DAVID HASSELHOFF – Open Your Eyes (2019)

DAVID HASSELHOFF doing music again? Really? The ’80s legend of American television (Baywatch, Knight Rider) and German radio, has released a new album titled “Open Your Eyes”. It’s a cover album, where the tracklist reveals an eclectic mix of tunes and talents collaborating, including, among others, Stooges’ legend James Williamson, Billy Idol guitarist Steve Stevens, Todd Rundgren, and L.A. Guns’s Tracii Guns to do a version of… Whitesnake’s “Here I Go Again”… Hasselhoff is a brave man for sure.

“The Hoff” isn’t the best vocalist in the world – that’s has been clear on the numerous albums / singles he has recorded over his career – but the man has tons of charisma. And you know, most the covers work fine here, fun and entertaining stuff.
Hasselhoff, known more in the States as star of Baywatch and Knight Rider, is a successful recording artist in Germany and the album is being released in honor of a momentous occasion for the country; the disc (and soon following tour) is being released coinciding with the 30th anniversary fall of the Berlin Wall.

Among the songs there’s renditions of Echo & The Bunnymen’s “Lips Like Sugar” (featuring the The Cars’ Elliot Easton), The Jesus and Mary Chain’s “Head On” (featuring A Flock of Seagulls) and David Bowie’s classic “Heroes” with major film composer Tyler Bates (“Guardians Of The Galaxy”, “John Wick” franchise).
Perhaps the oddest pairing is a cover of the Neil Diamond classic “Sweet Caroline” featuring Ministry. More specifically, it was Ministry frontman Al Jourgenson and DJ Swamp, who was a member of the industrial band at the time of the recording. Jourgensen told: “It was the most surreal project I’ve ever been involved with. I didn’t even have to take acid, and I felt like I was trippin’ balls.”

The surreality doesn’t end there. Among the other tracks are a cover of ’80s goth-rock supergroup The Lords of the New Church’s “Open Your Eyes” with Stooges legend James Williamson, Modern English’s “I Melt With You” featuring Billy Idol guitarist Steve Stevens, and Whitesnake’s “Here I Go Again” featuring L.A. Guns guitarist Tracii Guns.
All these covers were done mixing ’80s synth rock & pop sound and production with modern touches. All are fun, and while “The Hoff” vocals on “Here I Go Again” are pretty embarrassing, it works as a funny exercise.

David Hasselhoff is a true exponent of ’80s culture – from its more cheesy side if you like, but the man has attitude and a sense of humor that makes you smile and “Open Your Eyes” does exactly this: having a feel-good time.
Heck, even there’s a patch into the digipak emulating the ‘Kiss Army’ logo… but here’s the ‘Hoff Army’ 🙂
Totally 80s.

 

01 – Open Your Eyes – feat. James Williamson
02 – Head On – feat. Elliot Easton
03 – I Melt With You – feat. Steve Stevens
04 – Lips Like Sugar – feat. A Flock of Seagulls
05 – Heroes – feat. Tyler Bates
06 – Here I Go Again – feat. Tracii Guns
07 – Jump In My Car – feat. Todd Rundgren
08 – Rhinestone Cowboy – feat. Charlie Daniels
09 – If You Could Read My Mind- feat. Ava Cherry
10 – Sugar, Sugar – feat. Steve Cropper
11 – Mit 66 Jahren – feat. Patrick Moraz
12 – Sweet Caroline – feat. Ministry
13 – That’s Life

 

BUY IT
www.amazon.co.uk/Open-Your-Eyes-David-Hasselhoff/dp/B07WV6D6XB