Reviews (page 2 of 8)
So you're here to tell me I didn't know Alice Cooper is the American edition of David Bowie? Campy Glam, Proto-Punk, Zappa-esque prog, Gothic Blues, slightly conceptual album? I'm in.
On this website there's a review for this album that calls it "Broadway with guitars and snakes," and, y'know, really, I must ask: why does that only earn a 4 outta 5 instead of a full 5? That sounds **amazing**. And it is! Don't let the title track fool you; it's not just a standard hard rock album. Though, I mean, if it was and it all sounded like the title track... Dang, if it wouldn't be a great one. I'm tellin' you, it ain't one of the most iconic Alice Cooper (The Band) songs for nothing — and I'm not just talking about its use in a Staples ad. Like, of the big Alice Cooper (The Band) songs, I'd say only "No More Mr. Nice Guy" beats it? I jus' really dig that "cha-dunka-dah-dun" beat it's got goin' on. But the rest of the album. "Luney Tune" is the other up-front standard-ish hard rock song after the title track, and once you get beyond it... Like, it all comes down to "Gutter Cat vs. The Jets" to me. The last minute of the song is a straight-up cover of the "Jet Song" from WEST SIDE STORY. It's a motif so integral to the album, that the motif is the last thing you hear on the album's closer, which is even styled as and called "Grand Finale". If that's not Broadway, I don't know what is. And it keeps on being theatrical from there. The track following "Gutter Cat vs. The Jets", "Street Fight", is an audio portrait of, well, a street fight... "Blue Turk" is incredibly damn jazzy, with horns and a slick bassline and everything... "My Star" is pretty progressive-sounding with its piano runs and also the bells that come in near the end... "Alma Mater" features rain sounds and a vocal filter that really enhances its mood... And did I not already mention that this thing ends with a "Grand Finale"? It's not even a concept album, but good on 'em for goin' all the way with the theatrics as a closer. The only song here that doesn't fit into my "it's Broadway" thesis is "Public Animal #9", which is the general other "standard-ish hard rock" track goin' on... But it's so lively anyway, with its "HEY HEY HEY" backing vocals, that, dang, if I don't feel like it shouldn't fit in anyway. But even despite that, believe me, the "Broadway" thing is still the biggest reason why this is my favorite of the two Alice Cooper (The Band) albums on this list. As someone who's only recently discovered how much of a fuckin' musical girlie they are, this shit is all the way up my damn alley. Well, OK, I'll admit it doesn't go **as** over-the-top as I'd want it to, but for what the band and Bob Ezrin pulled off here, I'm more than happy. And seriously, I gotta give a lot of props to Bob Ezrin. He's the guy who's also produced stuff like THE WALL and KISS's DESTROYER — and based off of those, I mean, dang, if he don't have a knack for theatrical production... So, yeah, big ol' A+ on the report card. It's a fun as hell album, and incredibly breezy at only 36 minutes. I mean, I sure can't think of a better album to spend a recess period with, let me tell you. And when you're a fan, you're a fan for life. POW!
I’m at a 5. Second (& last) time we’ve gotten Alice Cooper, second time they’ll get a 5, and I think this one is pretty deserved. This was just a fun listen, what can I say? While the lyricism isn’t as tight as it was on “Billion Dollar Babies”, it’s still clever enough to have a presence, and Alice Cooper’s relatively gritty & blues-infused vocals do a great job of blending them into the soundscape. The instrumentation here is truly what makes the album shine. The guitar is rolling throughout this thing, the brass sections glide off of the percussion, and it’s anchored really well by some twangy basslines. Yes, it’s just great blues rock, but the production involved is incredibly slick, making everything pop just a little more. The “West Side Story” references throughout “Gutter Cat vs. The Jets” & the subsequent sound design of “Street Fight”, the breathy start to “Blue Turk”, the vocal filter & rain on “Alma Mater” & the layered orchestration on “Grande Finale” – all of them enhance their tracks further, giving the album a gravitas that feels needed. I don’t think I need to go super deep here, as the music mostly speaks for itself. It’s a breezy 36 minutes, with a lot more variety than I was expecting (some blues, some Beatles, some prog, etc), and overall, it’s just a catchy album. “Grande Finale” is a great cap on the whole thing, and a bit of a show-stopper, befitting for an album very loosely based on West Side Story. I liked it a lot, and I think it’s worth a 5.
This record does a great job building towards exciting climaxes and modulations constantly, even when, like in “Gutter Cat vs. The Jets,” the direction taken is completely out of left ballpark. “School’s out,” while boasting juvenile lyrics, sets the stage for a wide sound moving forward, especially leading into “Luney Tune”, which is a surprise hit due to its instrumental and melodic variety. Going forward it becomes clear that the records greatest strength is that of its ability to seamlessly blend timbre and styles, like in the track “Blue Turk,” crashing big band energy against hard rock. The following tracks, “Public Animal #9” and “Alma Matter” provide polar ends of earlier track’s smoother blending, yet the tracks play to the strength that an extra minute or two provide, taking these ideas to a contextual extreme. “Grand Finale” wraps things up, acting as a sort of highlight reel of the many sounds that came before. It’s skippable when compared to the rest for sure, but feels like a nice bonus after the more thematic and candid ending of the previous track. A great record overall that kept me hooked from start to finish.
Magnificent - some killer classic rock to open, then spreads out to Show Tunes and a jazzy take on The Doors, leading to with McCartney-esque drama before bringing down the curtain with a final Broadway climax
Perfect timing. Unis out.
yes this was great. one of the reasons i love rock is the instrumentals (and you know how bad i will glaze good instrumentation). what’s more is this is VERY experimental so beyond the baseline rock feel to the songs this album pays tribute to genres such as classical, musical theater, jazz, etc. for example “luney tune” ended with an INSANE string outro (95% sure it was the violin but i’m not well versed in strings). “gutter cat vs. the jets” i believe is intended to reference west side story but i’m not 100% sure. i liked it anyways. “blue turk” is SO jazzy. all these songs tell a story which i appreciate. 5/5.
I always thought this was a one song album. I was so wrong this is a full conceptual album that has not gotten their fair dues. Amazing theme album with chronological story telling. They got my 5 stars
This is how to do shock Rock. It’s a tremendous band and a great journey. Alice cooper should be a reviled figure but he is rightfully beloved. He’s a nice guy and a great rocker. School’s out expressed my feelings to school precisely.
Very good
Bruh
Great
Easy 5 stars Alice at his best
It's a good one!
This was completely different from what I expected, and almost like Stray Cats for a second. Good thing I love Stray Cats.
West Side Story jumpscare - good throughout, 1st track legendary
I already love Alice Cooper!!!
Grandioso descubrimiento. Cuanto talento, sonidos novedosos, una garra super llamativa. Es potente sin caer en ser desagradable ni estruendoso. Muchísimo ritmo, con variación de instrumentos, por época tuvo que ser bastante innovador en su momento. Muchas de las piezas quedan para mi lista personal, puesto que me ha encantado. Muy recomendable
Makes me think about gh3
Very bluesy, awesome album with a different sound every song and high school themes. I love it.
