I plan to review one golden oldie from my collection and one relatively new release that I really enjoyed each week. I welcome any ideas, comments or ideas for future topics.
"Billion Dollar Babies" by Alice Cooper (released 1973 - remastered 2001)
"Billion Dollar Babies" is the Alice Cooper Band's musical and commercial pinnacle. Every song sparkles with the twin guitar attack of Glen Buxton and Michael Bruce. Buxton has an unerring ability to play fills and solos that perfectly complement the melody and imprint themselves indelibly in your mind. It's simply not possible to imagine any way his licks could be improved upon. "Hello Hooray" features an appropriately majestic intro to the song and the album. Alice's vocals shred on "Elected" which includes a punchy horn section. The title track is a sick rock monster showcasing terrific guitar solos by Buxton and a wild vocal assist from Donovan! "No More Mr. Nice Guy" rounds out the singles portion of the disc with more six-string ear candy and hilarious lyrics making for a pop friendly hit. Other coulda' been hits are the hard rocking "Raped and Freezin" and criminally overlooked gem that is "Generation Landslide". "Sick Things" sounds like a Nine Inch Nails outtake while the creepily exciting singalong "I Love the Dead" crowns Alice as the king of necrophilia. Parents were aghast at this music when it was released but we kids knew a good thing when we heard it. It was a Looney Tunes horror show with tongue planted firmly in cheek and the live show put it all over the top. This was a red hot band and the reissue includes a bonus disc of a great live show from 1973. If you can only own one Alice Cooper CD (a sad thought), this is the one!
"The Big Roar" by The Joy Formidable" (released 2011)
The Joy Formidable are a noise pop/rock trio from Wales and "The Big Roar" is appropriately titled. Fronted by the dynamic guitarist/singer Ritzy Bryan this band can whip things into a frenzy quickly and often with an effervescent mix of shoegaze and driving power pop. The band has a thunderous rhythm section and Bryan's fuzzed out wall of guitar noise is mesmerizing. Some highlights are the crashing beat of "The Magnifying Glass", the melodically rollicking "Austere" and the hypnotically pounding "Whirring" which climaxes in a whirlpool of sound. "Cradle" is a showcase of everything great about this band; buzzing guitars, catchy melody, head banging rhythms and great vocals. "The Greatest Light is the Greatest Shade" is a ballad that closes the album on an epic note. This is a disc that demands to be played LOUD! Live, Ritzy Bryan is as commanding a front woman as I have seen. She stalks the stage with her guitar like a woman possessed but is unassuming and has a beautifully clear voice. In the end The Joy Formidable is able to create an extremely heavy sound and yet somehow be uplifting at the same time. "The Big Roar" definitely is!
