This is the last album that
Alice Cooper made before he sold his soul
for Rock ‘n’ Roll and Teeny bopper superstardom
with “Schools Out” in 1972. Later on,
of course, he had to pay the reaper, give
up his high flying Rock ‘n’ Roll life
style, put the demon alcohol behind him
and take up golf. However, that’s another
avenue we can descend down on another
trip.
The opening volley, “Under My Wheels”,
comes ripping out of your music maker
with its machine gun guitar intro and
barking vocals. Alice is straining at
the leash right from the off.
Second number up is “Be My Lover” with
the opening lyrics of “She struts into
the room, and I don’t know her, but with
a magnifying glass I just thought I’d
look her over”. Very P.C. Alice!
The music takes a dramatic upward spiral
with the exquisite “Halo of Flies”. This
twists and turns as the plot unfolds leaving
you in little doubt that the young man,
formally known as Vincent Furnier, has
indeed been taken over by a 17th century
witch called Alice Cooper and clearly
gone completely off his rocker.
The productions of Bob Ezrin were essential
to the band at this time, keeping it clean
and tight; but not losing any of the sweat
and sleaze.
Alice then drools all over you on “Desperado”.
This is followed by two up-tempo, stonesy-keefed-up
songs that drag you into the pit of Alice’s
world. Never has there been such a sinister
piece of music written like “Dead Babies”.
The repetitive bass lines grab you full
frontal and batter their way into your
head. The demented glee with which Alice
rants the lines lets you know that these
are indeed very sick beings. With the
outrage that pours out at the end of this
you feel that it is very justifiable.
Justice is done in the album’s final dirge
with the gloom ridden gothic rock of the
title track with its wailing lost souls
and final guillotine chop as Alice is
sucked down to hell in a bucket.
By taking Killer out on the road Alice
Cooper became a rock phenomenon. It was
one of the most provocative and original
live shows in the annals of rock music
and has never been equaled. It sets the
standards for humour, debauchery, horror
and flamboyant showmanship. Concert theatrics
included cuddling a boa constrictor, throwing
live chickens into the audience, and simulated
executions of hanging by the gallows.
With the music from Killer Alice had the
means to blow everybody else away, spot
lighting the shock rock that has made
Alice Cooper one of the most influential
acts in rock history.
“We are not worthy.” The Alice Cooper
band were..
Pawed by Mott The Dog
Remastered by Ella Crew
E-mail: review@mott-the-dog.com
