Alice Cooper started off as a band led by singer Vincent Damon Furnier, who later became known as Alice Cooper himself. Alice Cooper pioneered a theatrical, sometimes violent, but always entertaining form of heavy metal that became known as shock rock. The group created a stage show that featured electric chair, fake blood, a huge boa constrictor, and a guillotine where the make-up clad Furnier would seemingly cut off his own head. Alice Cooper released their first album, "Pretties for You," in 1969. "Easy Action" followed early in 1970, yet neither were the heavy shock rock that the band would become known for, instead they were steeped in psychedelic rock. It was Bob Ezrin (who also worked with Kiss and Pink Floyd) that helped the band to shape themselves into the classic heavy metal band. Alice Cooper were a huge attraction in the 70's but lost momentum as the 80's rolled in churning out a bunch of new wave crap. Cooper made a successful comeback in the late 80's, as a series of pop/metal bands paid musical homage to his classic early records and concerts. "Constrictor," released in 1986,was Alice's return to his hard rock roots and began his comeback, but it was 1989's "Trash" that returned Cooper to the spotlight.

Alice Cooper-Pretties For You (Enigma) 1969

1."Titanic Overture" (1:12)
2."10 Minutes Before the Worm" (1:39)
3."Sing Low, Sweet Cheerio" (5:42)
4."Today Mueller" (1:48)
5."Living" (3:12)
6."Fields Of Regret" (5:44)
7."No Longer Umpire" (2:02)
8."Levity Ball (Live At the Cheetah)" (4:39)
9."B. B. On Mars" (1:17)
10."Reflected" (3:17)
11."Apple Bush" (3:08)
12."Earwigs To Eternity" (1:19)
13."Changing Arranging" (3:03)

Alice Cooper's first album is also their most rare CD selling for around $20 on auction sites. Alice Cooper was discovered by Frank Zappa, who signed the band to his own label. The music on this disc is nothing short of bizarre. I suppose had I grown up in the 60's I may have been able to get into the psychedelic stuff a bit more, but growing up listening to the heavy metal of the 70's and 80's, it just sounds odd. What I do like about it is, that unlike other bands from this era, like pre progressive Pink Floyd and early Amboy Dukes, Alice Cooper didn't take themselves to serious, so they have succeeded in creating one of the few humorous psychedelic albums.

Some interesting facts:

-The Alice Cooper band is: Glen Buxton (guitar), Michael Bruce (guitars/keyboards), Dennis Dunaway (bass), Neal Smith (drums) and, of course Alice Cooper (Vincent Damon Furnier) himself on vocals.

-Alice Cooper was born Vincent Damon Furnier on Feb 4, 1948 in Detroit, MI, USA.

-Original Alice Cooper guitarist Glen Buxton died on October 19th of '97 of pneumonia.
(Nov. 11th, 1947 to Oct. 19th 1997)

Alice Cooper-Easy Action (Rhino)1970

1. "Mr. & Misdemeanor" (3:20)
2. "Shoe Salesman" (2:33)
3. "Still No Air" (2:30)
4. "Below Your Means" (6:50)
5. "Return of the Spider" (4:25)
6. "Laughing At Me" (2:16)
7. "Refrigerator Heaven" (2:17)
8. "Beautiful Flyaway" (3:00)
9. "Lay Down and Die, Goodbye" (7:30)

"Easy Action" is pretty much made up of the same psychedelic/progressive blues rock as their first album, not unlike early Pink Floyd, a band that most people would not associate with Alice Cooper. This one is long out of print but I found it for $1 in a cut out bin, still sealed. I've had numerous offers on it, but it's not for sale!

Alice Cooper-Love It To Death (Warner Bros.) 1971

1. "Caught In A Dream" (3:04)
2. "I'm Eighteen" (3:00)
3. "Long Way To Go" (3:01)
4. "Black JuJu" (9:09)
5. "Is It My Body" (2:39)
6. "Hallowed Be My Name" (2:35)
7. "Second Coming" (3:02)
8. "Ballad Of Dwight Fry" (6:32)
9. "Sun Arise" (3:53)

A transition album where Alice Cooper the band was changing from the psychedelic of the past to the shock rock that they would become known for. This album actually sports about one third raucous rock n roll ('I'm Eighteen,' 'Is It My Body' 'Hallowed by My Name') and one third 60's psychedelic space rock ('Black Juju,' "Sun Arise,' 'Second Coming') and another third of that which is a mix of the two ('Ballad of Dwight Fry,' 'Caught in a Dream,') No one would dare say that these early Alice Cooper discs were actually heavy metal, but the band certainly looked like a heavy metal band and were extremely heavy live and for some reason became a huge influence on a movement that wouldn't actually take place until the next decade. "I'm Eighteen," one of the band's first big hits, was given a metal treatment by Anthrax in the mid 80's proving that Alice Cooper inspired a generation of metalheads, even if they weren't exactly heavy metal themselves. As with most Alice Cooper records, I even enjoy the bizarre stuff, having grown up listening to these records since I was a kid.

Tesla recorded a cover of "Is It My Body on their "Reel to Reel" CD.

