Notes

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Of the hundreds of tribute albums that have been assembled since the mid-'80s, this had one of the most clever concepts: perform a "tribute" to a band that never existed. The Rutles, Eric Idle's spot-on television parody of The Beatles, were never a bonafide unit, but they did record some fine satires for the film's soundtrack, composed by Rutle and ex-Bonzo Dog Band honcho Neil Innes. What we have here are 20 alternative acts of the '90s covering all of The Rutles' songs. Better than most tributes, it still falls prey to the genre's chief pitfalls: compared to the original, it's forced, stiff, and lacking. The best interpretations tend to be the most straightforward, like Syd Straw and Marc Ribot's acoustic "I Must Be In Love"; Shonen Knife's "Goose Step Mama," with its high-pitched vocals and jerky tempos, would have fit easily onto one of their actual albums. Alternative rock collectors may want to pick this up for the otherwise unavailable tracks by Galaxie 500, King Missile, Jellyfish, and Daniel Johnston; there are also some half-famous stalwarts of the indie scene like Das Damen, Unrest, and Peter Stampfel, as well as total obscurities like The Tinklers and Paleface.