Gotta Love Alice Cooper
351981
I was one of the lucky people who got to see the tv show of this album.  Remembering that this was before MTV, seeing someone that was considered to be somewhat of a rebel and counterculture on tv at that time was incredible.  Naturally I ran out and bought the (vinyl) album.
And what an album.  Not quite like his previous albums, "Nightmare" had a few softer touches, most notably "Only Women Bleed", a song about how women in general at that time were considered second class citizens.
There are more highlights.  "The Black Widow" has a narrated opening by the incomparable Vincent Price, preceding Michael Jackson's "Thriller" by quite a few years.  My general rule of thumb is that just about anything that Vincent Price ever did on vinyl is excellent, and this narration is perfect for the album and as a lead-in to the song.
Listen to the end of "Department of Youth" cranked up really loud.  As the sound is fading Alice Cooper asks the children who has the power, they answer that they do, then Alice asks who gave them the power, with the expectation that it would be Alice Cooper.  The children answer "Donny Osmond", setting Alice into a frenzy, a hilarious fadeout.
"The Awakening" is a bit of a chiller that implies the singer has killed his wife.  All seriousness here, and one of the best songs on the CD.
"Cold Ethyl" is pure laughs.  Macabre laughs yes, but laughs nonetheless.  Cold Ethyl is his lover, but she's cold because she's dead and in the refrigerator.  As long as you can handle the subject, the song should make you smile.
"Devil's Food" and "Stephen" have some rocking moments more characteristic of Alice Cooper, and are both good as well.
"Some Folks" and "Welcome to My Nightmare" are both good, though each has a mainstream feel to the music though the lyrics are anything but.  Perhaps Alice was trying for the contrast between the lyrics and music to give the songs a bit of surrealism.  both are enjoyable.
"Years Ago" has Alice talking in a little boy voice in a song that implies something sinister.  The song is okay and somewhat unique, but really provides the lead-in to "Stephen".  While "Years Ago" might put you off a little at first, listening to it and then "Stephen" you realize that the two go together, almost as part I and II of the same song.
"Escape" caps off the original album.  "Escape" was always a puzzler for me, because it seems to be a bit out of step with the rest of the album.  Partially it's due to the lyrics:
"Where am I running to,
There's no place to go.
Just put on my makeup,
and get me to the show."
The way Alice sings these lyrics sounds more like The Beatles than Alice.  It's good, but unlike Alice.
The 70s was such a great time for unique albums, and this one was one of those.  I've listened to this album dozens of times.  I hope I'm listening to it 20 (or 30) years from now.  Alice was such a character with a lot of talent to entertain, sometimes amuse.  Some of the songs were really different, and the guest appearance by Vincent Price is a must-have for any Vincent Price fan.  What are you still doing reading this review?  If you are intrigued, go buy the CD!
2328396
For any Alice cooper fan Special Forces is a great album from 1981, it is well worth the purchase.
304481
Overall I was very pleased with the CD. Alice Cooper did a great job with Eleanor Rigby. There were some changes to the original recordings such as Lady MaDonna but was good.
2944365
OK, so this isn't the best Love album, but it's still a must have for Arthur Lee fans. Hendrix fans should check this out for "The Everlasting First"(lead guitar). Stand Out has always been one of my favorite tunes although the best version of that song is on the very rare Live/Studio album. "Keep on Shining" is good too and "Slick Dick" is quite amusing.
2639009
This 1983 release of Alice Cooper, "Dada" is the Cooper album that is the most forgotten. It's a shame that it is now nearly out of print and many of Alice's fans haven't had the chance to listen to a good album like this. Through the early 80's, Alice was experimenting a lot of different musical sounds and the result was an album that is more straight-foward that it's predessecor of 1982, "Zipper Catches Skin." It's not as experimental as it predessecor. The music is definately more unified. There are some really Cooper classics that never got the credit they deserved.
As an introduction to Alice's new album and new sound, the title track is a spooky one. There are no lyrics except for a child saying "Dada...Dada...Dada!" The ghostly drum beat even gives it an even more scary sound. The next track, "Enough's Enough" is a catchy tune. It's got a good solid riff and the lyrics are great. Alice sings this song in a swinging mood. It's a classic. Then we go to the semi-ballad, "Former Lee Warner." This is about a child's little brother locked in a dark and lonely attic and how the child doesn't want to end up in the attic like his brother, Former Lee Warner.
A few tracks later you get to the two best songs on the album, "Scarlet and Sheba" and "I Love America." The first one, "Scarlet and Sheba" is an outstanding tune. The lyrics are about a man (Alice) with two girls who he is in love with. The chorus line is really great if you listened to it. They go like, "I just want your body, Sheba. I don't want your brains. You lock me up in chains. Scarlet gets the rest of my...remains." The track is semi-slow but fantastic. Now we get to "I Love America." This is a very humerous track and the lyrics are genious. Alice just sings in the lyrics all the things he loves about America: Food, Cars, Fireworks on the 4th of July, etc. Of course the chorus line is, "I LOVE AMERICA!" This is a great song that represents the whole country and is full of national pride. It's definately the best song on the album. This is the song that makes the album great.
For those Alice Cooper fans that don't have this album yet in your Cooper collection, buy it now before France stops making them because they're no longer available in the US. It's full of fun, exciting and spooky tunes. This is the Alice Cooper album of the early 80's that is the most forgotten and shouldn't be. So don't forget about it before it's gone. Buy it now and let Alice entertain you with this album and "I Love America."
1307021
I cannot be considered a hardcore Alice in Chains fan, but I have always appreciated their music and was very sad when Layne Staley died in 2002 and then Mike Starr last year (2011).  I don't care how many incarnations there are of Alice in Chains, it's not the same without them.

