Various Artists - This Bird Has Flown: Tribute to the Beatles Rubber Soul

Tribute albums are tricky to judge. A good cover song should be creative enough to display the personality of the artist doing the cover yet not stray so far from the intent and sound of the original it becomes unrecognizable as a tribute. Assuredly, this is a delicate balance to achieve which makes commenting on such a tightrope act an even more delicate thing. In theory, this album should be terrific. The producers have assembled an eclectic array of artists with the right amount of youth, talent and individuality to recreate one of rock’s greatest albums in its original track sequence. In reality, however, the record is just average, proving how hard it is to achieve the aforementioned balance, especially when recording songs by the most famous band ever. There are several gratifying renditions presented on This Bird Has Flown. Ben Lee’s minimalist take on “In My Life” showcases the poignancy of that song in a fresh way. Sufjan Stevens exhibits the sonic experimentation of the 60’s with his delightful version of “What Goes On.” With “Wait,” Ben Kweller demonstrates a kindred spirit with the uninhibited rock of decades gone by. Though bordering on being too faithful to the original, Old 97’s singer Rhett Miller’s “Girl” gives a plaintive urgency to the narrator’s romantic confusion. Unfortunately, all of the tracks on This Bird Has Flown do not retain such spirit. A few too many artists infringe upon the previously enumerated principles of cover songs. The Donnas’ open the album with a dreadfully unenthusiastic version of “Drive My Car” that sounds like it was recorded on an off night in a karaoke bar. The Cowboy Junkies close the album in opposite fashion by turning “Run for Your Life” into a piece of art rock that falls flat. These bumps in the road appear in too many places throughout the album, stifling any momentum this collection attempts to build. The album is worth listening to for its inspired moments but at least half of the tracks can be skipped past without regret, illustrating just how difficult it is to reinvent something that was done right the first time. [www.thisbirdhasflown.com]