Pickin' On U2, Vol. 2: The Bluegrass Tribute

The bigger a band gets, the more it will get picked on. Take U2. While a number of lesser groups have only been treated to one entry in CMH's Pickin' On series, the Irish rockers are receiving a second potshot. Of course the process is made easy when a band has so much material to pull from. Pickin' on U2, Vol. 2 includes instrumental versions of "Stay," "Beautiful Day," and "October." Several of the musicians involved are well-known in acoustic circles. Banjoist Scott Vestal is a fairly new talent to the acoustic scene, while banjoist Herb Pedersen and violinist Richard Greene have been blazing new trails for 30 years. While all of these players do a fine job, they more or less play it safe here, letting the song take center stage. U2 fans will probably marvel at the presence of dobro on "Sunday Bloody Sunday," and fiddle and flutes on "Party Girl." The latter tune, in fact, sounds a little like traditional Irish folk. The collection ends with an original Celtic-flavored composition titled "The Boys from Ireland," a fitting tribute not only to U2 but to all the great musicians who have hailed from the island. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford Jr., Rovi