Simon RushworthIt’s back – the occasional series in which rushonrock fuses new releases with old classics to bring together two golden eras of our favourite music.
Now: 2008 Along Came A Spider (SPV) is Alice Cooper’s sensational 25th studio album and if the concept of a serial killer who chops off his victims’ legs isn’t too crazy to put you off then your reward is a record brimming with Cooper classics.
Wake The Dead is our standout track with its addictive beat and bittersweet humour but there are moments of brilliance throughout. Cooper’s long-time pal Slash guests on the classy Vengeance Is Mine and Killed By Love is a trademark ballad from the man who brought us Only Women Bleed.
There really isn’t anything wrong with a record which feels so right and it’s little wonder ACAS gatecrashed the UK top 40 this month. That it was heading for chart oblivion after just two weeks is a damning indictment on the CD-buying public. We love it and so will you.
rushonrock rated: 8/10 Along Came A Classic.
…And Then: 1989 Trash (Epic) sparked the rebirth of the Coopmeister after almost a decade in the commercial doldrums. We loved Constrictor but the critics didn’t and after a series of so-called flops this was the record Alice needed to make.
Remembered as the home of chart-busting rock anthem Poison there is much more depth to Trash than one of hair metal’s all-time classics.
Boasting songwriting credits from the likes of Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, Joan Jett, Desmond Child and even Diane Warren there are thrilling twists and turns on every track. Bed Of Nails is pure Cooper brilliance and Only My Heart Talkin is a lighter-waving monster of a ballad.
This is a record which every self-respecting rock fan in the late 80s simply had to own. The combination of Cooper’s rich heritage, wildman reputation and a raft of polished soft metal tunes made this classy album the perfect package. And of course there was Poison…
rushonrock rated: 9/10 Trash Bang Wallop