Killer

by Alice Cooper

Overview

After the success of their Love It to Death album and its hit single "I'm Eighteen," Alice Cooper seemed poised to make a giant leap to the head of the hard rock class. Killer delivers on the promise and then some, as it offers moments of sweaty rock & roll brilliance, oddball horror ballads, and garage rock freakouts, all wrapped up in a glammy, sleazy package. Working again with producer Bob Ezrin, the band craft a sound that's powerful and lithe with guitars that slash and snake around each other, drums and bass that provide a solid foundation but aren't short on melody and hooks, and of course Alice Cooper's one-of-a-kind vocals. Whether he's strutting, crooning, or slowly going insane, his voice is like the character in a movie you can't take your eyes off for a second because you might miss a small gesture or look that will shock and surprise. The one-two punch of "Under My Wheels" and "Be My Lover" is one of the great album openers of all time, both songs taking classic rock & roll tropes and giving them an evil twist with romping horns, doo wop background vocals, and the kind of libertine lyrics that are guaranteed to drive parents crazy. After this, the album takes off in a variety of directions including the horror prog ballad "Dead Babies," the raucous rockers "You Drive Me Nervous" and "Yeah Yeah Yeah" that come across like Steppenwolf tracks made by real bikers, the Western gunfighter ballad "Desperado" -- which juxtaposes some lovely orchestrated strings against Cooper's croaking vocals -- and the oddly rollicking title track where Cooper does a convincing carnival barker imitation while guitarists Mike Bruce and Glen Buxton get a chance to unwind and kick up some dust. Each and every track is handled with the same kind of unbridled glee that lets the listener know the band is having a blast; it's hard not to be swept along for the ride. The album's centerpiece "Halo of Flies" is a stunning work of rock & roll that encompasses the gutter freak psych of the band's earliest work, the expansive scope of prog rock, bits of The Sound of Music, martial drum solos, very stoned blues riffing, and Cooper's alternately pleading and withering vocals. It's the work of a band who can barely control all the ideas flowing out of them, yet somehow manage to corral their energy and creativity into something epic and unique. Indeed, there was no other group quite like Alice Cooper operating in 1971 and Killer is the moment where they put all the pieces together and began to soar. ~ Tim Sendra

Product Details

Release Date:	10/23/2012
Label:	Rhino
UPC:	0081227971670

Tracks

1. Under My Wheels
2. Be My Lover
3. Halo of Flies
4. Desperado
5. You Drive Me Nervous
6. Yeah, Yeah, Yeah
7. Dead Babies
8. Killer

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Alice Cooper   Primary Artist,Vocals,Lead Vocals
Bob Ezrin   Vocals,Keyboards
Rick Derringer   Guitar
Neal Smith   Drums,Vocals (Background)
Glen Buxton   Guitar
Dennis Dunaway   Bass,Guitar (Bass),Vocals (Background)
Michael Bruce   Guitar,Keyboards

Technical Credits

Alice Cooper   Design,Composer,Performer,Cover Design
Steve Hoffman   Mastering
Bob Ezrin   Arranger,Composer,Lyricist,Producer,Horn Arrangements,String Arrangements
Jack Richardson   Producer,Executive Producer
Joe Lopes   Recording,Assistant Engineer,Recording Technician
Neal Smith   Composer
Randy Kling   Mastering
Brian Christian   Engineer,Recording,Audio Engineer
Glen Buxton   Composer
Dennis Dunaway   Arranger,Composer,Lyricist
Bobby Christian   Engineer
Michael Bruce   Arranger,Composer,Lyricist
Rockin' Reggie Vinson   Mastering
Pete Turner   Photography
Randy King   Mastering,Mastering Engineer
Bob Wynne   Repackaging
Ernie Campagna   Production Coordination