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Alice Cooper – Killer
Beneath My Wheels
Be My Lover
Halo of Flies
Desperado
You Drive Me Nervous
Yeah, Yeah, Yeah
Lifeless Infants
Killer
”The phone is ringing…” kicks off the excellent Beneath My Wheels, which in flip kicks off the freewheeling, revved-up rock’n’roll album that many would level to as the height of Alice Cooper’s achievements.
For gut-level shock rock thrills, nothing earlier than or since can match the uncooked demise journey energy of Killer. From the enclosed 1972 calendar of Alice twisting gorily from a rope, to the astonishingly bleak doom epic Halo Of Flies, to a mind-scrambling stab at gallows-black humour known as Lifeless Infants, Killers is arguably the primary and most important punk rock album; a still-menacing slice of primo American ugly on the daybreak of the feel-bad decade.
Killers additionally ends with the jarring, mean-spirited jab of a whining electrical drill noise that may throw you into panic if you happen to’re not ready for it. So perhaps Alice Cooper invented industrial music too. Someone ask Throbbing Gristle.
Each week, Album of the Week Membership listens to and discusses the album in query, votes on how good it’s, and publishes our findings, with the goal of giving folks dependable opinions and the broader rock neighborhood the prospect to contribute.
Different albums launched in November 1971
- Hooteroll? – Howard Wales and Jerry Garcia
- Barclay James Harvest and Different Quick Tales – Barclay James Harvest
- Madman Throughout the Water – Elton John
- The Low Spark Of Excessive Heeled Boys – Site visitors
- Nursery Cryme – Genesis
- Farther Alongside – The Byrds
- Gonna Take a Miracle – Laura Nyro
- A Nod Is As Good As a Wink… to a Blind Horse – Faces
- There is a Riot Goin’ On – Sly & the Household Stone
- Muswell Hillbillies – The Kinks
- Fragile – Sure
- Humorous How Candy Co-Co Can Be – Candy
- IV – Led Zeppelin
- Deuce – Rory Gallagher
- Anticipation – Carly Simon
- “Babbacombe” Lee – Fairport Conference
- Bless the Climate – John Martyn
- Bonnie Raitt – Bonnie Raitt
- Mind Capers – Mott the Hoople
- Alternative High quality Stuff/Anytime – It is a Lovely Day
- Do You Like It Right here Now, Are You Settling In? – Man
- Canine Of Two Head – Standing Quo
- E Pluribus Funk – Grand Funk Railroad
- Flowers of Evil – Mountain
- For Girls Solely – Steppenwolf
- Good and Dusty – The Youngbloods
- Misplaced within the Ozone – Commander Cody and His Misplaced Planet Airmen
- Nazareth – Nazareth
- Nilsson Schmilsson – Harry Nilsson
- Efficiency Rockin’ the Fillmore – Humble Pie
- Footage at an Exhibition – Emerson, Lake & Palmer
- Quicksilver – Quicksilver Messenger Service
- Sanctuary – Dion
- Sunfighter – Paul Kantner and Grace Slick
- There’s Gotta Be a Change – Albert Collins
- Whatevershebringswesing – Kevin Ayers
- Yr of Sunday – Seals and Crofts
What they stated…
“Halo of Flies” is a shocking work of rock’n’roll that encompasses the gutter freak psych of the band’s earliest work, the expansive scope of prog rock, bits of The Sound of Music, martial drum solos, very stoned blues riffing, and Cooper’s alternately pleading and withering vocals. It is the work of a band who can barely management all of the concepts flowing out of them, but by some means handle to corral their vitality and creativity into one thing epic and distinctive.” (AllMusic)
“A style for the bottom usages of arduous rock not often comes with a success hooked up today, a lot much less ‘surreal,’ ‘theatrical,’ and allow us to not overlook ‘transvestite’ trappings, which is why some determined rock and rollers have satisfied themselves their prayers are being answered. However whereas that is the band’s most song-oriented LP, it falters after Beneath My Wheels and Be My Lover, neither of them an I am Eighteen within the human outreach division. And solely one of many three “theatrical” extravaganzas, Lifeless Infants, works on document (by no means thoughts within the theatre).” (Robert Christgau)
“Killer is certainly the perfect Alice Cooper album but and one of many best rock’n’roll data launched in 1971. It brings all the weather of the band’s strategy to sound and texture to a completely built-in pinnacle that fulfils all of the promise of their erratic first two albums, and beats Love It To Dying’s dalliance with Thirties flick “spooky” cornball riffs by the sheer sustained affect of its primal rock and roll jolt.” (Rolling Stone)
What you stated…
Gary Scott: One of many basic rock albums of all time, that includes many Cooper classics nonetheless performed at this time. From the pop rock Be My Lover to the prog of Halo Of Flies and the gothic Lifeless Infants, each observe is nice, and take a look at the newer deluxe version that comes with a bonus dwell CD from the Killer tour.
