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Post by Mighty Jack on Apr 25, 2008 22:31:05 GMT -5
Another project, sumpin to do - You can do it too, pick a favorite artist and start a thread. Could be fun and informative. My first entry. The Coop... starting off with a look at the first 4 albums (more of course, to come... BioVincent Furiner (Vocals, Harmonica), Glen Buxton (Lead Guitar), Dennis Dunway (Bass) and Michael Bruce (Rythem Guitar/Keyboards) were classmates who played and recorded songs in bands named The Earwigs, Spiders and the Nazz (not to be confused with Todd Rudgren’s band of the same name) before adding drummer Neal Smith and re-christening the group, “Alice Cooper”. Furiner took the name for himself as well and the stage was set. The guys hung out with members of Pink Floyd and Furiner dated Miss Christine (of the GTOs) who influenced his look and style and the band soon secured a 3 record deal with Frank Zappa’s label. The first 2 outings didn’t fair well and it was put up or shut up time (Zappa had sold the label by this time). The guys “put up” and recorded a hit that sent them (and then later with Vincent flying solo) on a journey that saw “Alice Cooper” recording top-notch (if not always commercially viable) albums to this day. Alice Cooper is often linked to the hard rock scene, but they were pretty eclectic and defy that narrow definition. They incorporated Pop, Broadway, Blues and even some Country Folk flavor into something that was to be known as “Shock Rock”. Michael Bruce was the rocker that kept the band on solid ground. While Vincent/Alice was theatrical and very cognizant of the commercial side of the act.. Still, unlike Kiss, where theatrics and commercial success took precedence, Cooper took the art of crafting songs very seriously and none other than Bob Dylan has defended Coop as a superb songwriter. Here then is the first part of the Discography: Pretties For YouRelease Date: August 1969 Highest US chart: One source says it charted briefly at #193, another source says it never charted at all Tracks: Titanic Overture * 10 Minutes Before the Worm * Sing Low, Sweet Cheerio * Today Mueller * Living * Fields of Regret * No Longer Umpire * Levity Ball * B.B. on Mars * Reflected * Apple Bush * Earwigs to Eternity * Changing Arranging Strange spastic and chaotic. Cooper’s experimental first album is like nothing you’ve ever heard from the band. There are little snippets of songs, bits that start here and then suddenly go there. Producer Frank Zappa apparently didn’t give the guys much time to work on this (In fact they thought they were still working out the kinks when Frank told them, that’s it, were done, I’ll have an album for you in a week) The production sounds cheap (The 2 remastered tracks on the Box set sound much better) but there are some real catchy melodies buried within. “Reflected” will later be retooled and renamed “Elected” for the Billion Dollar Babies” album, the Pink Floyd influenced "Levity Ball" and the 60s pop-psych fuzz toned "Living" are other highlights. Not a masterpeice, but trippy and facinating. Note: When this was released they put a sticker over the woman's exposed panties. Easy ActionRelease Date: June 1970 Highest US Chart: Did not chart, though a reviewer at Amazon claims it charted at #88 Tracks: Mr. and Misdemeanor * Shoe Salesman * Still No Air * Below Your Means * Return of the Spiders * Laughing at Me * Refrigerator Heaven * Beautiful Flyaway * Lay Down and Die, Goodbye The band is still finding its identity and seems stuck between Frank’s vision of a freaky garage band and the Detroit rockers they wanted to be. Produced by Neil Young’s pal David Briggs (The group was not happy with him and said he didn’t like the band and didn’t give any effort. They’re not the only ones who’ve not been pleased with the Producer, Nick Cave didn’t like the guy’s work either and overhauled the album they did together) E.A. is sometimes smoother than Pretties, there are some nice hooks (Shoe Salesman) and pretty melodies (Beautiful Flyaway) and songs like Mr. And Misdemeanor are decent, but there’s a lot of unfocused noise as well. Overall it is not a complete success. BTW: That’s Guitarist Michael Bruce, not Alice, doing the vocals on “Flyaway” and “Below Your Means”. And Tommy Smothers can be heard at the beginning of Lay Down and Die, Goodbye, saying… “You are the only censor. If you don't like what I say, you have a choice. You can turn me off” Love it to DeathRelease Date: February 1971 Highest US Chart: #35 Tracks: Caught in a Dream * I’m Eighteen * Long Way To Go * Black Juju * Is It My Body * Hallowed Be Thy Name * Second Coming * Ballad of Dwight Fry * Sun Arise And now they emerge! With a vision, a confident voice and a producer they trust (Bob Ezrin). This is my favorite Cooper album, and one that made Rolling Stone’s top 500 list… “I’m 18” is a bonafide classic and illustrates Ezrin’s influence as it was originally much longer and scattershot (and was titled “I wish I was 18 again”) Bob got these guys to focus and tightened up their sound. They left the L.A. scene and headed to Detroit. And it was a much better fit. The production on the LP is muddy (that’s the Detroit signature style) and rocks with garage band intensity (Caught in a Dream), but the Band maintains that weird dark side in epic numbers like the brilliant, “Ballad of Dwight Fry”. Which has a conventional acoustic melody, accentuated by off kilter guitars and keyboards, leading to Alice’s chant, “I Wanna Get Out of Here!” which builds and gets more frantic as it goes. And this is truly “A band”, not just a one man show, the best numbers see all the members listed as writers, The musicianship is solid and carries a distinct, identifiable sound. Alice Cooper are at the top of their game and over the next few years they will deliver some incredible albums. KillerRelease Date: December 1971 Highest US Chart: #21 Tracks: Under My Wheels * Be My Lover * Halo of Flies * Desperado * You Drive Me Nervous * Yeah, Yeah, Yeah * Dead Babies * Killer 2 essential albums in one year! Many feel this is Cooper’s best. While I don’t agree with that mindset, I do agree it’s another winner. The melodies are catchy and the musicianship is tight as a drum on songs like Desperado, Under My Wheels and Be My Lover. Dead Babies digs into your skull and was controversial (though it was about bad parenting and not advocating child abuse as some critics seemed to propose) Halo of Flies is cool, with lyrics inspired by the adventures of James Bond. It is a return to the style of the sprawling song that switches gears in mid stride. Alice has said that Halo was an attempt to write progressive “King Crimson” type rock (Not a style I enjoy). The first side is stronger than the second. The closing track, Killer, was written with the live show in mind, but since we can’t see Alice doing whatever theatrical thing he’d be doing on stage, the long musical interlude is a bit excessive. I don’t mind when a group noodles on for a stretch of time as long as they do something cool that builds and creates excitement (ala, Golden Earring on "Radar Love"). But Killer just goes on and on and bores me to the point that I used to often pick up the needle and stop the record before it was finished. Blasphemy? Perhaps, but I find it more a crime for the Shock rockers to send me to snoozeville in that way. Obviously some fans dig it, but it just wasn’t my cup of tea. Nevertheless, Killer succeeds more often than it fails.
