There’s something deeply ironic about a host of Irish acts releasing an album of U2 covers, considering many of them probably spent their entire careers trying to escape from the famous four’s considerable shadow, while the majority of the others were arguably at pains to prove they were never in that shadow in the first place. That said, what better reason for the current crop to embrace U2’s musical heritage than to contribute proceeds to the Unicef Tsunami Relief Fund.
To be fair, most of the acts present seem to relish the opportunity to get their teeth into their chosen songs. The Frames, for example, seem practically born to tackle ‘40’. It’s a case of play it again psalm, as the song’s inherent spirituality fits seamlessly with their modus operandi, and a bloody great version it is too. BellX1’s take on Rattle & Hum’s ‘Heartlands’ is similarly endowed with the desire and ability to make the track sound their own, Paul Noonan’s understated vocal and the unusual arrangement perfectly complementing the song’s brooding sensuality. Similarly, Mundy takes the staccato sensibilities of War’s ‘Seconds’ and turns it into a warm, yet fiery indictment of the politicians of the modern age, while Aslan’s haunting version of ‘New Year’s Day’ is undoubtedly one of the highlights of the 25-song double album.
Elsewhere Paddy Casey’s fragile take on ‘Mothers Of The Disappeared’ is quietly arresting, while Jerry Fish’s simple, countrified ‘One’ shows that the song’s powerful lyrics don’t need bells and whistles to make them shine. The Walls’ ‘With Or Without You’ is deliciously delicate, and The Devlins’ ‘Love Is Blindness’ is as warm as an open fire, with some gorgeous violin courtesy of Sharon Corr.
With any collection of this sort, some tracks don’t work as well as others. Juliet Turner’s attempt at ‘Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For’, Roesy’s ‘Love Rescue Me’, George Murphy’s ‘Van Diemen’s Land’ and Mickey Harte’s take on my favourite U2 track, ‘Running To Stand Still’ all seem to lose something of those songs’ inherent power amid overwrought vocals or over-complicated arrangements.
However, there are so many highlights here that it seems churlish to focus on the few that don’t work. In the main, Even Better Than The Real Thing Volume 3 is a collection of great songs, performed by massively talented artists.