"Oh dear Prudence!", I hear you say, "Not another Beatles tribute". Yeah, there may be almost as many Beatles tribute albums as Beatles bootlegs and most of them stink more than said bootlegs, but the artist line up on this one justifies a listen or two. Yukio Yung aka Terry Burrows of the Chrysanthemums, Alan Jenkins and the Creams (a member of the Deep Freeze Mice family), DIY icon R. Stevie Moore, Bevis Frond, Martin Newell (of the Cleaners from Venus), Todd Gillingham, and Jet Set frontman Paul Bevoir among others contribute to this carefully crafted JARmusic release with extensive liner notes and exquisite artwork.
So what do you get when you let some of the most obscure musicians loose on the songs of the least obscure band in history? To be honest, the result mimics the career of the Beatles: some outstanding gems amidst a sea of mediocracy. Maybe it's because I had high expectations, but there's a bunch of outright boring pop versions on this album, which do neither the original nor the cover artist justice. Nevertheless, the compilation is worth getting, for the first two tracks alone.
01. Yukio Yung + Free as a Bird 02. R. Stevie Moore + Getting Better 03. Gonzo Salvage Company + Can't Buy Me Love 04. Colin's Hermits + I Am the Walrus 05. John A. Roberts + Dear Prudence 06. The Creams + Yesterday 07. Martin Newell + Baby You're a Rich Man 08. The Out-of-Towners + Think for Yourself 09. Bevis Frond + You Never Give Me Your Money 10. Paul Bevoir + Eleanor Rigby 11. Matmosphere + Yer Blues 12. Todd Dillingham + Helter Skelter
