This is a funny record. It exists in my record collection for a number of reasons; the first and foremost is that it cost a mere £2.70 in a second hand shop in Cardiff. Beyond that I suppose I have it because some of these songs are actually pretty fun and I have a soft spot for Alice Cooper since seeing him live was one of my first concerts back when I was 15. Needless to say, I'd never seen a show like it before, and rarely seen anything like it since (Gwar being a notable exception).
When I was 15, I bought a copy of Alice's 1991 album Hey Stoopid. I think even at the time I knew I wasn't really a fan of this type of music, but I could enjoy it and that was fine. The concert we saw that year was ridiculous, but in a very fun way. I've not seen him since - I strongly suspect the live show hasn't changed that much - but I imagine I'd still get a kick out of the spectacle.
Seven years later, I figured I'd get £2.70 worth of enjoyment out of the Greatest Hits, and I think I did. This compilation is from 1974, which marks the end of Alice Cooper the band and the beginning of Alice Cooper the solo artist. It's fascinating how many of his biggest songs were made in the first 6 years vs. the 42 that have followed (good god, that's a long time to be making music). I remember browsing the track-listing and seeing I'm Eighteen, Under My Wheels, School's Out, Elected and No More Mr Nice Guy. That's a huge section of the set-list he's still playing. Add in Poison and Feed My Frankenstein and you have all the Alice Cooper songs most people ever need to hear.
School's Out is a song I've known my entire life - I remember my dad singing it at the end of every term, not to mention how incredible it is when it appears in Dazed and Confused. Under My Wheels was a song I knew from a cover by the Manic Street Preachers as a b-side to Motorcycle Emptiness. That connection alone was enough to make me think that maybe the earlier material was different to the shock-rock Alice Cooper I'd been used to. I'm Eighteen provided a pleasant surprise in the outro of "Like it / Love it / Like it / Love it" which I'd only known up to that point as being a key part of Turbonegro's classic Get It On (I hadn't appreciated up to that point quite how many of their songs contain references to other songs).
Have I listened to this record many times in the last 9 years? No. Is it great fun when I do play it? Yes. Not a record I'd ever plan to have in my collection but one that it pretty enjoyable on the rare occasion I dig it out.
Format: 12", picture sleeve
Tracks: 12
Cost: £2.70 second-hand
Bought: D'Vinyl Cardiff
When: 06/10/07
Colour: Black
Etching: none
mp3s: no
