Customer Reviews: Great budget compilation of Beatles coversJanuary 16, 2010 Peter Durward Harris(Leicester England) 4 out of 4 found this review helpful
This album has a particularly striking cover, which is obviously inspired by Abbey Road and its pedestrian crossing. Here, the road is a country lane and the crossing is a section of railroad track. All very clever, but it's the music that counts. While there are only twelve tracks, they are of a high quality and two were major hits on the American country charts. The songs include one George Harrison composition (Something), with the remainder being credited to Lennon and McCartney.
The set opens with Lorrie Morgan's very distinctive bluegrass version of Eight days a week, which comes from the CD version of her 1989 breakthrough album. It is among my favorite Beatles covers. My absolute favorite Beatles cover is not here and has never been released on CD, but is available as an MP3 download - Strawberry fields forever by Terri Hollowell.
Next comes Willie Nelson's cover of Something, a song that ideally suits his style and which was originally released on one of his less fashionable albums, Partners. His fellow outlaw, Waylon Jennings, is represented here by You've got to hide your love away, recorded in 1971. Willie puts in a second appearance via a duet with Merle Haggard on the title track.
Rosanne Cash is represented by two tracks here, the first of which, I don't want to spoil the party, gave her a number one country hit. It became the first (and so far, only) Beatles cover to make number one on the country chart. Rosanne's other track, I'm only sleeping, is also excellent. The other big country hit here is I feel fine, which made the top ten for Sweethearts of the Rodeo.
Dolly Parton is represented by her bluegrass version of Help!, originally released on her 1979 album Great balls of fire, but not typical of that album. John Denver (Let it be), Collin Raye (Blackbird), Ray Stevens (Fool on the hill) and Chet Atkins (an instrumental version of Michelle) complete an excellent compilation.
