Alice Cooper album recommendations sought

Based on your comment in the initial post, I'd say get these first:

Muscle of Love
Goes to Hell
Billion Dollar Babies
Killer
Lace and Whiskey
From the Inside

I personally like the 70s solo albums as much as the earlier group albums.

The first two, and especially Pretties for You, you want to put off for awhile, as they're very different. Pretties for You is very psychedelic and kind of intentionally chaotic. It's a bit Frank Zappaish, though with more of a "punk" attitude. I love it, but it doesn't sound anything like other Alice Cooper.

After the ones I mentioned, you'd want to pretty quickly fill out School's Out and Love it to Death, especially if you really like Billion Dollar Babies and Killer.

Re the later albums, pick up Welcome 2 My Nightmare, The Last Temptation and The Eyes of Alice Cooper first (again given your initial comment).

 

I have a 1st pressing hardback. That book was an unqualified delight when I discovered it in 1978 at a local library - I could not believe that there was a whole book documenting an actual Alice Cooper tour! I know the band hates it but I think that's because they were a little too honest with Greene individually and that messed up their relationships. They say the book is a bunch of trash but they've never discredited individual events or conversations that I'm aware of, and I've read an interview with Neal Smith where he confirms the worst story about him where he has a meltdown over handlers trying to move him from one limo to another.

My copy cost me $50 nearly 20 years ago.

 

Just saw one of those sell for 100 bucks on Ebay a month ago. I settled for the paperback for 25 or 30 - took a year or two to get it. I also discovered the book in the public library around 78-79.

 

$100 is cheap compared to what I've seen in the last 10 years or so, especially on eBay! I've seen it priced at $300.

 

I've seen that as well. That's why it took me so long to get mine - probably more like 2 or 3 years now that I think about it. I just recently deleted it from my saved searches.

 

I've just got back into vinyl and using it as a chance to collect the best 70's Hard Rock albums - so scooped Killer and The Alice Cooper Show live album so far. One thing I noticed that Muscle of Love is in a cardboard box and I immediately thought it looked like a real pain to get into and store - and that's hinted at above too - is this the case then? Was there ever a simple cover to this album issued?

 

It's essential reading. It's hard to find and expensive, so I had to be content with downloading the text as a PDF, it's out there.

The cardboard box is almost always damaged in some way hwn you find it, it gets squashed when stored with other albums (like in a bin in a store). I have seen reissues in a regular cover.

 

Weren't there supposed to be some deluxe editions of Love It To Death and Killer in the pipeline with a bonus disc of rarities or live material? Does anyone have an update on those?

 

I'm not a big fan of the classic Alice Cooper era, my two favorite albums are 'From The Inside' and 'Flush The Fashion'. Those two albums are really all the Alice Cooper I need in my collection.

'The Quiet Room' From The Inside'

 

'Pain' Flush The Fashion

 

No!

Special Forces is a great album. Constrictor is super fun. Raise Your Fist and Yell is metal as hell and the most underrated album of his, imo.

He has some great albums from the 90s too!

Hey Stoopid, The Last Temptation, Dragontown, Brutal Planet....

 

As a long time Alice Cooperfan (from 1972) I suggest this.

If you have time and interest on the groups development from rookies to superstars then start with the first two albums : Pretties for You and Easy Action.
Not interested then go straight to ;
1. Love it to death
2. Killer
3. School's out
4. B$B
5. Muscle of love

and watch the Good to see you again - dvd but skip the silly parts between the songs.

Alice Cooper solo :

1. His first solo album - Welcome to my nightmare (some very strong songs on it)
Video : The Welcome to my nightmare show.

After that he made lots of albums but none of them were great. However that's up to you to discover.
Have a good time.

 

U R right, I recommend "Muscle" because it fitted the ops description. And I left off the first two because they didn't. Love both of them but I wouldn't give them to anyone looking for vintage Alice Cooper. Or only if they have heard and loved all albums up to 1975.

 

my top 10 cooper albums in order

1 killer
2 billion $ babies
3 welcome to my nightmare
4 hey stoopid
5 love it to death
6 trash
7 from the inside
8 brutal planet
9 last temptation
10 dada

since you already have welcome to my nightmare then an 11th would be Goes to Hell or Lace and Whiskey

 

I like the early years with the original band and different phases of his solo career, but I'm not too partial to his comeback years of '86-'91. The Last Temptation is decent but I really like Brutal Planet and Dragontown; Along Came a Spider and Welcome 2 are also relatively solid, more recent releases. Hopefully his next one, Paranormal, will be a good one. It is going to feature a couple of tracks with the original band minus Glen Buxton(RIP), so that will be interesting.

A top 10:

1. Love it to Death
2. Billion Dollar Babies
3. Killer
4. School's Out
5. Muscle of Love
6. Welcome to My Nightmare
7. Dada
8. Pretties For You
9. Dragontown
10. Brutal Planet

 

welcome 2 my nightmare also did this and the album was hit and miss

 

I think I'm going to listen to the recommended original albums online and decide which to get from there (starting with Killer) then try Goes to Hell, Lace and Whiskey and Goes to Hell. I'm pretty confident though in buying Billion Dollar Babies so will head to the second hand record shops this weekend (last week I went to a massive record fair but didn't have AC on my mind - isn't it always the way?)

I also buy CDs so would consider them if they're well mastered (and inexpensive) but I'm definitely looking to get the vinyl first

 

billion $ babies has a 2 cd deluxe edition

 

Great - time to hunt down some reissues of Muscle of Love then

 

How's the 15 Cd box set?

 

I was going to recommend the Rhino green vinyl repressing of Billion Dollar Babies that was released this past October but it looks like at this point in time the prices are kinda high. I think I paid 20 bucks for it when it was released based on the rave reviews on the forum and the fact that my original pressing is pretty beat up.

 

It uses the old masterings (which are fine with me), except for the first two albums, which are horribly loud and compressed.

 

Everything from LOVE IT TO DEATH through WELCOME TO MY NIGHTMARE constitutes top-notch Alice. And MUSCLE OF LOVE is a personal favorite here.

 

Thanks. Only have Hey Stoopid on tape. Ordered it for $50 and been meaning to get this for awhile before the price gets jacked up. We're living in Cd buyers paradise.

 

I decided to take a gamble and between discogs & ebay picked up B$B, School's Out (regular thin sleeve) and From The Inside to give me a good balance so next weekend will be a good listening session! Thanks for all the tips