Alice Cooper : "Detroit Stories"

 

He is back and continuing down the more rock n roll  road he was on with the last ep he released. Alice Cooper is one of my all time favorite artists. Yes he does have straight up rock n roll songs like "Elected" and " Under My Wheels"  This album follows more of that blue print. In fact "Go Man Go" is from the "Breadcrumbs" ep I want him to be darker and more of a heavier edge.   The child like skip to " Our Love Will Change the World"  sounds like the Beatles bouncing through New York in the 70s. His voice sounds great on this song. It is just there is an odd juxtaposition of moods;. The band he has is great and are killing it behind him. I just the production was more metal and not as stripped down on raw/ 

There is a more 70s funk groove to " 1000 Dollar High Heel Shoes". The soulful back up singers just doesn't seem like Alice to me. The drums to "Hail Mary " make perfect sense.  It feels more like classic Cooper . "Detroit City" is a 3rd attempt having appeared on both "the Eyes of Alice Cooper" and "Breadcrumbs" . The there is the blues soaked  'Drunk and in Love" that is almost "Bad to the Bone" as it sticks to the same blues pattern.   'Independence Dave" reminds me of the song Steven Tyler did for the movie "Polar Express". I mean Alice has always had a silly side. This song and " I Hate You" that follows it are silly but also theatric. "I Hate You" is the weaker song of the two . He comes back into the better side of his wheelhouse with "Wonderful World" that finds his croon sounding youthful and a bluesy swagger to the song.. I think this song is more what I want from him than the more Rolling Stones like "Sister Anne", though Cooper's vocal is true to his classic style.  

I like that "Hanging on By a Thread" is darker , but I could do without the public service announcement feel. What happened to the world needs guts Cooper ? Perhaps he should heed the advice he gives on "Shut Up and Rock" that follows. The albums ends pretty strong . I will give it a 9, far from his best , but dialing it in with some garage rock still works better than his peers.