With that said, I picked this up because I loved their music and it brings me back to better times, but what pleasantly surprised me was that I liked every minute of this video (yes, even the shots of the atrocious kitchen sink).  Their dedication to their music was obvious, the devotion of their core fans crystal clear, and that passion came through in every video.

I was used to hearing many of these songs on the radio as a teen, but watching these videos all these years later was a pleasant experience.  It's always interesting listening to music with older ears because you have a tendency to regret not appreciating it more at the time it came out.  That's what happened to me with "Video Bank."

Unfortunately, I fell into that category of labeling Alice in Chains as just another grunge/alternative band from Seattle, but that was a huge mistake.  In reality, they put out some damned good music (along with the rest of the Seattle supergroups) that fails to sound dated over 20 years later.

This is one of the best video compilations I've ever seen (and I've seen quite a few).  I like the way there are two videos, then concert footage or home video, then one or two more videos, etc.  The whole thing was very well put together and I'd recommend it to anyone who's either a hardcore Alice in Chains buff or someone just discovering their music.  - Donna Di Giacomo
3913327
If you like Alice in Chains and do not have this CD, then BUY it!
I've always like their music but I never really listened to this CD until on a road trip to Mammoth Mountain. My cousin had it in his SUV and once I listened to it, I had to buy it.
It's a short CD, but it's worth the money. Too bad they broke up.
2289476
For those of you who might remember, this was the show that MTV had broadcast on Halloween night, 1986. Later it was put out on VHS. After a four year break, Alice had apparently decided to give his fans what they wanted, a return to the 'old Cooper type' show. Seventeen cuts here to thrill and amaze you. This is the tour that Kip Winger was on bass. Tracks that made this concert so worthy were the opener "Welcome To My Nightmare", "No More Mr. Nice Guy", "Be My Lover", "Cold Ethyl", "Ballad Of Dwight Frye", the rarely performed (anymore) "Sick Things", "I Love The Dead" and "School's Out". There are also three tunes from his new (at the time) 'Constrictor' album. Good picture and sound quality. A must-have for all Alice Cooper fans, completists and collectors alike.
3102626
This is one of those that every true Alice Cooper fan must have.  Great record with great songs that is not to be missed.
624046
This is awesome band Definitely go see him if you get a chance The blu-rays okay I think it's an older version transferred from DVD or tape. it's got all the good songs on it and fun to watch but it would be nice if they had a newer cooler version of their concerts, you know like get a director and all that jazz. Jane's Addiction was headlining for Alice in Chains and I definitely enjoyed Jane more than I enjoyed Alice
1181706
Well, to start off with, it's a "greatest" or "best of" album.  Which always means your favorite song of all time isn't going to be on there.  But chances are that if you're buying an Alice Cooper album, this isn't your first.  I'd be guessing that most people buying this are just upgrading to it because it's been remastered so that it doesn't sound like analog trash.
The one thing I couldn't understand about this album was why it did all songs from the 1970's, and then tacked on three from the eighties at the end.  It seems a little odd to me why they didn't just pick a few more 70's tracks, or make a completly separate "Best of the 80's" collection.  Or throw on one or two more 80's songs.  I believe they had the space on the disc.
It's still pretty good for a "best of" album, and doesn't throw in any dud or filler songs.  And it isn't skimpy with the music either.  It has some nice liner notes, and some pretty pictures.  The only protests I have against it are that it tries to, but doesn't cover the entire discography of Alice Cooper.  And the picture on the cover looks like a drunken, ugly Elvis to me.  Oh well.
2253734
