Alice Cooper has shared his take on the Velvet Underground classic “Rock & Roll”. The cover comes from the shock rocker’s upcoming Detroit Stories album—out February 26th, 2021—featuring an array of covers and originals alike that pay tribute to the Motor City.
Though the Velvet Underground is synonymous with New York, Cooper maintains that this cover comes from the heart of Detroit. Back in 1971, the band Detroit recorded a cover of the song with producer Bob Ezrin. Eventually, the tribute made it to Underground leader Lou Reed, who in turn recruited Ezrin to produce his 1973 solo record, Berlin.
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As is a running theme throughout Detroit Stories, Cooper makes the song into a hard-hitting anthem for the gritty city. In opposition to the Velvet Underground’s version that hums along like the New York subway, Cooper instead takes the speed down a notch and accents it with syncopated power chords from guitarist Joe Bonamassa and cymbal crashes courtesy of drummer Johnny “Bee” Badanjek. Just as well, he changes the line in the first verse to “Then one fine mornin’ she puts on a Detroit station” just so there’s no mistake about where the song is coming from.
Cooper said of Detroit Stories and his tribute to the city that made him,
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 ass 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.
Listen to Alice Cooper’s take on The Velvet Underground’s “Rock & Roll” below. Detroit Stories is out February 26th, 2021, click here to pre-order and scroll down to see the full tracklist.
Alice Cooper – “Rock & Roll” (The Velvet Underground)
[Video: earMUSIC]
[H/T NME]