Cooper, Alice - Lace And Whiskey - CD

 

 

Create your own review

Proof that no matter how drunk Alice Cooper got, he was still capable of putting out a better album than most bands at the time. There are a few songs I frequenty skip, but there a plenty I can't live without. "It's Hot Tonight," "Lace and Whiskey," "You and Me," "(No More) Love At Your Convenience," and "I Never Wrote Those Songs" are Alice items that shouldn't be missed. The worst thing about this disc is the poor quality. "Road Rats" on the box set sounds like a different song. Every track should be given the same justice. Especially "My God," one of Alice's all time forgotten gems.

Not regarded as one of Alice's best, but it's so much more than an interesting find. It's too bad the stage will never see Alice as private eye Maurice Escargot again...

I see a few people critasize this album, But i'd say they are just those fans that think Alice Cooper never did anything decent since the original band broke up.

Well, i'm a fan of ALL eras of Alice. And I must say that I went out on a limb when purchasing this, but i'm glad to say I'm not disapointed!

Sure, this isnt Alice's best work. But its defnitly somthing I'd recomend you listen to if your into Alice. I would recomend other Alice titles as opposed to this one, and I wont tell you this is a MUST HAVE album! But it certinly is a very underrated rock album!

It's god some great tunes and Alice has written some great songs here, my fav would be "no mor elove at your conveniance" but why do you care whats my fav?

The album has some funny moments too, I think it gets put down by alot of people because they dont get the humour of the album, Alice mocks a few of the BALLED bands of the time when this was released around mid 70's. And some pretty funny stuff caught me off guard that just reminds you that Alice Cooper is not about trying to win awards for his music, he's just having fun.

Probably only the Alice fan of any era would enjoy this album. I wouldnt recomend this as a starting album, or one of the top tating must have albums, like i said before. But it does have some great rock tunes, some nice contruction to the songs and some fun rockin tunes.... it really is more an album that will play more on your own personal taste then anything else, to me, its a pretty good album.

Only the die hard fans of the original Alice Cooper band who wont accept that Alice has gone onto do better things will tell you this album is bad. Or the people who didnt get the humour that Alice provided through the album. but for the fan of ANY era of Alice will enjoy Alice singing some 50's sounding rock, and some other types of rock that only Alice could make fun to listen to on an album released after there day. But saying that, it dosent mean Alice is experimenting with other styles here!

Bottem line, its not the must have album, but it is a pretty good album for the A.C fan!

Fans have been divided on Alice Cooper's 1977 album "Lace and Whiskey" for decades. Personally, I love the way this album follows the pattern set by the previous release of a few kickass rockers, a few theatrical Broadway-type numbers, a trendy discoesque effort and a couple ballads. Alice's next few albums would also follow this formula to varying levels of success.

The terrific opener "It's Hot Tonight" is a dirty, sweaty grind that would have been equally at home on "Alice Cooper Goes to Hell".

Next, we get the one of the album's best in the upbeat, Phil Spectorish "Lace and Whiskey" in which Alice reveals his two vices--alcohol and women--as '60s-style background vocals la-la-la in the background.

The equally great keyboard-driven "Road Rats" possesses fierce start-and-stop drumming, borrows a guitar line from the galloping Act I of "Halo of Flies", has a great instumental passage and has a slightly darker sound while the lyrics are an homage to the roadies.

"Damned If You Do" has Alice experimenting with a country/rock fusion which turns out surprisingly well, even if it's not one of my favorites here.

"You and Me" was a huge Top-Five ballad and while it is a little sappy and sentimental (for Alice), it's catchy and easy to see why millions of teenage romantics ate this up back in '77.

"King of the Silver Screen" is an overblown, gaudy, extremely fun romp that explores Alice's fascination with old-time Hollywood (in which Fred Astaire, King Kong, Bing Crosby, Bob Hope and "Gone With the Wind" receive honorable mention). Unlike the mess of some of the "School's Out" album, by now Alice has perfected the fusion of rock and theatre topped off with his tongue-in-cheek humour. Halfway through the song, his character screams "I'm tired of closets" and admits to his fellow construction workers that he loves makeup and dresses and will "make somebody a great little wife". It's a great performance with Alice projecting total liberation by its end.

"Ubangi Stomp" is an okay rockabilly ditty--nothing special.

"(No More) Love at Your Convenience" is disco-tinged, and even has xylophone! But hey, it WAS 1977 and I love the versatility Alice shows on this song. It's got great production values and reminds me of Carl Carlton's "Everlasting Love".

"I Never Wrote Those Songs" is an introspective ballad with strings and sax. Listen close and you can hear how this one borrows from 1971's "Second Coming".

"My God" is another theatrical number that sort of reminds me of "Jesus Christ Superstar", with its organ and religious overtones.

There's more piano on this album but it's still a far cry from Elton John or Billy Joel. "Lace and Whiskey" is a solid and varied Alice Cooper release that I consider his second-best solo album of the '70s. A newly remastered version is due out January 2012.

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review

› See all 22 customer reviews on Amazon.ca

 

5.0 out of 5 stars Alice Cooper's Greatest Album of the 1970s...
In 1977, Alice Cooper released his greatest album of the 1970s. This album is one of Alice Cooper's greatest solo efforts to date. Read more

Published on Sep 7 2003 by Sean Parauka

4.0 out of 5 stars Look at that "S" Car Go!
This one gets a bad rap, and it's almost totally forgotten except by those who were big into Alice when this originally came out. Read more

Published on April 15 2003 by Stanley Runk

3.0 out of 5 stars Watching the Detectives...Don't get Cute
Something went very wrong after "Welcome To My Nightmare." After the story of Steven and his trips into Bad Dream Land, Alice came up with a new character, Detective Maurice... Read more

Published on Jan 26 2003 by Tim Brough

3.0 out of 5 stars Should be remastered and remixed
What a strange record this is. I hadn't listened to this since it came out (I lost the vinyl years ago), and, for some reason, had to have it again for "It's Hot Tonight. Read more

Published on May 31 2002 by Greg

2.0 out of 5 stars Shameful Disco Alice
This would be the last Alice Cooper album that Bob Ezrin would poduce before returning on Da Da in 1983. Read more

Published on May 26 2002 by deadbabies

4.0 out of 5 stars A weird, but wonderful collection
This album gets a lot of flack, but it has always charmed me. The title Track is a great look at alcholic self-denial (I'll wind up swearin', drunk and dyin'--but that's a long... Read more

Published on Mar 5 2002 by Psychedelic Cowboy

1.0 out of 5 stars Alice at the bottom
I had the original vinyl "album". I could not believe that this was the same maestro that did Killer, Billion Dollar Babies, Schools Out, Nightmare and other great... Read more

Published on Sep 19 2001 by petej

3.0 out of 5 stars SOMEONE PLEASE REMASTER THIS!!!!!!
Not sounding like I am restating what's allready been said, this album totally sucks but at the same time has some incredible moments of brilliance. Read more

Published on Aug 17 2001 by maxxroach

1.0 out of 5 stars Just too painful -- My God!
You know, there's a reason why Alice doesn't do much of his solo period work live in concert anymore. So much of it is pitiful -- and he knows it. Read more

Published on July 20 2001 by T. Gore

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Master's Best !!!
Alice Cooper has always followed the fashion: Psychodelic Rock of late '60's, Hard Rock in the early '70's; Pop Rock (Disco) in late '70's; New Wave of the early '80's; Heavy... Read more

Published on Feb 18 2001 by Dmitri

Search Customer Reviews
Only search this product's reviews

› See all 22 customer reviews on Amazon.ca

Search Listmania!