Reviews (page 4 of 8)
This album blew me away. I had, of course, heard “School’s Out” before and went into it expecting a somewhat generic early metal album. And, boy oh boy is this anything but. Once I got to Gutter Cat vs The Jets and the Blue Turk, the depth of talent hit me. This album wasn’t a metal album, it’s a lesson in music theory. Interludes from literal musicals. Blues and jazz influences. Songs reminiscent of the Animals and old school cowboy country. The depth of talent and songwriting ability with a theme of education and graduation is truly mesmerizing. Every song works with the next despite the wide variance in tone and style. This website has recommended some great albums to me already, but this might be the best I’ve heard so far.
If you give a theater kid a leather jacket....
Wasn’t bad, but I wouldn’t listen to it on my own
Good music but don’t like rock that much
Much better than Billion Dollar Babies...probably because Alice himself wasn't as full of himself. Rocker after rocker. 5 stars.
Wildly random album. Musical genre changes every song. Lyrics are generally terrible. One of these songs has something to do with being a cat and fighting the Jets from West Side Story? A lot of weird nonsense stuff. Some of the songs are interesting musically. Notable tracks include School’s Out, Blue Turk…..maybe My Stars. This album definitely should not be on this list.
When school gets out for the summer, if this is not in your head, we probably don't have much to talk about.
This is why I love this list - forces me to listen to something I've unfairly dismissed for decades. My teenage son and I were driving around together when this was playing and he said it sounded like their goal was to make a record that didn't sound like what you expect an Alice Cooper record to sound like. And he's right! I never would have listened to this but for this list but now I know I'm an Alice Cooper fan. Who knew?
I know Alice Cooper rarely gets much credit as a musician/artist, but it's still hard to deny the role he played alongside the likes of Kiss in carving the way for all sorts of dubiously-talented glam/metal bands to strut around in costumes and belt out forgettable tunes. And there's really nothing all that bad about this album, especially if you don't expect too much. Of course, there's also not a whole lot great about this album--it feels like a more mediocre version of a Meatloaf album. I wonder if it got included as the other Alice Cooper album in this collection simply for the iconic (and very relatable) "School's out" track? Either way, I can only hope "Billion Dollar Babies" is a bit more inspired.
Not nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be, and Cooper has a pretty good voice. I looked it up to see if this was his debut album (would've liked it even more then) and read this gem from wikipedia: "The vinyl record inside was wrapped in a pair of panties, though this was later discontinued as the paper panties were found to be flammable."
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.
I liked it but was also slightly disappointed… i expected to love it
3 estrelas
Decent album with one banger on it
This is dad rock that aspires to be original. You can feel Bob Ezrin's influence, while the jazz elements embellish the album.
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
Nope
I have a good buddy who refers to Alice Cooper as thin gruel, let's see if he's correct. Hard not to listen to the title track and not think of Dazed and Confused. And it's not a bad song overall, it's a classic and hard not to like. The rest, I can see where this was somewhat shocking or heavy back in the day, but not against something legit like Black Sabbath. It's not a bad album, I just don't think I'd want to listen to it again. My Stars is the only other track that I really like. Got a bit of a driving beat, some cool guitar. Public Animal #9 is good, too. There are bits and pieces throughout this album that I like and wish they'd just go more with THAT vibe but it invariably goes off in another direction. Overall still pretty cool and I can see why people like it but it's just not that great to me. It's not thin gruel, but it's alright.
Meh
A lot of different sounds here than what I was expecting. Surprising in some ways.
The first song’s juvenile fun and I was expecting more of the same rather than this odd hodgepodge of show tunes and psychedelic blues offcuts. What is it like to really like this?
So puzzling why anyone thought this was "edgy", more like musical theater than "rock'n'roll" and not in an entertaining Meat Loaf way. Self-satisfied and boring, but not bad enough for a 1*
Very good, though some of the imagery is very dated, and wasn't great even when it came out.
its quaint and funny that this was considered shock rock. loved how jazzy it got
Jazzy and Fun, Not what I expected
This is #day419 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… It's October 1st today, so school's pretty much in full swing, as is the autumn. Otherwise, typical early '70s hard rock I wouldn't mind hearing on a classic rock radio. Loving the sax in "Blue Turk," though. There's another Alice Cooper record to go, and, surprise, surprise, it's not Killer. Let it be a 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day420.
great rock album, good mixture of ideas form classic rock, blues and jazz, good record
Meh, nothing special
I liked the song School’s Out for a brief period in the 80s when I was at school - it’s definitely a song you grow out of but I can still just about appreciate its charm. It’s never really occurred to me to listen to anything else by Alice Cooper though - in fact, I’d never listened to anything else by him until today when I heard a whole album. A whole album! Who knew such a thing existed? Anyway, it was all pretty awful so I can see why he only has one famous song. There were moments when I quite liked some of the music but they were few and far between. He sounds like he needs a Strepsil.
