Top Of The Heap: Alice Cooper

Andy Says-

Of all the albums I could choose by dear Alice I come walking away with "Trash" you say to yourself? Especially with obvious choices like "Welcome To My Nightmare" out there? I'm not saying for one minute that Alice Cooper isn't a legend based solely on his work in the 70s. The hits are all there and then some. I could spend this whole bit just naming them all off and trust me when I say I love them all. So, what's the story then? Well, back in the day when glam and hard rock were busy tap dancing with pop metal the world needed someone to show them how to do it right. In 1989 I was feed up with sleaze and all the hairspray that went with it. Like many I felt as if the scene had imploded. Also, like many I had put our dear friend Alice out of my mind. Sure I heard the hits on FM radio and sang along. But for me Alice was old and tired. His day had past. "Trash" though proved if you want something done right you have to do it yourself. Alice took hard rock/glam/pop metal and gave it the boost it needed. He kicked it in it's sorry teeth and said "hey kiddos this is how you do it!". From the time I heard "Poison" onward I knew this was the comeback album Alice needed. With Desmond Child producing and writing alongside Alice the end result was an album that people either love or hate. Not everyone gets into this album and I honestly get that. Whatever it is that pulls me toward it remains a mystery as at it's heart this is pretty much just Alice Cooper fronting some random Hollywood glitter band. It is unashamedly pop metal and even if I do loathe that term/genre I just love this album. Muscle bound guitarist Kane Roberts (who played on Alice Cooper's two album's "Constrictor" and "Raise Your Fist and Yell") may have only received credit for his solo on "Bed Of Nails" but let's face it he co-wrote the album's music if only for the fact that he brought his love of heavy metal along to share with Alice. His touch is all over this album since he did play in Alice Cooper's band up until 1988. Between Robert's bare bone affection for heavy metal and Desmond Child's magical touch this album was gold from the get-go. With guests like Jon Bon Jovi, the late great Stiv Bators, Steven Tyler, Guy Mann-Dude, Joe Perry, Richie Sambora, Tom Hamilton, Hugh McDonald, Michael Anthony and Joey Kramer on board "Trash" proves to be a hard rock album full of great tunes. Besides the hit "Poison" you have great cuts like "Bed of Nails", "House of Fire", "Only My Heart Talkin'", "I'm Your Gun" and "Hell Is Living Without You". Since Alice teamed up with Desmond Child as well as songwriters like Joan Jett, Diane Warren, Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora you get an album that while technically pop metal is quite varied. The outside contributions were what made this album for me and frankly (as odd as this might sound) it made me fall in love with Cooper's music all over again. It also made me realize that you can't count Alice out ever.


Metal Mark says-

The first Alice Cooper I ever heard was either his Greatest Hits or 1986's Constrictor. I don't remember which it was, but I know I heard both around the same time in 1986. Anyways I took to early 70's Alice Cooper right away. I listened to his 80's and beyond material as they came out, but those albums never touched upon the outrageous style that he and his original band perfected. The first two albums were okay, but I think they really hit their stride between 1971 and 1974 and any of those albums from that period could be Alice's top work, but for me I'll always go with Love it to death. To me this album is the ultimate combination of the strangeness, dark humor and odd pacing that defined this period of Alice's career. "Caught in a dream" starts the album off with a slight upbeat swing, but it's never normal and it is a storng opener. Then we get radio staple "I'm eighteen" which is a timeless track that anyone of any age. The bouncing chrage of "Long way to go" quickly comes on and rips the listener along for a wild ride. "Black juju" is a dark, odd track that will have your attention the whol way through. "Is it my body" is a punchy track that is surprisingly catchy. "Hallowed by my name" is another very off beat song that the band really excels at. "Second Coming" keeps the strangeness as it leads on the classic "Ballad of Dwight Frye" which is one of my favorite Alice songs of all time. The album ends as it began with a slightly upbeat number in the form "Sun arise". The results are that this a true classic and not just my favorite Alice Cooper album, but one of my favorite albums of all time.



***What is your favorite Alice Cooper album?

Top 5 favorite metal best ofs/greatest hits/anthologies

Now I am definitely a whole studio album kind of guy. I feel like any metal band that's worth their weight recorded their studio albums for you to hear and take in all of those songs in that order. That's why best ofs/greatest hits and anthologies don't appeal to me so much. However back in my younger days when I was just getting into bands these kind of albums were a great way to be introduced to a band and there are several of these albums that really made an impression on me. Here are my top five in no real order.

