Alice Cooper – School’s Out (Release Year – 1972)
It is hard to believe that 2007 is the 35 year anniversary of Alice Cooper’s School Out, but indeed it is.
Great rock music should stand the test of time, Alice Cooper’s song, School’s Out does just that. This disc starts off with the anthemic title track which has been played on rock radio thousands of times around the world. It is the only hit worthy tune on this record, but the rest of the tracks have some merit.
The songs Gutter Cat Vs. The Jets, and Grande Finale have some credible lyrical contenta, as both were written as satirical pieces about West Side Story. They are an interesting listen, and worth spinning a couple of times. Luney Tune is a fun little trippy tune, that I would love to see get reworked.
By today’s standards, the School’s Out album sounds a little dated, but in 1972, this had to blow people’s minds. This disc sounds like a rock and roll, acid trip. The music is funky, and at times a little psychedelic.
This isn’t a record that I can get a lot of replay value out of, but it is interesting to hear the roots of Alice Cooper’s music. There are other discs (Billion Dollar Babies, Welcome To My Nightmare) that are better o start off with in the early Alice Cooper discography.
Rating:
Out of 10
Track Listing:
1. School’s Out
2. Luney Tune
3. Gutter Cat Vs. The Jets
4. Street Fight
5. Blue Turk
6. My Stars
7. Public Animal #9
8. Alma Mater
9. Grande Finale
The Alice Cooper roster for School’s Out:
Alice Cooper – lead vocals
Glen Buxton – guitars
Michael Bruce – guitars / keyboards
Dennis Dunaway – bass
Neil Smith – drummer
How can you review Schools Out without mentioning the fact that the title track is STILL played on the last day of school in many parts of the US? Great album and a must own for anyone who likes hard rock!
The original Alice Cooper band had a string of albums from Love It to Death through Billion Dollar Babies none of which I can imagine giving less than 8/10. You shouldn’t hold albums like Trash against him and stick it to his early work like this.