Off the cuff remark: ooh this'll be fun, I thought, knowing only the throwaway "Schools Out". What a dull disappointment. Standout track: disposable "School's Out" just about bears repeat listening Revisit?: no ta
Decidedly mid and surprisingly inconsequential. Gets a 2nd star for what's his face's use of the title track in the paddling/hazing scene in Dazed and Confused.
Eclectic and fun, drawing from a wide variety of musical genres.
This is good stuff. Really easy to listen to. Good voice, and some Beatles-esque sounds. Surprisingly good actually.
Great stuff, especially Blue Turk
One of the more under rated rock acts. And Schools Out is one of the best.
Meh
6/10 - this album felt quite random. The first song was on this fake guitar I had as a kid. The west side story references caught me off guard but I liked it
Just don’t really like Alice cooper that much. Not hard to listen to but also not that interesting
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
Super cool record. Some really great bass riffs
Trended 3.5 for me and was considering dropping to 3, but I'm actually going to bump to 4. It's just a really enjoyable listen. More glam than metal at this point.
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.
The first song is so good that you almost don’t even realize the rest of it isn’t!
rock. some spacey. brass? ok.
A very surprising album (in a good way). As a native Phoenician I know Cooper from the titular song here and the restaurant he used to own next to the Diamondbacks' stadium. I thought based on that song this would be annoying, bad butt rock. But it was a lot closer to the theatricality of Meatloaf, which is way more my speed. This came shockingly close to 4 stars for me.
Schools out is OK and pretty fun. But the rest of the album just did not do it for me. Its a bit dorky, always themes about American high school. 2/10
Really enjoyed this. Title track is the best, but rest of the album matches up to it quite well
Interesting album could revisit on a weird day
Never been a big Alice Cooper fan. But this was pretty solid and a bit weird. So 4
Artsy
Another nice surprise. I was expecting Schoils Out and 8 sound alike, but there was orchestration, interesting song structures, and a sense of performance without being self-regarding. I am not a fan of West Side Story, so to get me enjoying The Jets was quite a surprise. Not quite strong enough to really recommend, but much better than expected. Strong 3
1/5. I loved Alice Cooper's following album from this list, I thought he nailed the theatrics mixed with the songwriting aspects very well. Unfortunately, it seems he and his band were still figuring it out here because I don't think I liked a single song on here, except maybe the opener and closer, but they did not save this one. It kind of felt like discount Rolling Stones meets an American Kinks cover band. I wish I liked this more but it really was all over the place and not in a good way. A jack of all trades, master of none. Best Song: School's Out, Grand Finale
School's out but summer is IN! Fresh ray of sunlight this one.
Curator, you can have one AC record, it's Billion Dollar Babies, smh
This was a surprisingly varied album, but mostly pretty weird. It felt like the titular song followed by a random hodge-podge of other stuff.
rock.
I'm not sold on this album. Schools out is a big hit of a song, enduring even now as a rebellious anthem, but the rest of the album doesn't match up in tone. I wonder what age group Alice Cooper was aiming his music at?
Nice to see some Canadian content on the list. Solid classic rock/glam sound, with great enthusiasm from Alice. A good listen.
This was NOT what I was expecting from Alice Cooper. Who knew he was in to show tunes???
"One thing that hits you about this album... is the playing... Alice Cooper was very much a BAND name in 1972... even though front man Vince Furnier, BECAME Alice... at this point it was a band, and they could really rock... Glen Buxton on lead guitar is stand out... and, while the title track is the only home run on the record... the other songs are strong with great playing, and the whole band writing the songs... elements of jazz and more in "hard rock" record... i WOULD give this album four stars... but, if you remember, like i do... that the LP came wrapped in female panties... and the album cover opened up into a school desk... you know i have to give it FIVE stars..."
Wow I really thought I was going to hate this because Alice Cooper is, in fact, not a woman and the first song is just something I can’t hear objectively, I’ve just heard to too many times to the point where it means nothing and I hate it and it’s not a real song. But then Blue Turk came on and I was like… hold on… what’s this? That song is cool. So is Grande Finale. Not sure I would listen to the rest again.
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?!
I liked the closing track, and how it was named such as being a closing track
Far jazzier than I expected. Pretty smooth all the way through. I didn't think any of the songs were bad, but there was obviously only one popular one from the album. Not something I'd reach for.
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.
Wasn't expecting to like this, since Alice Cooper has been a weird old dude for basically my whole lifetime. But it was honestly pretty good.