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Post by Mighty Jack on Apr 26, 2008 16:53:13 GMT -5
School’s OutRelease Date: June 1972 Highest US chart: #2 Tracks: School’s Out * Luney Tune * Gutter Cat Vs. The Jets * Street Fight * Blue Turk * My Stars * Public Animal #9 * Alama Mater * Grande Finale The hot streak continues with a flawless production that opens with a flawless song. The title track is one of the greatest rockers ever recorded. The musicianship and arrangement is perfect, the distinct and catchy opening riff, Alice’s scorching vocals, and the delightfully witty lyrics (We got no class and we got no principles (Principals) and we got no innocence, we can’t even think of a lyric that Rhymes.) I never thought much of Neal Smith’s drumming; he’s solid but not spectacular, yet his no nonsense style works so well on this LP. During School’s Out, when he’s hitting that steady rhythm accompanied by Dennis Dunway’s bass during the chorus, I can picture an army of kids charging through the hallways towards freedom. Dunway and Smith are the foundation of this production, their steady back beat provides a notable backbone throughout.. I love the grand nature of the record too. In “My Stars” (my second favorite track) the piano and rolling snare set up the piece in dramatic fashion before the guitars and Alice’s angry wail blasts through the speakers, the words paint a picture and bristle with action and angst (“Landscape’s alive and it’s movin my feet - All I need’s a holocaust to make my day complete!”) There’s also a lot of variety, from the jazzy blues feel of “Blue Turk” to the mellow anthem to days gone past, “Alma Mater”. As well as Broadway numbers being represented with a nod to “West Side Story” (Gutter Cat Vs. the Jets). All told “School’s Out” ranks as my 2nd favorite Cooper album. Billion Dollar BabiesRelease Date: March 1973 Highest US Chart: #1 Tracks: Hello, Hooray * Raped and Freezin’ * Elected * Billion Dollar Babies * Unfinished Sweet * No More Mr. Nice Guy * Generation Landslide * Sick Things * Mary Ann * I Love the Dead Their first #1 record, their most polished sound, Babies was a monster hit spawning 4 hit singles, multiple television appearances and a feature film which focused on the tour (“Glad to See You Again, Alice Cooper”). Though I’ve become far too familiar with the hits (the same problem “Who’s Next” suffers from) this is still a pitch perfect album with not a single throw-away number (I even like the slight, “Mary Ann”. Which originally was a protest song titled “Uncle Sam”, which ended with the line “I though you were a man”. Alice kept the body of that lyric intact, making for a funny/odd finish to the tune) The title song is brilliant, an odd grinding rocker featuring the vocals of Hippy folkster Donovan. “Generation Landslide” has some of interesting lyrics and though not a single, it’s one of my favorite numbers from the band. “Sick Things” is one of the eeriest songs they’ve ever done. With its lumbering melody, provocative and mysterious lyrics, the whispered background vocals and those strange mechanical sounds in the background. While “I Love the Dead” is done with a 50s vibe and carries a Dr. Phibbes-like camp horror sensibility, the words are twisted enough that one wouldn’t wanna listen to it while Grandma was in for a visit. Great record, the 4th essential album in a row. Did You Know? The album that took over the #1 spot from Billion Dollar Babies? Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon”. And on a sad note, the baby pictured on the cover was Lola Pfeiffer, the daughter of Alice’s PR woman. Tragically the child would contract a disease and died a few years after the release of the LP.Muscle of LoveRelease Date: November 1973 Highest US Chart: #10 Tracks: Big Apple Dreaming (Hippo) * Never Been Sold * Hard Hearted Alice * Crazy Little Child * Working Up a Sweat * Muscle of Love * Man With the Golden Gun * Lament ’74 * Woman Machine The streak had to end some time, unfortunately this also spells the end of the Alice Cooper band as we know it. The Coop will fly solo from here on out with Band mates going off to record an album under the name “Billion Dollar Babies”. The last monster release and promotion of said album exhausted group members and like the Beatles with their “Beatles For Sale” album, the exhaustion and stress bleeds through to this record. Tension was present as the guys were in conflict over the direction of the band (Vincent/Alice wanted to get more theatrical, the rest wanted to pull back and get back to straight rocking). All this and their producer Bob Ezrin was not around for the recording. The concept album zeroes in on teen angst, street life and even Male prostitution. When I was a teen I hated this album, but in my old age it doesn't sound as bad as it used to. There is some lackluster and tired sounding filler (Woman Machine). And a few I can't get into, even now: "The Man With the Golden Gun" for example, was an attempt to get a tune featured on the next 007 movie. Alice proposes that the band was too edgy for Bond, But the truth is that aside from a cool high note Alice strikes at one point, the tune is a piece of crap and that made the decision to reject the song quite easy for the film producers. Also "Never Been Sold Before" refuses to end, what are ya, Bob Seeger? The album has a light jazzy feel and there is little muscle in this album, despite the title. But there are good tracks. "Big Apple Dreaming", the pretty "Hard Hearted Alice" as well as the hits, "Teenage Lament '74", are all enjoyable numbers. After this Warner Brothers will release a greatest hits album in September 1974, which will outsell Muscle (and features one of the coolest outer and inner covers ever as the band is pictured along side classic Hollywood stars as Veronica lake and Edward G. Robinson. I haven't been able to locate the full artwork, perhaps when I remember the artists name, he might have it posted at his website) Alice Cooper the band is no more. Alice Cooper the lead singer continues and will open this new era with a masterpiece
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Post by Skyroniter on Apr 26, 2008 18:34:37 GMT -5
Starting with "Love it to Death" through "Billion Dollar Babies" the Alice Cooper band put out some of the best music ever. Great band!
