Alice Cooper - DaDa

Now, if I were to say Alice Cooper released a dark album most people would respond with a very sarcastic remark. However, there is an album Alice released that was so dark, that to this day most people don't even know it exists. I mean an album so black that even the Master himself refers to it as his darkest.

There are two very important parts to this album. One is the amount of synthesized instruments. Specifically, according to the liner notes, "Most of this album was done using the C.M.I. Fairlight computer for the most part, the drums are not drums but computer programs embelished with some live drumming." Plus all of the keyboards as well.

The other part is that Alice was beyond a raging alcoholic at this point. According to various articles and interviews Alice was pretty much at the puking up blood phase of alcohol abuse. Which also explains why this album was so dark. It's pretty much a suicide note in many respects.

The album opens with a totally artistic spoken word piece, mixed with musical accompaniment. It's the title track to the album, and pretty much comes off as a therapy session. It sets the mood for such a disturbing album to come.

Enough's Enough is a song about a son dealing with his father's overbearing abuse, after his mother dies. "Enough's enough's enough's enough / When my mother died, she laid in bed and cried: / "I'm going to miss you, my brave little cowboy" / I saw my father smile (a smile he tried to hide) / He told me "Son, I've really got you now, boy" / Come on, little cowboy".

From there we move on to Former Lee Warmer, which is the story of the creepy brother locked up away from everyone else. The mad man kept away from the family. This is almost like a reverse from the normal insanity based Cooper songs. Instead of being the insane look out, it's trying to look in on the insane and figure them out.

I don't think that this album was meant to be a concept album of any type, however there is a natural flow through the first three songs that really gives the idea that it may be. This is like the Alice Cooper V.C. Andrews album. Flowers In The Attic is one that comes to mind.

The fourth song on the album is No Man's Land. A case of multiple personality disorder, mixed with a down and out life. "She had money all her life / She wasn't lookin' to become my wife / She said, "I hope you understand, / I just want a nightful of man, Sonny" / She didn't notice I was thin with a delicate chin / Nor the softness of my skin, nor the scent of my other personalities / She didn't see through my disguise - didn't see it in my eyes / She was in for a surprise when she discovered my emotional plurality / She said "Come and lay down on the floor with me / It's warmer here by the fire" / She didn't know that there was more of me / She'd have to learn to love all four of me". Which when mixed with the previous four songs, you get the idea that Alice himself may have really been dealing with some real identity issues.

There has to be one song on every Alice Cooper album I can't stand because it's just too fucked up for me. Dyslexia is filler lyrically, musically, and anally. I mean this song should never have been put on this album. It's not cute. It's not educational. It's not anything except for an annoying 80's synth pop of a sort. It's also the only song on the album that isn't brilliant.

Scarlet And Sheba is by far the best S&M song I have ever heard. No bad innuendos, not typical Metal stereotypes of whips and leather. This song is a true fetishist love song. "Scarlet wants to hold me, wearing just a red-veiled hat / Sheba's in the shadows waiting for her turn at bat / In the parlour where the lights are low / A vulture sister act, I watch their show / They're trying to kill me, want to pick my bones / Methodically, erotically". I'de put all the lyrics, but some would think I was printing Erotica.

Redneck Alice is one of the funniest characters I've ever heard performed. The song I Love America, is so cliche 80's redneck, right down to the mention to "I watch the A-Team every Tuesday night / I graduated, but I ain't too bright / I love Detroit 'cause I was born to fight / I love America". This is beautiful satyrical commentary on how Alice saw American life in 1983.

Alice has covered a lot of subjects over the years in his music, but Fresh Blood is the only time that he has been a Vampire. I'm not sure if this song, or the next one, is my favourite. But with lyrics like "Fresh blood, a sanguinary feast / Is all he's living for / And he craves it more and more / Old men, ladies of the night walking in the rain / If they walk alone are never seen again". How can you not get all Gothy in your incisors. Not to mention this song has some beautiful soul too. The backup vocals add so much as well.

The album ends with Pass The Gun Around. The chorus to the song pretty much just repeats the song title "Pass the gun around / Give everyone a shot... give everyone a shot, why don't you / Pass the gun around / Throw me in the local river, let me float away". The verses read as a complete checkout note. "Sonny wakes up in the morning feeling kinda sick / Needs a little Stoli Vadka, needs it really quick / Sees a little blood run from his eyes / Feels a little hotel paralyzed / (chorus) / I wake up watching cartoons... the television's on / There's a couple of party balloons and all my money's gone / She was just a reason to unwind / And actually the last thing I could find / (chorus) / Sonny wakes up in the morning, there's a stranger in his bed / Someone's pounding on the hotel door, he wishes he was dead / I've had so many blackout nights before / I don't think I can take this anymore". Never in all my life have I ever heard someone use a song to beg to be put out of their misery like this.

Like I said this album is dark, fromt he start of Daddy taking over after Mommy's death, right up until the point Alice finally says he's done and wants someone to put him down. That being said this is one of the five best Alice Cooper albums ever, as far as I'm concerned. If not for Dyslexia a perfect ten.

In fact this album is so good, that one of my friends, Drew, only owns this Alice Cooper album, or at least that was how it was for a long time. The only other one I can specifcally recall him having is Raise Your Fist And Yell.

9/10 - content

10/10 - production

10/10 - personal bias