There are some albums you listen to over and over, and some albums that just naturally get ingrained in your head without even trying. If you catch me on a good day when the wind is blowing right down through Mexico, oh, ohh, ohh, I can sing this album note for note. Not just word for word, and I'll even include some of those hidden moments you can only catch with head phones.
Is this Alice Cooper's best album? I don't think so. If you've read some of the past reviews in regards to albums by my heroes, the group that inspired me to want to be a musician and a performer, you should know what I consider Alice Cooper's crowning achievement. This album, however, is an album that any serious music listener should own.
There are some flaws to this album, and I want to point those out right at the start, just so we can get it out of the way. The first is that this album is missing the musical depth of it's predecessor, School's Out. This album, for the most part, is a straight ahead Rock album. There are a few exceptions, because every Alice album must have a few. When that follows an album with some really smokin' Jazz inspired riffs, it's a bit of a let down for the musical snob in me. However, it's time to get into the album, which covers my only other problem.
"Hello! Hooray! Let the show begin / I've been ready / Hello! Hooray! Let the lights grow dim / I've been ready / Ready as this audience that's coming here to dream / Loving every second, every moment, every scream / I've been waiting so long to sing my song / I've been waiting so long for this thing to come / Yeah - I've been thinking so long I was the only one / Roll out! Roll out your American dream and its rescuits / I've been ready / Roll out! Roll out your circus freaks and hula hoops / I've been ready / Ready as this audience that's coming here to dream / Loving every second, every movement, every scream / I've been waiting so long to sing my song / I've been waiting so long for this thing to come / Yeah - I've been thinking so long I was the only one / I can stand here strong and thin / I can laugh when this thing begins / God, I feel so strong / I feel so strong / I'm so strong / I feel so strong / So strong / God, I feel so strong / I'm so strong". Really, can you think of a better way lyrically to kick off an album. I will admit this is an Alice song I could do without (my last complaint), but it is an amazing opener. Even live it gets you up on your feet and pumped up. I guess I should also mention this is a cover, the original was done by Rolf Kempf. This may be part of the reason this isn't one of my favourites.
Next up on the album is Raped And Freezin'. Musically this song is bit on the light hearted side, while the lyrical theme is actually quite serious and a bit frightning, as well as ahead of it's time. The production, though, really has you believing that Alice is running for his safety in a gender bender well before it's time. "Finally got a ride, some old broad down from Santa Fe. / She was a real go-getter. / She drawled so sweetly, "I think, child, that things'll get better." / We pulled off the highway, night black as a widow. / "Yes, I read the Bible," she said, "I wanna know of you." / Hey, I think I've got a live one, / Hey, I think I've got a live one, Yeah, Yeah, / I think I've got a live one. / Felt like I was hit by a diesel or a greyhound bus. / She was no baby-sitter. / "Get up, sugar, never thought you'd be a quitter." / I opened the back door, she was greedy. / I ran through the desert, she was chasin'. / No time to get dressed, so I was naked, stranded in Chihuahua. / Hey, I think I've got a live one, / Hey, I think I've got a live one, / Hey, hey, I think I've got a live one, / Alone, raped and freezin', / Alone cold and sneezin', / Alone down in Mexico, / Alone."
Elected proves that sometimes it's okay for a band to rip off their own music. On the first Alice Cooper album, Pretties For You, there is a song called Reflected. It was a very wicked and cool track all on it's own. However, the band opted to pull the core riff from that song and re-use it to create a whole new song, that generations can easily enjoy. You don't even have to be American, like one might think, based on the lyrics.
By musical trade I'm a Drummer first, vocalist second and bassist third. Billion Dollar Babies is one of those landmark songs that belongs in that first group. The drum riff in this song may be one of the greatest, and toughest Rock beats to play. I don't try to do it often, as it's a pain in the ass, but from time to time I give it a go and shake my head and remember why Neil Smith is one of the most under rated drummers in the industry.
For many people a trip to the dentist is a horrifying ordeal. Unfinished Sweet not only captures the nightmare of that experience, but I also find it adds a fun bounce trip to it as well. There's this really fun springy, spronging kind of noise, that almost sounds like someone twanging on an elastic band. I actually like to think of this song as poetry in motion. "Candy everywhere, got chocolate in my hair / Aching to get me / Stickly sweet suckers in the Halloween air / Aching to get me / Saint Vitus dance on my morals tonight / Aching to get me / Aching to get me, get me oh... / Take it to the doc, I guess he ought to know / La, la, la, da / Which ones can stay, which one gotta go / He looks in my mouth and then he starts to gloat / He says me teeth are O.K. / But my gums got to go / Oh oh... / I come off the gas but I'm still seeing spies / Aching to get me / I can see them all through a glassy pair of eyes / Aching to get me / De Sade's gonna live in my mouth tonight / La, da, da, da, da / And the rotten tooth fairy is satisfied / La, da, da, da, da / Aching to get me, get me oh..."
Now if you are a basic run of the mill listener, and it's vinyl that you are using as the medium for your audio worship you'll most likely throw on side one and then call it a day. However, as a hardcore Alice Cooper fan I go straight to side two. That's where the real good stuff is. The real art, skill and talent of The Master.