I like his music and songs very much! This album is brilliant! School's Out song is a masterpiece! It is one of my favorite by Alice Cooper! Alice Cooper forever!
Much like the great Vincent Furnier, I also often spontaneously break into show tunes mid-way through street fights. If I may make a comparison that I assure you, dear reader, will hurt me more than yourself, I think a good point of comparison to Alice Cooper in their early years as a band is KISS. Both were known for their shocking makeup, theatrical live shows, and heavy Rock sound. And Alice Cooper pull it off so much more effectively. KISS, outside of their look, were always just another run-of-the-mill 70’s Hard Rock group. There was some Blues influence on some of the slower tracks, and some of the poppier ones could be considered Glam-adjacent but the only thing that could be considered actually interesting about their music and performances was all due to the makeup and the pyrotechnics. Alice Cooper got to the theatricality first. And they did it while also making music that was strange and experimental without sacrificing any of it’s Proto-Punk edge. School’s Out, their fifth album, is the project where their theatrical nature first came to the forefront of their sound. Their third album Love It To Death had refined their early sound into a classic Hard Rock rasp, and following album Killer had introduced a more Glam and Experimental edge with a horn section and multi-part suites. School’s Out sticks with these innovations and dials them up to 11. There are more horns, more keyboards, more nods to Musical Theatre. It’s an ambitious project that, like the excellent Blue Turk, often feels like it’s about to fall apart into a ramshackle mess, but is always somehow kept together. I think the key to the musics stickativeness is also the key to my preference to the band over KISS. Listen to the musical and vocal run in the second half of My Stars verse. It’s a fairly sophisticated musical phrase. When I showed it to my brother, he suggested it sounded a bit like a flamenco run. And yet it’s held together in a Hard Rock context by Alice Cooper himself, and the sheer attitude with which he sings the damn thing. Attitude. That’s all it is. But attitude is so important in Rock, and if your personality is gonna be that of a group of Detroit street kids who try and shock with snakes, fake executions and quotations from Rodgers and Hammerstein, you’d better be secure in your convictions. I really love the self awareness that this album has. It’s all a bit silly, and over the top. But as a semi-concept album about high school losers and jokers, that makes perfect sense. We’re all a bit silly and over the top in school, trying to make an impression, trying to make the best of our time of relative freedom before bing ground up by the capitalist work system. I’ve always assumed that Alma Mater was an answering machine message sent to the narrator’s high school buddied before he left for college or work in the big city, and his realisation that despite having thought of his time as that of a ‘lifer in the state penitentiary’ he’s actually gotten out. And he’s likely never gonna see these people ever again. But at least they’ll always have the memories… they’re never gonna forget each other… right… right?
This might be my most pleasant surprise so far. Absolutely fantastic.
Das ist wahrlich ein frisches, unbekümmertes, spielfreudiges und niveauvoll arrangiertes Album. Es macht richtig Spaß dieses Album zu hören. Kein Lückenfüller. Sehr auffällig ist das kleine Meisterwerk aus "West Side Story" in einer Hardrock-jazzigen Version: "Gutter Cat vs. the Jets" / "Street Fight". Hammer. Alice Cooper habe ich bisher unterschätzt und bin jetzt ganz begeistert.
I had no idea it was so cinematic and had such groovy attitude. I know his deal, and I know his hits, but this was like a complete rock opera almost and was just a total blast. So pleasantly surprised by all the blues and jazz influences, too. Completely silly but also amazing. Wild to think he was 24 but it was like his third or fourth album already.
I thought I'd enjoy that. Did not expect it to be a 5-star though
LP
Unexpected! Almost like listening to a musical
Listened all day!! There was some favourtism bias for a few songs due to nostalgia and childhood, but ones I didn't know before quickly became everyday favourites that I'll be listening to forma long time 💜
This is the first album on here that I haven't listened to before to earn a five. I enjoyed everything about it!
One of my favourite albums from my early teens. Good hard driving rock and roll!
I used to listen to the track School’s Out sooo much growing up but never listened to the album. Hopefully the rest is as good as the track. If you played Gutter Cat Vs. The Jets to me blind I would’ve guessed it’s a Les Claypool song. Sick ass baseline and weird af. Love this song. Blue Turk doesn’t have nearly enough Donald Faison but still a sick jazzy one. Great tune. Kept thinking how My Stars would be sweet to listen to live. Gonna try to dig one up on YouTube after this run. Grande Finale was just that. Crazy sounds! Reminded me of Pink Floyd a bit. Love a good concept album. Was leaning towards a 4 but that last song and the fact it’s a concept album sealed the deal for me. 5 stars great output, Alice.
Fantastic
Wow, Alice Cooper is way more innovative than I thought!
Much more varied than I expected
never listened to alice cooper before except from his big hits like poison, no more mr nice guy and the title track schools out. man this album was so much not what i expected, it was awesome. elements of jazz rock. loved it
This was an unexpected one for me. I always thought Alice Cooper was a cookie cutter hard rocker from the 70s and didn’t really dive too deep into his works, but this album showed a lot of range and soul. The last two tracks of the album sealed it for me.
5 stars
Alice Cooper returns to high school! This is an straight ahead rocker that hints at his theatrical style to come Enjoyed reliving this one. Had this one in the original vinyl package
Love this. Hello Detroit.
Solid album. If I were a teen in the 70s, I would've gone nuts over his music. What an interesting collection of songs, and I especially like the inclusion of brass instruments - I was just thinking about horns in rock songs & how they often add that extra kick. Metal heads & goths owe a lot to Alice. He's the Godfather of the macabre.
I think I'd say that this is a perfect glam rock with an edge type of album
cool
I gave the last Alice Cooper album I was given a warm review because, fun. Obviously I'm familiar with the title track of this album but I'm going into it thinking "do we need more than one Alice Cooper album on this list"? Indeed we do! I guess I'd consider this to be a concept album? It is surely a weird wonderful ride. Five stars. Five very fun stars.
Quite the unexpected journey but I loved every second and genre change.
Se sintio muy theatrical y el jets song!!! 😭😭😭😭 peed my panties right there. y en grand finale
that opening guitar riff is seared into my brain. it's one of the most iconic openings in all of music history! it's bangin', it's recognizable, it's lively. the riff was created by glen buxton, and it must be one of the most well known song intros. fun fact: the opening riff music notes are engraved on buxton's grave in clarion, iowa. truth be told, because "school's out" is such a classic and mind-blowing song, it overshadow rest of album. but with alice cooper as my favorite artist, i've listened to this album hundreds of times and i have such a soft spot for the rest of the album. the lyrics! alice cooper is one of my favorite songwriters, and too often i don't think he or the group gets their due. these lyrics are witty and enjoyable. some of it is dark in typical alice fashion. who doesn't enjoy the lyrics from "school's out"? this lyric from "blue turk" is actually one of my favorite lyrics ever: "tastes like roses on your breath/but graveyards on your soul." considering that the alice cooper group met in high school and this album is the group's second to last before their dissolution, this album reads like a tribute to their respective high schools in a musical format. so many of these songs are about school or reference cheating math tests. a song's title is even straight up "alma mater." i'm not sure if anyone could deny this is indeed a concept album. it isn't as tight as cooper's later solo albums but could possibly be the alice cooper group's most concept-y album. bob ezrin, notable producer of pink floyd, was definitely a contributor. "gutter cats vs. the jets" uses west side story (which uses the school theme as well), and of course the melody returns at the end of "grand finale." the final song of the album is even an instrumental!