Alice Cooper, School's Out ⭐️ My first single star review! Early 70s had to be rough. Either you're a master of your craft, like Led Zeppelin or The Who. Or you're rebellious and powerful, like Iggy Pop. Maybe you're pioneering and on the fringe like Gram Parsons. Orrrrrr. You could be mixed in with this mediocrity of the age. Your Foghats and other such stuff that doesn't really even rise to the level of, say, Mountain. Bands that, sorry not sorry, you can guess their quality by the name and logo: Average White Band for instance. And you don't have the easy-going feel of what's to come, like Tom Petty and Fleetwood Mac. To be honest you don't even come close to the sinister feel of Black Sabbath and the in-your-face metal-adjacent rock of Guns'n'Roses and The Cult is still 15 years off. So you're stuck. You're Alice Cooper doing your best poor man's Ozzy. And hey. We all have limited time here. Go listen to Oz instead. Or The Eagles. Or Taylor Swift. Anything, really. Watch the movie Frank and you'll have come closer to quality rock'n'roll. Peace.
A musical theatre version of a rock album.
My older brother had it spinning nonstop in the late ’70s, so it is more than familiar. But wow… talk about theatrical rock overload. Beyond the still-great anthem “School’s Out,” Alice and crew wander off into cabaret, horns, and even a full-on Broadway lift from West Side Story (“when you’re a Jet…” why?). It’s campy, theatrical, and more “stage show” than rock album. 1.5 stars in truth, but I’ll round up to 2 for nostalgia and because that title track really does still rip.
I was pleasantly surprised by how musical this was; having only head the title track before I was expecting "dumb rock" but Blue Turk and others were very creative and cool to hear
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.
Best Song: My Stars. I really liked that ascending piano run. Worst Song: Public Animal #9. I cringe at these kinds of songs whose core conceit is "look at what a bad boy I am". Overall: Surprisingly fun and jazzy, given the image that Alice Cooper presents. The opening track is a meme, but the rest is actually quite solid. It is funny to see how what was once considered scandalously edgy now feels like the safest of dad-rock, but we can't blame Alice for the passing of time.
Silly and sloppy and not at all worth the time. This is pretty close to full-on novelty act territory. Two albums by AC is two too many.
As others have said, this album is all over the place. I expected a bunch of School’s Out. 3.5 rounding up.
H: school themes weaved throughout a mid album. The only reason this one is on here is because Schools out is a classic. 5/10 H fav: Schools out Z: conceptually simple yet nostalgic. Not knowing anything about this album as a whole, I wonder if it was created as a soundtrack or for a play? It sounded cohesive and made for a stage. Not a fan of Cooper’s voice— in between rock and punk in a whiny, irksome manner. 5.5/10 Z fav: Schools out
The hits feel like the best part but it is a very solid rock album
Pretty good classic rock album. The titular track is the most well-known, of course, and is probably still played thousands of times in May/June as kids leave school for their summer break.
yeah
Of course it’s going to be a fun, silly album with Alice Cooper, but I did not expect it to be as musically interesting as it was. Definitely going to get some re-play.
Interesting album. Not sure I loved it, but some strong songs, and I think I liked the ones that weren't released the most.
Not at all what I was expecting, a little bluesy at times.
Enough classic rock
Annoyingly I can’t give this a 3.5 and it’s also not a 3.75, so doesn’t earn a 4. Some great 70s power rock in here and a very interesting back half.
It was a solid good album but not great.
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.
Just an all time classic - signature sound - almost like a novelty act.
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
Interesting but a bit odd
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.
I had never listened to a full Alice Cooper album before. But this kind of felt like it was carried by the single. Not a lot else felt particularly memorable
What kind of bump in streams does Alice get every year in May and June when everyone plays this song on the last day of class?
Much much weirder than I thought it was going to be. Not bad either. Mostly.
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
meh
What I was expecting: Boilerplate Alice Cooper early 70s rambunctious and rebellious rock and roll. What I heard: A much more diverse musical soundscape and styles where after the first two tracks, Cooper throws out the manual and just does whatever the hell he wants. And it mostly works. It was also nice to get served to us in approximately 37 minutes.
Pretty good overall. Sometimes weird and off-kilter, but that's refreshing.
I like the opening song
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.
It’s kind of felt jazzy at times and very instrumental. I think there were like two hits on there for me so it’s a solid album imo. I can see how it’s influential, but it just isn’t of my genration I can’t see eye to eye with this one entirely.
As others have said, this takes you on quite a surprising journey. It gets pretty jazzy and theatrical, complete with West Side Story references. I'm not letting my heart rule my head, though, just because it was a nice surprise; I reckon the songs are only "mid" (as my son would say).
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".
kinda mid ngl
I liked it because it was so weird. Would be 3.5 if that was a choice.
Camp schlock rock. Good fun
Interesting enough but I wouldn't come back to it. Alice coopers band has more chops than I knew
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.
What an unexpected treat of an album! I was familiar with the titular track, but after that the whole thing opened up to waltz through different genres. This one is going to get played again for sure!
Nice rock album, kind of cabaret style with entertaining lyrics which sometimes did not age well...
Wasn't a huge fan of this and at this point I think classic rock just isn't my bag.