Alice Cooper-Killer (Warner Bros.) 1971 1. "Under My Wheels" (2:50) 2. "Be My Lover" (3:15) 3. "Halo of Flies" (8:21) 4. "Desperado" (3:25) 5. "You Drive Me Nervous" (2:24) 6. "Yeah, Yeah, Yeah" (3:33) 7. "Dead Babies" (5:40) 8.  "Killer" (7:07)

This is a classic Alice Cooper (the band) disc. Producer Bob Ezrin, who also produced the band's breakthrough album "Love it To Death," twists the knobs on "Killer" as well and helps produce one of the finest albums in the rock 'n roll history. Ezrin really was to Alice Cooper what George Martin was to the Beatles. No less than three of these eight songs made it onto the first Alice Cooper "Greatest Hits". "Desperado" was a song in tribute to Jim Morrison and is one of the discs highlights along with "Under My Wheels", "Be My Lover" and the epic "Halo of Flies." "You Drive Me Nervous" and "Yeah, Yeah, Yeah" actually sounded a bit more like the band's early garage-rock. Dennis Dunaway just tears it up on the bass on this disc. In reading some history on the band, it seems that Dennis may have shined more than other members on this album because he was the only band members at the time that wasn't wasted 24/7, so Ezrin was really able to use his talents. Most of the material on "Killer", however was written by guitarists Glen Buxton and Michael Bruce, with Alice contributing the vocal melodies and lyrics. I also think that Ezrin had a large hand in shaping these songs as well. Cool cover art and band photo.

Star Star has covered "Nervous" on their "The Love Drag Years" album.

Alice Cooper - School's Out (Warner Bros.) 1972 1. "School's Out" (3:26) 2. "Luney Tune" (3:36) 3. "Gutter Cats Vs. The Jets" (4:39) 4. "Street Fight" (:55) 5. "Blue Turk" (5:29) 6. "My Stars" (5:46) 7. "Public Animal #9" (3:53) 8. "Alma Mater" (3:39) 9. "Grand Finale" (4:36)

"School's Out" put the Alice Cooper group on the map because of the timeless classic title track. This track became the band's highest charting single ever. The rest of the album is excellent as well, however. The music is much less "psychedelic" than anything they had released up to this point and was more compositionally complex. Songs like "Gutter Cast vs. the Jets/Street Fight" and "My Stars" are just as memorable as the title track and yet are, to me, more interesting. Overall, "School's Out" is one of the best albums to be released by the 1970's Alice Cooper group. The original album cover opened like a desk revealing the innards of the graffiti riddled school desk. Unfortunately the artwork in the CD reissue does not echo any of these effects that were lost with the age of vinyl. The CD does include a short bio of the band.

Grave Digger covered "School's Out" on their 'Witch Hunter' CD.

Alice Cooper-Billion Dollar Babies Deluxe Edition (Warner) 1973

One of Alice Cooper's finest studio efforts thanks mostly to producer Bob Ezrin who helped the band shape and refine their sound, retaining the eerie feel, while gaining a more commercial acceptance. The album was actually a mega-hit reaching the top of the US charts. Besides containing a ton of classics, "Billion Dollar Babies" includes the phenomenal "Generation Landslide," one of the band's best and most underrated songs. Not only does this disc rank at the top of Alice's catalogue, it is one of the best early hard rock albums ever. This particular reissue contains a bonus disc of excellent live cuts and some equally cool demo gems. Most of this material was recorded in '73, so the original band is featured, whereas Alice's first official live disc, The Alice Cooper Show, featured none of the original members. The digi-pack artwork attempts to bring back the original feel of the foldout cover art, right down to the perforated pics of the band. Also included a 24 page booklet with bio, lyrics, photos, etc. Only thing that is missing is the paper dollar that was included with the original vinyl release, although it is pictured on the inside of the sleeve.

Megadeth covered "No More Mr. Nice Guy" on their 'Hidden Treasures' disc. Lizzy Borden covers "Generation Landslide" on his "Deal with the Devil" album.

Alice Cooper-Muscle of Love (Warner Bros.) 1973

1. "Big Apple Dreamin' (Hippo)" (5:10)
2. "Never Been Sold Before" (4:28)
3. "Hard Hearted Alice" (4:53)
4. "Crazy Little Child" (5:03)
5. "Working Up A Sweat" (3:32)
6. "Muscle of Love" (3:45)
7. "Man With the Golden Gun" (4:12)
8. "Teenage Lament '74" (3:53)
9. "Woman Machine" (4:32)

I've always liked this album, but most reviews I have read seem to imply that 'Muscle of Love' was a disappointment at the time of it's release. This may be partially why this album was the last for the original Alice Cooper group. What's odd about all this is that the album actually was certified gold and was a top ten success. Part of the problem may have been that long time produced Bob Ezrin was not on board for this project. Another problem may have been the lack of a clear theme as in past albums like 'School's Out' and 'Billion Dollar Babies.' Still, as I said, I really like this disc and I think it was just a misunderstood and underrated album. From the Led Zeppelin inspired opening, through classics like the title tracks, "Teenage Lament '74" and album closer "Woman Machine" the whole album is quite coherent and enjoyable. One other interesting, but useless facts: "Man With the Golden Gun" was written for the James Bond movie of the same name, but rejected.

Alice Cooper-Greatest Hits (Warner Bros.) 1974

1. "I'm Eighteen" (2:55)
2. "It's My Body" (2:40)
3. "Desperado" (3:26)
4. "Under My Wheels" (2:44)
5. "Be My Lover" (3:18)
6. "School's Out" (3:28)
7. "HelloHorray" (4:16)
8. "Elected" (4:06)
9. "No More Mr. Nice Guy" (3:05)
10. "Billion Dollar Babies" (3:36)
11. "Teenage Lament '74" (3:54)
12. "Muscle of Love" (3:46)

I'm not really big on greatest hits discs, but this one is an especially good listen, gathering tracks from Alice Cooper-the band circa 1970-1974.