Motorhead-No Remorse
The anthology came out just as the band was putting together the four man line-up that would record "Orgasmatron" two years later. For this album we got a great blast of Motorhead's then relatively short past plus a couple of tracks with the new line-up. Killer anthology.

KISS-Double Platinum
KISS had plenty of faults, but this collection had a lot of their best songs on it. They have always been about making a buck, but at least back then they at least sounded like they were having fun and brought us along for the ride.


Ted Nugent-Great Gonzos! The best of Ted Nugent
This one was frequently found in the bargain bins of most department stores in the mid-1980's and because of that reason it became my introduction to one of the craziest performers of our time. Great collection that I still play fairly often.

Black Sabbath-We sold our soul for rock 'n' roll
Black Sabbath lasted for a long time through numerous lione-up changes and they churned out many albums. However I hear the name Black Sabbath and I think of the first six albums because they are essential Sabbath. This collection pulls songs from those classic albums.

Alice Cooper-Alice Cooper's Greatest hits
Like with Sabbath and KISS, Alice Cooper had a short period that was definitely the peak for this band. For Alice it was with original band and lasted from Love it to death through Muscle of love. It has some of their more accessible songs and less of the quirky and odd tracks, but it's still a fine collection with a great cover to boo.

***Be sure to add in any that you like.

Five things in metal that I am thankful for in 2011

I have been making these lists in November for the last four or five years. So in no real order here are the top five things in metal that I am thankful for this year.

King Kobra-So many bands put reunion albums these days the number of bands have not reformed are probably in a minority. In many cases it turns out to be a lame attempt to cash in. King Kobra reformed with 4/5 of their early line-up with veteran vocalist Paul Shortino coming in Marcie (Mark) Free who is involved with Unruly Child's reunion. Most of these have been in several bands over the years so I was afraid this might just be another quickly released generic album. I was wrong because this solid AOR/hard rock coming from some experienced musicians who spent time really working out a solid album. I am thankful for King Kobra for proving that a reunion album can be good.

Iron Claw-This is kind of a bittersweet pick since vocalist Gordon Brown recently left this band and they are once again looking for a singer. However that doesn't take away from the fact that they released their first album since the 70's this year and it was a killer. They had a real handle on taking the vibe of the 70's but keeping it fresh. The results was a solid album of heavy groove powered rock. I am thankful for them because they showed that an older band come back and still be relevant.

Southern Lord records-Not always my favorite label in the world. However this year they had like 4-5 albums that I will consider for my top 25 albums of the year list that I'll post next month. At least two of those are likely to make my top ten. I will not name them now because that would spoil my list. I'll just add that having that many quality releases make me thankful for this label and they certainly deserve a spot on the list.

Michael Schenker-I frequently pick a guitarist for this list. This year it's Michael Schenker. Nothing make me madder at a guitarist than if they just showboat and through themselves into complete self-indulgent wankery. Schenker has the skills to showoff, but on his latest album he contributes to making the songs strong rather than focusing just on himself. I am thankful for Michael Schenker for demonstrating how to use his skill for the good of the album rather than just showing off.

Alice Cooper-We should almost always be thankful for Alice Cooper. However this year it's even more evident. So Alice was going to do a sequel album and bring in a bunch of guest stars. Normally those two things spell disaster in recent years. Instead it turned out to be his best album in a long time and he has some good albums in the last decade or so. The writing is strong, the guests perform well and Alice sounds comfortable. So I am thankful for Alice Cooper for proving that sequel albums can be good and that having a bunch of guest stars can help.

There you go.

Alice Cooper giveaway

Unless you have been living under a rock over the past few weeks then you know that Alice Cooper has a new album out. It is Welcome 2 my nightmare which is a follow-up to his 70's classic Welcome to my nightmare. Well, I have a copy of Welcome 2 my nightmare autographed by Alice himself to giveaway. All you have to do is to go the link box on the upper right hand side of my blog. Go in where it says contact me HERE. Fill out the form saying Alice Cooper giveaway and include an e-mail where I can reach you at should you win. If you would like more information on Alice Cooper and other classic Universal artists then please put that in your e-mail as well. Please note by doing so I will be sending your e-mail address to Universal records. The last day to enter will be October 10th. On October 11th I will draw a name at random and contact you to let you know that you have won. I have heard the album numerous times now and it's a killer. So enter and best of luck to all!

