Alice Cooper - Love It To Death (1971)

Versions:
LP
LP (Signed)
CD

Tracklisting:

Side One:
1. Caught In A Dream
2. I'm Eighteen
3. Long Way to Go
4. Black Juju

Side Two:
1. Is It My Body
2. Hallowed Be My Name
3. Second Coming
4. Ballad of Dwight Fry
5. Sun Arise

Best Tracks:
Second Coming/The Ballad Of Dwight Fry
I'm Eighteen
Is It My Body

Currently listening to:
LP

Love It To Death is probably still one of my favourite albums.

I'd always known Alice Cooper. I remember 'Poison' being everywhere when I was very young. My Mum - who is not into music at all - only ever had one tape that she played in the car, and one side of that was Welcome To My Nightmare. I became aware, however, of Alice Cooper - the band - on the same documentary series that introduced me to The Stooges and Patti Smith. There was something about 'I'm Eighteen' that seemed worlds apart from the Alice Cooper that I'd grown up with. And, of course, it was very much what I was into at the time. I promptly bought a cheap vinyl copy from my beloved Old Reynella record shop and played it to death (pun regrettably intended).

Love It To Death is more than just another early 70's rock album. It's subtly more sinister than Black Sabbath, it rocks harder than Bowie and is far less pompous than Led Zeppelin. Taking their cues from The Stooges and The Doors, Alice Cooper (the band, as well as the guy) create a world of their own, most notably the stretch on Side Two, from 'Second Coming' onwards. This includes what is unquestionably Alice Cooper's best song in the form of 'The Ballad of Dwight Fry' (and concludes - oddly, enough - with a cover of Rolf Harris' 'Sun Arise'). While the duo of 'Second Coming' and 'Dwight Fry' foreshadow similar ideas explored later in Alice's career (think 'Years Ago' and 'Steven' from Welcome to My Nightmare), here they are free of gimmicks (while still in it's infancy, the Alice Cooper gimmick was present at this time, however) and feel like a more sincere statement than much of the band's work after this. The high drama of 'Black Juju' recalls The Doors' more theatrical moments (and The Stooges' 'We Will Fall'), while the wonderful 'I'm Eighteen', 'Is It My Body', 'Caught In A Dream' and 'Hallowed By My Name' prove that they can rock with the best of them.

When I was 18, I met Alice Cooper. He was doing a record singing at The Muses in Rundle Mall and, of course, I took along my vinyl copy of Love It To Death to get signed. I was one of the first in line and, after exchanging pleasantries, I handed him my record. "Oh, wow!" he says, "You got a thumb!". Uh, what? I was a completely starstruck and hadn't expected much an exchange. So, I was a little taken aback. Not realising what he meant, I asked him what he'd said. "You got a thumb!" was his enthusiastic response. "Oh...uh....OK. Thanks", was the best I could muster and as I started to walk away, he kept on. "No, I really mean it. You got a thumb! That's a collector's item!". I thanked him again and, looking down at the record, finally realised what he meant. Once I got home, I checked my CD version and, sure enough, no thumb. Turns out, the thumb was airbrushed out of American copies of the cover, deemed too phallic and obscene. While original copies of the American thumb version may well be collector's items, I've never seen an Australian pressing without the thumb. So, I highly doubt that it's the collector's item that the great man promised it would be.

Oh, and we were on the Channel 7 news together, too. My best mate Alice Cooper and I. They have have filmed the signing. I never saw it, sadly.

The Troggs - I Can't Control Myself / Gonna Make You (1966)

Side A:
I Can't Control Myself

Side B:
Gonna Make You

I can't work out if this is a double A side or not. If it's not, it fucking well should be. This is another example of why I love hearing 60's music on 45. Both sides of this single - possibly my two favourite Troggs songs - jump up from the grooves and really come alive. Maybe it's the ragged mono mixes? Maybe it's that groups like The Troggs are carelessly issued on CD (and cheap LP compilations) so that many of the releases sound limp in comparison (no CD I've heard does that bass on 'Gonna Make You' any justice)? Whatever the case may be, this blistering little single is the best way I've found to hear these songs.

Donovan - Atlantis (1968)

Side A:
Atlantis

Side B:
I Love My Shirt

'Atlantis' is my Dad's favourite Donovan song - which is probably why I bought the single. Tonight, I'm hearing it for the first time in a long time. I seem to remember this single being so crackly that it virtually unlistenable, but it's holding up tonight.

I like 'Atlantis' more than I remember. I think I usually hear the first part and get bored before I remember how much I like the end of the song. 'I Love My Shirt' is, quite literally, about loving his shirt. It's a bit silly. While not without it's charm, it did get grating by the end. I was happy when it ended. I think I'll stick to 'Catch The Wind' next time.

Little Birdy - Relapse (2003)

Side A:
Relapse

Side B:
Beautiful

Two things surprise me when I hear certain music from the early 2000's. Firstly, how nostalgic it has become. Secondly, how badly it's dated. I'll elaborate when I blog, say, Highly Evolved. For now, we're onto Little Birdy.