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Post by Mighty Jack on Apr 28, 2008 14:33:10 GMT -5
Welcome to My NightmareRelease Date: March 1975 Highest US Chart: #5 Tracks: Welcome to my Nightmare * Devil’s Food * The Black Widow * Some Folks * Only Women Bleed * Department of Youth * Cold Ethyl * Years Ago * Steven * The Awakening * Escape Alice’s first release apart from the old band is a classic, my 3rd favorite overall. Ezrin returns as producer and guitarists Steven Hunter and Dick Wagner (who helps in songwriting duties) are the new anchors for front man Furiner. A concept album that takes listeners on a journey through the nightmares of someone named Steven. The first side is a delight and it doesn’t get much better than to have the great Vincent Price add some narration (Black Widow). “Only Women Bleed” is the first (and best) of the power ballads that would give Alice many hits over the next few years. It was quiet a shock to listeners at the time who’d never heard Cooper write and perform something so pretty and, well, normal. The second side is even better. It opens with the funny “Department of Youth”; a self mocking commercial slant on the “I’m 18” theme that ends with a huge laugh (Donny Osmond?), Cold Ethyl is twisted and is one of A.C’s most solid rockers. This brings us to the 3 eerie Steven songs; all are kind of creepy and surreal. The centerpiece “Steven” is pure genius, one of my all time favorite Cooper numbers; it is spooky, haunting and powerful. The record ends on the high-spirited “Escape”, which takes us backstage and inside the mind of artist himself (and provides more cowbell!). All these numbers have superb melodies and provocative and/or fun lyrics. Welcome has one of the greatest covers ever and the tunes within are brilliant. Nightmare is another essential Alice Cooper release. Alice Cooper Goes to HellRelease date: June 1976 Highest US Chart: #27 Tracks: Go to Hell * You Gotta Dance * I’m the Coolest * Didn’t We Meet * I Never Cry * Give the Kid a Break * Guilty * Wake Me Gently * Wish You Were Here * I’m Always Chasing Rainbows * Going Home The sequel to Nightmare offers the same vibe but doesn’t reach the same highs. The production is a little heavy handed and while there are good songs, it's a strange and ecclectic mix. There's disco (You Gotta Dance) because uh, Disco is hell. "I'm the Coolest" has a slow Beatnik jazzy vibe with Alice singing low and smooth and there's the cover of the perennial "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows". Despite the title, this isn’t very dark; it’s actually very humorous (even Alice’s green face on the cover is more camp than scary). The title track makes me laugh out loud and “Give the Kid A Break” features some funny lyrics as it tells of a guy trying to convince Satan to cut him some slack. Two of my favorites are the pretty ballads, “Wake Me Gently” and the hit “I Never Cry” which Cooper said was an alcoholic’s confession. "Guilty" is the best rocker. I don’t have much else to add, it’s a good album, which is more than I can say for the next release. Lace and WhiskeyRelease Date May 1977: Highest US Chart: #42 Tracks: It’s Hot Tonight * Lace and Whiskey * Road Rats * Damned if You Do * You and Me * King of the Silver Screen * Ubangi Stomp * (No More) Love at Your Convenience * I Never Wrote Those Songs * My God I could see this coming. There was this troubling slant towards over production on Ezrin’s part over the years. “Welcome” managed not to drop over the edge of the world and was buoyed by brilliant songs. “Hell” drew a little too close to “too slick and sterile” but still managed to stay afloat, but “Lace”… Gawd this is waaaay over produced! One reviewer I read in researching this piece, chastised us Lace haters, saying we were “towing the company line”. I hate being labeled. I’m a Cooper fan and want to love everything he records. I also NEVER read AC reviews back in the day. I had no clue if this was loved or hated when it was released. I judged it based solely on my own personal feelings and was not swayed by the tide of public opinion. I HATED this record without any help from anyone else thank you. It not only is the worst Alice Cooper album ever (yes, I’d rather listen to “Easy Action”). It is the worst album in my whole bloody collection from any artist! The production is wretched. The mix is horrible, it is so overly compressed that the sound is like a wad of sludge. There are too many layers piled on in most of the songs, and often there is little in the instrumentation and vocals that’s distinct. Ezrin takes Spector’s “Wall of Sound” concept to the sickening lows. In fact Bob neuter’s Alice far worse than Phil did to the Ramones on “End of the Century”. Is there anything I liked? There are some real nice lyrics. Alice moves away from the horror genre and that gives him a chance to try a few new things. The power ballad “You and Me” (which actually charted higher than “Only Women” and “I Never Cry” though it’s not as strong melodically) is well written as are “My God” and “I Never Wrote Those Songs”. Other than that, this Whiskey is big time swill. From the InsideRelease date: December 1978 Highest US Chart: #60 Tracks: From the Inside * Wish I Were Born in Beverly Hills * The Quiet Room * Nurse Rozetta * Millie and Billie * Serious * How You Gonna See Me Now * For Veronica’s Sake * Jacknife Johnny * Inmates (We’re All Crazy) David Foster takes over the Producers chair and Elton John’s lyricist Bernie Taupin adds his talents; what emerges is the best Cooper album since Nightmare. The production is still a bit too slick, I’m not real fond of the heavy keyboards and layered backing vocals, but it is a vast improvement over the last release because the writing team of Cooper, Taupin and Wagner put together some amazing songs. The melodies are beautiful and catchy. Taupin’s always been a deft storyteller and Alice a playful and clever wordsmith. Together they weave compelling tales about Alice’s stay at a sanitarium for alcoholism and the people and things he saw within those walls. The first 2 songs are okay, but from “The Quiet Room” on it’s a winner. “Millie and Billie” and “Jackknife Johnny” are 2 favs. “How You Gonna See Me Now” is another superb power ballad, and the album ends very strong with another one of those anthem style songs AC is great at creating (Inmates). “Serious” is a great rocker which features the talents of artists Rick Nielson (Cheap Trick) as well as Flo and Eddie. Oh and the cover design is cool (The doors on the cover open to show the patients from the songs inside (complete with Alice in the quiet room). On the back cover we see the folks storming the exit with release forms in hand). Alice has always had nice album art and design. Makes me miss the LP era.