it's an album I'm very familiar with so this will be a bit wordy. This was the Last Alice Cooper album that I really liked all the way through. I was 16 when this album came out and the previous album, Killer, was even better. The early albums had some great guitars, bass and drums. Schools Out - classic, big hit Looney Tune - There's a guitar part in this song that sounds very much like "ooh that smell" by Lynyrd Skynyrd which was released years later. Gutter Cat- love the bass intro and the overall musicality of the song and doing the west side story stuff was pretty clever. My Stars is a cool song, piano part is cool. Blue Turk is a really different but great song. Alma Mater - I still play the first seven chords to the song when I'm trying to tune my guitar. Overall I think it's a great album With a lot of catchy hooks.
I was led to believe (as a child of the 70s) that Alice Cooper was just too scary, and I'm a little upset to find that this album I've never listened to is magnificent and full of humor and musical variety. Even just the packaging with its model desk cover and panties album sleeve is celebration-worthy. Mind you, the title track has been a favorite of mine for years, and I should have suspected that the band was more fun than I thought (the lyric "We can't even think of a word that rhymes" has always made me laugh). Today I learned that "Alice Cooper" was the name of the band at this time as well as the persona of the lead singer. When a song about an alley cat segued into the "Jet Song," then went into the jazzy, meow-filled "Street Fight" my mind was blown. This album is taking me to incredible places. I don't even know how to begin describing "Public Animal #9" but I love it sooo much. "Alma Mater" is a wonderful closing to the school story. And then it's possible that "Grande Finale" is my favorite album closer of all time. Pow!!!
This album is so much more quirky than I imagined. I really liked it!!
I made an "ew" face when this came up and now that I've listened I think my face should apologize. I loved it! These kind of rock-n-roll theatrics are totally my thing. I kind of wish I hadn't been looking at the lyrics because there was a very nice musical theater surprise awaiting me in the song Gutter Cat vs. (no spoilers). In addition to that one, I loved the jazzy Blue Turk, the epic My Stars, and the White-Album-esque Alma Mater. This was great unexpected fun. (But p.s. it's kind of cruel to assign School's Out homework to a college professor one week before the start of the school year.)
I went into this extremely familiar with the title track but never heard any of the rest of this album. “Schools Out” is such a classic that it makes me wonder why I’ve never heard of anything else on this album. Stir together guitar rock of the 70s and a generous helping of Broadway. Add bits of jazz and blues. Fold in marching band music and a trombone solo. Add generous helpings West Side Story. Blend. Bake into a deliciously wild and eclectic album. A genuine and wonderful surprise. I love it!
Based on the only two songs of theirs played on the radio, my impression was that Alice Cooper's music was just light-hearted and a bit silly. Now I see why they are considered one of the greats, and I will no longer be missing out!
damn. banger
Not at all what I expected from Alice cooper
Alice Cooper au début des années 70, c'est un des meilleurs Rock qu'on aura jamais. On ne peut pas en dire autant d'Alice Cooper dans les années 80. Prefs: TOUT Moins pref: RIEN
-An incredible album -"School's Out" is in the uppermost echelon of songs that I just expect everyone to know/have heard. It's also a banger. Incredible opening riff, iconic and relatable lyrics, and the hilarious "We can't even think of a word that rhymes" lyric. -The rest of the album is super cool as well, with great instrumentals to back intriguing mini-story lyrics.
Just a solid rock album even after School's Out
5/5. Hard rockin rager man 😎🤘
Loved it
Whether it was last day before: Xmas break, spring or fall break, or was last day of school... This album was rocked by everyone going to their cars. Not and was most students singing, there was teachers singing and it was the most nonchalant good bye but yet everyone felt equally included
Surprisingly enjoyable!
Amazing album! Way more prog than I thought it be. Go Cooper!
Nice one! Inspiring Jazz Rock
One rocking album. Hadn't heard before. Loved it.
I'll admit, I'm surprised this one got into the book over the previous 2 Alice Cooper band albums (Love It To Death and Killer). This isn't to say it's a bad album, far from it, I just find it weaker overall when compared to those two albums. School's Out the song is a classic though and should be heralded as a classic.
fuck yeah alice cooper
Surprised I haven't listened to more Alice Cooper.
alice cooper a hometown hero for detroit!!!
the first track was a little bit different compared to the other songs on the album still great though!
I always wonder what an Alice Cooper record (and this record in particular) sounds like to the uninitiated, and now I have a whole review section to find out! This record feels like it was made for an accompanying live show, and really plays more like a rock opera than a studio album. The school theme holds this together while they go off musically and explore the whole big wide world. There’s blues, there’s jazz, there’s an orchestra… it’s a trip, man. The undeniable standout track here is “Blue Turk” and I won’t be taking questions.
A rollicking good time. More diverse and orchestrated than I imagined. Will return.
my art teacher told me about alice cooper one time, and definitely to check out schools out's art style, and the way he followed a specific theme. too bad i fell in love with the groove so much that i started lacking behind school for a lil bit lol
I remember my last day of middle school like it was yesterday. A group of friends and I snuck out early. We walked to a nearby brick oven pizza restaurant and hung out for a bit before walking home. Still an hour or two before my parents got off work I went straight to my room and fired up Guitar Hero 3. With the volume on full blast, I selected the song School's Out by Alice Cooper. I played that song at least a couple times, rocking hard. What a good time. That core memory aside, my expectations for this album were rather low. Cooper does not have a lot of vocal range which is a recipe for boring songs in my book. But he managed to keep it interesting with the instrumentation. The big band influence keeps it on subject and adds a wrinkle that I didn't expect. I'm not willing to go as far as to say this album blew me away or anything. But it was short, sweet, varied, and thematically focused.
Maturing is realizing Alice Cooper is an American Mick Jagger dipped in battery acid.
Loved it, especially "Blue Turk".
Did not expect to enjoy this one but pleasantly surprised
I knew the title track, but I didn't know this was a rock theater (Westside Story?) production. Awesome!
I liked this a lot more than I thought I would. 2 pretty middle of the road radio-rock songs followed by 30 mins of jazzy metal rock opera??
I was pleasantly surprised by this - not the cliche title song which is fine - but Gutter Cat vs. the Jets" Buxton, "Street Fight", "Blue Turk" and "Alma Mater" was much more interesting.
Glamprogpsychedeliagaragerock? I liked it more than I'd thought beforehand, and even though there were no other hits like School's Out, the entire album was solid and listenable. There are no single tracks I'm dying to revisit, but the album was sollid, nevertheless
Title track aside, a pleasant surprise. The generosity streak continues!
