![]() Which brings us to this new release from Audio Fidelity. The tracks are of a high standard with the notable exception of the rambling “UNFINISHED SWEET”- perhaps an indication of what it all would have sounded like without a tight hand on the reins. But, it is oddly, and strangely, not the ALICE COOPER sound caught on the “Love It To Death” and “KILLER” sets. The guitars of Hunter and Wagner forced a discipline in the playing not evident earlier. Multiple overdubs were the order of the day. The production was not as busy as the last album. The cover notes name the individual band members prominently on the acompanying photos. It was delivered in a 'green snake skin' sleeve design. The album would be called “BILLION DOLLAR BABIES”. He seems to have decided that the musianship was not up to scratch, and wasted no time drafting in top session players Steve Hunter and Dick Wagner to carry the more complex arrangements (these two players became legendary a year later when they fronted Lou Reeds' handpicked band for the excellent “ROCK AND ROLL ANIMAL” live album). He would actively participate in the recording process, often to the extent of deleting players contributions, either with their knowledge, or discreetly 'after hours'. Tours were sold out, radio play was saturated, visibility was high, but the desired number one album eluded them.īob Ezrin was aboard to handle the production duties.Įzrin had a reputation as a hands-on man. These were noisy, cluttered, boisterous songs, but somehow, listening now, it seems the point at which Vincent and the boys were to artistically and philosophically diverge. The production lost the sparcity of the prior two albums, and perhaps lost most of the insinuated menace of those two classic albums. Tap the rebelliousness of youth, but not alienate them to the point of their parents not shelling out the pocket money to buy it. The lyrics lurched alarmingly towards a jocularity that suggested someone, somewhere, felt the way to go was to pitch to the blue collar teens. In July 1972, the release of “SCHOOL'S OUT” saw a major shift in the feel of the music. The tours continued to do well, and the band were playing better than ever. Again, a very sparse recording, with the lyrical musings starting to set the blueprint for the next few albums. This easily maintained the standard set by the preceeding album. The touring stepped up a notch, but the band still found time to write and rehearse new music.Ī mere 6 months later, they released “KILLER”. The album sold well, even cracking the top fifty in the U.S. There was now an audience with the wit to appreciate that this was rock dressed up in pantomine clothing. The lyrics deftly walked the path between shock and humour. The scrappy band sound had matured into a stripped down, and very sparse soundscape, all recorded with space and dynamics to burn. “LOVE IT TO DEATH” (1971) was a huge step forward. With the positive feedback now coming their way, the band found the confidence to go for album three. Not a single virtuoso player amongst them, but four musicians developing a quite distinctive sound, fronted by an extroverted vocalist who knew a grand gesture when he saw one. But each show was always grounded by the loose limbed musicianship of the group. Each show, successively becoming a theatrical performance using any trick of the trade they could learn. Not just play their songs- but perform their music. What they did soak up were the possibilities of stage craft, and the desire of the audiences to be titillated, shocked, and, most importantly, entertained.ĪLICE COOPER began to perform. Whilst they soaked up the influences and attitude, they did not emulate the actual sounds they were hearing. There, they soaked up the high energy, in your face attitude of the classic Detroit bands. Receiving little airplay, and minimal sales, the band decamped to Detroit. But it too, failed to kick start their career. The second album, “EASY ACTION” (1970) coming just 6 months after the debut, showed a little progress, and certainly pointed to the lyrical pre-occupations that would follow. That first album was more a mark of greater ambition than fledgling talent. They were picked up by FRANK ZAPPAS' label, “STRAIGHT RECORDS” perhaps more for their intrinsic weirdness and snotty attitude than actual musical ability. The five players had coalesced in Arizona, but relocated to Los Angeles to try their luck. From the first album, “PRETTIES FOR YOU”, released in December 1969, to the breakthrough album “KILLER”, released in December 1971, it had been a steep curve for the band collectively named ALICE COOPER.
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