Review: “Along Came A Spider,” Alice Cooper
It may be hard to imagine the likes of Alice Cooper alongside Donny and Marie Osmond, and the Bee Gees. Yet, in 1971, thanks to the nutty melting pot of pop radio, Alice’s “I’m Eighteen” cohabitated the upper reaches of the pop charts alongside the bubblegum acts and sensitive folkies (James Taylor). Currently in his fifth decade of performing, Alice Cooper is back with Along Came A Spider, his 25th album. And instead of having to share space with Donny Osmond, he’s staking a spot among our favorite devilish heavy rockers. This “concept” album tells the story of a fictional serial killer named Spider and features Cooper’s trademark theatrical heavy metal. The songs tell a loose story, and they’re certainly tuneful while maintaining their metal roots. The best stuff comes first: “Vengeance Is Mine,” with guitar work from Slash, rocks harder than Alice has in at least a decade and a half, and “Wake The Dead” is a close second (the song is co-written by Ozzy Osbourne, who also plays harmonica on the track). By the time we get to “Killed By Love,” it’s power ballad time – done as only Alice Cooper can do a power ballad – and it recalls Cooper’s 1970s heyday. So does “I’m Hungry,” which is a rewrite of “I’m Eighteen.” Despite such lapses, much of Along Came A Spider is at least as listenable as much of today’s best metal (Motley Crue, Heaven and Hell), much to its credit. Alice Cooper – certainly your father’s heavy metal. He may be in danger of breaking a hip, but he rocks.
