Somehow I came across this review of Strummin' With The Devil from the Anchorage Press of all places.
Link: http://www.anchoragepress.com/archiv...vol15ed24.html
YEAH YEAH YEAH
- By John M. James
Sure, seeing David Lee Roth's grinning mug ripen into Larry King makes me ponder my own geezerhood, but daydreaming back to the days when Van Halen ruled the world I miss those high kicks and corny looks that put the “show” in show business. After being delayed a few times over this past spring, and running the risk of getting muddy in the bluegrass / string quartet / dub tribute craze of late, I must admit that I'm loving every plucked note in last week's release of Strummin' with the Devil: The Southern Side of Van Halen on the CMH imprint. When a song's a great song, its brilliance shines through no matter who might be doing the pickin' and grinning. Roth himself joined up for this moonshine parade of hits, sitting in for new vocals on “Jump” and “Jamie's Crying” with the John Jorgenson Band. From the sweet groove of Mountain Heart's harmonious take on “Dance the Night Away” to David Grisman's blistering mandolin attack of “Hot for Teacher,” the hits keep coming with a square of cornbread on the side. After hearing the note-for-note recreation of “Eruption” on banjo by Dennis Caplinger, you'd best hide grandpa's vintage instruments and the colored electrical tape from the kids. Other highlights include the sly scoop of “Ice Cream Man” from Larry Cordle and the Lonesome Standard Time and the Countrified “Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love” from Iron Horse. Yee-hah!...