Alice Cooper - Love it to Death, 1971
Some time ago my dad had made me a small batch of mix CDs for certain artists (the others being
Deep Purple, Judas Priest, the Scorpions, and Ted Nugent, but the
Alice Cooper mix was my favorite by far. As of now his/their music is an integral part of my youth, so many tracks that I can't ever rid from my mind.
Love it to Death begins the critical era, obviously regarded as a massive classic.
The Ballad of Dwight Fry (censored by those posers), is a cathartic track, one of my favorites ever.
Caught in a Dream too, simple yet so arresting for me.
Killer, 1971
At the time I can imagine the reception of
Love it to Death and its shocking and dark content, but
Killer becomes even more sinister. It also rocks even harder. The atmosphere is that of shady dealings, and
Halo of Flies is the masterpiece. Another great cut,
Desperado, speaks of the methods of a hitman, coupled with brooding haunted dynamics.
School's Out, 1972
Massively underrated. Barring the title track, none of these songs get the recognition they truly deserve. This album contains a good portion of my favorite
Cooper tracks. Experiments in acoustic stylings give way to a unique sound. I dunno why it's not unanimously on par with their other monuments, because it's something quite special and intimate.
Luney Tune appeared on the mix CD, and I'm thankful for that, it's an amazing track of madness. Honestly it's probably my favorite alongside
Killer.
Billion Dollar Babies, 1973
The most revered yet, and perhaps ever. It continues the style associated with its predecessor but is apparently a better commercial effort.