If you can't wait to see if you have one then there is a link to itunes below where you can purchase the whole album or individual songs.

http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/welcome-2-my-nightmare/id457014890

Clash of the album covers

It is...


Alice Cooper-Welcome 2 my nightmare

vs.


Ted Nugent-Freeforall


***Which cover do you prefer?

Clash of the album covers

It is...


Alice Cooper-Welcome to my nightmare

vs.


Ozzy-Blizzard of Ozz

**Which cover do you prefer?

Heavy Metal Thunderdome

Here is another main event match-up for you.

In this corner we have the original masters of hard rock stage theatrics including snakes, guillotines and more, it is....


Alice Cooper-Billion Dollar Babies

And their opponents hailing from New York and featuring blood spitting, fire breathing and more it is...


KISS-Destroyer

***Based on the music which album do you prefer?

Clash of the album covers

Here you go.


Alice Cooper-Constrictor

vs.


Quiet Riot-Condition Critical


***Which cover do your prefer?

Clash of the album covers

Here you go.



Aerosmith-Rocks

vs.



Alice Cooper-School's Out

***Which cover do you prefer?

Underrated and overrated 70's albums

I think I did one of these lists for 80's album so now maybe I'll tackle the 70's. Here are five albums that I overrated at one time and five that I underrated.




Underrated

1-Led Zeppelin-3
This one didn't click with me for years just because it was way more mellow than I was used to. It has grown on me and I glad that it is an album with it's own personality.

2-Rush-Caress of steel
Not everyone's favorite Rush album for sure. Odd around the edges and perhaps that's why it stands out for me.

3-Aerosmith-Get your wings
This one often gets left in the shadows of album like Rocks and Toys in the attic. It's more subtle, but the grooves are solid.

4-TKO-Let it roll
Known more for their 80's output, but this 1979 release was a solid Boston inspired album that didn't work for me in the mid-80's. In recent years I came around.

5-KISS-Hotter than hell
I used to skip past this one for most of their other mid-70's albums. Now I think it's one of their 4-5 best of their long career.

Overrated
1-Deep Purple-Who do we think we are
I always put this in with their fine string of early 70's albums, but really it's a mixed bag.

2-AC/DC-High Voltage (US version)
All their other 70's efforts rock and this one has some fine songs, but some snoozers too.

3-KISS-S/T
I used to like this one just as much as the five albums after it. There is some potential there, but it's clunky too.

4-Alice Cooper-From the inside
I got really into this one for a while mainly just because I liked the concept. Then I realized the songs were not quite as good as the ideas behind them.

5-Judas Priest-Rocka Rolla
Once I saw this one a small step away from Sad wings of destiny and sin after sin. Time and repeated plays has made me realize that the distance is wider than I thought it once was. Their are some sparks here, but it's a long ways from where they would go with their other 1970's efforts.

Battle of the bands

Both these acts have had ups and downs in their long careers. Both probably peaked in the 70's.

Alice Cooper

vs.

KISS

***Which band do you prefer?

Heavy Metal musicians in horror movies

One rainy Saturday when I was in college the idea entered my mind to walk a mile in the rain to rent Monster Dog at one of the many video stores that was in this small town. I had been tempted on several occasions to rent this film. Only one store had it and I was sure that no one else would rent it. Sure enough it was there so I rented it and picked up a pack of Whoppers and a bottle of strawberry milk and was back to my dorm to watch this movie. Of course it was a very bad film, painfully so. Poor acting, cheap monster and rotten dialog highlighted this movie. Was I surprised? No I expected it to be rotten. So why then did I rent it in the first place? Was it because I love bad horror movies? Not exactly and besides there are much more enjoyable bad horror movies out there. Was I wanting to torture myself? Nope. Was it because Alice Cooper was in it? Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner. Yes, I rented it just to see Alice Cooper star in a horror movie. He had small parts in other films, but for some reason I had the desire to see him in this movie. After seeing it I am glad he would soon spend more time concentrating on music again.
I remember seeing the 1986 film Trick or Treat for the first time. I liked it and still do. Gene Simmons was actually quite good as a DJ. Ozzy was more silly than anything as a TV evangelist.
Unlike Monster Dog this movie had more of a focus on metal music.