Alice Cooper-Welcome to My Nightmare (Atlantic) 1975

1. "Welcome to My Nightmare" (5:19) 2. "Devil's Food" (3:38) 3. "The Black Widow" (3:37) 4. "Some Folks" (4:19) 5. "Only Women Bleed" (5:59) 6. "Department of Youth" (3:18) 7. "Cold Ethyl" (2:51) 8. "Years Ago" (2:51) 9. "Steven" (5:52) 10. "The Awakening" (2:25) 11. "Escape" (3:20)

In 1974, Alice Cooper the band broke up and gave way to Alice Cooper the solo aritist. Alice enlisted Bob Ezrin once again, to help him release one of his best, and most well known, works "Welcome to My Nightmare." This album was written to tie specifically into Alice's bizarre, theatrical stage show making "Welcome to My Nightmare" the most twisted Alice Cooper album. "Cold Ethyl" is a foul song in the truest sense, describing a sexual affair with a corpse. (A theme which would become popular in death metal circles in years to come.) Other songs, like the incredible title track and the top ten hit "Only Woman Bleed" are much less disturbing yet retain the eerie sense that Alice was known for. Perhaps the most interesting song is the epic "Years Ago/Steven," that describes the world through the eyes of a psychopath with the mind of a very twisted child. The king of shock rock reigned in 1975 and this disc proves it. Alice at the height of his career! This disc is still in print and available just about everywhere.

Alice Cooper-Goes to Hell (Warner Bros.) 1976

1. "Go To Hell" (5:02)
2. "You Gotta Dance" (2:44)
3. "I'm The Coolest" (3:57)
4. "Didn't We Meet" (4:15)
5. "I Never Cry" (3:45)
6. "Give The Kid A Break" (4:13)
7. "Guilty" (3:21)
8. "Wake Me Gently" (5:03]
9. "Wish You Were Here" (4:35)
10. "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows" (2:13)
11. "Going Home" (3:47)

Alice Cooper Goes To Hell was the follow-up to Alice's huge hit "Welcome to My Nightmare" and is a concept album once again based around a nightmare. This time Alice goes to Hell, although he doesn't want to be there and can't figure out why he is there. As with "Welcome to My Nightmare" veteran produced Bob Ezrin is brought in to produce, arrange, twist knobs, and generally take command of the project. Most Ezrin produced albums are either pure brilliance (Pink Floyd's The Wall, Kiss' Destroyer) or pure boredom (Lee Aaron's Call of the Wild). "Goes to Hell" is the exception as this album falls somewhere in between the two. There are some good songs on here like the under appreciated title track and the humorous "Give the Kid A Break" which has Alice arguing with the devil over why he should be let out of hell. This album also generated a hit for Alice in the ballad "I Never Cry." I also always enjoyed the boogie rock of "You Gotta Dance" and the twisted "Wish You Were Here" as well. The main lyric is "I'm having a Hell of a time, wish you were here." Most disappointing were the cover "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows," and the album-closing "Going Home". Despite going gold, for some reason Alice was unable to tour for this album and it became his last charting album for some time.

Alice Cooper-Lace & Whiskey (Warner Bros.) 1977

1. "It's Hot Tonight" (3:20)
2. "Lace And Whiskey" (3:15)
3. "Road Rats" (4:54)
4. "Damned If I Do" (3:13)
5. "You And Me" (5:11)
6. "King Of The Silver Screen" (5:35)
7. "Ubangi Stomp" (2:12)
8. "(No More) Love At Your Convenience" (3:49)
9. "I Never Wrote Those Songs" (4:34)
10. "My God" (5:42)

This disc spawned the hit "You And Me" but did little else. As has been told before, Alice was in the height of alcoholism at this point in his career. He seemed to be desperately trying to separate himself from the shock rock image that he had spent such a long time trying to build. I suppose he desired to be taken more seriously as an artist and musician. Despite this, most reviews slammed this disc and the album didn't do as well as was expected. As with most Alice Cooper releases, however, I grew up listening to them, so there is a nostalgic attachment for me. Even so, I would never put this disc on the same level as the awesome discs he did as the Alice Cooper group or even "Welcome to My Nightmare."

An interesting fact:

-Peter Gabriel's record (Peter Gabriel) from 1977 features the same band as Alice used in 'Lace and Whiskey' (Dick Wagner, Steve Hunter, Jozef Chirowski, Tony Levin) and it was recorded at the same place, too (Sounstage, Toronto). It was also produced by Bob Ezrin.

Alice Cooper - The Alice Cooper Show (Warner Bros.) 1977 1. "Under My Wheels" (2:30) 2. "Eighteen" (4:58) 3. "Only Women Bleed" (5:47) 4. "Sick Things" (1:01) 5. "Is It My Body" (2:28) 6. "I Never Cry" (2:51) 7. "Billion Dollar Babies" (3:13) 8. "Devil's Food/The Black Widow" (5:41) 9. "You and Me" (2:19) 10. "I Love the Dead/Go To Hell/Wish You Were Here" (6:31) 11. "School's Out" (2:19)

The King of Shock!