I was thinking about the scope of this project, arguably spanning over 50 years with 1000 albums, which calculates to like 20 albums per year. Perhaps that explains how this one snuck through. I line Alice Cooper and it opens with a classic rock anthem, but then it’s mostly crap. Maybe there’s an interesting backstory here, but I don’t even think this is representative of the somewhat innovative artist that Alice Cooper was. Is Britney Fox going to make this list? What about Silverchair?
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.
I appreciate the album, but outside of the title track and a couple others, it's not groundbreaking. Very performative work, solid guitar work. Middle of the road. 3/5
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
This album captures the sound of the time perfectly. The guitars and drums chugging along to the screeching vocal of Alice Cooper cut through any speaker setup. It felt weird playing “School’s Out” in August instead of May. 3
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.
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.
Opens with a triumphant classic rock radio staple and then immediately descends into five tracks of the weirdest shit your ever heard. Ends strong though.
I’d heard the title track a lot before listening to the album. I didn’t realize it was a concept album of sorts. Very theatrical in its execution.
70's prog/metal, pretty solid
I was pleasantly surprised by this. Alice Cooper was always shock rock, but other than School's Out, there's a lot of non-shock-rock variety. Blues that's theatrical, lyrics that are thoughtfully constructed, and generally good music. Solid album "It tastes like roses on your breath But graveyards on your soul" goes so hard in Blue Turk.
Mukavan erilaisia biisejä tässä
A bit of a hit and miss kinda album.
Aside from the title track, School's Out is an okay album. Not terrible at all and there are some really good tracks here. My Stars is by far the best song here but there are far better albums than this one but because School's Out is such an iconic song everyone seems to gravitate to this as Alice's best. There are some clunkers here. Blue Turk, and even Gutter Cats vs. The Jests among those that just seem to ramble on. I like Alice, but I think Pretties For You and Killers are far better than this.
5.5/10 Not what I was expecting. Not really sure what to think of this. Don't like the vocals. Highlight: School's Out
Pretty fun! I like how theatrical Alice Cooper is, and I enjoyed it, but it's not necessarily something I want to listen to _all the time_. But every so often, it's great!
Aika groovy - mutta aika basic. School’s out on ärsyttävä renkutus mut on taito tehdä sellainen.
Not for me
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.
Conocía al artista pero nunca había escuchado un disco, me gustó más de lo que creía.
Ihan ok rokkisetti.
smak tego albumu porownywalny jest do calkiem dobrego dania w typie kociolka meneliksa ktorego gwiazda jest feta ale pech chcial ze feta akurat sie zepsula i trzeba bylo ja pominac
Top heavy. Not that interesting outside the title track.
A very amusing record that works better as a concept than a showcase for individual songs.
Did not expect all the variety having only known the title track, decently fun listen, not bad
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!
He was a good actor, but His music.....
Other than the opening track (which is a banger) the album doesn't do anything terribly interesting until the final track. Everything else is fine.
Fun little album. Nothing groundbreaking here but nothing unenjoyable either.
I don't want to disrespect Alice Cooper but there wasn't a lot here distinguishing it from other rock and roll of the same era. Really more of a 2.5.
Solid hard rock, would be otherwise indistinct if not for a little Cooper flair and some added horns and theatrical bits.
Schools out forever!
Buen álbum. Mitico. Buenas canciones más allá de la que da título al álbum. Me sorprendió Blue Turk.
nice enough
Not really what I expected based on what I thought I knew of Alice Cooper from pop culture. A lot of it is very theatrical and even silly (like the meowing cats). I think Public Animal #9 was my top track besides the titular one. And just a shade over 30 minutes which is always nice.
This is a lot tamer and almost more childish than I would expect, knowing Alice Cooper only by their stage reputation. Although I'm only just now finding out that the band is related to but seperate from the singer. Choosing to cover a West Side Story song was such a choice though, I loved it. Other than that I think the album was mildly interesting but pretty forgettable, and even after reading about it I don't really understand why it's on this list.
Meh. I get lost in the noise on most of these songs. I kept finding myself turning the volume lower and lower and lower.
Very theatrical, fun in spots and doesn't overstay it's welcome. Don't think it will have a lasting impact on me though
Ordentliches aber unspektakuläres Rockalbum.
A classic but it just didn’t click for me like other rock albums. Maybe need to listen to it a few more times
Kunne jeg godt lide
was ok
Концептуальный рок-альбом о школе с ноткой тяжести и экспериментальности
Probably wouldn't listen again but it was ok some cool moments
Cheesy, sorry Dad
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!
Classic Alice, right here. (WE'RE NOT WORTHY, WE'RE NOT WORTHY, etc.) Solid 4 Stars.
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.
Pleasantly surprised by the range on this. Not at all what my perception of Alice Cooper was going in.
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
Okay, but not outstanding.
God help us.
metal cañero
It's definitely not what you'd expect, and I like the variety of it all. It's just a bit, meh. Nothing really stand out at me. I did enjoy Blue Turk though
Surprised by this. It was not bad.
