Now, let's break down Take A Break .

The Good:
I've got to say, Spike has a killer voice, something that hasn't come across on past albums. The Swinging Utters are lucky guys to have a vocalist that's so damn good, I'm still not sure why they haven't made it big yet. For the rest of MFGG they are in rare form on this album as they do R&B classics the way they should've been done the first time. The darker songs on this album are by far the best (Hello, Crazy) but you can't deny MFGG when they go after something so poppy as Isn't She Lovely. Great @#%$ stuff! They are able to keep the original pop hooks and build on them, even adding hooks of there own.

Best Song: Hello, Crazy, Isn't She Lovely, Save the Best for Last, I'll Be There .

The Bad:
While most of the album is fantastic, there are some weak spots. I don't think they challenged themselves enough with some of the material like they've been known to do. Also, some of the translations are rather bland and predictable. I still think they could've done more with Ain't No Sunshine, as that has one of the catchiest bass lines of all time.

Worst Song: Nothing Compares 2 U, Ain't No Sunshine

Lyrics:
They do make songs their own. Check out the pretty funny reworking of End of the Road and Crazy.

Vocals:
Spike is the man, he's the punk equivalent of a Vegas lounge singer. He also harmonizes so well with his other band members. Check out the ending to Hello, as it's pure pop bliss.

Instruments:
The drums are fantastic and of course, Fat Mike puts his talent to good use by creating some great bass lines. The guitars are in the normal punk fashion, loud and in your face. Good @#%$.

Production:
Making Mona Lisa into a jug band standard and the beginning of I Believe I Can Fly into a Hawaiian ballad is pure genius. The guitars and drums sound great. The bass is mixed to the back which is rather weird for a punk record. The vocals sound so damn crisp, but the best element of the whole production is how this sounds like a live performance. It certainly has the energy and the fluidity of one.

Compared to Rest of Discography:
They never fail to put out some interesting and fun stuff and this album ranks right up there with the best of their catologue. Definitely a happy and fun record, something that the music world is missing today.

Flah's Rating:
85/100

this is amazing
I have never really been a big fan of cover bands, but these guys just rocked my socks! IN the band there are many people from other bands, the singer is Spike Slawson from the Swingin' Utters, "Fat" Mike Burkett the bassist from NOFX, Plus the drummer a guitarist from Lagwagon Joey Cape and Dave Raun. In this album they did the impossible, they made Stupid Pop Songs into awsome punk songs, I mean Who would expect a Boys II Men song "End Of the Road" So good? They crossed the line that seperated Pop And Punk. Punks and skaters could freely sing songs Such as "Isn't She Lovely" without being embarassed. This band takes it to the next Level of awsomeness and... awsomeness. If you are looking for a band that you can look foward to listening too, pick up this album, you shouldnt be disapponited...

Take A Break
This is the most awesome band I have ever heard. I can easily play this cruising around town with both my guy and girl friends becauses it appeals to both and I don't feel awkward.

I can recognize most of the songs that I used to have thought were lame, but the twist these guys put on it has me listening to them all day.

I read some of the other reviews about not recognizing some of the songs, while I can recognive about 3/4 of them. The ones I can't are still awesome and of course 100% Punk.

I love it!

My most favoritest MFdoubleG record
I think this is a really amusing record. I will tell you straight hearing covers of Boys II Men excite me. Now let me explain myself more clearly, I am a man who hates 95% of all cover songs. I think it is really annoying to hear a caffeinated version of a song that isn't really a build on the old song at all. MFdoubleG do it better though, they do it with style and grace, bay ba. Anyways yeah they do it well I love it how they oft times put riffs in from old punk songs (like Black Flag and such) so it's kinda like a double cover song in a way it sort of is engulfed in a micro cosmo of coverdom. I feel bored and depressed today I woke up at 8am cuz I had to give plasma and help my "friend" out. Then I took a nap at 11am till 6pm and I want to die becuase tomorrow I'm goin to class at 10am and guess were that leaves me... yeah whatever. I like this album it rocks me, even though I'm broke immensly bored and my gerbals haven't eaten for three days... oh I feel so bad about that! But this is just like old granny Weatherall, I'm going to wake up in a white room one day and find out that everyone had jilted me cuz I'm a jerk. Oh this album will be playing in the background so I'll be happy and dreaming all the time too.

Great but not their best
Let me start off by saying this album is great. Their harmonies are wonderful. Somehow they make Seal sound so much better than Seal can make Seal sound, and when you hear them sing "Hello", in some ways you can't even imagine Lionel Ritchie ever singing it.

That being said, this is not thir best album. Their song selection was spotty compared to "Have a Ball" or "Blow in the World". While the songs that hit are wonderful, this is the first Me First cd where I've actually skipped past stuff that I either didn't know or didn't like.