Alice Cooper - Special Forces
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CD Details
Artist: Alice CooperBrand: COOPER,ALICE
Edition: Music CD
Format: Import
CD Release Date: 1991-12-31
Music Label: Warner Bros UK
Soundtracks:
- Don't Talk Old To Me
- Generation Landslide '81(Live)
- Skeletons In The Closet
- You Want It, You Got It
- You Look Good In Rags
- You're A Movie
- Vicious Rumours
- Who Do Yo Think We Are
- Seven & Seven Is
- Prettiest Cop On The Block
Music reviews of Special Forces
Music Review: Expensive for 32 minutes
Rating: 4 Stars
To begin with, whatever else one might say about this album, it has to be acknowledged that the import price for this disc, considering that it is only 32 minutes long, makes it a somewhat overpriced EP.
Meanwhile, this somewhat forgotten quasi-gem from Alice sits comfortably between the New Wave / post-Hollywood production of "Flush the Fashion" and his most strongly novelty-influenced album, "Zipper Catches Skin". Generally, there's a stripped down sensibility musically, and less purely goofy lyrics.
Partly, this is due to the opening "Who Do You Think We Are," which presents a rather oblique look, perhaps, at special forces. The music is very stripped down--no, extremely stripped down compared to "Welcome to my Nightmare" or "Goes to Hell" or all of his later metal albums--it's as if Alice is getting in touch with his inner garage here. Vocally, Alice provides his usual range of dark sneers, wide-eyed irony, and generally witty lyrics. Certainly a promising start.
"Seven & Seven Is" (a cover) rattles along continuously with a snare drum, with jangly distortion guitars, occasional electronic flourishes, and Alice pretty much resorting to straight-up growly voice throughout. Hard though not to like an energetic song that declares, "Oom Beh Beh Oom Beh Beh yea."
"Prettiest Cop on the Block," as the name suggests is a transvestite policeman tale. Definitely shot through with machismo, this is no limp-wristed rendition. "I got a stiff reputation with a stick like a rock. My kids are confused, and my wife is in shock." The vocals are the growls as previously--the I've-been-drinking-and-smoking-too-much gravel kind of voice. The music is a bit uninspired, particularly the drums. The novelty of the song wears out in fairly short order.
"Don't Talk Old to Me" manages to vary things musically, finally. A fairly deft combination of kind of heavy-handed guitar and lyrics set next to a chorus that features keyboards and a number of layered dialoguing vocal lines. The lyrics, of course, have a certain cleverness as an adult obviously complains about being told to give up all his toys, such as guns and cars. There are more musical details and variation in this song than the previous ones--the particular combination of comedy and seriousness here is pretty convincing.
"Generation Landslide `81" is a reprise of the lyrically excellent tune from "Billion Dollar Babies" (the tune, in fact, that gives us the phrase "billion dollar babies"). A military-march style snare kicks along, as simple guitar chords back up Alice's cultural rant, and adds a verse or two to the original. One of the effects of this song is to point out some of the less inspired aspects of the rest of the disc, but that doesn't mean one isn't glad for it being here. Energetic, socially incisive Alice.
"You Want It, You Got It" let's out Alice's inner used car salesman, as he vocally sleazes his way through this either brilliant send up of the worst of New Wave music, or a rather unfortunate example of it. Cheesy keyboards and ham-fisted drum machine, many years later this song sounds so dated that it almost ceases to be dated. If this song really tickles your fancy, then "Zipper Catches Skin" will be a treasure trove for you as this is definitely a prequel of that album to come. Harmless cheese, one may not expect "cute" from Alice, but here you are.
"You Look Good in Rags" returns to a more traditional rock ensemble, guitar lead and all. This workaday rocker never really quite stands up, even with the semi-barbershop acapella section of "rags rag rags" toward the end, clipping scissors effect and all. The non-stellarness of it does not mean that it's hopelessly boring. It's kind of good, harmless fun--it's just, one doesn't expect this sort of thing from Alice.
"You're a Movie" is a ridiculous cheeky monologue by a would be heroic general type. The music is thoroughly 80s, guitar tone and gacky keyboards all. And, in fact, the chorus that chants, "You're a movie" is completely dead and unspirited. So what makes this pure novelty song ever-fresh, ever-delightful and really very funny are Alice's intercut remarks. They say that in comedy timing is everything, and Alice shows that he's got it in spades here. Technically a pretty awful song, one cannot help digging the wily wit Alice puts out.
The last track, "Vicious Rumours" provides that obligatory Alice song about public perception. The vocals here draw out the snideness more. One wishes (throughout the album) that the drums were set back more in the mix, and the guitars brought forward, but there's more energy in this particular rocker than most of the rest of the album.
So, overall one can hardly recommend this album without qualifications, especially if you are getting here by way of his first band, or by his later work, like "Brutal Planet". As a kind of essay in cheese, and sheer low-fi production goofiness--and particularly of a sound that is glued immovably to the 80s--then you might enjoy this. Again, the import price is awfully steep for such a short disc. A used copy seems a better way to go.
Description of Special Forces
1981 album for Warner Brothers. 10 tracks, including a coverof Love's 'Seven And Seven Is' and a live version of 'Generation Landslide '81'.Classic Rock CDs
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