Alice Cooper has released a new rendition of Lou Reed's 'Rock & Roll' featuring members of Detroit and more.
Alice Cooper
The 'Poison' hitmaker has given fans the first taste of his upcoming LP, 'Detroit Stories', with the cover of the rock classic originally by The Velvet Underground from their 1970 album 'Loaded'.
The song was written by the late music legend and then-leader of the group, Reed.
Cooper's version features Detroit band members Steve Hunter and Johnny 'Bee' Badanjek, who recorded their own heavy rock spin on 'Rock & Roll' in 1971, and the city's seminal jazz and R&B bassist Paul Randolph, with special guests Joe Bonamassa and Tony Henriksen of Cooper's band and The Hollywood Vampires.
It was produced by studio wizard Bob Ezrin, who has long worked with Cooper and was in the studio with him when Detroit were recording their version.
What's more, guitarist Hunter toured and recorded with Cooper and Reed, and they've come full-circle, by having him play the main riff on the new version, and Ezrin producing 'Detroit Stories'.
Cooper is eyeing a February 26, 2021 release date for the upcoming record.
‘Detroit Stories’ has been named for the city that launched the original Alice Cooper Group on the road to success, and follows last year’s ‘Breadcrumbs’ EP as a modern-day homage to the toughest and craziest rock scene there ever was.
Speaking in a statement about his Detroit origins, Alice said: "Detroit was Heavy Rock central then. You’d play the Eastown and it would be Alice Cooper, Ted Nugent, the Stooges and the Who, for $4! The next weekend at the Grande it was MC5, Brownsville Station and Fleetwood Mac, or Savoy Brown or the Small Faces. You couldn’t be a soft-rock band or you’d get your a*** kicked.
“Los Angeles had its sound with The Doors, Love and Buffalo Springfield. San Francisco had the Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane. New York had The Rascals and The Velvet Underground.
“But Detroit was the birthplace of angry hard rock. After not fitting in anywhere in the US (musically or image wise) Detroit was the only place that recognised the Alice Cooper guitar driven, hard rock sound and our crazy stage show. Detroit was a haven for the outcasts. And when they found out I was born in East Detroit ... we were home.”
In a further homage to the city in Michigan, ‘Detroit Stories’ brought together some legendary Detroit musicians in a Detroit studio.
Ezrin added: "We recorded with Wayne Kramer (guitarist and writer from the MC5), Johnny ‘Bee’ Badanjek (drums - from the legendary Detroit Wheels), Paul Randolph (legendary Detroit jazz and R&B bassist) as well as the Motor City Horns and other local musicians. We had musical ideas and encouragement from John Varvatos, the support of the folks at Shinola, and we recorded at Rustbelt Studios in Royal Oak. This was Made In Detroit for Detroit by Detroit denizens!”
‘Detroit Stories’ will be available on CD, CD+DVD Digipak, CD Box Set (including CD, Blu-ray, T-shirt, face mask, torch light and 3 stickers), and 2LP Gatefold.
Tagged in Alice Cooper Lou Reed