DAVID
WEST Off The Rails
FireHeart Records
BY DAVE BAGDADE
Off The Rails is a compilation of tracks from tributes to Phish, String Cheese Incident, Blues Traveler, Bruce Springsteen, Jimi Hendrix, The Byrds, Bonnie Raitt and CSNY. West plays guitar, mandolin, banjo and bass and is assisted by a cast which includes fiddler Gabe Witcher and Tom Ball on harmonica. An initial problem with such a collection is getting past one’s distaste for a particular artist or song. Others might be put off by the presence of occasional amplified instruments or percussion. Other still might find the idea of Foxy Lady or Born To Run done bluegrass style to be a gimmick which wears thin quickly. However, it is worth the effort to put aside these qualms, for West’s arrangements are inventive and his playing is excellent. This is not an album for strict traditionalists, but it is a creative embodiment of a novel concept and is definitely worth a listen. BMP