The Dan Band - The Dan Band Live!

If you’re reading this, your probably trying to figure out who or what The Dan Band is.  When the CD came to me I was trying to figure it out as well.  Then I listened to it and thought, “This is lunacy, these guys can’t be serious,” but the are.  So serious in fact that you can find them in Old School singing Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart” and in Starsky and Hutch singing “Feel Like Making Love” originally done by Roberta Flack.

The Dan Band Live! is meant to capture the band’s onstage silliness, which has even been praised by People Magazine.  All of the songs are covers and no, this really isn’t anything like Me First and the Gimmie Gimmies.  All of the songs on this album were originally performed by women or female groups, and that’s the shtick.  According to Dan Finnerty, this whole thing began with him being drunk at a karaoke bar.

The album showcases The Dan Band’s renditions of songs like Toni Basil’s “Mickey” combined with Laura Brannigan’s “Gloria” or Salt N Pepper’s “Shoop,” “Whatta Man” and “Never Gonna Get it.”  If that’s not enough try Christina Aguilera's first hit “Gene in a Bottle” combined with TLC’s “No Scrubs.”

Most men wouldn’t admit that they even like these songs, let along sing them in front of people, but Finnerty is proud to sing Alanis Morissette's “You Oughta Know” or the Milkshake song on stages in front of who ever is willing to listen. 

All of the songs are a quicker tempo than the originals, which simply makes the album a lot of fun.  I give the album a 6.5 (out of 10).  If it doesn’t make you smile, then you’ve got some problems.

Suggested Listening: “Shoop / Whatta Man / Never Gonna Get it,” “Milkshake” and “You Oughta Know”

Release Date: April 2005 (OUT NOW!)

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