Not what I was expecting. A 3.5 rounded up
Some songs I really liked, some songs I really didn't like. Unfortunately, I think the first track, School's Out, was my least favorite. Just felt very corny.
surprisingly enjoyable, 3 songs i really liked
I've not listened to Cooper outside of the title track School's Out that everyone's likely heard. This was an interesting listen. It doesn't overstay its welcome. It bounces around between genre and styles and I had to queue it up a second time to give it another spin before I felt comfortable rendering an opinion. It was not what I expected to get and I enjoyed what it was. I imagine their reputation for showmanship would make these songs even more interesting to see performed on stage. "Alma Mater" and "Blue Turk" were stand outs that had I heard without context I would not have guessed as Alice Cooper tracks even with his distinctive voice. Perhaps I assumed incorrectly about Alice Cooper and should give a listen to the rest of their discography.
I always thought of Alice Cooper as "that shock-rock band with all the magic tricks in their stage shows." Alice himself has proven to be a very intelligent and thoughtful musician with a great sense of humor. But I have to say that I didn't expect extensive quotes from West Side Story on this album. This is a talented band - I'm particularly impressed by bassist Dennis Dunaway - that is having fun with some clever music, with Cooper's amusingly deranged lyrics sprinkled on top. I liked it a lot more than I expected to.
Surprising instrumentation in several songs, not what I expected
i was sort of dreading this one but it was pretty fun. there were a lot of styles incorporated into this which made it more interesting that the straightforwardly glam rock titular track. Fav tracks: Luney Tune
I think at some point I'm going to have to fully let me brain accept that Alice Cooper is not, in fact, a wally. This is really good to be honest, especially at the start. It's way cooler than I anticipated, and even when it does descend into a bit of silliness, it's endearing enough to carry it through.
No. 187 This is some classic rock with a great jazzy element.
3.5
Je m’attendais à du hard rock de mauvais goût et j’ai été agréablement surpris avec un après vraiment agréable et cohérent !
Pretty nice!
When this popped up my initial reaction was "oh no, not another 'classic rock' album". But this is really great fun! Somewhat silly in am enjoyable way with some excellent tunes throughout, plus an pleasingly elastic band feel.
Baustelle, Gerstetten, Deutschland. Gute Scheibe!
Sounds so tame nowadays, just goes to show how far we've come with extreme music. Some of the jammy tunes on this album are almost Zappa-esque. It's enjoyable, but I can't imagine when I'd be in the mood to listen to an Alice Cooper album front to back.
I’m pretty sure the title track is required listening before anyone can get out of middle school. That song is just permanently wired into the idea of being done with school, and for good reason. It still rules. “My Stars” had some great guitar licks too. And “Alma Mater” really threw me, because if I didn’t know I was listening to Alice Cooper, I never would’ve guessed that was one of their songs. It has way more of a Velvet Underground kind of feel than I was expecting. Favorite song: "My Stars"
Having only ever heard the singles School's Out and Poison by Alice Cooper, this was album was a genuine and enjoyable surprise for me. It plays very much like a concept album to growing up and leaving high school, and after the rocking title track opener, we get intriguing numbers such as Gutter Cat vs The Jets with it's jazz nod towards Bernstein, the complexities and key changes of My Stars and the emotional ending of Alma Mater, before the closing credits of your youth roll in the Grande Finale. It's all an unexpected, theatrical romp and fully deserves 4 stars.
I thought Alice Cooper was more of a hard rock artist based on his popular songs, but this album has everything. I hear hard rock, but also prog, glam rock, jazz rock etc. It really surprised me and I will definitely listen to this again.
Super cool. After the first two songs I thought it was gunna be just regular rock stuff. Boy was I wrong!
I really liked this album, it kind of felt like a blend of genres with an overarching theme of garage rock which I am a big fan of. The guitar made the whole album feel raw and aggressive. Favourite - Blue Turk/My stars
Huh. This one has me stumped. It's a bunch of mid 20s guys pretending to be at school. The title track is a classic of course. Actually some of the other songs on the album are more interesting. Enjoyed more than I thought I would.
I get it
As I noted on a previous review, Alice is musical theater for metalheads. He’s here to have a good time and upend the conventional wisdom of rock n roll. A lot of the 80s hair bands followed his lead without getting his sense of humor. Ah well, we’ll always have Milwaukee.
Crazy surprised at how great this is. NOT a one trick pony, in fact this pony has many tricks. Commendable effort on all accounts. Good songs arranged well and played with precision
Je m'attendais à du rock un peu débile, et j'ai eu des pianos et des trompettes.
Loving the bluesy nature of this. A far cry from the title track, tbh I was wondering whether this was Alice Cooper at all at one point.
I liked this a lot more than I expected to. Lots of layers musically.
That was highly unexpected and super fun. School's Out seems like any other simple, fun punk song from that era and I thought the rest of the album would be similar. I was so wrong. It is super fun and varied. Totally unexpected West Side Story is always a plus. I'll probably listen to this again, and I have a new respect for Alice Cooper.
Had heard School's Out the single before, who hasn't but never the whole album. Loved the two rocking opening tracks then getting into so many other musical genre was interesting.
ta guapo el segon de foxygen
I think I was expecting some straightforward 70's rock, but this is solid rock opera all the way. Really surprised by how much I enjoyed this. It's quite the adventure once you get past the title track.
Different than I thought it was gonna be, kinda liked it Will I listen to again: 67%
good album :D 4/5 GEMV 05.04.26
I liked the West Side Story pieces
Surprising
What a pleasant surprise! I did not expect the jazz and West Side Story references and they were great fun.
7/10
Wow! I LOVE fun music, and The Godfather of Shock Rock never disappoints. At a snappy 34 minutes, this album smacks you in the face with its monster hit and then just plain shows off Coop's musical skills. Everyone loves School's Out, but the Blue Turks is a great tune, and the Grand Finale really shows that Mr. Cooper has serious composer chops. Timeless, classic, fun album. Influence 5. Quality 3. Hits 4. Intangibles 4. Go, Alice, go 4!
Okay that was more theatrical than I expected. Wayne’s World was not that far off
Surprisingly eclectic musically!
Really fun listen. I liked the theatricality of it all.
fuera de coto es de los mejores discos de rock que he escuchado, divertido y el orden de las rolas está on point
A nice revisit but also remember why this was actually a difficult record to get into originally. Other than Schools Out which has become a classic, the rest of the songs on this album are rather uncharacteristic of future Alice in sound. In 1972 when this was released I was 12 and too young to appreciate this record. A few years later and I certainly fucking did. There are remnants of psychedelia, some Van Morrison/Doors appreciation, some juvenile humor, and some weird ass shit to put on a record (Alma Mater and Grand Finale) Blue Turk could be a Doors outtake. Seriously. It’s a solid album overall with the highlights, other than the aforementioned School’s Out being Luney Tune, Street Fight and Public Animal #9 which is some boogie rock n roll and a big hit when I was 16. My buddies and I thrashed the 8 Track I had of this as we rolled throughout town in my mom’s Chevy Nova. Classic Alice still holds up even today. 4/5
Really not what I expected. I was prepared for an album of glam-rock type stuff but got a bit of that mixed with bluesy jazz. Some really fun songs, including Gutter Cats vs The Jets (and of course Street Fight), Blue Turk (track of the album IMO), Alma Mater and the Grand Finale. I'm all for being surprised, and this album definitely surprised me. 3.5/5.
