Welcome to another “Album by Album Challenge.” For those that are new here, the “Album by Album Challenge” is where I take a band’s entire discography and listen to every album in order of release from front to back. With my unforgiving and well-aged ear, I call it how I hear it. In some cases, I find that what I once thought was good is actually pretty crappy and sometimes crap manages to age into something pretty kick ass. And in some cases, face melting is still just good ol’ face melting.
Welcome to Part II of the Alice Cooper Album by Album Challenge. Wasn’t that classic band some great shit? Well, now we’re diving into the solo career of Alice Cooper. This is where things start to change. Were those changes for the better or for the worse? Well, you’ll have to read on and maybe even listen to decide that for yourself. I did hit some murky waters here but hell, that’s enough of me yapping. Let’s get on with the show shall we?
Welcome to My Nightmare
Release Date: February, 1975
The Good: 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
The Bad:
The Indifferent:
Holy shit what a fucking monstrous album. Right out the gates it’s plain to hear that this is a VERY different band from the classic Alice Cooper lineup. As much as I love the sound, vibe, and overall everything about the classic line up, I can tell that a change that huge was very much necessary for Alice (now a solo guy) to move to the next level. The production, the concept, the playing, and the writing is absolutely top notch.
There are so many great “hits” on this one but songs like “Years Ago”, ‘Some Folks” and the downright creepy “Steven” are all just such strong songs on their own. The album has an amazing flow to it and there’s not one single song on here that I would consider skipping. This really is a listening experience to say the least and there’s so much ear candy on here. Overall, this was a gamble that paid off in the long run and set the tone for where Alice would go from here on out.
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Alice Cooper Goes to Hell
Release Date: June 25, 1976
The Good: Go To Hell, You Gotta Dance, I Never Cry, Guilty, Wish You Were Here,
The Bad:
The Indifferent: I’m the Coolest, Didn’t We Meet, Give the Kid a Break, Wake Me Gently, I’m Always Chasing Rainbows,
I used to think that I loved this album but my mind has definitely changed on this one. Maybe it’s because I’m listening to it in the order of releases and listening to it from front to back but this album just kind of left me feeling a bit deflated. The album starts off so strong with the title track and even the kitschy “You Gotta Dance” is a fucking riot. “I Never Cry” is such a great ballad but the song “Wish You Were Here” sounds like something that could’ve been on Welcome To My Nightmare.
I’m really not sure what Alice was shooting for on this album but it sounds like a Broadway production to be honest. I just didn’t dig that whole approach. Even as extravagant at Welcome to my Nightmare was, it still sounded like an epic conceptual rock record. This just kind of sounds like Jesus Christ Superstar. The songs don’t suck but I just couldn’t wrap my head around it or even really get into these songs coming off the heels of such an epic fucking album. Oh well… you can’t win ‘em all.
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Lace and Whiskey
Release Date: April 29, 1977
The Good: It’s Hot Tonight, Lace and Whiskey, Road Rats, Damned If You Do, You and Me, King of the Silver Screen, I Never Wrote Those Songs
The Bad: (No More) Love At Your Convenience,
The Indifferent: Ubangi Stomp, My God
What a change from Goes To Hell. Lace and Whiskey definitely seemed somewhat to be a throwback to the classic Alice Cooper band material. Aside from “You and Me” I didn’t know any of these songs. I never owned this album and I have to say that this is really not what I was expecting. I think that Goes to Hell threw me for such a loop that I was expecting more show tunes but this one really captured that kind of Killer/Muscle of Love vibe. “It’s Hot Tonight” is so fucking good and “Damned if You Do” has to be one of the best alt-country songs ever. “King of the Silver Screen” was hands down the highlight of this album. That song just fucking killed it so much I had to listen to it 2 or 3 times.
While this album was so much stronger than Goes to Hell, it still had its share of weak moments. I’m still not quite sure what “Ubangi Stomp” is all about. It’s ol’ time rock n’ roll but I just feel like it missed the mark and “No More Love at Your Convenience”? Holy disco shit Batman. My god what an atrocious song. “I Never Wrote Those Songs” almost made the indifferent list but damn it’s such a great song I totally nearly missed its greatness. The album totally closed out on a “meh” with “My God” but while I didn’t love this song, something tells me that this could be one of those songs that I’ll end up loving. It’s totally Alice’s Queen moment and as I type this, I find myself wanting to hear it again. All in all, this is a solid album. It’s not perfect but the great songs on this album are good enough to totally make this one worth owning.
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From the Inside
Release Date: November, 1978
The Good: From the Inside, I Wish I Was From Beverly Hills,
The Bad:
The Indifferent: The Quiet Room, Nurse Rozetta, Millie And Billie, Serious, How You Gonna See Me Now,
This is another album that I never owned. I always wanted to because the album cover art is so bad to the fucking bone but I just never took the plunge. I got two songs deep into this one and thought, “Man, this is some rockin’ shit but it sounds like Elton John.” Well, it turns out that 3 members of this band were members of Elton John’s band, including lyricist Bernie Taupin. Go figure. Once we get past “I Wish I Was in Beverly Hills”, it just becomes an Elton John album. That isn’t such a bad thing but the thing is, if I want to hear Elton John, I’ll listen to Elton John. I want to hear Alice Cooper and this is so far removed from anything Alice Cooper than you can imagine.