Abraham Castro-Kreimerman: The most effective álbum by the band and the singer. Each observe is sensible. In my high ten.
Brian Smolik: Merely stated, it’s their best album, together with being one of many high rock releases of all time.
Philip Qvist: Aside from the apparent songs, I need to admit that I’ve by no means actually explored {the catalogue} of Alice Cooper, each as a band or as a solo artist, so Killer was a primary for me. And I’ve to say that it’s fairly a powerful album, with a wide range of completely different songs that each one mesh effectively with one another.
A strong and rocking document, the place all 5 band members are on high kind, each as musicians and as songwriters. The longer songs, comparable to Halo Of Flies, Lifeless Infants and Killer have been those that grabbed my consideration, however the different 5 songs are none too shabby both.
Killer is getting an 8 from me. An excellent selection for this week.
Adam McCann: The most effective Alice Cooper Band album, it could not have the songs constructed for the stage present like Love It To Dying or Billion Greenback Infants, however it is a strong album of totally rounded songs which have been pure storage rock via to creepy horror and full-out arduous rock as Alice barks like Iggy and croons like Morrison. Killer confirmed that Alice Cooper Band might be downright nasty, capturing the spirit of Altamont and bringing it onto vinyl. High album. 10/10 from me.
Nigel Taylor: The most effective Alice Cooper album ever, and up there with the best albums ever made as effectively. It is an absolute 10/10 basic. It might solely be higher if Poison was on it!
Invoice Griffin: This album comprises my 4 favorite Cooper songs (band or solo) in Halo Of Flies, Desperado, Lifeless Infants and Killer. The opposite 4 tracks (the hits) ain’t too shabby both.
Kev Moore: This album is a masterpiece. The band could have had extra profitable albums, however that is the one for me. Halo of Flies alone is a prog rock tour de pressure! Beneath My Wheels and Be My Lover are brilliantly industrial rock, and Desperado is Alice at his greatest. His vocal on that is compelling and lifts the track into the cinematic. I at all times felt the Alice Cooper band have been one of many best of the early 70s, and that is their calling card.
Adam Ranger: If anyone asks me the place to begin with Alice Cooper, it is at all times this album. It has each side of the Early Alice Cooper sound. Singalong rockers? Beneath My Wheels, Yeah Yeah Yeah, You Drive Me Nervous. Softer ballads? Be My Lover and Desperado. Barely sleazy slower classics? Halo Of Flies and Lifeless Infants. And the one which brings all of it collectively in a mixture is Killers.
An absolute strong album and at all times my favorite Alice Cooper document. Love It To Dying is superior, Billion Greenback Infants and Colleges Out an in depth third, however that is the one you want. A ten all the best way.
Brian Carr: Essentially the most appropriately titled album in rock historical past? An absolute “killer” album. Be My Lover is such a terrific tune, one in all my favorite Alice tracks. Yeah, Yeah, Yeah is cool in an identical vein.
Halo Of Flies is a kind of basic Alice Cooper rave-ups: prolonged, trippy, full with a melodic nod to My Favorite Issues, if I’m not mistaken (and a four-minute instrumental outro to provide the person a possibility to alter outfits!). As a lot as I really like the Eagles observe of the identical identify, Desperado here’s a far more becoming tribute to westerns. Alice turns a phrase together with jarring manufacturing and guitar sounds in You Drive Me Nervous.
After all, Lifeless Infants is the epitome Alice Cooper track of the album: disturbing imagery with tongue planted firmly in cheek. The title observe retains the album from being a ten for me. It’s high-quality, however sort of meanders. But when it’s Alice Cooper, you may nearly actually rely me in! Now, the place did I depart my black eye make-up?