Always loved the title track, definitely an anthem if you hated school. The rest of the album was new to me and was good fun, more varied than I was expecting
Yeah this shit went pretty hard, solid stuff
So like the best parts of Kiss meet the best parts of The Who?! Who knew?!! And like, some Chicago too. Wild stuff. I’m in.
Classic
Pretty bitchin' album Alice Cooper! I love that he paid musicians to play, ah the days for instrumentalists. The sax player and trombone player in particular stood out. Love that Frank Zappa rewarded a diligent young artist and we got this and more as a result. Steeped in Rhythm and Blues, Rock, and a grand finale instrumental my lord. Great work!
Very theatrical
Unerwartet großer musikalischer Horizont!
Sehr abwechslungsreich, hätte ich so nicht erwartet!
Classic
Fun
Gear: HEDD Audio HEDDphone Two Artwork: ️🏫💘🔪 Production (2023 Remaster): ⚡😲👌 Music: 🎭🎸💡 Rating: 🙌🙌🙌🙌/5
He's having fun with it, clearly. I can appreciate that about it. It takes a bit to actually get good but the little fight scene after Gutter Cat vs. The Jets was pretty funny. With most things, it actually gets good around the sax solo. I'll take it to my grave, saxophones never make an album worse. Even if an album sucks, the sax solo is the least sucky part of it. Anyways, this album is theatre kid music. There's a song referencing West Side Story and everything. That, the concept of the album, and some of the instrumentation is very theatre kid and I like that.
This was pretty fun! Wild for sure, sort of Zappa like and I enjoyed it. easy 4 stars
What a wild album. Opens with the song everyone knows. Then an OK, but not great song. Then stuff starts to get wild. West Side Story quotes, practically prog arrangements. Crazy stuff. Loved it. 4 stars.
Another big surprise for me. Was not prepared for just how creative and theatrical a lot of this album ended up being. Still a few duds in the tracklist, but overall a good time. Favorite Songs: "Gutter Cat vs. the Jets", "Blue Turk", "My Stars", "Grande Finale" Least Favorite Song: "Luney Tune" Mid 4.
Nice 70's bluesy hard rock with some (pre?) punky notes. I don't care much for the somewhat childish stage performance of Alice Cooper - does he try to build a "heavier" image than his music deserves, on its own? It's alright but doesn't move me much but on a second listen it's actually not so bad, and varied. A 4 then, not a 3. Will revisit!
There is way more to this album than the title track that AM radio overplayed during the summer of '72. Do yourself a favor and skip that track to see what Mr. Cooper was really about.
Surprised to find that this was actually pretty good - most of these 70s rock albums are samey to me, but this one stood out. Rounded up from 3.5.
A nice surprise. I've been familiar with Alice Cooper as a persona for a long time (thanks Wayne's World) and of course knew the title track - so I was surprised that the album was less "spooky hard rock" and instead was more conceptual and musically varied. Definitely theatrical in the Alice Cooper way and a fun listen.
17/02/2026 Short, sweet and decent. Spotify listeners: 4.5 million
Why did I ever avoid Alice Cooper.? I am a convert. This was a-maze-balls, musically.
This surprised me. I was familiar with the title track, of course, but I did not expect West Side Story or jazz from Alice Cooper.
I liked it!
Great stuff…
Very fun listen. I had no Idea it's a show tune/musical. Very fun.
Much better than the other cooper album.
Teatralsk og gøy.
4/5
Wasn't especially looking forward to this but the album as a whole was a very pleasant surprise, nice melodies and tunes and less hard rock/metal than I'd anticipated. It's essentially a short concept album about leaving school, as the name and title track indeed suggest, but I'd somehow not twigged beforehand. But it should have ended with the penultimate track, Alma Mater, a wistful look back at school years and Goodbye/ I hope you don't forget me . Last song Grand Finale, added nothing. Four out of five stars.
Got to get a 4 for the title track alone.
weird and rambling and all over the place and I am kinda here for it.
Good album full of metal and rock n roll. There was even a musical number from west side story.
Surprising
Solid short and sweet
Du rock, mais du bon rock avec de l'originalité dans les instru et rythme, je sais pu si j'avais déjà écouté un album entier d'Alice Cooper mais effectivement je suis pas surprise d'avoir passé un bon moment d'écoute connaissant un peu l'artiste. Miaou.
I only knew the song the album is named after but it was a great listen that showed me just why Alice cooper has had the long successful career he has! Great album!
carai, achei que seria só schools out guitar hero 3 solinhos bacanas mas tem uma pegada funk/jazz bacana memo. parece até um album conceitual, bem massa mesmo, fiquei de cara, me pegou no contrapé!!!
Far from my perfect rock album, but that's part of why I enjoyed it so much. It isn't what I normally listen to, but I definitely could put a few songs on my playlists.
Definitely good and/or fine. Certain aspects are great, while others fall short. I'm not the biggest fan of the singing and some of the instrument choices seem weird. Mostly though, there are good songs on this album.
SCHOOOOOOOOOOLS OUT FOR SUMMER (i wish)
Opens strongly with Alice Cooper’s most recognisable song, or at least the one you are most likely to hear in public. It’s a juvenile album, but that’s really the point? I don’t think the message could be any clearer considering it’s in the title, album cover, etc. I had a big thing for Alice Cooper in high school, I think it’s an acquired taste. It’s a bit kitschy and campy and not ashamed of itself at all. As far as this goes for an album, there aren’t any tracks that match the opener but there’s enough musical variety and merit here that makes it very enjoyable. Highlights: School’s Out, Blue Turk, Grand Finale
Good mix of old school rock and modern hard rock.
Good album. School's Out obviously rocks, but the rest was quite nice as well. The West Side Story bit was a little strange, but overall I quite liked it.
Obviously the title track is cool but there was some other decent stuff as well later on. 7/10
When I was a kid School's Out was an anthem! Yahoo, summer freedom!! Sad to say, I didn't know the rest of this album. It is different, and mostly in a good way. Really liked the Grand Finale. 3.6 rounded up to 4 for a pleasant surprise.
Surprisingly diverse. Not everything is great, but I appreciate what they're trying to do and all in all it turned out really entertaining. Next year's Billion Dollar Babies got even better, but this is lots of fun.
Slightly on the fence about it. Don't love it. But do like that the tracks are varied. I did like some of the sound of it. Think I could like it more, the more I listen to it.
Much better and varied concept album than it is probably given credit for. Guess most think of it as a vehicle for the big hit title song, and likely more of the same, whereas it goes all over the place musically, structurally. Haven’t heard it for near 30 years so it was a pleasant surprise to my older ears, and still was surprised as had forgotten it goes into West side story. Billion dollar babies had more hits, and that what is seen as Alice Cooper, but have always preferred this, 4.25 Stars
Because we have heard the track 'School's Out' so often in commercial settings, it is easy to lose out on appreciating this entire album and where it stands on the timeline of rock music history. Listening to this album from start to finish allows listeners to appreciate and understand foundational sound and tempo that go into rock instrumentation, and its placement in glam rock, hard rock, emerging heavy metal, etc.