**Are there any horror movies with metal musicians in them that you like?

Alice Cooper-Along came a spider

SPV
2008



To say Alice Cooper's career has been varied would be an understatement. He has never been afraid to take chances as far as changing musical styles. That approach has worked out with albums like "Welcome to my nightmare" and "Raise your fist and yell" but he has had far more disastrous results on efforts like "Lace and whiskey" ,"Special Forces" and others. So with a track record like this you never know quite what expect although the last few albums have generally been decent. As a whole "Along came a spider" is actually not all that surprising in the musical approach that it takes. That's not to say it's restrained though it's just that Cooper taps into some styles he has tried before. Tracks like "I know where you live", "Killed by love" and "I'm Hungry" actually have me thinking of "Welcome to my nightmare" and "Goes to hell" era Alice. Other tracks take more of modern hard rock approach or well, modern as in the last twenty years. The concept behind the album is that it is supposed to be about a serial killer named "spider" and follows what he does and his ultimate fate. The music is fairly varied and a brisk pace for many of the tracks helps. Alice's previous album "Dirty Diamonds" tried a similar approach of mixing earlier sounds from Cooper's career with newer hard rock. However "Dirty Diamonds" struggled because it seemed very forced, but "Along came the spider" has Cooper and his band sounding very natural and even more confident than he has in some time. Whether it's a heavy track or a ballad Alice just very much seems logged into his comfort zone here and that's very key. Talking about killers and murders is something that not every singer could do in this context without it sounding like total cheese. Yet Cooper has always had a knack of taking dark topics and pulling it off because that whole horror aspect (rather real or movie type horror) has always been a part of his identity. A few songs are a little more typical music wise than I would liked, but overall this release goes into Alice Cooper's stack of good releases.

Saints of the underground-Love the sin, hate the sinner

Warrior
2008

I’ll don’t like Warrant, I never have and I doubt that I ever will. Whew, I am glad to get that off my chest so I can start this review. Now I have liked Warrant and I always Jani Lane was a particularly bland vocalist. Yet I never knew if he himself was bland or if it was just the material. When I saw this “supergroup” of sorts coming out with a release I decided to give it a shot. Joining the Warrant frontman are Ratt members drummer Bobby Blotzer, bassist Robbie Crane and Keri Kelli (of Alice Cooper’s band and others). My thoughts before playing this were that Lane was either going to sink it with some lifeless vocals or he was going to rise to a level he had never previously achieved and carry this album with him. Actually it’s not 100% either of those choices, but most surprisingly this album leans towards that second category. Like a number of other 80’s hard rock singers (Joe LeSte, Jamie St. James) Jani Lane’s voice has gotten deeper with age. However unlike those other guys it seems to have helped Mr. Lane form some much needed grit in his vocal delivery instead of the syrupy approach he used far in the late 80's-early 90's. In addition to the tone of voice Jani also seems much more comfortable with the material than he did back he going on about cherry pies and wherever it was that the Down Boys were going to. The music is hard rock with some power pop and plain rock undertones and on several tracks they remind me of Cheap Trick. I think the fact that the two guys in the rhythm section have played together for about a decade is obvious in the sound and it’s a major plus. I also was greatly relieved that they avoided the overdone, sickeningly repetitive choruses that so much defined Warrant. Now the tracks aren’t anything new by any stretch of anyone’s imagination, but they are decent and everyone involved sounds comfortable. My initial guess on this project was that it would be a real dud like Contraband (anyone remember them?). However perhaps it’s experience or perhaps it’s the fact that they are doing songs they like instead of doing strictly to try and land a hit single, no matter what the motivation this is a decent album. There are two cover songs with as they deliver a solid version of Tom Petty's American Girl which is a fine fit for Jani's voice. They also cover the Stones' Moonlight Mile, but they seem a little more hesitant to put their own brand on it and it's just alright as a result. Some of the best tracks were "Exit", "Dead Man's Shoes" and the very Thin Lizzy-esque Jimmy. This album doesn't change the history of those involved, but unlike a number of other 80's hard rockers everyone involved here can claim to have been part of a pretty good album.

http://www.myspace.com/saintsoftheunderground