The Bottom Line
The newest tribute to the fab four, while full of good versions of great songs, just falls short of reaching the same greatness as the original.
Pros
- Dar Williams "You Won't See Me"
- Cowboy Junkies "Run For Your Life"
- Sufjan Stevens "What Goes On"
- The Donnas "Drive My Car"
Cons
- Noone could really do it like the Beatles
- Overall it's mostly mediocre
Description
- The Beatles wrote great songs that are hard to do wrong, and this record is no exception.
- A few of these cover versions really shine.
- For the most part, a nice tribute record, but not the best one.
Guide Review - This Bird Has Flown - Various Artists
Razor & Tie’s newest release, The Bird Has Flown: A 40th Anniversary Tribute to the Beatles’ Rubber Soul (2005), is just another Beatles cover record. The artists Razor & Tie chose to appear on this record are really the only things keeping it so redeeming. Ben Kweller, Dar Williams, Sufjan Stevens, Rhett Miller, and Ben Harper lend their skills to TBHF, among others.Their work is all characteristic of what each artist does, which aptly shows how the Beatles’ influence has managed to cross the boarders between genres, styles, and generations. Perhaps the best tracks on the record are the first (“Drive My Car” performed energetically and swimmingly by Rock band The Donnas) and the last (“Run For Your Life,” covered by Folk Rockers the Cowboy Junkies).
The songs from The Beatles’ Rubber Soul record were some of the most memorable, infectious songs from their career, but unfortunately the same thing cannot be said of this collection of cover versions.
For die-hard fans of the artists included here, it may be a fun addition to your collection. But if you’re a big Beatles fan, you may not be impressed. It’s not a bad record, but I’ve certainly heard better.
