Alice Cooper ain’t eighteen anymore, but the Godfather of Shock Rock surely still knows how to throw a good musical punch. All you young rock & roll cats out there, pay attention: Coop knows how it’s done, and chances are you could learn a thing or two. Last Friday (August 25), the 75-year-old rocker from Detroit, Mich. released his 22nd solo studio album, Road, vividly demonstrating he’s got plenty of gas left in the tank.
Road is a concept album revolving around touring tales. “It’s things that happen on the road,” Cooper told Louder in April prior to the album’s official announcement. “There’s a lot of humour in it. There’s a couple of heartbreakers, but it’s very guitar-driven because that’s what I look for in an album.” From traveling the world, playing louder than hell and harder than rock, a hot waitress in big boots [or was that a convenient typo to escape the morality police?], a stalking fan to the empty feeling when the tour is over, Road covers it all.
Recorded live-in-studio, Road features Coop’s touring band, guitarists Ryan Roxie, Tommy Henrikson and Nita Strauss, bassist Chuck Garric and drummer Glen Sobel. There are no overdubs except for Cooper’s vocals. “For Road, I wanted the band to be involved in the foundation of all the songs,” Cooper explained in a statement announcing the album. “I only see these guys when we’re on the road. So, I wanted them to be as tight as they are for the show but on all new material. When you have a band this good, I believe in showing it off, and this is my way of doing so.”
Road was produced by longtime collaborator Bob Ezrin who has also worked with the likes of Lou Reed, Aerosmith, Pink Floyd, Deep Purple and Peter Gabriel. Ezrin also had an active part in writing the material, along with Cooper and various other writers. “I love writing the songs with Bob and the guys, and we really emphasize that the main instrument is gonna be guitar,” Cooper added during the above interview. “It’s not gonna drift off into any other land out there.” I’d say it’s time to check out some of the goodies!
Let’s start with I’m Alice, the opener nicely setting the mood for the album. It first appeared as the lead single when Cooper officially announced Road on June 14. I’m Alice/I’m the master of madness, the sultan of surprise/I’m Alice/So don’t be afraid, just look into my eyes, Cooper sings in his distinct raspy voice. Like most other tracks, I’m Alice is credited to multiple writers, which in this case include Cooper, Ezrin and Roxie, as well as “outsiders” Anders Fästader and Kee Marcello. To me, listening to this and the other tracks on the album feels as if time had stood still since the days of I’m Eighteen and School’s Out, Coop’s best-known songs he recorded with what was then-known as the band Alice Cooper.
All Over the World is another highlight, about taking a hard-charging rock show around the globe. Yes, the lyrics are a bit cliché, but does it really matter when the music is that great? We hit the stage with rage around 9 o’clock/We’re always louder than hell and we’re harder than rock/Rolled into England and China, Ukraine and Brazil/Slayed ’em in Sydney and Fargo, Zanzibar and Seville. The anthem-like song was co-written by Cooper, Ezrin and all five members of his touring band.
White Line Frankenstein (you just gotta love that title!), which I suspect will become a favorite of Coop’s live set, features prominent guitarist Tom Morello who among others is known for his tenures with Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave. He’s also co-credited as one of the writers, along with Cooper and Ezrin. White Line Frankenstein became the second upfront single on July 19. I’m a road rat, baby, I’m a rock ‘n’ rollin’ stone/They call me white line Frankenstein…I mean, who can argue with that?
On Rules of the Road, Coop dispenses some cynical advise to aspiring rock stars, such as, Before you even start to board/that private that you can’t afford/You gotta buy a mansion and a flashy car/In case you actually do become a star. He cheerfully adds, Rule number one – always get the money/Rule number two – remember to always get the money/And rule number three – never forget to remember to always get the money. Then his humor/cynicism turn a bit borderline, at least according to my taste, given how many talented artists became members of the creepy 27 Club: And if you follow these simple rules, by the age of 27, well…/You’re gonna die…Aha-ha-ha. The song is credited to Cooper, Ezrin and Wayne Kramer.
The final track I’d like to call out is 100 More Miles. IMHO, this song should have been the album’s closer instead of a cover of The Who’s Magic Bus, which isn’t a bad rendition but feels a bit out of place. While I’ve never been on a rock tour and, as such, don’t know the empty feeling that can overcome a performing artist when suddenly everything is over, I find the lyrics very relatable. Just finished up the final show/It’s really strange to me/I’ve got no place at all to be/Nobody’s yelling, “Hey man, it’s time to go”/Can’t seem to get from A to B/There’s no reality but my own.
If you dig what you’ve heard, I encourage you to check out the rest of the album. Here’s a Spotify link.
I think Road is a fun listening experience, celebrating rock & roll tours and happenings both on-stage and off-stage. That said, as a more casual Alice Cooper listener, I don’t feel I can make a well-informed comparison to other albums the man has released over his 50-year-plus recording career, counting his five albums with the original band Alice Cooper.
Guess what? Cooper is taking Road, well, on the road. My brother-in-law saw him in April this year at a rock festival in Florida and was impressed with the show, which features everything from guillotines, electric chairs, fake blood and a charming boa constrictor – in other words, it was classic Coop! I also witnessed him once, in New Jersey in August 2017, together with Edgar Winter and Deep Purple and thought he delivered a great set! In case you’re curious, Cooper’s current touring schedule is here.
Sources: Wikipedia; Alice Cooper website; Louder; YouTube; Spotify
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