Highlight "School's out". Den Rest kannte ich nicht. Es sind ein paar Songs dabei, die ich vom Sound nicht mit Alice Cooper in Verbindung gebracht hätte. Spannend zu hören. 3/5
My Stars gefällt mir, Rest eher meh
Kannte bisher nur den namensgebenden Song "School's Out", ganz interessant auch mal den Rest des Albums zu hören. Fav: "Blue Turk"
this dude likes west side story, huh
When I first heard Alice Cooper compared to Marilyn Manson, I was a bit worried; not that Manson is a terrible artist, but his edgy lyrics and persona do not rub me the right way. However, this album is (at least from my view) not edgy at all. It’s got some commentary on society—any good album should—but it’s thoughtful about it and not the gritty Zach Snyder style. Sorry I just saw Superman and he was on the mind. Anyways, the hard rock of this record. Eh. It seems very accessible, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. One could easily say the same thing about Black Sabbath being a wide open door to metal. It’s metal, kinda, but like, only for people who consider Nirvana metal. God I keep getting off track. So yeah, there’s a lot of easy listening throughout this album. Songs like the title and opening track, Schools Out, have the hooks, catchiness, and just right amount of guitar solo to make anyone feel like they’re into rock. However, I wish there was more to work with, particularly with the guitar. There was never anything really special or unique going on. The singing too, though good and very full of range (such as on Gutter Cat vs. The Jets), doesn’t really offer anything new that you wouldn’t see better done from Zeppelin or The Rolling Stones. And let’s talk about The Rolling Stones. Public Animal #9 just sounds like a Rolling Stones track. Alma Mater, too, has some of the same style and pizzaz of Beggars Banquet and perhaps later Beatles as well. I wonder if the cover art is inspired by Beggars Banquet, mayhaps. But yeah, I see the influence and appreciate it, yet it only makes me wanna relisten to some of my favorite Mick Jagger and John Lennon and Paul McCartney songs. Lord knows George Harrison has better guitar solos. Again, this album is more of Hard Rock 101, nothing crazy. To give credit where credit is due, however, the theatrics do offer some fun and creativity throughout. You have the interesting, wordless storytelling of Street Fight and Grande Finale, the la-da-das of My Stars, and some crazy poetry work of school and prison life as seen on Alma Mater. It’s more Glam Rock than Hard. I also have to say, I love the bluesy vibes from Blue Turk. Probably my favorite track. So yeah, this album is definitely good for those interested in delving into some hard rock or perhaps metal, yet who are scared to check it out. Though I’d more so recommend Black Sabbath for that. And I’d more so recommend Rolling Stones or Beatles for the vibes. And I’d more so recommend Pink Floyd for the theatrics or T. Rex or David Bowie for the glam. Ok I’m gonna go listen to them instead.
Pretty good. I thought it would be better, given its status as a classic. The title track is obviously iconic, the others are kinda wallpaper.
A cornerstone of 70s glam rock but still not as beautifully crafted as Ziggy Stardust and other classics. But the weird thing is that tomorrow im going to attend a summer program. so listening to the title track that is really against education on the day before returning to "school" is such a weird experience. but anyway i wish my old school can be blown to pieces. 3/5
Good, title track is worse than I remember though
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
Probably the only track I liked on this was Blue Turk, which was jazzier than I expected for an Alice Cooper track. Really hate the opening track, a really corny bit of pop-rock that's admittedly been a bit tainted by how overused it is in adverts. The rest of the album is also not for me. The West Side Story cover was like audio poison, whilst Alma Mater has real "we've got The Beatles at home" energy.
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
01) School's Out - 8,5 02) Luney Tune - 7,5 03) Gutter Cat vs. the Jets - 6,5 04) Street Fight - 5,0 05) Blue Turk - 7,0 06) My Stars - 6,5 07) Public Animal #9 - 6,5 08) Alma Mater - 7,0 09) Grande Finale - 7,5 TOTAL: 6,88 (69/100)
Better than expected TBH. Start strong….
The old times when the first song on the album was a banger and then the rest is just OK.
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.
Like Weird Al did a glam rock/metal themed album.
Not what I thought Alice Cooper sounded like. Genuinely enjoyed it way more than I thought I would. 7/10
schools out…. forever :/
Meh
I just listened to Neil Young, this should be interesting. Honestly this wasn’t that bad.
Loved this album. Not at all what I expected.
-hm, i liked this one more than I thought i would. it’s no doubt a little corny but also kind of a vibe -i know nothing about Alice Cooper aside from the name but i was definitely not expecting the solid blues rock sound. Blue Turk is a really good song, i had to play it a few times actually -Favorites are Gutter Cat vs. The Jets and Blue Turk
Ouais sympa mais sans plus
Not even schools out was good enough to save this album.
Perfect timing. Unis out.
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.
Interesting but not my preferred style of music
Glam Rock quite entertaining. Some tunes resembling the Beatles at their Rockest. Medium rating for me
There are some cool bits, but mostly theatre kids making music for theater kids.