Not a bad concert disc, albeit a bit too short. Alice sounds a bit zoned on this one, perhaps a bit too wasted to be recording. If I am not mistaken this was about the time that he was so strung out on alcohol that he had to go into the hospital to recover. Despite the fact that the original band excelled in a live setting, a live album from that era was never issued; "The Alice Cooper Show" turned out to be the first live release which featured none of the original band members. The performances were taken from a pair of shows at the Aladdin Hotel in Nevada. I found two copies of this brand new for $1.99 each, so I snagged both of them and traded the other one.

Alice Cooper-From the Inside (Metal Blade/Warner Bros.) 1978 1. "From the Inside" (3:54) 2. "Wish I Were Born in Beverly Hills" (3:38) 3. "The Quiet Room" (3:53) 4. "Nurse Rozetta" (4:15) 5. "Millie and Billie" (4:13) 6. "Serious" (2:44) 7. "How You Gonna See Me Know" (3:57) 8. "For Veronica's Sake" (3:37) 9. "Jackknife Johnny" (3:45) 10. "Inmates (We're All Crazy)" (5:03)

1978 Marvel Comic "Tales from the Inside"

Imagine my surprise and delight when I found this CD in the bargain bins for a mere 99¢ BRAND NEW!!! Gotta love these chain stores who charge $17.99 for some Limp, Korn, N'Sync piece of crap, but throw out a bonified classic for under a buck! In any case, this is a great Cooper album. Not sure if it's just because I've liked it since I was a kid (1978 WOW!) or if it really is as good as I perceive it to be, but it is a good listen all the way through. "From the Inside" is a concept album based on supposed real life characters that Vincent Furnier (Alice Cooper) met when he was staying at a psychiatric ward fighting substance abuse. "How Ya Gonna See Me Know" was a minor hit, but otherwise this is a forgotten gem. The original record cover was cool with the front cover opening like double doors to reveal a hospital and another little door. This inner door opened to reveal Alice wrapped in a straight jacket in "The Quiet Room." The back cover had doors that opened to reveal Alice leading the pack of psychotics out of the hospital with their release papers. We always knew he was crazy, but that's why we liked him, right?

Alice performed the Beatles song "Because" in the movie Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band around this time as well. The movies was terrible and tarnished the reputation of most of the artists involved, with the exception of Aerosmith and Alice, who were both portrayed as villains.

Alice Cooper-Flush the Fashion (Warner Bros.) 1980

1. "Talk Talk" (2:09)
2. "Clones (We're All)" (3:03)
3. "Pain" (4:06)
4. "Leather Boots" (1:36)
5. "Aspirin Damage" (2:57)
6. "Nuclear Infected" (2:14)
7. "Grim Facts" (3:24)
8. "Model Citizen" (2:39)
9. "Dance Yourself to Death" (3:08)
10. "Headlines" (3:18)

It's 1980 and Alice Cooper decides he is no longer going to be the king of shock rock, but rather he is going to reinvent himself as a new waver. (Sure glad he got over that!) So, Alice hooks up with The Cars producer Roy Thomas Baker to put out this synth led rock n' roll album. I suppose I should hate this disc, but I do not. My only defense is pure nostalgia as I use to own this on vinyl as a kid. Really though, despite the fact that this disc sounds so unlike Alice Cooper, it actually has a plethora of good songs and lots of hooks. There is even the token rocker in "Grim Facts." Must mention though, that this is one short album clocking in at under 30 min. This disc is pretty rare in the US, but is available as an import. Sells on eBay for around $15-$20.

Alice Cooper - Special Forces (Warner Bros.) 1981

1. "Who Do You Think We Are" (4:21)
2. "Seven & Seven Is" (2:41)
3. "Prettiest Cop On The Block" (3:13)
4. "Don't Talk Old To Me" (2:54)
5." Generation Landslide '81" [live] (3:50)
6. "Skeletons In The Closet" (3:42)
7. "You Want It, You Got It" (3:15)
8. "You Look Good In Rags" (3:35)
9. "You're A Movie" (3:37)
10. "Vicious Rumors" (3:43)

An odd mixture of 80's synth-pop and semi-heavy 70's hard rock. Somehow Alice missed the boat completely here. While most his fans were off following the NWOBHM explosion, Alice was off exploring the new wave fad, yet mixing in some of his trademark sound. I'm sure much of that had to do with record labels, executive decisions, producers, etc., but I am sure it also had to do with the fact that Alice had fallen deep into alcoholism at this time. There are a few standout cuts on this disc, like "Skeletons in the Closet" and new version of one of Alice's most underrated songs "Generation Landslide". The song is listed as being recorded live, but most likely was a studio song with crowd noise added in. Also, resident rocker "Who do You Think We Are" isn't bad. "Seven & Seven Is" was written Arthur Lee and was originally recorded by Love in 1966. "Special Forces" is not one of Alice's finest moments, but I still enjoy listening to it from time time and am certainly happy to have it in my collection.

Alice Cooper - Zipper Catches Skin (Warner Bros.) 1982

1. "Zorro's Ascent" (3:56)
2. "Make That Money (Scrooge's Song)" (3:30)
3. "I Am the Future" (3:29)
4. "No Baloney Homosapiens" (5:06)
5. "Adaptable (Anything for You)" (2:56)
6. "I Like Girls" (2:25)
7. "Remarkably Insincere" (2:07)
8. "Tag, You're It" (2:54)
9. "I Better Be Good" (2:48)
10. "I'm Alive (That Was the Day My Dead Pet Returned to Save My Life)" (3:14)

Yet another hard to find Alice Cooper platter. Apparently all these old albums were only re-released in Europe. Darn, why do they get all the good music. Well, thanks be to good friends from across the sea and to the internet for making these imports available to us crazy Americans. Anyhow, "Zipper Catches Skin" still has Alice in his new wave/hard rock mode, although his warped sense of humor is still apparent. Just take a look at the song title of track ten or even the title of the album. I must also say that this album does rock a bit harder than 1980's "Flush the Fashion." I'm pretty sure that this disc helped to alienate Alice even further from his fans, not necessarily because of the music, but because Alice is pictured with short greased back hair and he is dressed in a white collar shirt and tie. Yikes! Still, if you grew up with this music, as I did, it remains a classic nonetheless.

