Hear Yngwie Malmsteen's Heavy Metal Cover of Michael Jackson's "Beat It"
We know this is totally random, but we thought we'd share Yngwie Malmsteen's cover of Michael Jackson's "Beat It." The track, which you can check out below, is from Malmsteen's late-2009 studio album, High Impact.
"It was a tribute to [Jackson], but I’ve always liked the song," Malmsteen said in a "Dear Guitar Hero" feature that appeared in Guitar World. "It’s my heavy metal version of the song, with de-tuned guitars and Ripper Owens on vocals.
"Unlike the original, I begin with a guitar solo, and there’s another solo in the middle of the track. It’s not too much like the original. I played it my own way, like I did on my Inspiration album, where I covered songs from other artists." Thoughts?
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Damian is Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine. In past lives, he was GW’s managing editor and online managing editor. He's written liner notes for major-label releases, including Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection' (Sony Legacy) and has interviewed everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Bacon (with a few memorable Eric Clapton chats thrown into the mix). Damian, a former member of Brooklyn's The Gas House Gorillas, was the sole guitarist in Mister Neutron, a trio that toured the U.S. and released three albums. He now plays in two NYC-area bands.