Kinda annoying and dumb, but also kinda good at the same time
Quick rock album that sticks to its theme. Has some different elements that work well for a rock album.
I appreciate that it has the decency of only being 37 minutes.
Ya this kinda rules
Pretty interesting music. the jazzy song was very different for being Alice Cooper High 3/5
Rock'n'roll with theatricality, appreciate the variety
Title track is great rest of the album fine.
Obviously the title track is an absolute banger, so it kicks the doors off the album with intent. There's a theory that this is a concept album about "youth lost when leaving school; I can't see it. I wasn't expecting the musical theatre aspect of the album but I suppose that's my fault - it is Alice Cooper after all. This album should not be on this list because of the strength of one track. Best Tracks: School's Out; Luney Tune; Public Animal #9
bastante buono
3.5
Heard the title track before. Not gonna lie, didn't know what to expect and yet I was a bit surprised suddenly hearing something a big jazzy on one song. Not bad 2/5
Flere sterke låter her. Og en del rart. Hører jazzen helt hjemme her? Håper på flere Cooper-albumer her etterhvert.
Surprisingly great. I would not have expected a concept album about leaving high school to be so musically interesting
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.
Pretty solid and more varied than expected.
unlistenable
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.
Holy shit what a ride. I think there was a moment about halfway through the record when I thought Apple Music had fucked up and accidentally shuffled to Kansas or Genesis. Then I was listening to The Doors or Joni Mitchell. Then back to Alice Cooper. This album is a trip and absolutely took me by surprise. Does it nail every moment? No, there are some choruses or songs that felt a bit more chaotic than enjoyable. But overall it fucking rocks and the instrumentation as well as Alice Cooper’s vocals are excellent. Highlights are School’s Out, Blue Turk and Public Animal #9. Listen to this record.
A lot more West Side Story than I was expecting
First song is a tune, and the rest of the album forgettable. Not sure I actually like the first song, it's just very well known.
I think that Schools Out is overplayed, but it makes sense when you listen to the rest of the album
I like Alice Cooper, I don’t love them. Having some West Side Story was a surprise but a welcome one.
Interesting mix of rock and musical theater music. Too bad I'm not into music theater :( 3/5
First and last tracks are best. Vintage Alice.
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.
I do not care for hard rock, so this album almost didn't do anything for me. I liked Blue Turk and Grand Finale though.
Only familar with the title track, and really only remember that from The Muppet Show. I was surprised the variety of the rest of the album. Wouldn't listen to it again, but it was better than I expected.
Fav: Blue Turk Least Fav: Public Animal #9 More varied than expected for blues rock
A lot more interesting and wacky than I expected- as others have noted. Not sure it quite hangs together but nevertheless refreshingly bonkers
really a lot better than i expected surprisingly not half bad
School's Out was a banger, then the rest of the album happened and it was fine, yet ultimately forgettable. It's albums like this where I feel like the author and folks he collabed with include albums for nothing more than a single song that they think deserves praise, and not the whole album.
Classic rock and fun summer song
As someone who only really knows Alice Cooper from his hits (and his excellent appearance in Wayne’s World) and tended to view him as extremely boring, I was pleasantly surprised by how odd and digressive this album is, playing with a bunch of difference sounds and genres from psych rock to Broadway. That same scattershot approach prevents it from being particularly good, but it is at the very least interesting.
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.
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
It was ok, noting amazing.
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.
2WS-FM used to play the riff of 'School's Out' as the bed track for one of their station promos, and every time, every single time, like a Pavlovian response, I would think to myself "Excellent! They're playing School's Out, that's a great song!", swiftly followed by the bitter disappointment of an exhortation to keep my dial tuned for the greatest hits of the 70s, 80s and 90s. Those hits, ironically _never_ included 'School's Out'. I was first exposed at the age of 7 or 8 to Alice Cooper in his iconic (and super cheesy) appearance on the Muppet Show in 1978. The Muppet Show was the perfect place for him. The big show-stopping final number was 'School's Out', with Alice mugging to the camera in a devilish body suit, jostled by giant monsters. It was awesome, and just the right level of anarchy, danger and dissolution to capture the attention of small child. This album is a big, cartoonish Bob Ezrin production; fun, technicolor, dramatic. Ezrin was the go-to guy for rock opera production by 70s bands of limited musical ability (see also Kiss, Pink Floyd, Aerosmith, Peter Gabriel. Don't @ me, bro, you know it's the truth). Bob Ezrin loves a theatrical album with a narrative thread -- he famously sequenced Nine Inch Nail's The Fragile to that end. This album is a very loose retelling of West Side Story (with a few obvious references) and Ezrin takes this band of middling technical ability, but with a ton of charisma and theatrical flair, and plays to their strengths without sacrificing the humor and fun. It's fun and funny, but not an album I NEED to own. I'm giving 2.5 stars, rounding up for 'School's Out' which is the best track on the album by a mile and contains this lyrical moment, which encapsulates the clever/stupid dualism of rock and roll better than anything else ever written: "We ain't got no class / We ain't got no principles / And we ain't got no innocence / We can't think of a word that rhymes!" Genius!