Alice Cooper - DaDa (Warner Bros.) 1982

1. "DaDa" (4:45)
2. "Enough's Enough" (4:19)
3. "Former Lee Warmer" (4:07)
4. "No Man's Land" (3:51)
5. "Dyslexia" (4:25)
6. "Scarlet And Sheba" (5:18)
7. "I Love America" (3:50)
8. "Fresh Blood" (5:54)
9. "Pass The Gun Around" (5:46)

"Da Da" is another Bob Ezrin/Alice Cooper production. Once again, I'm not sure if my review is mostly based on nostalgia or fact, because most reviews I have read on this disc are lukewarm at best. However, back in '82, I was just happy that Alice was shedding the new wave sound and returning to his former self, albeit only slightly. The opening title track, although far from the metal, punk and hard rock of the past, is perhaps the most eerie track Alice has ever done. I'll bet having this track playing on a dark night when you're all alone would freak most people out. However, track two picks up with a more pop oriented song. Somehow this track combines the Alice of the 70's with his more recent 80's artsy sound. Others, like "Dyslexia" have the same sound, combining the Ezrin sounds of "Welcome to My Nightmare" with the more 80's sounds of "Flush the Fashion." Still other tracks, like "Former Lee Warmer," capture the 'monster movie' sound that Alice is known for. "Scarlet and Sheba" even seems to give a hint of some of what was to come in Alice's mid 80's comeback. I actually really dig the Arabian flare this song has. Of course with Ezrin writing much of the material with Alice the hooks are there regardless of style. As with past discs, Cooper's humor is in place. Just check out the lyrics to the aforementioned "Dyslexia" or "I Love America." This theme would be echoed some years later on "The Last Temptation." For some reason "DaDa" is almost impossible to find. I finally secured this copy from a friend in Norway. (thanks kmorg.)

Alice Cooper - Constrictor (MCA) 1986

1. "Teenage Frankenstein" (3:37) 2. "Give It Up" (4:10) 3. "Thrill My Gorilla" (3:06) 4. "Life and Death of the Party" (3:43) 5. "Simple Disobedience" (3:28) 6. "The World Needs Guts" (3:58) 7. "Trick Bag" (4:14) 8. "Crawlin'" (3:21) 9. "The Great American Success Story" (3:36) 10. "He's Back (The Man Behind the Mask)" (3:50)

This was the big Alice comeback album. The disc shuns all the recent experimental stuff going for a more straight forward hard rock/heavy metal sound. His comeback was big and this album sold well. Alice was once again filling up the big stadiums with bands like Vinnie Vincent Invasion and Frehley's Comet opening for him. "Give It Up" is a catchy party rocker, "Simple Disobedience" is a cool anthem of teenage rebellion, "Teenage Frankenstein" is an excellent commercial heavy metal number, "He's Back (The Man Behind the Mask)" is the theme song from the movie of the same name and is the worst song on the disc. Despite the cover art, this album is no where near as dark or controversial as the 1970's Alice. The song writing and even the lyrics are more of the pop metal variety. This particular CD is available everywhere relatively cheap. I picked up this copy for $6.99 new. Thought I'd better snag it before it becomes yet another CD to disappear into the "rare and out of print" category.

Around this same time Alice Cooper did some guest vocals on Twisted Sister s song "Be Chrool To Your Scuel."

Alice Cooper - Raise Your Fist and Yell (MCA) 1987

1. "Freedom" (4:09)
2. "Lock Me Up" (3:23)
3. "Give the Radio Back" (3:35)
4. "Step on You" (3:38)
5. "Not That Kind of Love" (3:16)
6. "Prince of Darkness" (5:05)
7. "Time to Kill" (3:43)
8. "Chop, Chop, Chop" (3:10)
9. "Gail" (2:29)
10. "Roses on White Lace" (4:27)

In 1986, Alice Cooper was able to launch a full-fledged comeback with "Constrictor" so while the iron was still hot Alice released "Raise Your Fist and Yell." This disc is much darker returning to the topics that Alice loved in his early years, rebellion and death. If I am not mistaken, "Freedom" was the big hit off this album. "Chop, Chop, Chop" and "Roses on White Lace" seem reminiscent of Cooper's "Welcome to My Nightmare" days. Favorite track, however is "Prince of Darkness," a song that that seems to be about the Biblical account of the devil. What Alice managed to do on this release was capture the past while seeming to sound new and contemporary. "Raise Your Fist and Yell" recording lineup included Kane Roberts on guitar, Ken Mary (House of Lords/Giuffria) on drums, and Kip Winger on bass, keys and background vocals. For some odd reason, this disc is out of print in the U.S., but is available in just about every other country so copies tend to be somewhat easy to find.

Icarus Witch has covered "Roses on White Lace".