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Post by MonsterX on Apr 28, 2008 16:38:23 GMT -5
This is great! I’ve never been much of an Alice Cooper fan outside of the more popular singles but this has inspired me to go back and check out some of his earlier stuff. (If I ever have money again.) Excellent article!
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Post by Mighty Jack on Apr 29, 2008 14:18:11 GMT -5
Thank you kindly MX Alice is about to hit hard times unfortunately but will manage to release at least one gem... Flush the FashionRelease date: December April 1980 Highest US Chart: #44 Tracks: Talk Talk * Clones (We're All) * Pain * Leather Boots * Aspirin Damage * Nuclear Infected * Grim Facts * Model Citizen * Dance Yourself To Death * Headlines Alice begins a new phase, since the past few middle of the road productions had failed to light a sales spark, Cooper decided to try New Wave. Boosted by a great single “Clones” the album did chart higher than “From the Inside” but it still wasn’t able to put Alice back into the major leagues. The problem with this and the follow up is that the records open strong but lose steam as they go. Fashion fares better on this front than 1981s “Special Forces but still, Cooper can’t deliver on the promise of the first 3 tracks. 2 covers open the LP, Music Machine’s “Talk, Talk” and “Clones” (with that bitchin’ sci-fi synth riff) are the kind of tunes that force you to rock in your chair or tap your toes, very catchy and cool. The 3rd track is an original, “Pain” and it’s one of Cooper’s best; lyric and melody are both strong and for a while I thought there was the makings of another classic. But then the LP finishes up with a string of nice though rather slight numbers. “Aspirin Damage” for example is cute, with funny lyrics but it’s not a heavy hitter like the opening 3 and this trend will follow suit to the end. Flush The Fashion isn’t a classic (plus it’s short, running under 29 minutes) but it brings Cooper into the 80s on a decent enough note Special ForcesRelease date: September 1981 Highest US Chart: #125 Tracks: Who Do You Think We Are * Seven & Seven Is * Prettiest Cop On The Block * Don't Talk Old To Me * Generation Landslide '81 (Live) * Skeletons In The Closet * You Want It, You Got It * You Look Good In Rags * You're A Movie * Vicious Rumors The next few CDs are kind of Alice’s lost years. I remember these records just popping up on store shelves; I don’t recall any advance notice or heavy promotion. They came and went quietly. Forces sports one of the ugliest covers and Alice -who’d slipped back into a terrible bout of alcoholism- looks terrible. He was rail thin and appeared near death in pictures I’d seen of him in this time span. The music sports a new band and the sound is punkish; but after opening with 2 great songs: The rapid fire drum and synth of “Who Do You Think We Are” and the outstanding cover of Love’s “Seven and Seven Is”, the album nose dives with minor trifles and an unnecessary and weak remake of Generation Landslide (Not actually Live as advertised). My memories of this album were that it was okay, but rather weightless and empty all told. It didn’t light a fire under me and it didn’t stay in my record player for very long. Time and distance hasn’t changed my opinion. Zipper Catches SkinRelease date: 1982 Highest US Chart: Did Not Chart Tracks: Zorro's Ascent * Make That Money (Scrooge's Song) * I Am The Future * No Baloney Homosapiens * Adaptable (Anything For You) * I Like Girls * Remarkably Insincere * Tag, You're It * I Better Be Good * I'm Alive (That Was The Day My Dead Pet Returned To Save My Life) Here is another album that just popped up one day. I bought it and liked it, much better than Special Forces. In researching this piece I find that I’m in the minority. Fans and critics find Zipper inconsistent and the weakest of this stretch of 4 (Punk/New Wave) albums. I disagree and find it much steadier and enjoyable and while Alice is still going through a dangerous run with alcoholism (he has said that he doesn’t remember recording Forces, Zipper or DaDa), Forces feels –to me- like Alice was completely out of it. Here there is some spark of life and a real sense of playful humor and that is likely due in large part to the return of Dick Wagner. The title might very well be a nod to Zappa (Weasels Ripped My Flesh) and I like the much-maligned cover. It’s only the lyrics, but a smudge of blood highlights the title. Alice doesn’t sing much, he rather sing/speaks most of the songs (an irritant to many fans but I dug it). Zorro opens the album on a high note, but considering what happened with the last 2 albums this isn’t exactly a good sign. Still, each number is solid, fun and well made. The horror movie inspired “Tag, Your It” is the album highlight and if “I Am The Future” sounds a bit out of place, it’s because it was written for the movie “Class of ‘84” (still, it’s a good one). Zipper isn’t high art but it was a very enjoyable DaDaRelease date: November 1983 Highest US Chart: Did Not Chart Tracks: DaDa * Enough’s Enough * Former Lee Warmer * No Man's Land * Dyslexia * Scarlet And Sheba * I Love America * Fresh Blood * Pass The Gun Around Producer Bob Ezrin returns and helps create a refreshingly superb album, the first consistently great album from AC in ages. DaDa is generally dark and often eerie: As with the creepy little girls voice repeating the words “DaDa” as the drums pound like a heartbeat; the frightening tale of “Former Lee Warmer” - a cannibal locked up in an attic or a story about split personality (you decide)? And the horror of alcoholism is powerfully tackled in “Pass the Gun Around”. Beyond those titles I also dug the ode to masochism “Scarlet and Sheba” and “I Love America” is hysterical and is pure mocking Alice. Coop sings in an exaggerated manner and the music is over the top. (Complete with Custer’s last stand). The Dali cover (with Alice’s head superimposed over one of the figures) adds to the off kilter flavor of the LP. Sadly DaDa was ignored, it didn’t chart and Alice disappeared from the music scene for 3 years.