This has always been a background favorite of mine, and by that I mean Alice Cooper, whichever album. There is something special in his storytelling method of "70's rock" that is just unique and his own. I have been fascinated with him for more or less my whole life for this kind of jazzy, rocky, story that is dark and funny and just likes being a bit weird... Yeah, Alice Cooper is simply at the head table of his own thing and it is pure fun!
Pretty good! Original and unexpected
Surprising - I enjoyed the variety. I agree with other reviewers, feels like a concept album.
Was pleasantly surprised by this album. Especially the Jazz cut near the end. Was also intrigued by the blues cut near the end of the album. Not something I’d normally listen to, but above average!
I'm always surprised Alice Cooper doesn't come up more when people talk about the greats of rock. I get his main thing was shocking concerts, but the albums are good too.
Everyone knows the title track but actually this is a terrific album full of great rock songs. Stands the test of time pretty well and definitely influenced many artists that came after.
Absolute classic. Lots more variety in sound than I expected. Need to listen to some more Alice Cooper for sure
I enjoyed this album listen! I’m from Arizona and so is Alice Cooper! I’ve had the pleasure of seeing him live too recently which makes me appreciate his music more. He is quite the showman and I love how dramatic and over the top he is. I loved the nod to West Side Story on this album, that gave me a good chuckle. Overall, I liked this album and would listen to it again in the future.
Great album. Suprised by the fact only the one song was a huge hit.
School's Out is an amazing single; as an album, there are some interesting concepts and a great bass line, but it doesn't live up to the single fully at parts. Some amazing instrumentals
There’s not much to say here. Like most Alice Cooper albums I’ve heard so far, this one rates as average or slightly better, but it still manages to include a couple of really strong tracks. It’s a middle of the road effort overall, with a few highlights that stand out.
I never really listened to Alice. This is pretty solid 70's rock.
As a kid, Alice Cooper really disappointed me because the music wasn't as heavy as his appearance and reputation made me think it should be. Also got turned off by how straightforward theatrical some aspects of his sound was. As an adult, I can overlook most of this and admit that this just rocks. School's Out will always be an anthemic ripper.
Surprisingly diverse
Lots of different vibes and genres. Nice and short too. Better than I expected.
Having been a big Alice Cooper fan, I found myself overwhelmed by this album, perhaps it was the head space I was in at the time of re-listening to it. I cleared my head with some Tubular Bells.
Overall: 8/10 Crazy album, quite honestly. I didn't expect the musical styles to be so diverse on this thing. It would be nice if any song but the title track made it into the public consciousness because they're all infinitely more interesting to me. There's even a West Side Story reference! I'll not be underestimating Alice Cooper anymore. Fav Song: Alma Mater
West Side Story!? I knew that Alice Cooper enjoyed stage musicals from an interview back when he played King Herod in Jesus Christ Superstar in which he said he was always influenced by the theatricality of it all, but I was still pretty surprised to hear his band covering West Side Story on an album. Pretty cool. Love the title track. The rest is fun too.
I was in no way prepared for this album. I thought I was getting an album’s worth of “School’s Out” the song. Instead I got something far more playful, funny, and ambitious: a true concept album. I loved the West Side story motif and so much else.
Um disco riquíssimo. Temas de Jazz, orquestra, metais e muito rock. Muito bom!
Fun as hell, unpretentious, well written short and sweet.
Favorite Track: School's Out
Considering I didn’t know Alice Cooper and Alice in Chains were different artists until today, I’m surprised at how much I enjoyed School’s Out! I have obviously heard the title track before, but had no idea who made it until today and certainly didn’t expect the album it’s from to be as varied and weird as it is. It even gets a bit jazzy here and there, which was a nice surprise! I wasn’t in love with every song, but I’d definitely like to listen to the full album again, which puts it square in the four star camp for me. Highlights: School’s Out, Gutter Cat vs. the Jets, Blue Turk, Public Animal #9, Grand Finale
# 602 - Schools Out Schools Out - A shockingly good time Verdict: A shockingly good time. Loud, brash, and way better than expected. I knew the title track, and I liked it—but I’d never heard the full album until now. And wow, what a surprise. School’s Out kicks off with one of the most iconic rock anthems ever, perfectly capturing the energy of kids bursting into summer freedom. The rest of the album? Rocker after rocker, delivering a dynamic listening experience that’s in-your-face without tipping into glitzy excess. It’s raw, it’s fun, and it rocks hard. Alice Cooper proves here that he’s more than just theatrics—there’s real substance behind the shock. The album flows with confidence, and while nothing beats the excitement of that first track, the rest holds its own. Best Track (if you must): School’s Out – the ultimate anthem of rebellion. Honourable Mention: My Stars – a hidden gem that shines bright. Closing thought: If this is what detention sounds like, sign me up.
Wow, this is fantastic. School's Out is just bait for the weirdest collection of tunes and styles ever, all expertly executed. I really hope Lenny appreciated it.
I think having two AC albums on here is silly and the other one sounds a lot better imo. This still good.
En su momento todos éramos Alice Cooper, terminó por decepcionarme, pere este album fue iconico
If you give a theater kid a leather jacket....
Good
WAY cooler than i was expecting!! i was expecting an older kinda hard rock album. but this went all over the place. straight jazz, big band funk instrumentals, all within that rock guideline. very glad i listened
Really enjoyed. Variety of music, but all gelled together nicely.
What a surprising delight. What I knew before this album: title track; pronunciation of Milwaukee; Satanic Panic. What I learned: Iggy/Stooges/Dolls with show tunes and prog thrown in for good measure.
Day642 - this one definitely had more twists and turns than i expected
great rock album, good mixture of ideas form classic rock, blues and jazz, good record
Great stuff, especially Blue Turk
I haven’t had a ton of exposure to Alice Cooper, so I expected a pretty standard middle of the road rock album here. I was ill informed, Cooper’s range is deeper than I had anticipated and it made for a fairly interesting album. There’s even a jazz track on here, some theatrical flair mixed in and we’ve got ourselves a pretty entertaining album here. 4 stars
Enjoyed this way more than expected. It was more honest and drivey and less, I don’t know, self-serious. I probably shouldn’t be surprised at that based on the opening track, but it was still fun to realize.
Really enjoyed this. Title track is the best, but rest of the album matches up to it quite well
Never been a big Alice Cooper fan. But this was pretty solid and a bit weird. So 4
School's out but summer is IN! Fresh ray of sunlight this one.
I wasn't expecting this to be so jazzy and silly and good, it felt like a Jim Henson muppets broadway show about a naughty school boy with Animal in the title role. I was both rocking out and laughing at the lyrics on Public Animal # 9 "We aint never gonna confess/we cheated on the math test/we carved some dirty words on our desks." lol what that is too silly! Alma Mater was my favorite song and I want the Trash Heap from Fraggle Rock to sing it in the muppet version. Edited to add that Alice Cooper actually already had this idea: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmewc2Uqon4 I'm now an Alice Cooper fan, but is this real music??