Fairly enjoyable if a little Inconsistent, I think AC and company can make the more fun type of classic hard rock with a blues rock thing by simply having more personality and more going on in song than trying to stick to one mood all the way thru. I don't love everything about this but I do enjoy it!
Best album Alice Cooper made. Loved it when it first came out ,still like it
School’s Out // Public Animal #9 // Alma Mater // 2.5/5
Never got into Alice Cooper. Title track hits but after that, it's annoying keyboards and overwrought horns that drag this down.
A surprise in every way
Not really what I was expecting. Never knew Alice Cooper was way more chilled before he started doing heavy rock. Definitely worth the listen but not really my type.
Honestly? I didn't love it. Schools Out is of course a classic hard rock song that's been played to death, and that's fine cause it's a pretty good song, but the rest of the album is kind of lacking. Blue Turk had far too much trombone on it for a rock record.
I was pleasantly surprised by this album. I thought Alice Cooper would have been one of those old guys I didn't like. There seems to be a theme here where I think an old band is overrated but then when I take the time to actually listen to the entire album, it's actually good! I enjoyed my time with it.
Very good
- do love the Alice Cooper horror vaudeville glam rock vibe - love the meowing. narrative songs like this have really died out - electronic synth spectacular also - he was 24 when he wrote this which is really quite interesting - most of these are, but this is truly an Album, not just a collection of songs
This was weird and surprising and juvenile. I only know Alice Cooper from Schools out and waynes world. I had this impression if hard rock, but this was not that. Its really poppy and fake, with weird kiddy lyrics. I was surprised at how 70's and kitsch it sounded and really found it jarring
3.3 2x
Better than I expected, but some of the hard rock stuff is just kind of eye-rolling to me.
At the end of every academic year Alice Cooper blares across the halls over countless schools in America as the doors are kicked open allowing the ultimate liberation from painful homework, constant attitude and unreasonable expectations….and that’s just what the teachers feel! It’s easy to forget that Alice Cooper was not only the first “Shock Rocker” but was there in the beginning of hard rock/metal. Key songs were, of course, Schools Out, but also Glitter Cats v The Jets, and My Stars. I love the story this entire album tells. This is a classic that should get more recognition as an album rather than a song.
Random thoughts: * this is a little bit like Frank Zappa * Blue Turk is cool jazzy-rock tune that I listened to several times. * School’s Out is a fun song. I loved blasting this song on the last day of school with my kids. Embarrassing them thoroughly. Also, Another Brick in The Wall is a good one for blasting on the last day of school. * Overall this was more interesting than I expected. * It is still weird that Alice Cooper was the band name and then the guy took the name later. He was just Vincent the lead singer at first. This doesn’t make sense in my brain.
Schools out is a timeless classic. The rest is really not my cup of tea, not a fan of musicals. Public animal #9 was one i hadn't heard but other than that pretty meh album but i'm not surprised because I always only liked his more rock oriented tracks.
I did NOT expect this!!! Who knew Alice Cooper was so theatrical??? Much better album than I expected
Some nice sounds
I apologize Mr Cooper, I wasn't familiar with your game
good
Didn't do anything for me.
Although we’ve heard “School’s Out” (the song) millions of times, this is the first time hearing all the other tracks on the album. None of them are as good as the title track, but there are a few good songs on the record. i enjoyed “public animal #9”.
A very good pick for the last day of classes! Alas, would that school were truly out forever. It turns out Alice Cooper's views are pretty bad, but I always liked him as a vh1 talking head. I feel like, as these things go, I didn't really dislike school, but nevertheless the song 'School's Out' always spoke to me. Also, nobody uses pencils or books anymore. Really makes you think. "School's out completely" is a wild last line. I did not expect the West Side Story interlude, but I like it. The album is cohesive and pretty good. Solid cover. To me, feels more recent than it is. It's a 3.5 -- not quite 4 territory.
Solid album. Rock, Prog, Blues, Jazz. Very versatile sound from the opening track to the orchestra at the end. Loved it.
Bruh
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!
Cool and snotty midwestern hard rock
My parents were Alice Copper fans but I'm not sure they ever played this one, though Schools Out must be his biggest hit. It was quite rough and ready, sounded more like a debut than a fifth album. Didn't really have the spooky pageantry that I would normally associate with him. It was okay, but just okay, don't think anything really impressed. I'm sure there are good Alice Cooper albums out there but we haven't had one yet. 2.5.
It was fine, really. School's Out is a bit of fun, but pre-Satanic elements to the songs, he was rather ordinary. Wikipedia tells me that around this time, they started to have success and could afford the outlandish tour show extravaganza. I expected more of an audio spectacle.