I used to love Little Birdy, but I must be honest. They absolutely drive me up the wall these days. How I ever stomached Katy Steele's sickly sweet voice, I'll never know. The mere thought of 'Come On Come On' or 'Tonight's The Night' may cause a bilious attack.

'Relapse' was always one of their best songs. Hearing it tonight, it didn't drive me as crazy as I expected. I even enjoyed it. It's still a good song. More than anything, it brought back memories of the early 00's - of nights and gigs and friends long forgotten.

The version on this single is the same as the one from the 2003 Little Birdy EP, which makes me think that this single must have also come out in 2003 (the single doesn't list the year and even Discogs fails to provide any insight).

'Beautiful' is an early version of 'Beautiful To Me'. 'Beautiful To Me' is one that drives me crazy these days. This early version is much less polished than the single that came out a few years later. As such, I find it a more digestible listen than the BigBigLove version, which I listened to afterwards for comparison and which gave me heartburn.

I bought this single from a record fair, but don't remember much else. I'd all but forgotten about it until tonight. There doesn't seem to be much information about it on the internet. If it's become hard to find, it may be a treasure that I really don't appreciate.

The Mamas And The Papas - Creeque Alley (1967)

Side A:
Creeque Alley

Side B:
Did You Ever Want To Cry

I've always had a big soft spot for The Mamas And The Papas. However, 'Creeque Alley' isn't one of my favourites, as much as I used to enjoy it.

I always thought it was a little mean to explicitly call out Mama Cass for being fat. After reading Eddi Fiegel's Dream A Little Dream Of Me: The Life Of 'Mama' Cass Elliot, I liked the song even less. Not only did it make fun of Cass' weight, it also told everyone that she was in love with Denny, which was kinda sad in itself. The book even noted that their wonderful 'Glad To Be Unhappy' single was a more accurate description of the group's history than 'Creeque Alley' was.

'Creeque Alley' is still a bit of fun, when taken at face value. Though, given the many great songs that The Mamas And The Papas recorded (like B-side to this single, 'Did You Ever Want To Cry'), I usually skip past 'Creeque Alley' these days.

Plastic Ono Band - Cold Turkey (1969)

Side A:
Cold Turkey

Side B:
Don't Worry Kyoko (Mummy's Only Looking for Her Hand in the Snow)

'Cold Turkey' is one of my favourite solo John Lennon songs. In fact, all of my favourite solo John Lennon songs are from this very early period - this, 'Instant Karma!' and John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band are, collectively, my favourite John Lennon songs. Despite The Beatles playing around with heavier sounds during this time, it's hard to imagine then tackling a song as raw as 'Cold Turkey'. It makes for a pretty stark first solo single (does 'Give Peace A Chance' really count?).

The B-Side, 'Don't Worry Kyoko', I've blogged about before, when I blogged the Plastic Ono Band's Live Peace In Toronto album. The version on the single is the same recording that ended up on Fly in 1971, and is probably the definitive version. While most people simply do not understand Yoko's work (and mock it, accordingly), especially the early avant garde music she was putting out until the early 70's, much of it features some of Lennon's most interesting guitar work. One would think this would be enough to keep people interested. Thankfully contemporary reviewers seem to be realising this. Either way, 'Don't Worry Kyoko' is a great piece of avant-rock and Yoko is not to be mocked.

Shakespears Sister - Stay (1992)

Well, hello again, friends! It's been a long time between drinks. Again. I thought another little game of 7" roulette might kick things off then (and hopefully motivate me to blog something meatier in the near future).

So, here we go again!

Shakespears Sister - Stay

Side A:
Stay

Side B:
The Trouble With Andre

This was a funny one to pick. And, had I remembered that I had it, I may have picked it anyway. For some reason, this very weekend, my housemate had this song stuck in his head and kept asking me to play it (from iTunes. I completely forgot I had this single).

I actually had the cassette single of this song when it came out. While I was never compelled, as a child, to buy a Shakespears Sister album, I loved 'You're History' and also fell in love with 'Stay' when it came out. Watching the video on YouTube now brings back memories of many Saturday mornings watching rage and Video Hits.

(Picture stolen from eBay)

I don't have much to say about now, aside from the fact that I'm still quite fond of it. It's actually aged very well. B-Side, 'The Trouble With Andre', I didn't recognise at all until I flipped the single. I must have listened to it when I had the cassette, because it's awfully familiar. And, happily, it's quite good. I am genuinely surprised at how much I've enjoyed both songs. I was also surprised to see that both sides (and the album) were produced by Alan Moulder. Interesting. Maybe it's time I checked out Hormonally Yours? Better late than never, eh?

This single was a purchase from my 7" binge of 2011. After finding several interesting (and sometimes super cheesy) early 90's singles dirt cheap in London, I ended up buying a bunch of them in dirt cheap bundles from eBay. Since I'd very much forgotten this one, I'm quite interested to see what else pops up...