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Post by TV's Cowboy on Apr 29, 2008 18:06:40 GMT -5
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Post by Mighty Jack on May 1, 2008 14:28:33 GMT -5
Yup I used to own that one. Sadly, many years ago someone broke into my apartment and stole a bunch of comic books, that was one of them. I miss it. ConstrictorRelease date: October 1986 Highest US Chart: #59 Tracks: Teenage Frankenstein * Give It Up * Thrill my Gorilla * Life and Death of the Party * Simple Disobedience * The World Needs Guts * Trick Bag * Crawlin’ * The Great American Success Story * He’s Back (The Man Behind the Mask) Cooper returns after a long hiatus with an album that attempts to get back to basics, and that’s the problem, the music’s all basic. After going from a string of more commercial LPs to the New Wave Punk style, Alice spoke about wanting to do straight forward hard rock and it seems to work as far as getting him some commercial attention. “Teenage Frankenstein” got some radio play and he got a song on the new Friday the 13th film. But overall Constrictor is pretty standard fare. Coops new band mates include Ax Man Kane Roberts and Bassist Kip Winger. Roberts is the most muscular rocker since Thor (See Zombie Nightmare) but his songwriting and musicianship are all the same, he draws from the same bag of tricks and when you’ve heard him once, you’ve heard all he’s got. It all follows the same pattern, standard verse, predictable chorus, and familiar guitar solo. I liked Frankenstein but after that it fluctuates between the bad (Thrill My Gorilla) or the merely okay (Simple Disobedience – A song that tries to be the next great anthem, but just doesn’t have the muscle to pull it off). In fact after the first song the record doesn’t grab me again until track 9 "The Great American Success Story" (Which was written for the Rodney Dangerfield movie “Back to School” though it was never used). In attempt to get back and get tough Alice actually ends up with a collection of standard, unimaginative material. Compared to the real Detroit rock of “I’m 18” and “School’s Out”, this pales as pure pabulum. But hey, he was back on the charts. Raise Your Fist and YellRelease date: October 1987 Highest US Chart: #73 Tracks: Freedom * Lick Me Up * Give the Radio Back * Step on You * Not That Kind of Love * Prince of Darkness * Time to Kill * Chop, Chop, Chop * Gail * Roses on White Lace Alice, Kane and Winger return one more time and this is a stronger release, though it isn’t inspired by any means. The production and arrangements are tighter; the melodies are a touch better than what we were offered on Constrictor. Alice the lyricist isn’t at the top of his game through, “Prince of Darkness” (heard in the John Carpenter film Alice had a role in) lacks that old clever edge as it simple tells us that the Devil is a bad guy (Uh… D-uh?). It’s seems Cooper forgot that cryptic phrasing adds mystery which is more effective in creating chills (Sick Things, Former Lee Warmer). “Gail” is a return to those gothic spooky songs that Alice does better than anyone. Yeah some of the words are clumsy (The idea of insects within her skeletal jail is a clever idea phrased poorly) but the melody and arrangement is stellar. Straight slasher horror tales on the other hand stink to high heaven (Chop, Chop, Chop) Though I liked the sound and they way Alice sang the chorus to “Roses on White Lace” (yet once again, some of the words make me grit my teeth in embarrassment). Yell is okay, but it is the sound of an old rocker resting on his laurels. Thankfully, Alice will prove that he has greatness still in him (but don’t look for it on the next release. Lol) Of Note: Robert Englund (Freddie Krueger) can be heard on the song “Lock Me Up” TrashRelease date: July 1989 Highest US Chart: #20 Tracks: Poison * Spark in the Dark * House of Fire * Why Trust You * Only My Heart Talkin’ * Bed of Nails * This Maniacs’ in Love With You * Trash * Hell is Living Without You * I’m Your Gun Alice pulls away from the straightforward hard rock numbers and tries a more radio friendly pop slant by bringing in Desmond Child (Bon Jovi). The thing with Child is that he makes nice shiny cookie cutter songs. And a lot of his choruses sound the same; in fact there are few of these numbers that sound like they’d fit snugly on a Bon Jovi album. The title track got Cooper his first top 10 hit in 12 years and I enjoyed it too. But when I listen to it and the rest of the album these days it all kind of sounds safe and predictable. It’s like rock and roll cotton candy, sweet and fluffy and ultimately unfilling. It’s not a bad album though, and it’s a step up from the last one. Plus it served its purpose and got Alice his highest charting album since Nightmare. Joan Jett helped write “House of Fire”. Jon Bon Jovi sang on “Trash”, Steven Tyler sings on “Only My Heart Talkin”, all three are decent enough numbers but it was the last two songs that are the best. Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora helped write the ballad “Hell is Living Without You” and it features an impassioned chant like chorus, and “I’m Your Gun” is a high-spirited rocker with former band mate Kip Winger adding some solid background vocals. (Kane Roberts make an appearance too, playing guitar on “Bed of Nails” – a song that made me laugh with Alice singing “Ow, Ow, Ow Ow Ow”… I hope that was meant to be funny. lol) Hey StoopidRelease date: July 2nd 1991 Highest US Chart: #47 Tracks: Hey Stoopid * Love’s A Loaded Gun * Snakebite * Burning Our Bed * Dangerous Tonight * Might As Well Be On Mars * Feed My Frankenstein * Hurricane Years * Little by Little * Die For You * Dirty Dreams * Wind-Up Toy Stoopid seemingly draws from the same well as Poison but it’s got a lot more meat on its bones and thus offers the best music from the Coop since DaDa. And that’s the bottom line, while the production is slick and commercial just like the last release, the songwriting is miles better. Alice is putting more though into his lyrics and the hooks and melodies are ear catching to no end. “Hey Stoopid” is a preachy tune (tackling drugs and suicide), but understanding the road Alice has been down with his own addiction you know he’s not just blowing smoke (“This aint your daddy talking”, he sings, “You know, I know”), plus the song kicks ass. “Feed My Frankenstein” is childish (“Fur Tea Cup”? – Cripes, that’s pure “Spinal Tap” if I’ve ever heard it) but the song rocks and Jesus, Steve Vai and Joe Satriani playing guitar (for the first