Who let the theatre kids make a rock album?!
3.75 I need half stars here!!! This is a lot better than other 3 star albums but I just don’t like it enough for it to be a real 4 star album, but whatever. It’s fun. This is not real rock, it’s showtunes! There’s literally multiple tracks here that use music and lyrics from West Side Story! It’s sooooo theatrical.
Okay, this album is more than merely Hard Rock and definitely more than "School's Out". Strange, that this track became the sole hit. The album feels more like a 70s rock surprise bag with Broadway show aesthetics.
As others have said, this album is all over the place. I expected a bunch of School’s Out. 3.5 rounding up.
yeah
Not at all what I was expecting, a little bluesy at times.
This album was an excellent listen. School’s out is a great tune, as is My Stars. Public Animal #9 lyric’s were very fun to me (aside from the repetitive end). Alma Mater was another cool one. Cooper’s always had a theatrical edge, what liked more was how he wove the story through the album. A great record.
It had been long since I last heard this album. It was better than I remembered. Good stuff
I read/heard that Alice Cooper would only use the best studio musicians for recording and touring. This album is really clean. He's also from PHX so +1 4/5
Genuinely a good album, didn’t know any songs besides schools out… weirdly loved the grande finale
Very fun. I thought this guy was supposed to be evil.
A lot better than I imagined. Not very knowledgeable about Coopers music. I just know the imagery of the painted face and snakes etc. To my surprise, this album has touch of rhythm and soul to it, where I was expecting more of an Ozzy / Black Sabbath sound.
Title track is awesome, same with Luney Tune and Public Animal #9. Gutter Cat vs The Jets was a bit corny, and I don't know why Street Fight has so many streams. The final track, Grande Finale, was an awesome instrumental. The rest of the tracks were also pretty good. Great album
8/10. Qué decir de un disco cuyo single (el que le da nombre al álbum) es uno de los mejores temardos del Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, juego mítico de mi infancia. Voces desgarradas y guitarras sucias. Este disco es el epítome del hard rock de los 70, con sus riffs pegadizos y su bombo-caja atronador, pero que además guarda otros pedazo de himnos más allá del Schools' out que sorprenden muchísimo. Por ejemplo, "Gutter Cat Vs. the Jets", con la que parece que estás en primera fila de un musical de Broadway; "Alma mater", la clásica balada acústica que no podía faltar; o "Grande Finale", que cierra el disco con una gran bacanal orquestal que te deja en lo más alto posible. Indudablemente, debe estar en la lista.
The album is fun, regardless if school's out, in, or we're in Back To School season. I didn't expect the variety of sounds, and genres throughout the album. Favorite Track: "School's Out".
If you've never heard anything but Schools out go ahead and give this a listen. It's not long, it's very good, you'll enjoy your time learning about the depths of Alice and especially if you were a theather kid youll understand the latter half.
i did not expect a rock album made by theater kids to be on here, but fuck dude that's exactly what this was. what a weird album.
Obviously, I knew the titular song (and ironic getting assigned this in the waning days of summer, as my kids gear up to go back to school), but the rest of the album has been a delightful surprise.
It’s been so long since I’ve last heard this! Such a surprising record with varied sounds throughout and a loose concept that’s more thematic than story-driven.
Largely unfamiliar with his work, except for a few of his hits. This is not what i expected an album of his to sound like
Not his best but the one with the biggest hit on it. All early 70’s Alice is good Alice anyway
There's the classic, but then there's also great songs that deserves to be heard. One of my favorites from Cooper's outfit.
One of my favorite from the rock legend! I have a hard time with glam rock, but 70s Alice Cooper always works for me.
70's prog/metal, pretty solid
Mukavan erilaisia biisejä tässä
Great old school sounding record. I read a review here saying the vinyl opened like a school desk so of course I had to check it out on YouTube, and wow props to the designer. Great execution
The more I hear of Alice Cooper from this era, the more I get surprised.
I was expecting an album of Schools Outs, so the amount of variety, and the amount of fun this record has was a really pleasant surprise.
Another awesome one in the string of 70’s Alice Cooper greatness.
A very amusing record that works better as a concept than a showcase for individual songs.
An often strange record where Alice Cooper's theatricality comes to the fore - most spectacularly in "Gutter Cat vs The Jets". But that's not to say it's short of more traditional rockers - beyond the title track there's also "Luney Tune", "My Stars", and "Public Animal #9". There even a lounge-y jazz tune on this record with "Blue Turk". Overall a creative and adventurous record that's a ton of fun.
Superb!
Schools out forever!
Концептуальный рок-альбом о школе с ноткой тяжести и экспериментальности
Classic Alice, right here. (WE'RE NOT WORTHY, WE'RE NOT WORTHY, etc.) Solid 4 Stars.
Only knew the titular track going in. Way more diverse than expected: Unexpected west side story in gutter cat vs the jets and the finale, some blues, a little jazz, brass instruments. Refreshing album from the 70s, 4*
Classic
Great album always Liked Alice Cooper
Kannte bisher nur den namensgebenden Song "School's Out", ganz interessant auch mal den Rest des Albums zu hören. Fav: "Blue Turk"
This album surprised me. I only knew Alice Cooper for his big gothic hits like "school's out" and "poison". The whole album has a wide mix of sounds with elements of jazz and all sorts. A very fun listen. Favourite track: Blue Turk
Wow! Did not expect to like this so much. I always thought Alice Cooper was kinda corny, but the deep cuts go hard. A lot of sneaky good bass lines, and some killer vocals. Also great variety of styles and tones.
Ну очень необычный рок. Гитарист интересно играет, но вот солист поёт, скажем так, не всегда приятным голосом ) Бывает, что хочется именно такой музыки. 6,5 из 10.
Not what I thought Alice Cooper sounded like. Genuinely enjoyed it way more than I thought I would. 7/10
Loved this album. Not at all what I expected.
If you had played me this album without the title track and asked me if I thought the title track was from this album, I'd have said no.
those of you young teenage rebels out there will probably get a real kick out of this album. school's out is an album that sounds like the last bell of the year is ringing while the school burns to the ground behind you. crazy hard rock that could be almost classified as glam, alice cooper has a loud and messy way of songwriting. it's arguably the perfect soundtrack for shit-faced moments in life, sliding down the avenue on a skateboard, spraying graffiti on the wall and mooning the police officers chasing you. it's not winning any awards for me, but i do like the energy it showcases.
Rock'n'roll with theatricality, appreciate the variety
bastante buono
Surprisingly great. I would not have expected a concept album about leaving high school to be so musically interesting
People are always a little surprised by this album. Aside from "School's Out", It's much closer in spirit to Rocky Horror Picture Show than it is to AC/DC. The "hard rock" label is technically true, but also kind of a misnomer.
I enjoyed Cutters vs Jets which is Sharks vs Jets from West Side Story.
I remember listening to this as a teen after hearing School’s Out on Guitar Hero. At the time, I thought the rest of the album was a bit of a bore, but with today’s ears I realise I was listening to it with the wrong mindset. This is an album that was seemingly written almost with a stage musical in mind, and it’s far more cabaret than I realised it to be in my younger years. Also, I’d likely not have appreciated that as a teen even if I did realise it. With today’s ears, this was a really fun listen.
