Earlier this month, Alice Cooper stunned the rock scene as he added a brand new cover to his repertoire: “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” With his gritty voice and explosive stage persona, it should have worked out like a dream. But once the clip reached YouTube, some of Alice’s fans were left surprisingly disappointed after catching his controversial take.

Amassing more than 118,000 views in just its first eight days online, Music Man readers can watch the shock rock god Alice Cooper pay tribute to one of the world’s most legendary bands in the viral clip below…

So, what went wrong in this clip? On paper, this should be a masterclass cover and, on a surface level, it appears pretty solid.

Alice’s live band slays their segments, transforming the grunge hit into a glam rock jam with an 80s feel, not daring to stray away from Nirvana’s original grooves but playing the piece note-for-note, just like the classic single.

But Alice’s first verse is unexpectedly weak and a little off-key, despite what should be a perfect vocal match for such a hard-hitting track. His heart is in it, but at 78 years of age, Alice’s verse rings out with a run-down atmosphere, the star not quite tapping into the outlandish personality and shock factor which made him a star. To some, it verges on sounding like a karaoke performance…

However, Alice pours his full character into the choruses, re-igniting the wow factor fans were waiting with gritted teeth for; his iconic vocal tones the ultimate tribute to Kurt Cobain’s original take, so mind-blowing that countless fans are begging for Alice to release a studio version of this cover.

While some lifelong Alice Cooper listeners realized that this clip shines a light on the rock legend’s progressing age, others couldn’t help but respect Alice for sticking with it all these years. He’s made his millions, become a household name and, theoretically, could retire at any moment. But new shows such as this prove Alice’s deathless love for rock, entertainment and performance; a dedication that’s more inspiring than most can wrap their heads around, channeling the same energy as Ozzy Osbourne, Paul McCartney, Iggy Pop, and fellow rock gods who refuse to throw in the towel.

Alice Cooper first hit the scene in 1969 – twenty-two years before Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” changed the game for rock bands – and now, another thirty-five years later, and thirty-two years after the death of Kurt Cobain, Alice Cooper is still touring the world, releasing new records and remaining a living legend of the scene.