Talk about an all-star group. The new Paul McCartney tribute album is jam-packed with some of music's most talented and colorful performers as they provide their own personal spins on the songs of McCartney as well as songs he wrote with fellow former Beatle John Lennon. McCartney's son James also honors his dad on the album.
"The Art of McCartney," out Nov. 18, features the artistry of Bob Dylan, Kiss, Billy Joel, Willie Nelson, Smokey Robinson, B.B. King, Brian Wilson, Heart, Barry Gibb, Jeff Lynne, Def Leppard, Roger Daltrey, The Cure, Owl City, Alice Cooper and a mega-cast of others.
Cooper's version of "Eleanor Rigby" from a new all-star tribute to Paul McCartney premiered yesterday (Sept. 29) at USA Today.
"Cooper takes a straightforward approach to The Beatles' 1966 hit, which was the B-side of 'Yellow Submarine,' singing it over a string-quartet arrangement very much reminiscent of the original version," notes usatoday.com.
Watch the clip of Cooper singing the Beatles classic here:
The album's roster of stars paying their personal tribute to McCartney is a veritable who's who of fellow influential singer-songwriters, reports Rolling Stone: Bob Dylan ("Things We Said Today"), B.B. King ("On the Way"), Smokey Robinson ("So Bad"), Barry Gibb ("When I'm 64"), Billy Joel ("Maybe I'm Amazed," "Live and Let Die"), Willie Nelson ("Yesterday"), among many others.
The first song to be released from the record is a take on the Beatles' "Hello Goodbye" - as recorded by the Cure and Paul's son James - which Rolling Stone exclusively premiered. Elsewhere on the album, Kiss takes on "Venus and Mars"/"Rock Show," and the Who's Roger Daltrey belts out "Helter Skelter."
The compilation will be available in a variety of formats, ranging from standard 34-track CD, vinyl and digital releases to extravagant 42-track deluxe sets with hardbound books, a DVD documentary about the making of the comp and more, depending on the edition.
The most ornate edition is a deluxe box set, which has been limited to 1,000 copies, and includes signed artwork by Beatles associate Alan Aldridge, a USB drive designed to look like McCartney's signature Hofner bass, the aforementioned DVD documentary, an audio doc, an illustrated guide to the release, art cards, CDs, vinyl and a certificate of authenticity.
The album is available for preorder on "The Art of McCartney" site, iTunes and Amazon.
