Alice Cooper Covers 'Eleanor Rigby'

"Eleanor Rigby" happens to be my favorite Beatles tune. Imagine my surprise when Alice Cooper released a video of the song yesterday. Alice did the cover for the upcoming album The Art of McCartney, due November 18. The amazing thing here is just how well Alice's voice fits the song - it's like "Eleanor Rigby" was written for him! I enjoyed this cover and I hope you do, too. 

Comments

[Kixchix]

Sounds great.

My quandary is that Alice sounds very similar to Paul IMO. So why bother.

The Beatles. The Beethoven & Mozarts to people on earth in 500 years? That is of course if there are people on earth in 500 years lol

[Rita]

Alice would sound good singing anything.

This is actually one of my least favorite Beatles songs. There are so many brilliant ones. This one, to me, is a bit of a sleeper.

Lennon & McCartney will never come close to being touched as songwriters, ever. And I agree Kixchix, their body of work will live on for ever.

[Bob]

This version does sound good, but, like Kixchix, I don't quite get the point of covering a song almost exactly as it was done originally. For an absolutely amazing interpretation of this song, check out the version on Eddie Ojeda's solo album, Axes to axes. Dee Snider sings lead on it.

[ColsCPA]

I was hoping he would have "Cooperized" it. Was expecting guitars and mashing. However, he does sound great!

[Metalboy!]

Agreed with all points above...

It's kinda like Todd Rundgren when he did a note for note cover of The Beach Boys' "Good Vibrations"... No easy feat, but where's the twist.

I'm with ColsCPA...

It needed to be "Cooperized" (read: Loud, frickin' heavy-a*s geetarz, for starters a la Eddie Ojeda's version (nod to Bob's in-depth knowledge of all things METAL!)

[Him]

Cooper is a class act, a guy who gives back to fans and to the community at large. I appreciate the fact that he is still around doing his thing and showing others how to do their thing as well.

I still prefer earlier Cooper to his 80's and 90's material (I will not, thank you Mr. Furnier, "Thrill My Gorilla" after you informed me that "Only Women Bleed"). That said, thankfully, he has always managed to give the earlier stuff pride of place in his shows.

But I agree that this is pretty by-the-numbers, a show respect rather than a chance to stretch it out a bit and make it his own. Still, with a song like this, which way to stretch it?

My preference? Hit right in the middle of his career best arch, taking one of those strands of odd greatness that formed _Alice Cooper Goes to Hell_: the unfortunately catchy disco-swing of "You Gotta Dance" or perhaps in the direction of "Didn't We Meet" or "I Never Cry." Any of the three would change the orchestration in such a way as to get away from the thing that stands out most in the original: the music, much more than the lyrics.

At the end of the day, though, Cooper is one of those who made it out and has made the most of it. He can sing a radio ad for a used car lot if he wants to do so.

[ColsCPA]

Metalboy - I have that Todd album, yes album. Thought I was the only one who bought it.

[Metalboy!]

Haha, ColsCPA!

Huge Rundgren fan... Such a genius! Love that album plus many people do not realize all the great albums he produced... Grand Funk Railroad's #2 charting album, "American Band", with it's #1 single title track, the classic New York Dolls eponymous first album and Cheap Trick's overlooked "Next Position Please" which includes the Rundgren penned Powerpop confection, "Heaven's Falling", as well as his very own classic hit and hit laced album, "Something/Anything", with the Top 5 singles, "Hello, It's Me" and "I Saw The Light".

Another thing people may not realize about Rundgren is that he's a multi-instrumentalist, often playing EVERY instrument on many of his hits as well as on the albums of those he produces, along with back up vocals, often uncredited.

In regards to Cooper...

HIM, I agree, more or less, except that I think "TRASH" is excellent, with his come back hit (Peaking at #7 in 1989), the Desmond Child produced, "Poison". Also, I think his collaborations with Zodiac Mindwarp, such as "Feed My Frankenstein", are quite good.

Still, you are right, as great as that album and some of his more recent output was, the 80's/90's catalog doesn't hold a candle to his classic iconic hits of the 70's?

I mean, how do you top "I'm Eighteen", "Schools Out", "No More Mr. Nice Guy" and "Only Women Bleed"?

[Him]

There is, to be sure, some fun to be had in those 80s and 90s songs. Case in point: I still think that "He's Back (The Man Behind the Mask)" is one of the better metal songs on a soundtrack written specifically for a movie (probably No. 2 behind "Dream Warriors").

And, in the truth is stranger than fiction category, I stopped writing for a moment to change the channel to VH1 Classic so I could watch _Metal Mania_. Guess what was on? "Teenage Frankenstein"!!! Now if they would only offer the damn show in HD instead of SD.

[Bob]

Nice to see some love here for Rundgren. I am a huge fan. I grew up in NJ, and Rundgren's music was, understandably, all over the Philly rock stations. How many of you have heard the original version of "Hello It's Me?" It's on the first album by Rundgren's band, The Nazz. From his incredibly extensive catalog, my favorite Rundgren tune is "The Very Last Time" which he did with Utopia in 1980...Simply brilliant!

[ColsCPA]

Its great to find some Rundgren fans! I have all the TR albums and one Nazz album. Saw his last show when he was using an IPad on stage. I was a little disappointed as I yearn for the "old stuff." Saw one of his first shows in Columbus when he sat at a grand piano wearing a skin color bodysuit, played 1/2 the show at the piano, band came out for the 2nd half, amazing!

Metalboy/Bob - you've givin' me some music to look up this weekend, appreciate it! Have a great weekend all!

[Metalboy!]

Yep, got The Nazz, too, Bob. It is interesting to hear the original version of "Hello, It's Me" but it is the one on "Something/Anything" that's absolute Pop Bliss.

And let's not forget his nod to all of us, "Heavy Metal Kids", from his 1974 double album, "Todd"!

\m/