Odd Metal and Rock Collaborations - A List!
Thinking about Tiffany and LA Guns teaming up yesterday made me ponder about some of the other odd metal and rock duets over the years. Sometimes mash-ups work and bring two fan bases together. Other times, these duets seem contrived and flop. Here's my list of the oddest metal and rock duets of them all.
Def Leppard & Tim McGraw – Nine Lives (2008)
I never got this one. I have a bias against country music. I just do not like it so I always cringe when I hear rock bands team up with country stars. This duet is especially bad in my opinion.
In another life I worked for an orchestra doing PR. I have a soft spot in my heart for classical. Still, I always thought it was a little odd when Metallica teamed up with the San Francisco Orchestra. That said, the combo just plain worked and the results are epic. The version of "Nothing Else Matters" below is my favorite - even more so than the original studio recording.
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Remember that time that Alice in Chains teamed up with Elton John to make the track "Black Gives Way To Blue?" Written by Jerry Cantrell as a tribute to the late Layne Staley, the song is a beautiful memory and showcases the absolute brilliance and flexibility of Elton John.
In 1989, KISS released an album called Hot In The Shade... and they collaborated with Michael Bolton. In fact, Bolton helped them write "Forever," one of their most commercially successful tracks. I wonder how many folks had "Forever" at their wedding reception in 1990? I bet the song was the fodder for prom themes, too. I was only in fifth grade when this song came out and I did not know Bolton's role until many years later!
I think this counts: Insane Clown Posse tapped Alice Cooper for some scary intros to the album The Great Milenko. Alice's voice really does give the intro instant spooky street cred. When I was a freshman undergrad, I was placed with a complete stranger for a roommate like most everyone else. My roommate that year loved ICP and would play them constantly so I have some fond memories of their late 90s output. That is The Great Milenko era if you were not sure. Speaking of this album, Slash performs on Halls of Illusions too.
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This is the list off the top of my head. Honorable Mention goes to Damn Yankees: Ted Nugent, Tommy Shaw and Jack Blades. Obviously Blades and Shaw are friends and fit together... but Ted with them always seemed odd to me. Even still, that supergroup sure worked!