The past year has allowed me to find even more tribute/cover albums for my collection, several of which are really off the beaten path. Case in point: David Lee Roth's "Strummin' With the Devil." If you like THE ORIGINAL Van Halen, and you're a big bluegrass fan, then you're in luck. Picture if you will, 15 Roth-era tunes, rewritten for guitar, banjo, slide guitar, fiddle, zither, and any other down-home country instrument you can think of. Add Roth singing lead on two of them, and you've got an album that will have your toes tapping from the first song.
Roth takes lead on "Jump," which retains its fast pace, and "Jamie's Cryin," which slows down with a smooth tempo. The rest of the songs are covered by various bluegrass and southern country groups. David Grissman and Sons do a smokin' instrumental of "Hot for Teacher." Blue Highway gifts us with a soulful rendition of "I'll Wait." The pickin on "Panama" by Cornbread Red is amazing, and you can hear the grinnin in their singing. Iron Horse's version of "Unchained" is a 'hoot' and fun to sing to. All that aside, the highlight of the album is a banjo (yes, I said banjo!) version of Eddie's "Eruption." Holy Spit. I can't see Dennis Caplinger's fingers...but I doubt I'd be able to see them even if he were standing right in front of me.
This is a great album to bring to a party of friends, just to show them you have a 'fun' side when it comes to rock and roll. Put it on, sit on the porch with some southern sweet tea and a long piece of wildgrass in your mouth, and rock your blues away.
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