CD Odyssey Disc 89: Alice Cooper

It is Super Bowl Sunday, and while once again the Miami Dolphins aren't in it, I've found a reason to celebrate. I just went to Sidney and back to pick up the chili for the party, and on the drive visiting another island in the Odyssey of Music Archepelago.

Disc 89 is...Constrictor

Artist: Alice Cooper

Year of Release: 1986

How I Came To Know It: As I noted when I reviewed Dada way back at Disc 18, I've known Alice Cooper all my life. This particular album I bought on tape through Columbia House when it came out. I am pleased to say that I now have it on CD, and that I have fulfilled my obligations to Columbia House. 11 casette tapes for only 11 cents! (some terms and conditions apply).

How It Stacks Up: Alice Cooper has 25 studio albums, and I have all of them. I'd say this one is one of the weaker albums - maybe 20th to 22nd depending on my mood.

Rating: 3 stars.

"Constrictor" is Cooper's comeback album after many years of obscurity where he made about five records most people have never heard of (including Dada). During this period he was deep in the throws of alcoholism. I believe "Constrictor" is his first sober album.

He also tries to reach a younger audience by taking on more of a heavy metal sound. Cooper always gets great musicians to play with him, and so the music is well played, but it is a bit formulaic.

Also, while a couple of the songs have great guitar solos (particularly "Teenage Frankenstein") most have that annoying quality of just being stuck into a song for no apparent reason to show that the lead guitarist knows how to noodle.

It is worth noting that when I was 16 and first heard this album, none of this bothered me. I loved this album back then.

Also, Cooper never loses his great songwriting ability. The riffs are catchy, and the lyrics suitably ridiculous. Like in "The World Needs Guts":

"Hey you! Crying 'cause your best friend
Splattered against the wall
Hey you! Some maniac butcher
Tryin' to hack away your balls"

Um...anyway, this is a good place to note that this album has the theme song for "Friday the 13th Part Six: Jason Lives". Surprisingly, it is not the song I just quoted. The song is "He's Back (The Man Behind the Mask)" and it is the best song on the album. It has a great sound, and totally captures the "Friday the 13th" movies:

"You're swimmin' with your girl
Out on lover's lake
And the wind blows cold
It chills your bones
But you're still on the make
That's a bad mistake"

The song even has the "jay...jay...jay...ah...ah...ah" sound that always plays before Jason kills some teenager.

I remember seeing the movie in the theatre. When Jason comes back from the dead and crawls out of his grave everyone in the audience let out a cheer. It was a weird experience.

Scandalously, "He's Back" did not get nominated for an Oscar in 1986. What an outrage. The winner that year was Berlin's "Take My Breath Away" from Top Gun. I guess that is an alright song, but come on? Where is Berlin now? Not with 25 kick ass studio albums to their credit, I'll tell you that right now.

Best tracks: Teenage Frankenstein, Life and Death of the Party, The World Needs Guts, He's Back (The Man Behind the Mask).