I love punk covers. Me First and The Gimme Gimmes have made a career out of covering well-known songs, and most bands during their live sets decimate a pop song of some sort. (see Reel Big Fish ‘Take On Me’ and Snuff ‘I Think We’re Alone Now’ as good examples.)
In releasing this EP, New Found Glory have released a CD that has already reached cult status. It’s not an original concept to release an EP of covers, as MxPx and Less Than Jake have shown with ‘On The Cover’ and ‘Greased,’ but where MxPx tripped up with their choice of songs, NFG have chosen movie themes. And they work to a tee.
Mixing the well-known ‘My Heart Will Go On’ (Titanic) with the less-known ‘That Thing You Do’ (from, er, That Thing You Do), the whole thing is brilliant. Frenetic and fast in typical NFG style, the 7 tracks last for just 18 minutes.
Opener ‘That Thing Will Do’ is superb, as is ‘Never Ending Story Theme Song.’ Aerosmith’s ‘I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing,’ from ‘Armageddon,’ follows, before the weakest track, ‘The Goonies r Good Enough.’ ‘The Glory Of Love’ from Karate Kid 2, is amazing, but why end the song just as the drums kick into over-drive?
The last two tracks are the most well-known, the Robin Hood theme, ‘(Everything I Do) I Do It For You’ by Bryan Adams and ‘My Heart Will Go On’ from Titanic, originally sung by Canadian crooner Celine Dion. Both rock, even if the former is perhaps a little too slow. This is a minor gripe.
Overall, this is a great EP, up there with any Gimme Gimmes record, and better than LTJ’s ‘Greased.’
Paul Savage.