I think I enjoyed this more than the last Alice cooper album we had, but still not a convert. It's too theatrical and musical ish for me. I've never liked schools out. I do think there were better tracks though. I think my stars was my favourite....I actually think I preferred the latter half of the album. 2.5
i like alice cooper but this is meh
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.
Just okay. I expected to enjoy it more.
Yeah it's not bad. Exactly what you think it'll be. 70's "hard" rock with a pop edge. The Jet Song caught me out of nowhere which is funny because my friend that loves Alice Cooper and says it was the best live show he ever saw hates anything jazz related.
Awesome fun album. Showed more versatility than I expected
Alice broke ground with his macabre persona and grim lyrics. True performance rock, not much more. Vocals are not good, and the band is average, playing mostly simple notes. Having said that, School’s Out was the party anthem of May and June, played loud, sung with gusto and pleasure. A signal of the coming summer. No sweeter music to a young boy’s ears.
Listening to two Alice Cooper albums back to back made for an interesting comparison! Million Dollar Baby felt camp/theatrical, whereas School's Out feels like a typical rock album. I enjoyed the songs that felt jazzy and let the instruments shine. My favorites were blue turk and public animal #9.
I'm Swimming In Blood Like A Rat On A Sewer Floor 1001 Albums Generator 16 (04/22/2025) Two Alice Cooper albums in a row, huh? If you're curious, the odds of that happening at this point in the list (given that there are only 2 of them on the list, and I already had done 14 albums) is 1 in 577,275. The odds of this Alice Cooper double header happening on THE DAY that the band gets back together to release new music for the first time in over 50 years feels astronomical. I guess I gotta go buy a lottery ticket now. Anyway, School's Out was released in 1972 and directly precedes yesterday's album, Billion Dollar Babies. That album surprised me with its relatively artsy sound and consistent quality outside of the singles. How does School's Out compare? The opening title track is one of Alice Cooper's most iconic songs. Played by quasi-rebellious teens across the anglosphere throughout the month of May, even 50 years later, School's Out is an iconic Proto-Punk anti-school tune. Released 6 years before Pink Floyd's similar Another Brick In The Wall Pt. 2, School's Out was actually banned off of some radio stations for encouraging rebellion in children, which is how you know a song is good. I can't think of a more perfect song to be Alice Cooper's first major hit single. In the 70's, Alice Cooper was synonymous with shock and offense and is often called the Godfather of Shock Rock. As such, a single that rebels against the school system, one of the supposed pillars of Western civilization, was a perfect way to introduce people to Alice Cooper. Spoiler alert - no other song on this album nearly hits the highs of the opening track. This isn't to say there aren't great moments. Blue Turk is my next favorite song. It is surprisingly jazzy and features an awesome sax solo and super fusion-y electric piano sounds throughout. It also has a bassline that is totally inspired by walking basslines of old school jazz. Gutter Cat Vs. The Jets is a cool almost proggy song. I love the changes that happens throughout. The first one is about halfway through where the song becomes almost tribal with just drums and a picked bass. Then the song picks up to a 12/8 jam with a cool, sliding synth line. I'm not sure which synth this is, but it sounds like something I would mess around with on FL Studio. The second side is a bit weaker but still features some interesting moments, such as the growling, almost wordless vocals at the end of Public Animal #9 and the shoutout to Camelback High and Cortez High, two local high schools in Phoenix, on Alma Mater. As I alluded to, the second half of this album does fall off in quality. I find all three of the last songs to be mostly forgettable for different reasons. Public Animal #9 has great energy but not much substance behind it. Alma Mater has lyrics that are honestly pretty moving; it captures the feeling of leaving high school, and the uncertainty that comes along with it. I think of it as the Yin to the title track's Yang. Although the lyrics are good, the song is set to a slower, mostly acoustic number, which is not a style that I think Alice Cooper does particularly convincingly. I do like the doo-wop backing vocals. The final song is a perfectly acceptable instrumental, but begs the question a bit by declaring itself "Grande". School's Out is a good album. It is not as consistent as Billion Dollar Babies, but it does feature what is perhaps Alice Cooper's finest song in the title track. This, along with some other interesting moments are enough to bring this album to a 3.5 for me, rounded down to a 3. Please no more glam rock tomorrow. Favs: School's Out Blue Turk My Stars Least Fav: Alma Mater
Solid rokk. Fjölbreyttari tónlist en ég átti von á!
#564. He's not any less cheesy here than any of his other albums. There's the one song everybody knows here, but it starts with that and gets less interesting as it goes on. 2/5: meh
Production: 3.5/5 Lyricism: 2.5/5 Sound: 3/5 Enjoyment: 2/5 Overall: 2.7/5
I'd heard the hits before, but I don't think I've listened to a full Alice Cooper album before. It was more than I expected, and I can see why he's still cranking out albums as of last year.