Alice Cooper Goes to Hell

This record was unfortunately the beginning of Alice's decline as a rock star, but I think it has more to do with other factors than the quality of the music. Those factors being 1) KISS had hit the scene with 4 guys in makeup and Alice's producer, Bob Ezrin to boot! 2) Alice was unable to tour this record due to illness (likely alcohol related) and 3) there is a disco song on this album and in 1976 that was sinful verboten taboo for a hard rocker (which is probably why he did it-- the rascal). KISS would later put out a disco album that would hurt their career too.

All that aside, because frankly almost 30 years later, who cares? This album is nothing short of brilliant! It's Alice's tightest and most linear concept album. It is practically a soundtrack for a musical with Alice playing all the parts!

The tracks include the hard rocking Go To Hell (with some definite Latin-American inspired flavor) and the infamous disco tune, You Gotta Dance. Alice used this because he said, "Disco is Hell." He imagined Hell as doomed souls forced to dance in a disco for eternity-- which is pretty funny if you think about it. Next up is the jazzy I Am The Coolest, in which Alice uses a new voice to play the part of the Devil, whom Alice meets in the next song, Didn't We Meet, which is a very melodic tune, and one of my favorites. I Never Cry is the US #12 ballad that is one of his biggest hits ever, and is worth the price of the CD itself. Guilty is another hard rocking tune. Give the Kid a Break is a fifties style musical theatre number with Alice doing a duet with himself as the Devil-- who isn't about to give him a break! Wake Me Gently may be the best song on the album. Tender strings and gentle vocals evoke the misty images of someone lost in slumber. Wish You Were Here is hard rocking postcard from Hell. I'm Always Chasing Rainbows is a remake of a song from 1918. Going Home provides a happy ending to the journey through Hell with another soft ballad.

This album shows a soft side of Alice that may have turned some fans off. But I like both that and the variety of musical styles here. This is a fitting sequel to Welcome To My Nightmare. It is very funny. It has a few truly dark moments. And actually, it seems to me like a very close representation of an alcoholic nightmare/guilt trip-- which is probably pretty close to Hell. Taken that way some of the songs gather an extra layer of depth beneath the slick humor. There is a bit of a drunken quality to the whole thing, and taken together with Welcome To My Nightmare, Lace and Whiskey, and From The Inside (which is about Alice's experiences in rehab) it tells part of a story that Alice may have not originally intended.

All that musing aside-- it is a great listen! A solid concept, great rocking numbers, touching ballads and hilarious lyrics.

It's the greatest example of the unique entertainment that can only be found in Alice Cooper's music.


Just like a strange Broadway musical   March 7, 2006
Lisa Cooper (Finland)
7 out of 7 found this review helpful

If you are looking for somekind of a hard rocking halloween CD, don't buy this, because it is actually like soft and funny Broadway musical. This is his most diverse and music varied and has impressed me right after a first listening. Even thought it is very soft and ballad filled, it has some outstanding guitar work by Dick Wagner and Steve Hunter. Just listen to incredible guitar solo on Wish you were here and guitar riffs on Go to hell.

This album has some of the Alice's finest lyrics and humour. The ballads are some of the Cooper's best. I never cry is very touching and Wake me gently is even better. Alice Cooper's vocals are on the top notch and he offers us hard rock gems like Go to hell, Wish you were here, Didn't we meet and guilty. You gotta dance has a disco beat, Give the kid a break is 50's style musical number that would't be totally out of a place on Frank Zappa album and bluesy I'm the coolest is funny as hell.

This album is lyrically clever, very creative and listening this throught is like a good adventure. This is definately one of the best concept albums ever and very underrated. You can almost visualize the whole story from the beginning to the end. If you want tight atmosphere, good humour, excellent guitar work, touching ballads and a good musical in the same package, this album is for you.