Alice Cooper-Trash (Epic) 1989

1.   "Poison" (4:31)
2.   "Spark in the Dark" (3:52)
3.   "House of Fire" (3:47)
4.   "Why Trust You" (3:13)
5.   "Only My Heart Talkin'" (4:47)
6.   "Bed of Nails" (4:20)
7.   "This Maniac Is in Love with You" (3:48)
8.   "Trash" (4:03)
9.   "Hell Is Living Without You" (4:11)
10. "I'm Your Gun" (3:50)

Alice attempts another big comeback CD in the late 80's, and once again it worked for him and even produced a single "Poison" that charted. To be honest, however, I don't care as much about this disc as some of the less popular discs from the late 70's and early 80's. This sounds more like some pop metal band with Alice doing vocals, which sometimes works ("Poison", "Trash") and sometimes doesn't ("Bed of Nails"). I don't know, I think it has alot to do with Desmond Child producing and writing, 'cause this sounds more like a Bon Jovi album than an Alice Cooper album. Some of these songs are even written by Bon Jovi ("Hell Is Living Without You" -BonJovi/Child/Cooper/Sambora). I suppose I feel sort of lukewarm about "Trash." It's not bad at all, but not really one of my favorites either. I do really like "Poison" and "Trash", but overall, this is one of the least listened to CDs in my Alice Cooper collection. Cool cover art.

Alice Cooper-Hey Stoopid (Epic) 1991

1. "Hey Stoopid" (4:34)
2. "Love's a Loaded Gun" (4:12)
3. "Snakebite" (4:33)
4. "Burning Our Bed" (4:35)
5. "Dangerous Tonight" (4:41)
6. "Might as Well Be on Mars" (7:10)
7. "Feed My Frankenstein" (4:44)
8. "Hurricane Years" (3:58)
9. "Little by Little" (4:34)
10. "Die for You" (4:17)
11. "Dirty Dreams" (3:30)
12. "Wind-Up Toy" (5:27)

Slick pop metal that is very unlike the Alice Cooper of old. "Feed My Frankenstein" is an amusing song as is the title track, but overall this is just not up to the standards of "Schools Out," "Billion Dollar Babies," "Killer" or my all time favorite Alice disc "Welcome to My Nightmare." The album features a host of well known artists including Joe Satriani, Steve Via, Vinnie Moore, Ozzy Osbourne and members of Motley Crue, Guns n Roses, and Zodiac Mindwarp. Picked this one up for $2.99.

Alice Cooper-The Last Temptation (Epic) 1994

1. "Sideshow" (6:40)
2. "Nothing's Free" (5:01)
3. "Lost in America" (3:54)
4. "Bad Place Alone" (5:05)
5. "You're My Temptation" (5:10)
6. "Prayer" (5:37)
7. "Unholy War" (4:11)
8. "Lullaby" (4:28)
9. "It's Me" (4:40)
10. "Cleansed by Fire" (6:13)

"Last Temptation" is a wonderful album that leaves behind the hair metal Alice used to refuel himself and returns to the more dramatic, theatrical rock he was known for. "Last Temptation" is a concept album based on Alice's own life and his ultimate return to Christianity. Though the album still has a few goofy songs like , "Lost in America" the rest of the album boasts more originality and creativity than anything off of "Hey Stoopid" or "Trash." "Last Temptation" is one of the best concept albums since Queensryche's "Operation: Mindcrime." A comic book based on the same story as that of the album was released to coincide with the CD

Favorite line from this album: "I paid to see the freaks, some finger-licking, chicken-eating geeks..." from "Freak Show"

Alice Cooper-Classicks (Epic) 1995

1. "Poison" (4:29)
2. "Hey Stoopid" (4:32)
3. "Feed My Frankenstein" (4:44)
4. "Love's A Loaded Gun" (4:10)
5. "Stolen Prayer" (5:35)
6. "House Of Fire" (3:45)
7. "Lost In America" (3:52)
8. "It's Me" (4:37)
9. "Under My Wheels" [live] (3:40)
10. "Billion Dollar Babies" [live] (3:36)
11. "I'm Eighteen" [live] (4:34)
12. "No More Mr. Nice Guy" [live] (3:10)
13. "Only Women Bleed" [live] (4:06)
14. "School's Out" [live] (3:46)
15. "Fire" (3:01)

Yet another in a long string of 'best of' albums from Alice, only this one features mostly studio material from 'Trash', 'Hey Stoopid' and 'The Last Temptation'. However, if you're gonna put out another compilation, this is the way to do it. "Classicks" includes several stellar, classic live cuts and one studio rarity in the Jimi Hendrix cover "Fire". The live tracks were recorded in Burmingham, England and feature extraordinary guitarist Al Pitreli, most known for his work with Savatage.

Alice Cooper-A Fistful of Alice (Guardian) 1997

1. "School's Out" (4:22)
2. "I'm Eighteen" (3:47)
3. "Desperado" (4:11)
4. "Lost In America" (4:15)
5. "Teenage Lament '74" (3:28)
6. "I Never Cry" (3:54)
7. "Poison" (4:51)
8. "Billion Dollar Babies" (3:21)
9. "Welcome To My Nightmare" (4:54)
10. "Only Women Bleed" (6:55)
11. "Feed My Frankenstein" (4:29)
12. "Elected" (5:14)
13. "Is Anyone Home" -studio (4:12)

A great live offering from Alice Cooper, one that simply blows to pieces Alice's first official live offering "The Alice Cooper Show." The track listing, besides having some newer material, features much of the same material, only played with so much more energy and conviction. It's quite obvious that Alice has a new view of life than he did back then, which is probably due to the fact that he is now a Christian. Of note, the song titled "Welcome to My Nightmare" starts off with "Steven" before going into the actual song Welcome to my Nightmare." Also of note, Dokken/Winger guitarist Reb Beach is the guitarist for much of this album, although Slash plays lead guitar on "Lost in America," "Elected" and "Only Women Bleed." Nice insert as well, with loads of live shots of Alice and his host of guest musicians. "Is Anyone Home" is a new studio cut which is an added bonus.