It’s very obvious that at this point there was a seriously loss in identity. From the Inside just feels like someone else’s album with Alice’s voice and well, that’s pretty much what it is actually. This is a very bleak and dark time for Alice. This stuff is just so uninteresting and it shows a man who just totally lost all direction and even all care for where he was going musically. This is a good example of what happens when you start to let others dictate and steer your career for you.
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Flush the Fashion
Release Date: April 28, 1980
The Good:
The Bad: Talk Talk, Clones, Pain, Leather Boots, Aspirin Damage, Nuclear Infected, Grim Facts, Model Citizen, Dance Yourself to Death, Headlines
The Indifferent:
Oh…my…fucking… God! What the fuck did I just listen to? This has to be without a doubt one of the most painful experiences of my life. Alice Cooper making an 80’s New Wave record. There is absolutely NOTHING that is the slightest big redeeming about this album. It’s just crazy to me that Alice Cooper would actually make an album in the very style of music that he despised and would later criticize and belittle. Trust me, this is one you must just forget ever existed.
There’s a reason this album (and as of now the previous one as well) has been completely ignored and forgotten by everyone including Alice himself. Actually, on his last tour he did bring out the song “Clones” and even then that song fucking sucked. Even the completest can do without this album. I mean, if you really feel moved to do so, give it a listen but don’t say I didn’t warn you. This is some shitty stuff.
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Special Forces
Release Date: September, 1981
The Good: Generation Landslide ’81(Live
The Bad: Who Do You Think We Are, 7 & 7 Is, Prettiest Cop on the Block, Don’t Talk Old To Me,), Skeletons in My Closet, You Want It You Got It, You Look Good in Rags, You’re A Movie, Vicious Rumours, Look At You Over There,Ripping The Sawdust From My Teddybear
The Indifferent:
Ok, so according to Alice himself, this album right here is the first of a trio of albums he refers to as his “blackout phase.” This is very obvious as I’m sure if he was coherent and with it he would’ve NEVER let this happen. Well, he did let From the Inside happen but that’s another story. This shit is just terrible. It’s funny that the ONLY good song on here is a version of Generation Landslide from his ’81 tour. Everything else is just absolutely asinine. The only thing great about this album is the fact that there’s a song called “Look At You Over There,Ripping The Sawdust From My Teddybear.” The song fucking sucks but that title fucking rules!
This album is just something I wish I can unlisten to and get that time back. If I were Alice, I would make sure every copy of these albums was pulled from the market and destroyed. I would go into everyone’s homes that have these albums and I would seize them and destroy them with fire. I can’t even begin to say any more about how horrible this album is. This has me fearing for my life to listen to these next couple. I don’t even begin to believe in God but I’ll be talking to him regardless to please save me from the shit I’m about to put in my ears.
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Zipper Catches Skin
Release Date: August 25, 1982
The Good: Make That Money,
The Bad: Zorro’s Ascent, I Am the Future, No Baloney Homosapiens, Adaptable(Anything For You), I Like Girls
The Indifferent:
I don’t even know that I can say much more about this album other than why? WHY? It horrifyingly terrible and much like the previous album, it’s just so NOT Alice Cooper. It’s The Knack. It’s New Wave. It’s HORRIBLE. I just can’t even go on about this album any more.
Looking at this list I see I have ONE MORE album go to before “The Return.” This is a chapter of Alice Cooper that I am going to be very happy to forget ever existed. Kill this shit with fire.
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DaDa
Release Date: September 28, 1983
The Good: Former Lee Warmer, I Love America, Pass the Gun Around
The Bad: Enough’s Enough, No Man’s Land, Dyslexia, Scarlet and Sheba, Fresh Blood,
The Indifferent: DaDa
So this album was yet another big ass bowl of fail. So glad that this “blackout phase” has come to an end but I do have to say that there are three pretty cool tracks on this album. “Former Lee Warmer” is the most Alice song out of these three albums and it’s really a great song and one I could totally see him bringing out in the live shows these days. “I Love America” is just hilarious but in typical Alice fashion and “Pass the Gun Around” sounds like something that could’ve been a lost Beatles track.
All in all, this album sucks ass but those three songs are totally worth seeking out. Steel them, buy ‘em on iTunes, whatever. These songs are pretty fucking cool so do what you need to do to see them out and add them to your Alice Cooper mix. This is the end of the road. From here, Alice would bow out of the music business for a while to get his shit together. Would he come back big? Would he come back strong? Only time will tell…
Click Here for Part III: The Nightmare Returns
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