Certainly one of the most intriguing and ambitious compilations in recent memory, the soundtrack for I Am Sam features 17 Beatles covers by many well-known artists.

Being a soundtrack by a varied mix of musicians, it's quickly obvious that the good are going to be very good, the bad are going to be very bad, and there are going to be several songs that fit into both categories.

For those looking for an album without any songs that beg to be skipped, it would be a good idea to look elsewhere. For those who are happy with half an album's worth of great cover songs, this album is right up your alley.

The songs that work best are the ones that are most true to the original. The artists all clearly love the works that they are performing. Eddie Vedder turns in a beautiful rendition of "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" that is essentially note for note with the original. Ben Harper's "Strawberry Fields Forever" and Rufus Wainwright's "Across the Universe" also fall into this category. They are great singers performing very competent covers of one of their major influences. Wainwright's song is probably the best song on the album.

Other highlights include slowed versions of "Don't Let Me Down" by the Stereophonics and "Help!" by Howie Day. Paul Westerberg also provides a wonderful, sparse rendition of "Nowhere Man" which was recorded and mixed by Westerberg "in the middle of the night."

The goods outnumber the bads here, but there are still versions that should have John Lennon and George Harrison rolling over in their graves. Grandaddy's slow and horrible "Revolution" is literally painful to hear. The Wallflowers manage to take all of the edge off of "I'm Looking Through You" and in the process ruin a great song. The Black Crowes fail miserably in their attempt to provide a lively cover of "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds." Who would've thought the Black Crowes could screw up a song about drugs so badly?

The I Am Sam soundtrack features some of the best rock music ever. Although it is not a completely great album, it features enough material to satisfy most Beatles fans.