Chris Downie: As a part of the Alice Cooper band’s sizzling streak from 1970-74, the Killer album is an ideal encapsulation of what made the band so iconic; from the basic rock of Beneath My Wheels to the faux-horror morbidity of Lifeless Infants and the spectacular Be My Lover, it stays some of the represented albums within the legendary entrance man’s dwell units to this very day. That stated, a few of the highlights are to be discovered past the hits as Desperado and the title observe hit residence and present they have been a minimize above the typical basic rock band, however usually neglected by those that fixated (for higher or worse) on the ‘shock rock’ imagery.
If there may be one disadvantage, it’s that, like Love It To Dying, the manufacturing is a little bit dated and lacks the punch that only a few years later the likes of Montrose and Kiss would profit from on their equally timeless early albums. It’s arguably within the love enviornment that the songs have at all times shone brightest.
Whereas one may argue with a level of subjectivity that the band peaked quickly after this, on the extra high-profile Faculty’s Out and Billion Greenback Infants albums, there is no doubt Killer holds a robust place within the canon of some of the influential artists in arduous rock historical past. 9/10
John Davidson: Everyone knows the hits, and had learn in regards to the theatrics, however I might by no means actually delved into Alice Cooper’s albums.
I used to be shocked by the number of types they adopted and by the unusual mix of late 60s and early 70s sounds. The manufacturing is efficient, however has that early 70s “stereo is new so we higher use it” vibe. The band are tight however free and “Alice” sounds precisely the identical as he did years later.
The highest observe is Halo Of Flies, however there may be loads to admire and revel in throughout the entire album. It has that working class progressive really feel to it. Whereas Sure and Genesis have been studying Keats and Homer whereas studying piano or classical guitar, I think the Alice Cooper band have been smoking behind the bike shed, however that does not imply they weren’t practising their craft.
James Tucker: I really like this document! Lifeless Infants is my favorite Cooper observe; the entire album is terrific.
Mark Herrington: My consciousness of Alice Cooper started with Colleges Out within the early 70s, our pure anthem to the tip of time period celebrations.
So this was a primary take heed to Killer for me. The album kicks off with the good one/two of Beneath My Wheels and Be My Lover. Observe three Halo of Flies is a little bit of an oddity, not helped by its distracting Sound of Music echoes.
Desperado is nice, however is let down by its spoken intro. You Drive Me Nervous and Yeah, Yeah, Yeah get issues again on observe. Lifeless Infants, by its title alone, has aged badly, and sits uncomfortably right here. Killer closes the album effectively. It’s not a foul album, however it’s kind of combined general.
Glen Smith: Most likely my all-time greatest Alice album. Halo Of Flies is my favorite Alice Cooper observe ever.
Martin Roberts: General, I discovered the album hit or miss. Beneath My Wheels, the one track I had heard earlier than, is a good opening observe. That is adopted up with Be My Lover, which I preferred and I used to be pondering I’m going actually like this album, however then got here Halo Of Flies and it went a bit odd. The songs appeared to have completely different bits caught collectively. Yeah, Yeah, Yeah was a great track, after which the harmonica addition appeared to alter the track and that sums up the album, some good bits in it and a few bits I assumed didn’t match. General, 6 out of 10
Remi Moncayo: I completely love this album! Halo Of Flies and Killer are my favorite tracks!.
Chris Ely: Nice album.
Dale Munday: This album, merely put, is the epitome of the basic album. By no means surpassed by the unique Alice Cooper band.
Mike Canoe: Killer, launched simply eight months after their industrial breakthrough Love It to Dying, discovered the Alice Cooper band leaning into each their shock rock picture and Bob Ezrin’s excellent manufacturing. The standard of the songwriting and the musicianship had additionally elevated exponentially with lyrics that advised a a lot smarter and extra socially acutely aware band than their picture and stage present may need you imagine.
The album opens with the one-two punch of rockers Beneath My Wheels and Be My Lover. With punchy horns and doo-wop choruses, the band takes staples from the earlier technology’s music and makes use of them to promote lurid tales of intercourse, booze, and rock’n’roll.
