The most impressive of the extra songs is the band's cover of Thin Lizzy's "Jailbreak." The Dropkicks, led by singer Al Barr, actually stay true to the original for the most part, but obviously bring a bit more punch and grit to the performance. Even though bassist/singer Ken Casey says his band is like AC/DC in that it doesn't change much from record to record, they continue to write memorable songs that stand out, and in this case, they've recorded a great cover that does as well.

As for the bonus DVD, it's entertaining, as you would expect, but there isn't a wealth of material you're likely to watch over and over. It's a great accomplishment that the local charity the DM performed for on St. Patrick's Day '07, My Brother's Keeper, was able to give over 7000 presents to the less fortunate last year. However, the audio mix for the band's acoustic show at the event isn't so great — you can barely hear the acoustic guitars, for instance, on "Forever." Other inclusions, such as the aforementioned footage from the Red Sox '07 championship parade in the "Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ya" video is very cool and entertaining, as it's centered on star Sox closer and fellow DM fan Jonathan Papelbon. He danced and posed like a rock star for fans alongside the Dropkicks during their performance on the memorable parade route. The music video definitely captures all that crazy fun.

In all, The Meanest of Times CD/DVD deluxe edition is definitely worth buying, even if you have the original CD. It may not be their best album, but it's up there, no question. Some stores (e.g. Newbury Comics in the Northeast) will sell this limited edition with CD booklets signed by the band as well. Think of it as a collector's item, especially if you were at the charity event, as you might see yourself on the DVD! The rest of you Dropkick Murphys fans and fellow punks who missed out the first time: What are you waiting for?

For more info on the Dropkick Murphys, go directly to their Myspace page.