David Hasselhoff displays excellent musical taste by covering Jesus And Mary Chain’s “Head On”

Never let it be said that Baywatch star/international recording artist David Hasselhoff doesn’t have excellent taste in music. This month the 67-year-old has released the latest in a long line of albums, Open Your Eyes (his first since 2012). According to NME, the album commemorates the 30th anniversary of the fall of Berlin Wall, an event at which Hasselhoff performed.

So the tracks on the record itself take quite a journey back, covering songs like Glen Campbell’s “Rhinestone Cowboy” (with guest star Charlie Daniels), Echo And The Bunnymen’s “Lips Like Sugar” (with A Flock Of Seagulls), and Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” (with unlikely backup by industrial band Ministry). Hasselhoff released the title track with guest artist James Williamson of The Stooges a few weeks ago, and now he releases a cover of The Jesus & Mary Chain’s classic “Head On,” with guitar playing by The Cars’ Elliot Easton.

The Hoff certainly offers a spirited version of one of J&MC’s best songs, his pop voice sounding as strong as ever, bolstered by some energetic handclaps and Easton’s stirring solo. Hoff being Hoff, he sounds a bit sunnier that The Jesus And Mary Chain’s grittier version—we can’t really picture him in “the dirty part of town.” But as TV stars covering pop-punk songs go, you could do a lot worse—and we have to commend Hasselhoff’s excellent taste while searching for tracks to do his own take on.