From the Inside [Import]

Another concept album from Alice Cooper, "From The Inside" was released after Alice came out of rehab for alcoholism and the themes here are addiction, insanity and depression and what it's like to be trapped "on the inside". Ironically, despite the themes, this is Alice's most accessible album to date; more piano and keyboards than ever before; middle-of-the-road, unoffensive. Knowing Alice worked with the likes of Bernie Taupin and David Foster on this album should give you an idea what you're in for. This is the Alice Cooper who was appearing on "The Muppet Show" and co-starring with Mae West in "Sextette"; this is not the Shock-Rock of 1971-72, folks. The production values are high but musically Alice seems stuck in a rut.

The funky, pulsating title song "From the Inside" possesses the identical punchy disco rhythm that would propel Donna Summer's "Bad Girls" and "Hot Stuff" to chart success a few months later. If this had been released as a single it would have been to Alice what "Miss You" was to the Stones or "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy" was to Mr. Rod Stewart.

Alice's final hit ballad was the sappy "How You Gonna See Me Now", but the superior slow numbers include "The Quiet Room" where an institutionalized Alice contemplates suicide and "Jacknife Johnny", about a shell-shocked Vietnam vet that contains the bone-chilling line "All your friends sleep in boxes while you sleep in chains".

"Serious" is a fast-pumping but unremarkable rocker; the frantic "Wish I Were Born in Beverly Hills" is much more interesting; "For Veronica's Sake" has the best arrangement of all the rockers on the album; unfortunately the lyrics (about a dog in the pound) spoil it.

This album does include a classic in the delightfully lewd rocker "Nurse Rozetta", which contains the dirtiest lyrics since "Muscle of Love". Alice's wit and humour was never more evident than in the lines "Nurse Rozetta, I won't let her, catch me peering, down her sweater" and "I'm suddenly twice my size; my pants are all wet inside".

"Inmates (We're All Crazy)" opens with a piano riff that Chicago would use for all the soundalike hits they had in the '80s that quickly dissolves into piercing "Psycho"-esque violins and cellos. Backed by a chorus of lunatics, this is perhaps the showiest piece here. IMO the worst thing Alice recorded up to this point is the duet (with a poor imitation of Olivia Newton-John--I don't know her name) "Millie and Billie". Imagine The Bells (who sang the 1971 sickly-sweet "Stay Awhile") singing the plot of "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer" and you have an idea of what you're in for. I suppose they figured the contrast between the gruesome lyrics and cute delivery would be clever, but it just doesn't work. Sorry Alice--terrible song.

Three and a half stars. Alice had done/would do much better work than this. A remastered version will be released January 2012.

Alice Cooper was one of the first hard rock stars to incorporate theatrics into his stage show. His music was the soundtrack not only to his stage shows, but to a good part of the 70's. Released in 1978, "From The Inside" is Alice's story of his stay in an insane asylum type rehab center in New York put to music. He took his experiences and the character's that went with it and put it in to album form. The original record album packaging was pretty cool. The front of the album was a picture of Alice that opened like doors and showed a recreated scene of the mad house. Inside that was another door which opened to show Alice in his "Quiet Room". The back of the album was a picture of two building doors that opened to reveal Alice and the other inmates with their release papers ready to run out.

Even more impressive than the packaging were the songs on the disc. It kicks off with the title track, a cool rocker about how Alice fell to the power of the bottle. The second song, "I Wish I Were Born In Beverly Hills" is a catchy tune about a little rich girl that ended up in the same place as Alice, rehab. "The Quiet Room" is a ballad about Alice's stay in his solitary confined padded cell.

Things pick back up with "Nurse Rosetta", a rocking tune about Alice's fantasies with the nurse. A pretty suggestive song for it's time. The next tune, "Millie and Billie" is another ballad styled song about a couple in love and doing time for the gruesome murder of Millie's husband. The next cut, "Serious" picks back up in rockin' style and tells about being a played a sucker and losing it all.

Another ballad, "How You Gonna See Me Now" is up next. One of Alice's biggest hits, Alice asks the question to his wife about what she is going to think of him after all he has been through. One of the highlights of the dics. The hard rockin' "For Veronica's Sake" talks about the parallel of Alice leaving his dog Veronica behind in the pound while he does time in rehab. The final ballad on the disc, "Jackknife Johnny" is about a Vietnam vet doing time. The album closes with "Inmates (We're All Crazy)". A mix of part ballad and part high energy rock and roll, it sung from the thoughts about the wrong doings of the inmates.

This is one excellent album from start to finish. If you like concept albums, pick this one up. Alice has done so many great albums in his time and continues today keeping up with anyone out there.

I know that this tour was taped and aired on Showtime back in 1980. I would love to see that released on DVD. It would make a great addition to the album.

I just recieved this masterpiece of insane hard rock/metal music.Alice's VERY BEST and most grusome recording.The songs are about being held in an INSANE ASYLUM and the lyrics and music reflect this......."The Quiet Room","Inmates(we're all crazy)","Jackknife Johnny","From The Inside",etc. Alice's vocals are at his most aggressive and best ever.THIS IS A MUST HAVE.