There seem to be two types of Cooper fans: those that love the band from 'Love It To Death' onwards as radio friendly overhyped shock rockers and those that prefer the early genesis of the band from '66-'68, first as garage band (Spiders) and later on as psych metal monsters (Nazz, Earwigs). This lp will appeal to the latter.  This lp is loaded with intricate, heavy and downright freaky arrangements that defy description. You'll hear lots of great feedback laden guitar work ala Jefferson Airplane and Electric Prunes, spacy and very freaky arrangements ala early Pink Floyd and the Deviants. However most songs are very well crafted and highly melodic with absolutely great lyrics. The best track 'Living' to me rates as one of the best metal-psychedelic rockers ever recorded, in a class with the Factory's 'Try A Little Sunshine', worth picking up just for this track alone. There is a freakout factor evident on almost every cut which is why some liken it to Zappa and Beefheart as well. If you like spacy/freakout lp's like Twink - Think Pink or the Deviants debut lp, this lp is for you. But your average Cooper fan is advised to stay clear of this one.
3572027
A must for any true Alice Cooper fan!  Michael Bruce was arguably the musical genius behind the original Alice Cooper group, and it shows in Michael's music.  This is a double CD with some original songs and some remakes of old Alice favorites.
422134
Someone once summed up the 80s in one word, "tacky." If you follow that line of thinking then this is the quintessential 80s album. It's delightfully tacky. It's very witty and upbeat. The funny thing about this album is that it is the perfect Alice Cooper albums for people who don't like Alice Cooper. The music is very different from the hard rock of the early 70s, the smooth pop of the late 70s or the heavy metal rumble of the late 80s that he is known for. No ... this is feel good bubblegum music-- which is not something most fans of hard rockers are looking for. But putting lables aside-- I LOVE THIS ALBUM!

Zorro's Ascent has some really polished guitar work.

The dark I Am The Future is the keyboard/synth heavy ballad.

Adaptable is a light rocker that gives a "you are here" commentary on 1982 pop culture. My favorite line: "I would do anything for you/leave a craps table for you/on a winnin' streak."

I Like Girls and Remarkably insincere are toe tapping ditties about the world's worst boyfriend/lover and coins the phrase, "oink off."

Tag You're It is the necessary weird Alice moment. This song is about a tribute to the teen slasher films that permeated the theatres after the success of Halloween and Friday the 13th. It alone makes the album worth it.

Make That Money is a song dedicated to Scrooge, but really tags the 80s pretty hard as does I Better be Good.

No Baloney Homosapiens is his tribute to Steve and E.T. and is just a wacky little song with a spacey riff about visiting aliens who have humans on their menu: "Look just 'cuz you got more ears and more eyes/that just gives you more places to cry."

I'm Alive (That Was The Day My Dead Pet Returned To Save My Life is a fast paced feel good look at the tabloid press that was exploding at grocery counters everywhere.

All in all, this is a feel-good, upbeat, peppy little 80s time capsule. If you missed it the first time around, do yourself a favor and give it a try. I'll bet you'll find yourself rather adaptable to it.
1304507
Like the Indigo Girls. I have most of their albums. Their live sets are fantastic. Foot-stomping lyrics and music to enjoy.
31909
This is a wonderful CD . Alice in Chains is showing their staying power as a band and great musicians.
As you listen to "The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here " you can hear the maturity of the band, yet still keeping the edgy music that brought them to fame in the early days. Great Job AIC!
1807901
Alice's latest DVD, Theater of Death-Live at Hammersmith 2009, shows that He's still got it, both as a showman, and a Rock Star!
A "best of" set list showcasing some of the greatest Cooper songs, and a show that gives us a taste of the many "Deaths" Alice has "suffered" throughout the years.  A fun concert experience for fans old and new!