I love No More Mr. Nice Guy. This is the ultimate losin' it and getting even kind of song. This is bad ass bad boy Rock at it's wildest. Lyrically I can relate to this one, like only the weird kids in the school can. "I used to be such a sweet, sweet thing / Until they, got a hold of me / I opened doors for little old ladies / I helped the blind to see / I got no friends 'cause they read the papers / They can't be seen, with me, and I'm getting real shot down / And I'm, feeling mean / No more Mister Nice Guy / No more Mister Cle-he-he-hean / No more Mister Nice Guy / They say he's sick, he's obsce-he-he-hean / I got no friends 'cause they read the papers / They can't be seen, with me, and I'm getting real shot down / And I'm, I'm getting mean / No more Mister Nice Guy / No more Mister Cle-he-he-hean / No more Mister Nice Guy / They say he's sick, he's obsce-he-he-hean / My dog bit me on leg today / My cat clawed my eye / My mom's been thrown out of social circle / My dad's had to hide / I went to church incognito / When everybody rose, the Reverend Smithy / He recognized me and / Punched me in the nose, / He said,No more Mister Nice Guy / No more Mister Cle-he-he-hean / No more Mister Nice Guy / They said, your sick, your obsce-he-he-hean / No more Mister Nice Guy / No more Mister Cle-he-he-hean / No more Mister Nice Guy / They said, your sick, your obsce-he-he-he-he,-he-he-he-he, / -he-he-he-he-hean".
Next up is Generation Landslide. The original version. While I'm not a huge fan of the song I do love singing the lyrics, especially during the "La da da da daa" part. It's one of those songs that's just a great slap in the face to all those annoying money hungry nut jobs that have no clue that there is a bubble that can and will pop.
The very first Alice Cooper song I could ever sing and play musically at the same time was Sick Things. To this day I'm still pretty solid at handling the bass and the vocals at the same time, and if I had another two arms would try and do the drums at the same time. This isn't a complex song, and to the casual listener it sounds like Alice just being creepy. However, this is one of those songs that I truly believe was meant to be played live and to freak the audience out.
Mary Ann, is a great dynamic shift that has a real bite of humour to it. "Mary-Ann, I'm really crazy about you, deed I am / I just can't live without you, Mary-Ann / Mary-Ann / Mary-Ann / My life was built around you / Stars and sand, your eyes were pools of laughter, Mary-Ann / I thought you were my man". This song is also the perfect way to break up two very dark and ominous songs.
The album then ends with one of my favourite songs. I Love the Dead is one of the greatest tributes to one of the most depraved sexual taboos, Necrophelia. It's not even tongue in cheek like other tracks with the same subject matter, this one slaps you right in the face with one of the happiest chorus' I've ever heard. I mean you can hear the ear to ear loving smile with every repeat of the line "I love the dead". The verses on the other hand are creepy as fuck. "I love the dead before they're cold / Their bluing flesh for me to hold / Cadaver eyes upon me see nothing / I love the dead before they rise / No farewells, no goodbyes / I never even knew your now-rotting face / While friends and lovers mourn your silly grave / I have other uses for you, darling!", then there's the repeating "I love the dead" which is sung around eighteen times. Then it's back to the creep show. "I love the dead before they're cold / Their bluing flesh for me to hold / Cadaver eyes upon me see... nothing!" Then the album ends.
By the time this album ends everytime I put it on I feel used and empty, at least when I'm home by myself. I don't just listen to this album, I perform along. Seriously, this is an album you should own. Ney, must own, or else you can't be considered a true fan of music. You see I had to get past all the gushing about the obvious BS before I could get into the best part about this album.
Michael Bruce delivers top notch guitar work on this album, and if Glen Buxton hadn't been in such a state because of substance abuse the guitar parts might have had more punch. However, instead the ledgendary producer opted to pull the guitars back a bit in the mix on many songs for vibe and ambience, which was genious. Especially when you add in the extra guitar efforts of Dick Wagner and Steve Hunter.
I know I mentioned Neil Smith's drumming on Billion Dollar Babies, but that's not the only track where he shines. His rhythmic, yet far from standard, approach is what helps bring so much of this album to life. This album is one of the reasons that man is one of my favourite drummers of all time.
Then to round out the musicians is Dennis Dunnaway. The only reason Dunnaway is not my favourite bassist of all time is because of Geddy Lee and Cliff Burton. This is also a bassist that understood the bassist drummer dynamic so well that he would boast that he didn't need to hold down the low end, because Smith did it well enough. Instead Dennis works the entire bass and keeps the rhythm very tight and full.
Bob Ezrin is the name I will use to finish off talking about the album. The man is a production genious and if ever there was a time I was able to record an album he is the man I would want. The album is full of texture, vibe, passion, mood, mood, and yet still more mood. Every song comes across as surealist audio painting and it is a hundred percent because of this Canadian Producer. Just listen to the last track with headphones on and you will quickly understand what I'm talking about.
Now please, just go buy the album and enjoy.
9/10 - content
10/10 - production
9/10 - personal bias
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