavor” to the six tracks. And in the case of closer “Linda Linda,” the Gimme Gimmes neuter the original by injecting the track with a slowed-down, ska sort of swagger.
If you’re in need of a quick litmus test, give “Kokoro no Tabi” and “Hero” a listen. They are probably the two best tracks off this short EP. If you dig them, you might have the chops to enjoy the remainder of Sing in Japanese. If you don’t, pat yourself on the back for being multicultural today and move along. At this point, the Gimme Gimmes know who their core audience is. Bottom line, Sing in Japanese is a gimmick release from a niche band. I can’t recommend it unless you've got the money to blow or a Japanese girl named Linda to impress.
--Zach Roth
Comments
Illinois
it's old. their first few cds had some pretty good covers, but you would think that they would stop eventually. either that or they would take the "punk goes pop" route and turn it in a full cd. i hope not.
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Fishers, Indiana
There's apparently still a demand for them, and I'd definitely listen to this over Punk Goes Pop any day of the week.
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Lehigh Valley, PA
The track-list is pretty rad
Illinois
ya but i think i would enjoy them doing a whole cd of pop songs in their style than another Punk Goes Pop release.
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Fishers, Indiana
In what way?
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Sunshine Coast, Australia
Aren't you saying the same thing here? Take a break was a great covers album... should have left it at that lads.
"If you want something done right, get a fucking Australian band to do it" - Chris Cheney
Illinois
no i meant to say that i would like to see them do a cd similar to "punk goes pop" but it would be actually punk instead of all the other genres they throw in these days on the actual compilation.
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