Various Artists - This Bird Has Flown: A 40th Anniversary Tribute to the Beatles' Rubber Soul
In 1965 the Beatles went to the studios of Abbey Road and made an album that would change their sound forever and cement their place in rock history. This album was Rubber Soul. Before, the Beatles were just crafty geniuses who made great pop songs. Rubber Soul to me proved what studio geniuses the Beatles were. Last year, for the 40th anniversary some indy acts put together this CD.
I must admit I haven't heard of most of the artists on this CD. I am familiar with the Donnas. They do a rocking version of "Drive My Car." I like the Donnas. I think they do OK on this song. But for some reason they seem to be a bit flat or something on the notes. It also needs more cowbell. (OK, that's a Christopher Walken joke.)
The Arcade Fire does "Norwegian Wood." They butcher it. They try to alter the phrasings and it just bothers the heck out of me. I don't have a problem with making a song your own, but it doesn't work here. Low does "Nowhere Man" in what I have read is their style, a minimalist approach. It works better than the Arcade Fire's take.
I love Yonder Mountain String Band's cover of "Think For Yourself." They keep the fuzz guitar I always think of when I think of this song, but also throw in bluegrass instruments. It's a very interesting version. The rhythm also works well in a bluegrass style.
Ben Harper tackles "Michelle." It begins with some small bells before it kicks into a reggae rhythm. I have to say I like the idea. I know Paul always wanted the song to have a foreign feel to it, but now it's more Caribbean than French. So maybe a French colony.
I don't like Ted Leo's cover of "I'm Looking Through You." Too many tape effects and echoing. It's just too much noise, and though I sometimes like that kind of stuff, I don't really like it on this song. Maybe I'm a purist when it comes to the Beatles. Near the end it really gets experimental, and it's so not my cup of tea.
Ben Lee, who I only know as that guy from Ben Folds' other band, does "In My Life." The instrumentation is very sparse. He sings a lot like Ben Folds to me. I can't even tell him apart. It's a voice that really fits the song.
"If I Needed Someone" is covered by Nellie McKay. She gives it a jazzy feel, and sings it like a lounge or night club singer. She makes the song her own, and this time I like it. The lyrics even work for a lounge song, and I never saw it that way before.
Now the version I found of this CD not only did the 14 songs from the UK release of Rubber Soul, it also covers the 2 songs that appeared on the US release, "It's Only Love" and "I've Just Seen A Face." Now I don't associated these songs with Rubber Soul because I was born after the Beatles broke up, and got into their stuff at 15 after they were re-released on CD. So I only heard the UK releases. But Sam Champion's cover of "It's Only Love" is by far the best cover on this CD. His voice captures the angst of the song, and the instrumentation works. "Is it right for you and I to fight? Every night?" I don't know. After all these years I still don't know.
It's an OK CD. I don't like a few songs on here, a few more don't really say anything to me, and a few really do a great job. Of course, I'd still rather listen to the Beatles.
For further reading:
This Bird Has Flown's homepage
All Music Guide's This Bird Has Flown entry
All Music Guide's Rubber Soul entry
Wikipedia's Rubber Soul entry
I must admit I haven't heard of most of the artists on this CD. I am familiar with the Donnas. They do a rocking version of "Drive My Car." I like the Donnas. I think they do OK on this song. But for some reason they seem to be a bit flat or something on the notes. It also needs more cowbell. (OK, that's a Christopher Walken joke.)
The Arcade Fire does "Norwegian Wood." They butcher it. They try to alter the phrasings and it just bothers the heck out of me. I don't have a problem with making a song your own, but it doesn't work here. Low does "Nowhere Man" in what I have read is their style, a minimalist approach. It works better than the Arcade Fire's take.
I love Yonder Mountain String Band's cover of "Think For Yourself." They keep the fuzz guitar I always think of when I think of this song, but also throw in bluegrass instruments. It's a very interesting version. The rhythm also works well in a bluegrass style.
Ben Harper tackles "Michelle." It begins with some small bells before it kicks into a reggae rhythm. I have to say I like the idea. I know Paul always wanted the song to have a foreign feel to it, but now it's more Caribbean than French. So maybe a French colony.
I don't like Ted Leo's cover of "I'm Looking Through You." Too many tape effects and echoing. It's just too much noise, and though I sometimes like that kind of stuff, I don't really like it on this song. Maybe I'm a purist when it comes to the Beatles. Near the end it really gets experimental, and it's so not my cup of tea.
Ben Lee, who I only know as that guy from Ben Folds' other band, does "In My Life." The instrumentation is very sparse. He sings a lot like Ben Folds to me. I can't even tell him apart. It's a voice that really fits the song.
"If I Needed Someone" is covered by Nellie McKay. She gives it a jazzy feel, and sings it like a lounge or night club singer. She makes the song her own, and this time I like it. The lyrics even work for a lounge song, and I never saw it that way before.
Now the version I found of this CD not only did the 14 songs from the UK release of Rubber Soul, it also covers the 2 songs that appeared on the US release, "It's Only Love" and "I've Just Seen A Face." Now I don't associated these songs with Rubber Soul because I was born after the Beatles broke up, and got into their stuff at 15 after they were re-released on CD. So I only heard the UK releases. But Sam Champion's cover of "It's Only Love" is by far the best cover on this CD. His voice captures the angst of the song, and the instrumentation works. "Is it right for you and I to fight? Every night?" I don't know. After all these years I still don't know.
It's an OK CD. I don't like a few songs on here, a few more don't really say anything to me, and a few really do a great job. Of course, I'd still rather listen to the Beatles.
For further reading:
This Bird Has Flown's homepage
All Music Guide's This Bird Has Flown entry
All Music Guide's Rubber Soul entry
Wikipedia's Rubber Soul entry
Labels: Arcade Fire, Beatles, Ben Harper, Ben Lee, Donnas, Rubber Soul, Sam Champion, Ted Leo, Yonder Mountain String Band
posted by Tom at 7:46 PM
2 Comments:
I, too, was born after the Beatles broke up but grew up listening to them anyway (thanks to the albums of my older sisters). I haven't listened to This Bird Has Flown, and I probably never will. As an EXTREME Beatles purist, I think it should be illegal to remake any of their songs, unless maybe your name is Aretha Franklin. I must admint I do like her version of Eleanor Rigby...
I have a weakness for cover songs. However, I can't stand what little I've heard of this new mashup CD George Martin has made. I can't believe he did it, I thought he'd have enough money but it screams to me commercialism.
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