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Love It To Death 
If anyone wants to learn about Alice Cooper this
is a good album to pick up. Changing labels to Warner Brothers and moving
from L.A. to Detroit was the spark they needed and a new sound. I say
a more garage band sound with the likes of Iggy & The Stooges, Grand
Funk and MC5. Warner Brothers Records in control of Zappa’s Straight
label shows both logos. The first Alice Cooper album to be produced
by Bob Ezrin who later produced Pink Floyd and Lou Reed. Love it To
Death catapulted both Alice Cooper and Bob Ezrin. This is the album
that made Alice Cooper. Also one of my favorite albums still to this
day. Ezrin told the band they had to recreate Alice cause right now
no one really knows who Alice is. So they moved to a Michigan farmhouse
and restructured the band to give them a signature sound. This album
is the first time to give individual credits on each song. Almost each
member writes a track.
Michael Bruce pens the first track “Caught
In A Dream.” Starting off with the guitar intro it just blows
away their first two albums. Also with lyrics being less psychedelic
and more main street or should I say trailer trash.
Running through the world with a gun in my back
tryin’ to catch a ride in that Cadillac
This brings the band on street level with the public.
The numbers increase as well as the hits “I’m Eighteen”
and “Is It My Body”.
“I’m Eighteen” was the first Alice Cooper hit and
still to this day is a staple in Alice’s performance.
Being a teen angst song decades before “Smells Like Teen Spirit”
shows Alice’s acceptance to growing up. It may be awkward and
feels left out or alone but he welcomes it.
I’m in the middle
the middle of life
I’m a boy and I’m a man
I’m eighteen and I LIKE IT
“Black Juju” is as mysterious as the
Bass player Dennis Dunaway who wrote it. With an African drum beat and
voodoo lyrics it make you feel like you’re in the darkest region
of the jungle.
cursed through the night through eyes of alarm
a melody black flowed out of my breath
searching for death but bodies need rest
As they go chant of ...rest...rest..rest. The hypnotic
organ by Michael Bruce which reminds me of The Doors instrumental of
“Light My Fire” is really a variation of Pink Floyd track
“Set The Controls For The Heart of The Sun” as it was noted
in the book “The Illustrated Collector’s Guide To Alice
Cooper” by Dale Sherman. As the music sinks lower and lower like
being in quicksand all of a sudden Alice snaps back screaming as if
waking up from a zombie’s trance
Wake up...wake up...wake up
It’s funny to point out that the title came
from a dog named Juju, the Black Lab was one of the resident pets at
the farmhouse.
The stand out song on this album to me is “Ballad of Dwight Fry.”
Although misspelled Dwight Frye was an actor who played in the RKO horror
films. He was Renfield in the Bela Lugosi film Dracula or Fritz in Frankenstein
to name a few films. This brings Alice and the love of old horror films
hand in hand as we will see in future material. This song takes Alice
into the theatrical field which he would sing on stage sporting a strait
jacket while questioning his sanity.
held up in the intensive care ward
lyin on the floor...
With the help of producer Bob Ezrin on piano it
gives it haunting melody and the guitars stretch as you can picture
Alice struggling to free himself.
I grabbed my hat and got my coat
and I ran into the street...
“Sun Arise” is the only song which wasn’t
an original. It was written by Rolf Harris an Australian performer and
Butler which came out in the 60’s. This is the only song I don’t
like on the album. I wish they did one of their own tunes or just end
it after “Ballad of Dwight Fry”
Artwork: The album is black & white
which fits into Alice Cooper new dark style of music and lyrics. The
cover has the band in the spotlight with title in white appears as having
to be hand written. They seem to shed more of the feminine drag accept
for Neal who’s wearing a woman’s lace top. Alice looks like
a scary Tiny Tim as Dennis with his sunken dark eyes could be a walking
zombie from the Black Juju curse. Glen this time looks like he’s
taking no shit from anyone as Michael wearing fringe shirt and silver
pants shows some Glam edge.
The album has both labels Straight and Warner Brothers which would be
the last time Straight label appears on Alice albums.
If you have the original lp you’ll have the infamous Alice’s
thumb sticking out from his scarf which he’s holding together.
But some thought it was phallic looking and what you may have is the
airbrushed version. To tell the truth I seen the original and it doesn’t
look like anything else but a thumb. You can see Alice’s arm going
down the scarf. But since Jim Morrison was in the media of his alleged
flashing on stage in Florida the label thought in the best interest
to fix the cover.
As for the back side of the cover shows the band in an all white background
holding their guitars and bass as Neal is center sitting with a cane.
It also lists the songs from the album but not in order. They have “Hallowed
Be My Name” listed as the third track.
The inside was a gatefold along with credits and correct track list
shows a close up of Alice’s eye with make up. This is the first
time you see him with the spider eye make up. In his pupils are pictures
of the band. It still has that sort of acid feel to it as they looked
distorted by the fish eye lens.
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