and only time) on the same song… is that Heaven or what? (The album is loaded with guest stars, from Slash to Ozzie). “Wind Up Toy” closes the CD and it’s old school Alice tackling insanity (Steven is even mentioned) The ballads are amazing with “Might As Well Be On Mars” one of my all time favorites. Dick Wagner returns as co-writer. The words touch and move me (you can be so close to the one you loved and lost, yet you might as well be a million miles away). Musically it’s stellar, I love the chorus; the way the music swells and builds. Damn song gets my pulse racing and exacting that kind of emotional response is something that has been sorely missing from Cooper of late. If anything he’s always been able to evoke some kind of fervent response and what a joy it is to see him return to that form. Excellent album and it will get even better; but we'll have to wait a few years... The Last TemptationRelease date: July 12th 1994 Highest US Chart: #64 Tracks: Sideshow * Nothing’s Free * Lost in America * Bad Place Alone * You’re My Temptation * Stolen Prayer * Unholy War * Lullaby * It’s Me * Cleansed by Fire Alice had reached a point in his career where he was releasing nice, but safe material. There were good albums but the salad days were behind him… or were they? A strange thing happened to the king of Gran Guignol; he embraced Christianity, but unlike Dylan who got a little sanctimonious during his brief fling with Jesus. Alice took his newfound faith and was inspired to write a concept album that focused on the devil and temptation (In the form of a woman with the unlikely name of “Mercy”). This was no collection of sweet “Jesus loves me, this I know” material, but rather it was Alice giving Satan the finger. (And how strange was it, the first time I heard this and the last song has the character of Steven questioning the Devil, asking him, “What about Christ, What about love, What about faith in God above?” I’d never heard Alice express these sentiments before and it was quite powerful) The album came with a graphic novel written by Neil Gaiman (Not his best work unfortunately. Plus Ray Bradbury sued him because the material was very similar to “Something Wicked…”) and musically, Chris Cornell wrote and sang on two numbers, the decent “Unholy War” and the outstanding, “Stolen Prayer”. The best tracks are, “Lost in America” which keeps up the A.C. humor by using his old trick of inserting the mundane aspects of life. I like the teenager's circular logic (“I can’t get a girl cuz I aint got a car, I can’t get a car cuz I aint got a job. I can’t get a job cuz I aint got a car”). And “You’re my Temptation” is one of my all time favorite Cooper tunes. With its urgent lyrics, and plaintive melody... it’s the rare and special kind of number that takes me away and draws me into the world and characters within the song. Concept albums usually end with a big anthem that tidies everything up. Strangely this album ends with 3 of them and while each is outstanding, they all have a similar flavor and sound. It might have been better to add some variety. Still, that’s a minor complaint and for an album that utilized several different producers and a bunch of co-songwriters, it is very cohesive. Essential, I rank it 6th behind “Killer”.
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Post by Bix Dugan on May 5, 2008 16:26:16 GMT -5
I had no idea Alice released so many albums...
Good work, Linc!
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Post by Mighty Jack on May 7, 2008 11:16:47 GMT -5
Thank you. And that's why I wanted to do his discography. Not only doesn't he get any attention on this board, but he's had such a large body of work. I've never owned so many albums by one artist (Not even the Beatles can match it) and only a handful of them were dogs. Here's the final 4 Brutal PlanetRelease date: June 6th 2000 Highest US Chart: #193 Tracks: Brutal Planet * Wicked Young Man * Sanctuary * Blow me a Kiss * Eat Some More * Pick Up The Bones * Pessi-mystic * Gimme * It’s the Little Things * Take it Like a Woman * Cold Machines Cooper’s a brilliant chameleon; he can do any sound and do it well. Here he tackles something new, a kind of industrial metal and whoo-boy is it a winner. It grinds away with the most muscular sound in Cooper history even though most of the tracks are not fast paced, it rocks so hard and strong I never really paid much attention to whether a song was a ballad, mid tempo or blistering. The opening title number sets the tone, it's a steady rocker and the melody (and use of a female vocalist) surprises as it doesn't sound like anything else he's done. Artists who have been around as long as Alice are still capable of writing good tunes, but they often begin to have a familiar flavor to them. This is not always true with Cooper, a large part of that is due to the variety of different co-writers he works with. Here, his co-writer is noted producer Bob Marlette. The duo creates a sound that while it is still 100% Alice, it’s also completely fresh. Alice called this part one of his Sci-Fi Trilogy (he’s yet to do the 3rd) but this really is all about his faith, Planet is about our wicked Earth and it is Mr. Furiner at his most angry. Mans darkest side is examined unflinchingly, none as much as the powerful and haunting “Pick up the Bones”: A song about genocide, which is based on a true story about families returning home to find body parts of relative scattered about. In all his years of examining nightmares, Cooper has never written anything so horrifying. The first time I heard it caused my mouth to dry and my skin to crawl. The melody is strong; it builds and builds and every bit of Alice’s frustration and anger rushes to the fore as he screams his lyrics with a raw emotion that brings the sorrow of the situation to life. It is simply one of the greatest songs ever written by anyone. If the Gramies had any integrity, felt the need to reward true artistry whether it found radio play or not, this song would have deservedly won every award possible. No other number on the CD can match it, but Coop and Marlette give it there all in the attempt ("Eat Some More" is strong with words about over consumption that'll make you feel guilty) and create a benchmark in the Cooper canon. Save for the throw away attempt to revisit “Only Women Bleed” (Take it Like a Woman) Brutal Planet is flawless. Of Note: Ryan Roxie plays guitar, he will soon become Alice’s writing partner. And there was an extra track on the Japanese release title, “Can't Sleep, Clowns Will