Cools bluesy rock sound that I enjoyed, has a lot of variety across songs that I enjoyed a lot. School's out rips, a little musical theatre, a little blues, tied together of the concept of school being out. Cool album
Methinks the algorithm isn't random. Who pulls the strings?!? Anyways, the first song is great and I would have been listening to it today no matter what.
Vond ik wel leuk
What I never understood was the connection between Alice Cooper and Frank Zappa. Surely one is an angry hard rock star and the other is a deeply experimental avant garde rock-jazz mastermind. What would they have to do with one another? But I'm starting to get why Zappa supported Alice Cooper. This is an extremely eclectic collection of music. I really expected something like AC/DC but I got... something else. The best way I can describe this album is that it sounds like an uncompleted Broadway musical about a directionless youth finishing school in the 70s. That covers a lot of it but there's still a surprising amount of jazz influence on there to quite fit. But it's hard not to hear that with the West Side Story riffs and lyrics Alice Cooper worked in. It's definitely a pleasant surprise that it's such an unusual album.
Best album Alice Cooper made. Loved it when it first came out ,still like it
A surprise in every way
I did NOT expect this!!! Who knew Alice Cooper was so theatrical??? Much better album than I expected
I apologize Mr Cooper, I wasn't familiar with your game
good
Solid album. Rock, Prog, Blues, Jazz. Very versatile sound from the opening track to the orchestra at the end. Loved it.
No, this is not only the song School's Out. It is a collection of very nice rock music from the 70s. Definitely worth listening to.
Awfully brave to start with your big hit, Alice! Pretty serviceable rock, with a bit of a silly side. Also a bit of a short journey with 9 tracks, which helps it, in my opinion. The further I got into this album I realized I had no idea what music Alice Cooper made outside School's Out. Take a wacky song like Gutter Cat vs. The Jets leading to Street Fight. A grimy storytime. Also, the bass player was holding this whole thing down, I dont usually pick that kind of thing out, but they did a great job, and really there is a ton of instrument use, Blue Turk has some great keys and a sax. Pretty good entry by an artist I would've usually written off as lame buttrock, glad I was wrong.
Didn’t realize how much of a goofy cartoon character Alice Cooper was. This album rocks and has horns and Broadway and suicide and so much more!
Really liked this one!! Blue Turk was pure dynamite, and MAD respect for the West Side Story cover.
Previously rated: Billion Dollar Babies (4/5) ***************************** A very enjoyable theatrical rock album. I liked it better than BDB. No bad songs, but not quite 5/5 material on first listen.
Awesome fun album. Showed more versatility than I expected
Solid rokk. Fjölbreyttari tónlist en ég átti von á!
Solid rock album. I enjoyed the ending, which had a more full sound. Orchestra? Maybe.
Great album. Really theatrical. The overall story needed work though but, the individual songs were awesome.
Alice Cooper. Now that's a name that screams rock and roll. Alice Cooper's legacy is admittedly a bit complex, but there's no denying that him and his band are legends of rock history. However, this is my first really diving into any of his work. I've heard some of the big hits before I think, but I never really thought about getting into his stuff. Now I've finally listened to his 1972 album School's Out, featuring the iconic title track at the beginning. That song, of course, is great. It's immediately understandable to anyone who's been to school before, but the song itself just exudes this energy that I love. The album as a whole is pretty good too. It's a bit of a concept album, which I always like. The concept's definitely there, but it's not explored a whole ton. That's fine though. Not every concept for an album needs to be in your face. You know what is in your face with this album though? The aforementioned energy. This thing is hard rock at its hardest. However, there's also a decent amount of sonic variety here. This isn't like an AC/DC album where you listen to one song and kind of get the gist of all the others. This is an album that... well I wouldn't say it demands you listen to the whole thing, but it's definitely requesting that of you. It's worth it though. The songs are good. Mr. Cooper's singing is fitting of the style and themes. It's a bit weird that Alice Cooper was singing about school finally being out in his 20s, but I digress. At least he's not singing about sex with children. Although, there is one song that kind of feels like he wants to fuck a corpse? Maybe? I'm not 100% sure what "Blue Turk" is about, but it kind of gave those vibes, albeit in a way that didn't seem like he actually wanted to do it. I have more I could say, but I'll leave it at that for some reason. This album's good. 4/5.
Pervy in the way Beetlejuice is (Compliment)
Decent
Another group I discounted before listening to them. Boy was I wrong. Starts with the title track, which is a lot of fun. I love the "we can't even think of a word that rhymes" line. Gutter Cat Vs The Jets was really fun, great music, and the West Side Story part was awesome. Blue Turk dipped into a bit of jazz which was really nice. My Stars is the only dud on the album, the music got kinda annoying. Alma Mater was good, a bit humorous. Great album, looking forward to hearing more of them! Best song: Gutter Cat Vs The Jets
This was much more complex musically than I ever would have expected. Some nice stylistic variety. Really nice surprise!
fun 70s hard rock album. it obviously does not take itself very seriously, although maybe you could have gleaned that from the title track. i really wasn't expecting the album to full on start referencing west side story. bizarre. but fun. maybe not a mind blowing album, but i enjoyed it and appreciate the sort of goofy sneer that i imagine on alice cooper's face while he was cooking this one up.
I was expecting an album full of hard rock, thrills and shocks and what I got was an amazing mix of blues, soul and funk to go along side some great rock tracks. Bravo Mr Cooper. Really enjoyed it.
Grandíssima porta d'entrada per Alice Cooper. He flipat. M'he enganxat. L'àlbum preferit del Bart Simpson, en el millor dels sentits. Un àlbum pel qual pagaria la pena vendre-li l'ànima al Milhouse. Què bé m'ho he passat!
Alice Cooper is way better than I thought. This is a well put together album. It had a lot more complexity than I expected and was skilful throughout. Blue Turk is so wildly different from School's Out. Great listen and worth being on the list for sure. I'm surprised I found this album interesting.
Kind of tired of that opening track, but I get why it's a big one. Each track has something interesting. Blue Turk some nice brass. My Stars stands out. I like Alma Mater except for the talking part. Grande Finale is a cool track. What an odd album that explores genres quite a bit, yet manages to put together a cohesive album. It just doesn't pop for me. Really falls between a 3 and 4 for me. I'll round up.
March 4, 2025 HL: title track, “Luney Tune”, “Blue Turk”, “Alma Mater” A.C. #3 (after Billion Dollar Babies, from this website, and Welcome to My Nightmare, which isn’t) I definitely underrated their spin on glam rock for a long time, even though I enjoyed certain tracks as a kid like “Poison” and “Only Woman Bleed” The album is every bit as cheesy as the title track, which I think is a positive trait The book entry states that Frank Zappa initially signed the band to his own label, which gives some possible influence to Alice Cooper’s unconventional lyrics and nonchalance about genre.
Dad rock and that's alright
Alice Cooper is definitely interesting. This got better as the album progressed.