by Daniel V. Garcia
Daily Lobo
I distinctly remember a party at which my substance-laden friends brought up the topic of the greatest band in the world.
Of course, arguments broke out, and the conversation continued for at least four hours - mind you, these were dedicated musicians whose love of music was matched only by their love of inebriation.
It goes without saying that one of the bands in question was the inimitable Beatles, a group loved by some for its mastery of composition and melody and despised by others for its hyper-sentimental pop sensibilities.
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This Bird Has Flown: A 40th Anniversary Tribute to the Beatles' Rubber Soul features a diverse array of musicians who try their hands at the standards contained within the pivotal album. The result is a CD that sounds new and experimental yet echoes the spirit of its originators. This is in thanks to the production of Jim Sampas, whose previous work on audio versions of beat poets Jack Kerouac and Lawrence Ferlinghetti has lent him the sensibility of a synopsist.
As might be expected, there are renditions that are faithful to the original numbers, and there are others that take great liberties both melodically and harmonically. This recalls the soundtrack to the movie "I Am Sam," which consisted of cover versions of different Beatles songs. As it was with that project, there are times when this works successfully and other times when this falls flat. An example of the latter is the Fiery Furnaces' take on "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)," in which they completely disregard the original melody. Even their happy deconstruction of pop expectations in this song cannot make up for their self-conscious interpretation.
Fortunately, this is kept to a minimum, as spatterings of brilliance mark the majority of the tracks. Sufjan Stevens' "What Goes On" cover is astounding as harmonized voices give way to what sounds like a stringed orchestra of medieval instruments, only to end in the beauty of the softly repeated lines, "What goes on in your heart? What goes on in your mind?"
Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals' innovative reggae take of "Michelle" features a Dixieland horn section and an ambience reminiscent of a Parisian cafe. Ted Leo's dub/ska version of "I'm Looking Through You" skanks successfully. Nellie McKay's tango take on "If I Needed Someone" is beautiful in its svelte simplicity.
Purists will dislike this CD and aficionados will love it. While not essential, its loveliness alone can seduce you.
The Beatles, man. The freakin' Beatles.