Alice Cooper-The Life and Crimes of Alice Cooper (Warner/Rhino) 1999

click for complete track listing and review

Alice Cooper-Brutal Planet (Spitfire) 2000 1. "Brutal Planet" (4:40) 2. "Wicked Young Man" (3:50) 3. "Sanctuary" (4:00) 4. "Blow Me A Kiss" (3:19) 5. "Eat Some More" (4:37) 6. "Pick Up The Bones" (5:14) 7. "Pessi-mystic" (4:57) 8. "Gimme" (4:46) 9. "It's the Little Things" (4:12) 10. "Take It Like A Woman" (4:13) 11. "Cold Machines" (4:14)

Second killer disc in a row for Alice. This one is darker and much heavier than "The Last Temptation." Eric Singer (ex-Kiss/Badlands) is the drummer this time 'round. These last two discs totally annihilate any of Alice's 1980's offerings. Alice's lyrics, while being as disturbing as anything he has written in the past, seem to focus more on real life situations rather than fantasy. Alice comments on a variety of social issues including guns and violence in schools, bigotry, famine, etc. Probably the most disturbing song, which seems to be about a mass murderer is "Pick Up the Bones." Too bad the world will probably dismiss him as a relic because he still has plenty to offer, both musically and lyrically.

from a reader:
Just wanted to comment on Cooper's "Pick up the Bones." You mentioned in the write-up that it is evidently about a mass murderer. Well, sort of. I read in an interview with Alice that it is about the WWII holocaust. Which makes it a rather poignant and personal song for Alice, being a Messianic Jew himself.

As has been the case with the last three Alice platters, the CDs have dominated my CD player for a long time and become a frequent player. Why? Alice, along with a team of professional songwriters, come up with some phenomenal hooks. Also, Alice's lyrical themes have become of much interest to me. He still manages to write disturbing themes yet with a message that is more socially and spiritually conscious. Overall, I'd say that 'DragonTown' is at least as good as 'Brutal Planet' and certainly one of his finest overall.

Alice Cooper - The Eyes of Alice Cooper (Eagle) 2003 1. "What Do You Want from Me?" (3:24) 2. "Between High School & Old School" (3:01) 3. "Man of the Year" (2:51) 4. "Novocaine" (3:07) 5. "Bye Bye, Baby" (3:27) 6. "Be With You Awhile" (4:17) 7. "Detroit City" (3:58) 8. "Spirits Rebellious" (3:35) 9. "This House Is Haunted" (3:30) 10. "Love Should Never Feel Like This" (3:32) 11. "The Song That Didn't Rhyme" (3:17) 12. "I'm So Angry" (3:36) 13. "Backyard Brawl" (2:36)

Alice Cooper 2003

I have read numerous prerelease reviews of this album stating that Alice is following yet another trend, following the growing Detroit garage-rock scene and bands like The White Stripes, The Strokes and The Vines. Alice himself has said that these bands have inspired him. Perhaps all this is true, but wasn't Alice one of the originators of this sound? Didn't Alice help start the scene along with the Stooges, the Amboy Dukes, MC5, etc. in the late 60's/early 70's? Apparently these bands inspired Alice to return to a sound that he invented. As such, it's not that he is following another trend, but that he truly is returning to his roots. Even with a modern rock producer like Mudrock, who has produced bands like Godsmack and Powerman 5000, Alice's sound, style and charisma still shine through, keeping him from sounding like a follower of the garbage that Mudrock usually produces. Perhaps tracks like "Man of the Year" have a bit of that atrocious pop-punk sound, however, this is not the case overall. On his last few albums Alice has most certainly gone for a modern heavy metal sound, echoing his followers like Rob Zombie, much to the dismay of some fans. However, at the young age of 55, Alice is now revisiting 70's; the days of simple, fun rock 'n' roll. He is once again writing old school anthems that are reminiscent of his most popular Alice Cooper-the band works; "School's Out", "Killer" and "Love It To Death". "The Eyes of Alice Cooper" certainly does bring back Alice's garage band mentality, something that disappeared when Alice became a solo artist with "Welcome to my Nightmare." The one exception is perhaps "This House is Haunted" which sounds like something that would have fit perfectly on the "Welcome to My Nightmare." This song has that eerie quality that Alice is the master of. "Detroit City" is a rocker that pays homage to the aforementioned Detroit bands that put the city on the map. According to Alice, "I wanted to do an ode to Detroit City because I was born there and my kind of music is that kind of music. It's about Iggy Pop, MC5 and Ted Nugent and everything like that." Alice's bizarre humor is still very much in tact. No where is this more apparent than in the ballad "The Song that Didn't Rhyme." When the drums came in off time, I laughed out loud. It's actually pretty amazing how Alice can give off such an array of emotion on one disc, from haunting to serious to humorous. Perhaps I am just an Alice Cooper die hard, but it seems to me that no matter what Alice does, I seem to find something enjoyable about it. That is certainly the case here as well. Perhaps this one isn't as heavy as his last few discs, nor as immediately catchy as some of his late 80's heavy metal discs, but it's still an enjoyable disc and sounds like vintage Alice Cooper. That's really all that matters.

