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Alice Cooper The Eyes Of Alice Cooper |
Spitfire Records |
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Alice is back with his third album in quick succession for Spitfire Records. But unlike Brutal Planet and Dragon Town, The Eyes Of... features a more stripped back and under-produced Alice Cooper. The album was recorded relatively live in the studio, with few overdubs, giving the album that very raw, stripped back sound. It's quite rough around the edges, which is in direct opposition to the intense and complex musical approach of the last couple of albums. This is the stadium rocker Alice, paying homage to his 70's and 80's roots, albeit with a slightly more modern style. This is not a classic album, but it's far from being ordinary. In fact, it's very good indeed and up to Alice's usual high standard. Lyrically Alice is still on song, not taking himself too seriously and taking jabs at himself and society. Sound wise it's varied. What Do You Want From Me is tough and rocking in style, while Man Of The Year has a punkish quality to it. The single Novocaine is a mid-tempo commercial melodic rocker with a good chorus hook, as does the breezy Love Should Never Feel Like This. The mid-tempo rocker Bye Bye Baby employs a bit of brass, Aerosmith style. As usual there are a couple of curve balls included in the package. Be With You Awhile is melancholy ballad, the soft and spooky This House Is Haunted is rather quirky to say the least and The Song That Didn't Rhyme is a popish ballad (of sorts). Then Backyard Brawl is almost modern/alternative. Alice is the master of variety and delivering killer performances. And that's the case here too.
Cooper fans will have no trouble embracing the songs featured here. Casual fans will have favourites, but could dislike others. It's nice to hear Alice drop it back a notch from the brutal intensity of recent records and offer something for the fans of straight hard rock that still has a contemporary sound.
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06/04/05: Alistair - alistairc_2000@yahoo.co.uk
09/11/03: jesse kye - jessekye@hotmail.com
06/11/03: raynard - WWW.MAGGOTSDELIGHT.COM
05/10/03: Jason Muzzell - jmuzzell@hotmail.com
04/10/03: jeramie - jercar171@aol.com
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03/10/03: Glenn - gratner2002@yahoo.com
03/10/03: JasonR - papa_bear70@hotmail.com
03/10/03: andrew - a.patterson@ntlworld.com
Rating: 95
An excellent return to form for Alice. So much better that his two previous efforts. Also it is so much better that the out takes album Dragontown. My Faves are Man of the year Detriot city and the one about his dead girlfriends.
Rating: 65
its good but he did the brutel? plant so damn well yes it has an old school feeling, which is kind of refreshing. jesse kye
Rating: 0
not going with the many positive reviews thus far, i insist that this is a true classic(many have said very good but not classice). what the hell is classic?! you dont know if it has classic potential until a few years pass. it is classic and will reamin so if the music moved you profoundly. thats what this c.d. by the infamous Alice Cooper has done for me! more so then anything out of this man for a long time. why do you need to read this to decide if you want to but the c.d.? ITS ALICE COOPER!!! just friggin get it!!!!
Rating: 90
this album has been a long time coming. it's almost too late for Alice. but nonetheless i'll take it and enjoy this one. great album...thanks Alice!
Rating: 85
its good and does remind me of 80s,90s alice but still so far away but better than the last
Rating: 70
A return to his 'better days', but still not on top of what he's capable of. Decent hardrock, but a bit standard, and absolutely not outstanding.
Rating: 95
As a fan since 1972 it's wonderful to say that Alice has really delivered the goods with this album. UK's Classic Rock magazine has even given it a full 5 star review.
It's packed with short, sharp songs with the sort of lyrics that set Alice apart from the rest of the crowd. I saw Alice on the "Bare Bones" tour earlier this year and you could tell that he wanted to get back to the stripped down sound that made Love It To Death and Killer so special.
Yes, it's retro in that respect, but hell is it fun!
Rating: 90
Well, here it is. Finally! The new Alice Cooper cd! The cd is a good mix. Some songs remind me of classic Alice, some of the more recent Alice. Although I was a big fan of both BRUTAL PLANET and DRAGONTOWN I am pleased that he didn't do another album like those. It's nice to see Alice change his style from time to time. In my opinion there are a few songs here that should be released to the radio. Songs like BETWEEN HIGH SCHOOL AND OLD SCHOOL and MAN OF THE YEAR are similar in style to some of todays artists. The latter being like a Good Charlotte type of song and the former being like a White Stripes type. The songs WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME, LOVE SHOULD NEVER FEEL LIKE THIS, and NOVOCAINE remind me greatly of the 80's Alice. If the right people get this in radioland, Alice could possibly have a semi-hit again. The song THE SONG THAT DIDN'T RHYME could most certainly be a hit. As it is better than a lot of the crap on the radio, though, it probably won't be. And what's up with Alice borrowing some riffs and melodies? Like on LOVE SHOULD NEVER FEEL LIKE THIS? The first few lines sound like LOVE POTION #9. And BACKYARD BRAWL sounds similar to Godsmack's BAD RELIGION. I guess when you've been around as long as Alice you can do whatever you want. As for the band? Ryan Roxie (Dad's Porno Mag, Gilby Clarke, Slash's Snakepit, Electric Angels)on guitars has been an Alice mainstay since 1996. Having toured and recorded off and on since then. Eric Singer (Kiss, Black Sabbath, Badlands, Lita Ford, ESP, and too many more to mention) has also been with Alice off and on since 1991. Great drumming from him as usual. Eric Dover (Slash's Snakepit, Jellyfish, Imperial Teen) also on guitars does a great job. And Chuck Garric (L.A. Guns, Dio) on bass. Great band and I look forward to seeing them live sometime soon.
check out my band's website: www.kaosrocks.com
Rating: 95
A great great album... definitely Alice's best in a decade and that's saying a lot since his recent material is very very good.
Do yourself a favort and pick this one up!
Rating: 89
Great album, very raw sound but there are still embellishments - check out 'This House Is Haunted'. Song of the album has to be 'Song That Didn't Rhyme' - classic Alice humour. If you found the last two Alice Cooper albums a tad to heavy then you will be okay with this one. His best since the 70's :)
Rating: 94
This CD is definately a different kettle of fish compared to the master's previously 2-3 releases. What you have got here is the old style Alice Cooper constructed songs on a very raw but honest sound. The whole garage vibe is evident when listening to this CD, however you don't have the crappy drum sound as you do on Metallica's St. Anger CD.
The CD itself, I think rocks! This is definately Alice back at his roots and the material is very strong indeed.
What Do You Want From Me is a highlight on the record, cool lyrics great hook.
Novocaine is another strong performer, it again has a great hook to the chorus.
Man of the Year is again a very black humoured type song, Alice references himself in this, but the song is cool and works well within the flow of this CD.
This House is Haunted revisits songs like Roses on White Lace on the Raise Yor Fist & Yell CD, albeit with a more laid back approach but the usual Alice twist of macabre and humour.
Backyard Brawl is definately Alice mixing it with the nu breed type metal at the moment with a stripped back approach. Personally I think the song works very well and rocks.
Its a CD that us Coop fans will adore like his last few efforts, alot of people may not like the sound but it is Alice revisiting the early years however with less Bob Ezrin influences. Whether or not it will endear younger audiences ... who knows but rest assured this is a quality release from the Grandfather of Rock. BUY!
ADD YOUR OWN REVIEW! (Ratings out of 100)
