ALICE COOPER: KILLER

I'm really not a huge fan of Alice Cooper but there is something about his 1971 release "Killer" that I undeniably enjoy. Alice Cooper stirs together a strange brew of the gloom of early Black Sabbath, the glam of early David Bowie, the wild energy of The Stooges, and plenty of shock tactics and obnoxious rock and roll to make a truly enjoyable listen. There is nothing too deep or profound here...from the opening notes of "Under My Wheels" you know what you're getting into. There are no pretenses. Just a great listen through and through. Yes, the music sounds very dated today, but so what? I just enjoy this album and it's hard to put my finger on why.

A few of my favorite songs are "Dead Babies" and "You Drive Me Nervous". You should pick this album up if you've ever had your doubts about Alice Cooper or if you just want a solid, somewhat strange yet rewarding retro 1970's listen.

You Drive Me Nervous - Alice Cooper

A Little Bowie from Ziggy Stardust

"The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars" (1972). My favorite David Bowie album of all time. The shadowy, gloomy, glam, the glossy, smoke-filled production, Bowie's smooth yet sepulchral voice...this album always gets me. Here's a few of my favorite, lesser known tracks from the disc. Everybody know s ''Ziggy Stardust" and "Moonage Daydream"....so I'm giving you "Five Years" and "Rock and Roll Suicide"...two very powerful tracks indeed.

IGGY POP: LUST FOR LIFE

"Lust for Life" (1977) is Iggy Pop's strongest solo album, in my opinion. It is his best work since The Stooges. It combines the adrenaline fueled madness and energy with an incredible sense of songwriting, a strong sense of melody, and a healthy underlying sense of musical experimentation. Part of this may be may be due to the musical direction and assistance of David Bowie, but "Lust for Life" sounds like a pure Iggy Pop album. He is really coming into his own sound here.

There are so many stand out tracks here. All are different and unique, and all convey a different mood. The album starts with the driving, somewhat cynical title track "Lust For Life". Then things get darker, heavier, and stranger with "Sweet Sixteen", "Some Weird Sin" and "The Passenger". The mood continues in it's downward spiral through the rest of the album. There is the seriously addictive dark pop of "Tonight" and "Success, and two truly twisted slower tracks "Turn Blue" and "Fall in Love With Me". The lyrics are strong, poetic, darkly off kilter and personal. Iggy's vocals are at their most soulful and intense. The musicianship is perfect here. Sometimes it brings to mind the work of David Bowie on "Lodger", "Low", and "Heroes", but most of the time it is pure, libido and drug driven, brilliantly sick and twisted Iggy Pop at his finest. Bowie is on backing voclas and Carlos Alamar is on guitar here. His playing adds a dark, glossy 1970's feel to the mix.

I cannot recommend this album enough. It is strong on every track...listen to it as a whole. If you like The Stooges but have been skeptical about Iggy's solo work you will be pleasantly surprised with this one. Pick this one up now. If you already have it, give it another listen.

CHRISTIAN DEATH: ONLY THEATRE OF PAIN

Christian Death's first album, "Only Theatre of Pain" (1982), is a formidable and highly original death rock album. Christian Death, fronted by vocalist Rozz Williams and guitarist Rick Agnew, drew from the darkness, drama, glam, and romanticism of 1970's David Bowie, combining it with heavy, acid-tinged doom rock. Rozz's vocals are a cross between David Bowie and something entirely of Rozz Williams' own creation. They are slightly grating and melodramatic, yet at the same time are tuneful and highly addictive. Rozz's lyrics remind me more of the surreal cut up writings of William Burroughs and the beautiful, poetic prose of Jean Genet than they do those of horror rock. Sure, Rozz's lyrics are loaded with shock value, but he pulls it off very poetically and brilliantly. Rick Agnew's guitar playing is incredible, combining the doomy riffing of Black Sabbath with frighteningly pychedelic guitar solos while retaining a strong sense of melody at the same time. This is my favorite Christian Death album. All tracks are great, but my favorite is "Spiritual Cramp", which you can listen to below. Pick this album up. It's in print, so it shouldn't be too hard to find.



If you like this album, you should pick up "Ashes" and "The Iron Mask" as well. Both great discs. Any Christian Death with Rozz Williams on vocals is good. He also released several highly original and adventurous solo and side projects. There is another version of Christian Death with Valor Hand on vocals, but the Rozz Christian Death is definitely the stronger of the two. Sadly, Rozz Williams committed suicide in April of 1998 at the age of 34. His music always will be missed.

Tubeway Army

Tubeway Army was a highly innovative band that was around from 1977-1979. Their sound was a unique fusion between punk and science fiction and the perfect blend of guitars and synthesizers. The music is coldly futuristic, catchy, and way ahead of its time. Gary Numan's bizarre, paranoid, science fiction-laced lyrics about androids and such are top notch, and sound as if they could have come from a Philip K. Dick novel. His voice is detached yet melodic and fits perfectly with the music, sounding almost like a more futuristic Bowie. The best part about Tubeway Army is the way the guitars and the cold synths work together to create a perfectly clean and hyptonic sound. Their best album is "Replicas", with their self-titled debut album coming in second. In the early 1980's, Gary Numan went solo, releasing the hit single "Cars". Though still impressive, his solo work is not a quite as strong as his work with Tubeway Army in my opinion.

Here's "Are Friends Electric?", "We Are So Fragile", and "Down in the Park", three of Tubeway Army's many great songs.

We Are So Fragile - Tubeway Army

Down In The Park - Tubeway Army