#454 – Alice Cooper, ‘Love It to Death’

Love It to Death (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Released: 21 February, 1971
Label: Straight, Warner Bros.
Genre: Hard rock, heavy metal, glam rock
Producer: Jack Richardson, Bob Ezrin

Ha HA! Now THIS was unexpected!! (I wonder when I’ll stop saying that..). But like Def Leppard and Kiss beforehand, I was expected this to be a real drag – I’m just not a metal head. But, like before, my impression of metal, or at least this radio-friendly glam style metal, isn’t the reality. This is awesome music : it’s fun, it’s really funny, it probably was shocking at a point in time and it’s there where it’s nostalgic charm lies. Some lyrics are so over the top you can’t help but smile and think about all the moms in the 1970’s, clutching their tea-towels and looking worryingly at their kids’ rooms as this demon music played.

Top tracks: Definitely “The Ballad of Dwight Fry”. Absolutely ghoulish.

#489 – KISS, ‘Destroyer’

Destroyer (Kiss album) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Released: March 15, 1976
Label: Casablanca
Genre: Hard rock, heavy metal
Producer: Bob Ezrin

It’s funny that I had thought ZZ Top previously were a bit of a joke, because I had always thought the same of KISS. A novelty band with big, but silly, rocksongs and makeup, but that’s it. But this was an awesome surprise. The songs are mostly overdone and some of the lyrics are downright laughable, but Destroyer is just so much freakin’ fun. And “Beth” is a beautiful ballad and roots the album giving it some real respect.

Top track: “Beth” is stunning, and “Great Expectations” is over-the-top orchestral splendidness.

This week: There’s something in the water… changes are a foot for both Andy and I…