Then the band takes a quantum leap into quasi-prog territory with the prolonged Halo Of Flies, full with musical references to The Sound Of Music. What?!? The band actually makes it work with tight taking part in, particularly by drummer Neal Smith and bassist Dennis Dunaway.
Facet two closes with the gorgeously orchestrated Desperado, with lyrics impressed by, relying on the interview, the just lately deceased Jim Morrison or Robert Vaughan’s character within the film, The Magnificent Seven. Desperado was the Alice Cooper track that basically made me begin listening to the lyrics as Alice spins a riveting story of a mythic gunslinger who envies the peace of the lifeless.
Facet two additionally opens with a few rockers however You Drive Me Nervous and Yeah Yeah Yeah are far more workmanlike album tracks than their Facet A counterparts.
However then issues get actually fascinating…
Killer closes because it opens with a savage one-two punch, solely now social commentary has changed the rock’n’roll life-style. Many individuals did not get previous the title of Lifeless Infants earlier than clutching their proverbial pearls and condemning the band as brutes. The lyrics paint a nonetheless harrowing image of the demise of “Little Betty,” a baby who died when her dad and mom weren’t paying consideration. On condition that our automobiles now remind us to test the again seats for youngsters left behind, Lifeless Infants continues to be eerily related.
After which there’s my favorite track on an album stuffed with favourites, the closing title observe. That is my “demise of the writer” interpretation however I at all times thought it was a few shiftless child who will get drafted and despatched to Vietnam and turns into actually good at what he does, particularly killing. Since that is an undesirable talent in a civilian, he’s hanged when he comes residence as a result of he cannot depart the killing behind. Even when my interpretation is totally off base, Killer is just not your typical rock track.
Killer has a persistently nice songwriter nevertheless it’s not Alice Cooper, and even Bob Ezrin. It is rhythm guitarist Michael Bruce, who wrote or co-wrote each track on the album. Bassist Dunaway shared credit on half the album’s songs, simply behind Cooper’s 5 songwriting co-credits. And there was the band’s true energy. Certain, the singer was the focus and namesake however Alice Cooper was actually a band, with a number of succesful musicians and songwriters.
It was enjoyable whereas it lasted.
Greg Schwepe: This assessment may find yourself extra about Alice Cooper (the band!) on the whole than a assessment for this week’s number of Killer. However then once more, lots of the gadgets I ramble on about beneath are discovered on this album and throughout their output throughout this period of the band.
There appears to be a protracted operating subject of “notion vs. actuality” about Alice Cooper. Most people’s notion might be that they’re “a bunch of loopy druggy, boozy rock stars who can’t play and do bizarre stuff on stage and the lead singer is definitely a man who makes use of a girl’s identify.”
The notion for this album was in all probability influenced by the title and the image of the snake on the quilt. Throughout my youthful years in junior excessive after I needed to experience my bike to the native document retailer, I in all probability flipped previous Killer within the racks and noticed the title and the snake and thought “Whoa, what is that this?!?!”
The fact for these within the know is that Killer is an album stuffed with refined, well-written songs performed by a crack band and led by a lead singer who has a variety of vocal types and is sort of charismatic on stage. And reality be instructed, they did do some bizarre stuff on stage and being the 70s… in all probability indulged in a little bit medication and alcohol. You suppose? However hey, didn’t each band again then?
Killer opens with sturdy tracks that present that Alice Cooper can flat out rock (Beneath My Wheels), have you ever sing alongside (Be My Lover), and inform a story with lengthy, considerably advanced instrumental sections and vocals (Halo of Flies.).
Desperado is subsequent and after a number of listens, this is likely to be the track that sticks with me probably the most. The strings and Alice’s plaintive vocal are in all probability the rationale why.
The final two tracks are in all probability those the place notion does meet actuality. Any track titled Lifeless Infants is supposed to provide you pause, and the title observe to finish the album does go a little bit lengthy and winding with a darker vibe to it.
An honest album from a band that gave the impression to be hitting their stride. 8 out of 10 on this one for me. Simply questioning at what level this cellphone name happened; “Hello, that is Alice Cooper’s tour supervisor, calling to see how we go about renting a snake out of your firm for our upcoming tour…”
Closing rating: 8.64 (96 votes solid, whole rating 830)
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