Alice Cooper - Brutal Planet/Dragontown

Double reissue sees original shock rocker get his mojo back

Only a few people disprove F Scott Fitzgerald’s claim that there are no second acts in American public life. Even fewer enjoy a third. Vincent Furnier was initially famous as the original shock rocker, until his star waned in the late 70s. A decade later an intuitive hair metal makeover provided him with one of his biggest hits, Poison, and a new lease of life. In 2000, however, it was time to regenerate again. This time round he decided to imitate the imitators.

Of all of the iconic rock figures in the last decade, Marilyn Manson owes the biggest debt to Alice Cooper, and on Brutal Planet he calls it in. Admittedly, we never stray too far from the enjoyable 60s hard rock riffola, but there is an industrial endoskeleton underneath it all. Meaner and more vicious than ever, it’s probably Cooper’s least schlocky album. The title track alone is one of his finest efforts, being a particularly sardonic retelling of the Fall Of Eden.

Dragontown carries on the fine work. One of many highlights is Disgraceland, with the lyrical pearl: “Went to the pearly gates/Said ‘I’m the hippest thing’/And Peter said, ‘Well son, you see we already got ourselves a king.’” Rocking good news.

4 stars 4 stars 4 stars 4 stars

Recall | 2CD SMDCD 584 (2-CD)

Reviewed by John Doran
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