Blogcritics: Comments on Me First and the Lionel Richies

Comment by Eric Olsen

Thu, 15 Jan 2004 12:11:22 EST

Just kidding around, dude, the oddness of the juxtaposition was why I thought of it in the first place.

Comment by Craig Lyndall

Thu, 15 Jan 2004 12:08:58 EST

Didn't mean to call you ridiculous, but the breadth of music that I (and many other people) can listen to is always amazing to me. I can listen to death metal and Hey Ya! by Outkast. This shouldn't be normal, but similar opposites exist in many other music collections, I am sure.

Comment by Eric Olsen

Thu, 15 Jan 2004 11:28:47 EST

I'm glad it held your attention, and if you're "ridiculous" what am I? I had to write it.

Comment by Craig Lyndall

Thu, 15 Jan 2004 10:44:25 EST

My favorite MFATGG record is the one where they do the broadway tunes. I love their version of the Phantom of the Opera. Over the Rainbow and The Rainbow Connection are also really good. This is an odd article for me because I was raised on Lionel Richie. I have memories of being 5 or 6 years old, zipping around suburban Ohio with my dad in his Prelude listening to the Lionel Richie album that had the "Whoa Whoa" song on it. Turns out that song was really called "You Are" from the 1982 album. Then we followed that up by listening to the "haircut album" a couple years later. If you look at the covers for the 1982 album and then the cover for the other one, you will see why we called it the haircut album. Just to think that two random things like Me First and the Gimme Gimmes and Lionel Richie can hold this much interest for me is ridiculous.

Comment by Eric Olsen

Fri, 9 Jan 2004 11:27:58 EST

I like that one too, Mark - they're good, funny AND have style - a nice combo. Music: Punk Rock subcategory added - your wishes are my command.

Comment by Mark Saleski

Fri, 9 Jan 2004 10:55:17 EST

ok, so this morning i brought in the Gimme Gimme's "Blow In The Wind". their version of Sloop John B, which starts off as the Ramones "Teenage Lobotomy" is effin' brilliant. easily-amused-on-friday-mark

Comment by Al Barger

Fri, 9 Jan 2004 02:25:44 EST

Yeah, no need for you to worry about that Eric. Just add the "punk" category for future reference, and any authors who want can go back and edit old entries to include it. No big effort needed on your part.

Comment by ParticleMan

Thu, 8 Jan 2004 23:18:15 EST

Gotcha. A year and a half's worth of posts is a lot to wade through. But I still think it couldn't hurt to add the category...

Comment by Eric Olsen

Thu, 8 Jan 2004 15:54:58 EST

I have no problem with punk rock as a viable category, the problem is a year and a half's worth of posts already categorized under the, I agree, very broad alternative rock. I have zero time or desire to go back and recategorize all the punk records currently under alternative rock, if you see what I mean. Actually, it makes it much easier that alternative rock IS very broad because then you don't have to make a lot of fine distinctions.

Comment by ParticleMan

Thu, 8 Jan 2004 15:14:00 EST

All "alternative" rock? I disagree, if only because the term "alternative" is so vague and broad that it now means next to nothing. If blogcritics has a seperate category for "Indie Rock," i think Punk Rock is no less deserving. If i were to review a Minor Threat album, i'd have a hard time classifying it as "alternative." I may be picking nits, but calling a band like Me First alternative makes me shiver.

Comment by Eric Olsen

Wed, 7 Jan 2004 12:46:02 EST

It's all "alternative rock," my friend.

Comment by ParticleMan

Wed, 7 Jan 2004 12:22:35 EST

Me First rocks. They may be totally predictable, but are oh-so-fun to listen to. Quite possibly one of the bast bands for when you're stuck in traffic. My personal fav is their version of "Runaway." And hey, does Blogcritics not have a rock category for punk?

Comment by Eric Olsen

Wed, 7 Jan 2004 09:58:59 EST

And I freely confess to having been plied with the coolest of swag: a Me First shot glass set. Not that my approval could ever be bought.

Comment by Mark Saleski

Tue, 6 Jan 2004 22:14:11 EST

the blind girl in the "Hello" video was hokey...but she was hot! and the Gimme Gimme's are too much fun to ignore. c'mon, their website uses a spinning martini glass as a wait-cursor!

Comment by Eric Olsen

Tue, 6 Jan 2004 18:58:25 EST

Dude, I'm not saying I would actually listen to his newer stuff, just talking up the reissues and the collection. I think the Gimmes transcend the schtick - makes raspberry noise.

Comment by Tom Johnson

Tue, 6 Jan 2004 18:39:43 EST

I've heard Me First/et al. several times from friends and just couldn't get past the schtick. It was just too by-the-numbers. Every song title I read I could immediately hear the punk'd version of in my head, and upon hearing the songs they were exactly as I imagined they would be. I mean, it's punk, so there's only a very few variants of that worn-out genre they could choose from . . . but still, I just thought it was too much of a gimmick. It's just too easy for me to stay interested. Give me the Constantines' take on the Talking Heads' classic "Thank You For Sending Me An Angel" anyday. Who cares if it's not punk - it's faithful and yet original at the same time. Your Lionel Ritchie review made me think of the line in High Fidelity delivered by Jack Black: "is it in fact unfair to criticize a formerly great artist for his latter day sins, is it better to burn out or fade away?" Make of that what you will.