Eat Me”. The title came from something Bart Simpson said in an episode. I’ve never heard it but am dying to. DragontownRelease date: September 18th 2001 Highest US Chart: #197 Tracks: Triggerman * Deeper * Dragontown * Sex, Death and Money * Fantasy Man * Somewhere in the Jungle * DisGracedland * Sister Sara * Every Woman Has a Name * I Just Wanna Be God * It’s Much Too Late * The Sentinel Brutal Planet tells of the sins of man on Earth, here Alice and Marlette turn their attentions to Hell (would the 3rd in this series been about Heaven?) – This sounds very much like Planet but I don’t agree with a vocal majority who rank this higher. There are good songs here (reallly good), but it doesn’t have any breakout works of genius (Like “Pick Up The Bones”) so for me it sounds like a lesser version of a masterpiece. I also had a little difficulty with the sanctimonious undertone found throughout. I understand he’s drawing from the Good Book itself, but putting himself as the voice of God and damning souls to hell (including Elvis and John Lennon) made me uncomfortable (I know he’s not saying he’s God. But it is his voice doing all that condemning). Saying that, the Elvis song, DisGracedland, is often funny and it is interesting to hear Alice do something Lennonesque with “It’s Much Too Late”. For some reason Cooper is still trying to draw from “Only Women Bleed” and once again, succeeds in creating a watery, pale copy (Every Woman Has A Name) I wish he’d give it up already as these only wind up the weakest songs on his albums. Also: the choruses on these songs are little more conventional overall, which will be the same thing that weakens his next release. Dragontown is a very good record, but its not as brilliant as the last. The Eyes of Alice CooperRelease date: September 23rd 2003 Highest US Chart: #184 Tracks: What Do You Want From Me? * Between High School and Old School * Man of the Year * Novocain * Bye, Bye, Baby * Be With You Awhile * Detroit City * Spirits Rebellious * This House is Haunted * Love Should Never Feel Like This * The Song That Didn’t Rhyme * I’m so Angry * Backyard Brawl Marlette is gone, the Sci-Fi trilogy forgotten and Ax-Man Ryan Roxie becomes Coopers new writing partner. The overall sound is more hook-laden rock with a poppy feel to it. Miles from the hard stuff heard on the last 2 releases. It’s pretty safe sounding and there’s nothing very challenging in the music. It’s just straightforward and very familiar. They also lift from Cobain (Between High School) the Vines (“I’m So Angry” is such a direct and obvious steal of “Get Free” that the band could have sued and easily won had they brought it to court) and "Backyard Brawl" sounds like something from Judas Priest or AC/DC. The formula works intitially. The first five songs are a blast. The first track is a scorcher, with that old traditional Cooper trailer trash humor of his (“Ditched all of my Girlfriends…. Even the dirty ones”), the answering vocal in the chorus kicks ass! From here we are offered more pop rock melodies and humorous lyrics (“Man of the Year” is dark and funny and “Novocain” has a sweet driving sound) But after this it all gets to sounding too easy and conventional and I started to yawn. “Detroit City” starts off fun; great words listing all the classic Detroit rockers Alice knew. But the pre chorus and chorus is pretty blah. "Be With You Tonight"? Uh-Hu, another OWB wannabe. "Love Should Never Feel Like This" belongs on the "Trash" CD (meaning is sounds like a Bon Jovi song). Once again the chorus is predictable and all this mounting predictability got boring. There's a quick stop at that old gothic horror Alice does so well (This House is Haunted) and "Spirits" is okay. So that's 6 good tracks, 6 very… “M’eh” tracks and one luke warm number. Dirty DiamondsRelease date: August 2nd 2005 Highest US Chart: #169 Tracks: Woman of Mass Destruction * Perfect * You Make Me Wanna * Dirty Diamonds * The Saga of Jessie Jane * Sunset Babies (All Got Rabies) * Pretty Ballerina * Run Down the Devil * Steal That Car * Six Hours * Your Own Worst Enemy * Zombie Dance * Stand Same sound as Eyes, but with more variety and tighter songwriting skills on display. It opens with a number that attempts to tap into the same vibe as “What Do You Want From Me”. It rocks and has humor and while not a great challenging number, it’s a good and exciting way to get things started. Up next is “Perfect” which is cute and catchy and “You Make Me Wanna” gets its hook into ya with its irresistable chorus. I like these songs all very much, but just as I fear it might go down the same path as Eyes and get old quick, Alice takes a left turn with the hilarious “Jessie Jane”, a twisted tale of a cross dressing truck driver that features Cooper doing his best Johnny Cash impression. It’s a golden moment that shifts the gears. Other tracks that do the same is a delightful cover of the Left Bankes “Pretty Ballerina”. Alice is a child of the 60s and has always spoken of his love for the hook filled songs of the Yardbirds and Beatles (He’s covered material by Love and Music Machine in the past) and he does a great, almost haunted take on the tune that once again, shifts the gears on the CD and keep things fresh. The other song I absolutely adore is “Six Hours”. This was so different for Alice that I thought it too must be a cover, but no, it’s a Cooper and Roxie original. The blues melody and mature, wonderfully written lyrics about an affair proves that Alice can do more than humor and chills. Instead of trying to do another OWB for the umpteenth time, Cooper goes down a different path and creates a strong –adult- ballad Diamonds ends with a thud. Zombie is filler and the bonus song is a cheap attempt to get a hit (it features rap by Xzbit) but the tracks that precede these make for another Cooper highlight. So that’s all the studio releases. Next I’ll speak a bit about his live albums, what’s next for the Coop and my final thoughts on the man behind the make up.
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Post by TV's Cowboy on May 7, 2008 14:29:11 GMT -5
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Post by Hellcat on May 7, 2008 16:21:15 GMT -5
Great job, Lincoln. I'm a big Alice Cooper fan, and I enjoyed reading your analysis. Brutal Planet is one of my favorite CDs of the last few years. I agree with your assessment of "Pick Up The Bones" -- the nightmarish imagery just builds and builds, driven by the haunting lyrics and the sheer force of Alice's voice. A terrific song on an excellent album.
