Alice Cooper
Raise
Your Fist and Yell (Reviewed by Scandal):
In
1986, veteran shock rocker Alice Cooper had the last laugh on the music
industry by having success with the 1986 Constrictor album. Cooper, had
fallen into alcoholism and in the early 80's had suffered poor reviews
and poor selling albums with Flush the Fashion,Special Forces, Zipper
Catches Skin, and Dada. (All of those bizarre albums are now considered
cult classics)
1986, also showed a return to Cooper's highly theatrical concerts and
a special was even broadcast on MTV. The Constrictor album was relatively
well received by new metal fans and brought Cooper's new back into the
limelight. However, the album was a good, but not great effort by Alice.
Cooper realizing
he had regained some lost momentum decided to rush back into the studio
in 1987 to release Raise Your Fist and Yell and what a strong, effort
this is.
The album,
which at this point was the heaviest of his career, simply rocks. (Alice's
last two albums Brutal Planet and Dragontown are heavier than this effort)
RYFAY contains the slick, polished metal sound of Motley Crue and Guns
and Roses in the 80's, but also is trademark Cooper. The lyrics are tounge
in cheek and dark in typical Cooper fashion.
Check out
the excellent guitar work by underrated Kane Roberts and I think you will
agree that this belongs in your 80's collection.
Standout
tracks include Freedom (probably Alice's best 80's teen anthem), Give
The Radio Back, Chop,Chop,Chop and the haunting Gail. Also of note is
the track, Prince of Darkness which was done for the John Carpenter movie
of the same name. It contains some of the best guitarwork ever heard on
a Cooper song.
This album
is what Alice fans in the 80's had been waiting for and in my opinion
was the key album that got Alice back to recording quality music. Two
years later, Alice would bring out the Trash album (his most popular release
in years) and follow it with a series of excellent albums (Hey Stoopid,
The Last Temptation, Brutal Planet, and Dragontown)
Cooper is
stil around and his career appears to be on the upswing once again. RYFAY
is becoming hard to find in CD stores, but it is worth the effort for
you to try and find it. The best place is to go to www.rammusic.com
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