Open Your Eyes begins with its title track, a powerful song that
seems to speak directly to our times. Check out these lines: “Violence rules within our nation's midst/Well,
ignorance is their power tool/You only know what they want you to know.” David
delivers a passionate, earnest rendition that captures the strength of the
original. James Williamson (from The Stooges) joins David on guitar on this
track. “They scare us all with threats of
war/So we forget just how bad things are.” That’s followed by “Head On,” a
fun tune with a delightful 1980s sound. It was written by William Reid and Jim
Reid, and originally recorded by The Jesus And Mary Chain. “Yeah, the world could die in pain/And I
wouldn't feel no shame/And there's nothing holding me to blame/Makes you want
to feel, makes you want to try/Makes you want to blow the stars from the sky.”
David Hasselhoff delivers a seriously good vocal performance here, and is
joined by Elliot Easton (from The Cars) on guitar. Then Steve Stevens (Billy
Idol’s guitarist) joins him on a rendition of Modern English’s “I Melt With
You,” a song I love. Actually, that entire Modern English album, After The Snow, is excellent, and should
be a part of your music collection. This version features some wonderful
touches on guitar, and it is those moments that really distinguish it from the
original, giving it a slightly harder edge. I love the way David sings the lines, “I made a pilgrimage to save the human race/Never
comprehending the race has long gone by.” There is a bit of sadness to his
delivery, matching what a lot of us are feeling these days. David follows that
with another 1980s pop song, “Lips Like Sugar,” delivering a cool version of the
Echo And The Bunnymen tune. He is joined on keys by Mike Score (of A Flock Of
Seagulls).
David Hasselhoff then dips into
the 1970s with a wonderful take on David Bowie’s “‘Heroes’,” singing a portion
of the lyrics in German. This song was from Bowie’s Berlin period, and he
himself released a version in German. The song is closely tied to the Berlin
Wall, perhaps a reason why David Hasselhoff chooses to cover it. You might
recall him singing “Looking For Freedom” at the rubble of the Berlin Wall in
1989. Gil Sharone plays drums on this version of “‘Heroes’” (you might know him
from his work with Stolen Babies and Marilyn Manson). That’s followed by “Here
I Go Again.” I have to admit I loved this song when I was a kid, and listened
to that Whitesnake cassette quite a bit. But then I moved on, and hadn’t listened
to it in decades. Well, it is fun to revisit it here. Tracii Guns (of L.A.
Guns) plays guitar on this version. Then Todd Rundgren joins David Hasselhoff
for “Jump In My Car,” a song originally done by Ted Mulry Gang. This track is a
total delight. There is something completely lovable about David Hasselhoff. He
seems to have never taken himself too seriously, and has a good time with
whatever projects he is involved in. That is evidenced, for example, in his
cameo in John Waters’ A Dirty Shame
(my vote for best cameo ever in a film), and in this wonderful track. David
Hasselhoff released this song as a single more than a decade ago, putting out
a rather goofy music video to accompany it (if you watch it, be sure to watch
it to the end). This new version ends with him asking “What was I thinking in the first place?”
At the beginning of “Rhinestone
Cowboy,” David Hasselhoff dedicates the song to Glen Campbell, who had recorded
it in 1975. David had recorded this song before, including it on his Sings America album. On this new
rendition, he is joined by Charlie Daniels on fiddle. This version has more of
a pop vibe. What I love is that David really throws himself into each of these
songs, singing each with conviction while simultaneously enjoying himself. He
follows “Rhinestone Cowboy” with an unusual take on Gordon Lightfoot’s “If You
Could Read My Mind,” giving it a bit of an electronic pop sound. His vocal
performance is heartfelt, and he is joined by Ava Cherry on vocals. David then
throws himself into one of the silliest and catchiest of bubblegum pop songs,
“Sugar Sugar,” a song originally done by cartoon darlings The Archies. Here he
is joined by Steve Cropper on guitar. Is this version fun? You bet! But it’s
not as fun as “Mit 66 Jahren,” a song by Udo Jürgens, here delivered partly in German, partly in English. “Life begins as 66/I’m having a wonderful
time/Life begins at 66/And everything is fine/Life begins at 66/The best is yet
to come.” This is probably my favorite track. I fucking love it. Patrick
Moraz (of The Moody Blues) plays keys on this track. “People try to tell me I should be slowing down/I’m putting on my
dancing shoes and heading for the town.” Amen!
Coming from Massachusetts, I
have a special love for Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline.” It is a song that is
in the air there, and it is played at every Red Sox game in the eighth inning.
David Hasselhoff’s rendition of “Sweet Caroline” has a strange, industrial sound.
He is joined by Ministry on this one. I don’t think I’ve ever heard an approach
quite like this before. It is likely not the only industrial pop version of a Neil
Diamond song, but it is the only one I think I’ve heard. So good, so good.
David Hasselhoff wraps up the album with “That’s Life,” a song associated mainly
with Frank Sinatra. This is the one track of the album not to feature a special
guest. David delivers a totally enjoyable rendition, featuring some good work
on keys. This is a song that feels like some kind of blessing in these twisted
times, a song we need to keep in mind and in heart. “Each time I find myself flat on my face/I pick myself up and get back
in the race.”
CD Track List
- Open Your Eyes
- Head On
- I Melt With You
- Lips Like Sugar
- “Heroes”
- Here I Go Again
- Jump In My Car
- Rhinestone Cowboy
- If You Could Read My Mind
- Sugar Sugar
- Mit 66 Jahren
- Sweet Caroline
- That’s Life
Open Your Eyes was released on CD and vinyl (red vinyl!) on
September 27, 2019 on Cleopatra Records.
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