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Post by Mighty Jack on May 8, 2008 14:50:55 GMT -5
Thanks Hellcat, always nice to meet another fan of the Coop (Hope I didn't rip on a favorite And Chib thanks for the find. I loved it, Ronald with a bloody knife. lol
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Post by Mighty Jack on May 18, 2008 1:51:39 GMT -5
So that's it: Sometime this year Cooper will release his 25th studio album. It's titled Along Came A Spider and it's about a serial killer. His old pal, co writer and guitar player, Dick Wagner was going to return and work with him on this project, but sadly he suffered a massive heart attack and his recovery has been very slow. I don't know how much, if anything, the two finished together. But the important thing is that Dick get his health back. Hope you're on the road to recovery D.W! I reviewed all of the Cooper’s studio albums but skipped the live ones. Why? Because to be honest I don’t really like live albums. There are exceptions, Johnny Cash and of course Neil Young; but even “Nirvana Unplugged” I prefer to watch the DVD rather than listen to the CD. And I guess that sums it up. Live music works best when it’s experience live. When you’re seeing the performer, feeling the energy and sharing this moment with an audience. And Cooper most of all, just doesn’t work for me live, unless I’m out watching the performance, seeing the FX and the horror show. When I lose the visual and the collective vibe of the audience I lose everything. With AC If I’m listening to a CD then I prefer and would rather listen to the studio versions. I have The Alice Cooper Show which was released in 1977. I wasn’t too thrilled with it and hardly give it a listen anymore. I never bought the now out of print A Fistful of Alice recorded at Cabbo Wabbo in 1997 with one new original number “Is Anyone Home”. So I can’t speak to the quality of that one. In addition to these there are several Greatest Hits albums, many with cool titles like “Classicks”. The first was released in 1974, featured brillaint Drew Struzan art and many of the songs were remastered. I own this one and like it a lot. I get a new mix on the music and again, the album art with all the old school actors was incredible. Rhino has also released a box set titled The Life and Crimes of Alice Cooper – I like this set, it gives a nice overview of his career and features lots of rare, unreleased material. Box sets will always have critics, one guy I read complained about a certain song not being included. Which made me laugh because it’s not a song I really care for, so I didn’t miss it. But that illustrates the hazards of box sets – you’ll never be able to make everyone happy. Personally, while I like this box. I’d rather Alice take another tact – There still a lot of unreleased songs they missed back then, and since the release, a lot more have been added to that list. Why not make a rarities album? Put all the unreleased material, or songs not found on the studio releases and place them on one album? As a bonus, include a DVD with performances from the Muppet Show (include the banned, never seen in the USA footage where animal takes a flying “AXE” to the noggin during a performance –I saw this once, in Canada-). Also include scenes from the “Snoop Sisters” Sunday Mystery Movie, where AC performed “Sick Things” or bits and songs from the very first American Music Awards, where he acted as host! (I also read somewhere that he did something with “The Who” on TV and I’m sure there are dozens more I’ve never seen or heard of) It would be hella cool don’t cha think? So that closes the discography: 24 albums in total, only a handful I don’t care for or rarely listen to. That’s a great track record considering that even my very favorites can only seem to manage 4 or 5 great recordings before either breaking up (The Pixies), dying (Nirvana) or simply running out of creative gas (Ramones). The Beatles are the only ones to match this body of work and even Dylan, as much as he ruled the 60s (and has made a nice comeback with some solid releases) much of his albums through the 70s and 80s were hit and miss for me. Anyway – I hoped this was a fun read and that you’ll all become Alice fans… because it’s dangerous not to. I still have the little fan club insert from one of his LPs. At the top it reads…. “JOIN OR DIE!” Lmao Essential Alice: My Top 111. Love it to Death 2. School’s Out 3. Welcome to My Nightmare 4. Billion Dollar Babies 5. Killer 6. Last Temptation 7. DaDa * 8. Brutal Planet 9. From the Inside * 10. Dirty Diamonds 11. Hey Stoopid * = Out of print
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Post by Mighty Jack on Aug 9, 2008 11:00:52 GMT -5
Along Came A SpiderRelease Date: July 29th 2008 Highest US Chart: #53 Tracks: Prologue/I Know Where You Live * Vengeance is Mine * Wake the Dead * Catch Me If You Can * (In Touch With) Your Feminine Side * Wrapped in Silk * Killed by Love * I'm Hungry * The One That Got Away * Salvation * I Am the Spider/Epilogue Alice taps into the concept vein again and sings the story of a serial killer called the Spider who is undone when he falls in love with one of his potential victims. The CD was highly anticipated by fans and the album art is the best I’ve seen from Coop in years. Each song is illustrated in the insert by colorful horror film style art and it really got me pumped for some great music to go along with it. Unfortunately, what greeted my ears was pretty tired. AC has put out some amazing albums in his old age –Last Temptation, Brutal Planet and Dirty Diamonds all offered something fresh and exciting. I couldn’t wait to return to those recordings and listen to them again and again. With Spider I can barely make it through to the end and there’s little that strikes my fancy and draws me back. It’s not a horrible album but it’s stale. I’ve heard this before, and I’ve heard it done better. Gene Hampton and Danny Saber are Acs collaborators this go ‘round and I hope this is the last we hear of the duo. The production is uneven –sometimes the drums blast out, at others it’s barely a presences (The One That Got Away) and as songwriters they are predictable. I did like the guitar work but the background vocals are generally thin (“Killed by Love” the exception) and it’s amazing that a fellow named Bernard Fowler is actually given special credit for arranging these. Listening to his lackadaisical efforts right from the gate (the tinny falsetto’s of “I Know Where You Live”) should discourage anyone from seeking his minuscule talents any further. Lyrically the serial killer stuff hasn’t really been ACs strong suit. Aside from the classic “Tag, Your It” from “Zipper Catches Skin” the subject doesn’t draw out Cooper’s best work. He’s much better with gothic madness, nightmares, sick predilections and addictions. Plus, Spider is old hat. For example there’s that list thing he always does (I /you got this, that or the other) and frankly I wish he’d find a new trick because this one is no longer interesting. Music wise, again there’s nothing fresh or challenging. “Wake The Dead” opens up with a different vibe (Ozzy Osborn adds a bit of harmonica) but then that melody… “Where have I heard it?” I hummed it a few times then it struck me, the verses are lifted straight from Madonna’s “Material Girl” -- Sweet Jesus McGillicutty, say it aint so Alice! “I’m Hungry” stinks to high Heaven and is a skipper, “(In Touch With) Your Feminine Side” is a familiar sounding yawner and “Salvation” isn’t Coops best power ballad. There are decent tracks, “Wrapped in Silk” and “I Know Where You Live” to name two. “Vengeance is Mine” features some sharp work from Ax man Slash and “Catch Me If You Can” is a grinding rocker that got me rocking in my chair. But alas, even the better songs would be nothing other than interesting filler on greater releases like Diamonds or Planet. All told the material here reaches levels that range from okay to meh and sadly Alice comes off like an old dog that’s been chewing on the same worn down bone for far too long. Of Note: The voice of Cooper’s daughter Calico can be heard as the ‘one that got away’
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