Alice Cooper - Dirty Diamonds (New West) 2005

1. "Woman Of Mass Distraction" (4:00)
2. "Perfect" (3:30)
3. "You Make Me Wanna" (3:31)
4. "Dirty Diamonds" (4:03)
5. "The Saga Of Jesse Jane" (4:16)
6. "Sunset Babies (All Got Rabies)" (3:28)
7. "Pretty Ballerina" (3:02)
8. "Run Down The Devil" (3:29)
9. "Steal That Car" (3:17)
10. "Six Hours" (3:25)
11. "Your Own Worst Enemy" (2:15)
12. "Zombie Dance" (4:23)
BONUS TRACK
13. "Stand" [w/ Xzibit] (4:05)

When a new Alice Cooper CD comes out I am usually first in line on the day it is released. This year I was flat broke the week it came out, so I had to wait a few days to purchase it, which gave me some time to read some of the early reviews on the net. To my surprise most were not favorable. Well, I must be an Alice Cooper die-hard because I find this album to be extremely enjoyable. I can't understand all the negative reviews at all. "Dirty Diamond" continues where "Eyes of Alice Cooper" left off, leaving behind the heavy metal of "Dragontown" and "Brutal Planet" for the Detroit garage rock that Alice helped to create in the late 60's/early 70's. Alice is a world class entertainer, a good singer and he writes great, catchy hard rock music. This is very evident on "Dirty Diamonds." I have also been impressed by Alice's lyrics ever since the release of "The Last Temptation." Each CD has contained a mixture of pure lyrical fun, thoughtful, humorous social commentaries and some lyrics of an autobiographical nature as well. The same holds true for "Dirty Diamonds" "The Saga of Jesse Jane" made me laugh out loud, as did "Run Down the Devil." Actually "Run Down the Devil" is a great Coop song both lyrically and musically. For the most part, I think Coop is shooting to recapture the glory and sound of his 1970's classics. However, I don't think that "Dirty Diamonds" is quite up to par with most of those Alice Cooper Band classics. However, that doesn't make it a bad CD either. "Dirty Diamonds" is minimalist rock 'n' roll album with a raw, gritty, live sound and flashes of that eerie atmosphere that Alice is known for. For instance, "Six Hours" is a haunting companion to gems like "Only Women Bleed" and "Ballad of Dwight Frye". "Six Hours" also features an very cool guitar solo. Likewise, the distortion heavy title track reminds me of some of those heavier classics from "Love it to Death." Really the whole album is pretty solid and equally as enjoyable as anything Alice has released in the last few years, albeit no where near as heavy as some. Really the only song that doesn't quite work is the bonus track "Stand", which seems completely and totally out of place on this CD. Apparently, from what I have read, this duet with rapper Xzibit is not actually an Alice Cooper penned song but rather an odd couple pairing from the 2004 Athens Olympics soundtrack. The composers of this compilation apparently asked Alice and Xzibit to lend their voices to the song and Alice's record company felt it would help sales to include it here as a bonus track.

Alice Cooper - Along Came A Spider (SPV) 2008

1. "Prologue/I Know Where You Live" (4:22)
2. "Vengeance Is Mine" (4:26)
3. "Wake The Dead" (3:54)
4. "Catch Me If You Can" (3:16)
5. "(In Touch With) Your Feminine Side" (3:17)
6. "Wrapped In Silk" (4:17)
7. "Killed By Love" (3:34)
8. "I m Hungry" (3:58)
9. "The One That Got Away" (3:22)
10. "Salvation" (4:36)
11. "I Am The Spider/Epilogue" (5:21)

...and the nightmare continues! After two albums ("Eyes of Alice Cooper" and "Dirty Diamonds") in which Alice attempts to simplify his sound and move away from the heavier sounds of "Dragontown" and "Brutal Planet", Alice returns in '08 and releases the album many fans were hoping for. "Along Came A Spider" is Alice Cooper's 25th studio album and is a conceptual album with a classic Alice sound. With "Along Came the Spider" Alice keeps alive the Steven character who first showed up in "Welcome to My Nightmare" (1975). Alice is the king of creepy and disturbing stories and "Along Came A Spider" continues his legacy.

Musically, the album combines the classic sounds of that album with a slightly more modern sound and production. However, there is plenty of classic rock and roll here. The album opens up, after a short intro, with a song that sounds like classic Alice, the sinister "I Know Where You Live". "Vengeance is Mine" is a catchy hard rocker that could easily be the first single from the CD. Slash offers a smokin' solo in "Vengeance Is Mine". There is also the industrial tinged, pop rock of "Wake the Dead", the psychotic rock of "I'm Hungry", the disturbingly infectious "Wrapped in Silk", and two very well done ballads in "Killed By Love" and "Salvation". "Killed by Love" reminds me of such classics as "Only Women Bleed" and "How You Gonna See Me Know".

I can't understand how any longtime Alice Cooper fan wouldn't like this album. I can understand why they wouldn't like Dirty Diamonds. That album was an attempt to simplify and was highly influenced by bands like the White Stripes. Along Came A Spider returns Alice to the glory days of Welcome to my Nightmare. Classic Alice with a modern production and tons of hook.

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