I'm still searching for videos of the songs in question to see if his critique is valid. Lefsetz says that too many of the performers depended upon the onstage teleprompter to get the lyrics right, and the Neil Young songs they did lost their edge because of that. And I believe him at this point--all you have to do is remember some of the fumbling around that hurt the Bruce Springsteen cover versions set from December's Kennedy Center Honors (which honored Springsteen, Dave Brubeck, Grace Bumbry, Mel Brooks and Robert DeNiro).
Can't wait to catch the vid of Wilco doing "Mr. Soul," where the teleprompter wasn't even on and the band roared through an inspired take of Neil's Buffalo Springfield classic, according to Lefsetz. Indeed, it's baffling that so many of the musicians may not have learned the song they were scheduled to perform. Does that mean that they're in their own world just a bit too much? It's worth finding out.
I loved Nick Lowe's comments from a couple of years ago, where he said that even if he were a prolific songwriter (and by his own admission, he is not), he would still do a cover version or two on his albums. Lowe suggested that someone who only does their own music may be a little too wrapped up in themselves.
Whether you're paying tribute to Neil Young or Joe Schmoe, you ought to play their song from deep within.