Customer Reviews

Greatest Hits (Rpkg)

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I don't have this particular cd - although i'm sure it's top notch! I am responding to A. Stewart's question about a greatest hits cd that contains the song "Poison" - yes there is one - it's called "The Best of Alice Cooper - Mascara and Monsters". It's got 22 great tracks, the last one being "Poison". I got my copy at Wal-Mart for $9.

Yes, I know Alice Cooper was capable of some amazing diversity. Just check out any one of his regular studio albums from the early to mid 70's for further proof. The guy could go from pop, to straight up rock, to old-style heavy rock, to highly unusual theatrical rock (whatever that means, haha... but seriously, don't watch any of his live concerts unless you LIKE being grossed out by his disgusting behavior).

But those albums always had one problem- they were loaded with filler. For every two or three great songs, we'd get an average one. To me, that's a problem, and I don't like listening to inconsistent albums. While the variety is commendable, I just can't get into some of his wild experiments when it comes down to it.

With this greatest hits album, not only are we getting the hits, but we're getting many of Alice's more melodic and to-the-point tracks and put onto one brilliant album. It's mostly an album for vocal melody lovers out there. You'll be sure to recognize many of the songs, while feeling totally satisfied the entire time. Worth picking up.

A 'desert island disc' in my collection: a terrific assortment from the early years (major hits and notable album cuts). Sure, some may argue for different inclusions, but my ears thoroughly enjoy this set start to finish. Trouble is though, I have listened to it so many times that my "muscle memory" kicked in when I later bought the "monsters and mascara" compilation (which has orig. 12 from '74, and a host of latter era AC). Many of the M/M tunes have different edits or mixes, so I was quite disappointed (ended up returning, to empathetic store clerk). "School's Out" on M/M ends with a fade-out (heresy!), and "Hello Hooray" noticeably butchered, for instance. If a curious new fan, M/M would be a good intro, but my familiarity lies with the original set (with it's unmatchable artwork -inside and out-: one of my top ten "album" covers. And yes I did once have the vinyl! Would be one of those I would display on my wall. Classy.) PS: Had bought M/M for "Generation Landslide", a fave from B$B, but instead will just buy THAT cd!

There is "Alice Cooper" the band and "Alice Cooper" the performer. This compilation takes the best songs (well, I would have interchanged some but this is still great) from Alice Cooper's most prolific and productive era. This is when he had that great band!

These are the tunes pulled from his best works "Love it to Death", "Killer", "Billion Dollar Babies", "School's Out" and "Muscle of Love".

After "Muscle of Love", Alice Cooper became a solo performer and the dynamic changed. He went from a singer in an excellent band to practically a cartoon character. These are his best songs (I may have taken out "Muscle of Love" and inserted "Big Apple Dreamin".)

You can buy more encompassing compilations with samples from all of his eras but this stuff is incompareable to his latter day material. This is the cream!

ALICE COOPER-GREATEST HITS: Back in the good ole daze, when rock acts only had one "best of" compilation to choose from on the market (not dozens), and ALICE COOPER was still a band, not just the man, GREATEST HITS stood head and mascara above all other offerings. The cover art alone was a mini-masterpiece...the group members in gangster gear, cavorting with MAE WEST, PETER LORRE, GROUCHO MARX, and other HOLLYWOOD icons. Inside, on satirical stompers MUSCLE OF LOVE, ELECTED, and NO MORE MR. NICE GUY, ALICE sliced and diced with barb-wired words even more effectively than they did with prop guillotines...none of that song doctored, cliche-riddled pap that made ALICE's later solo hit POISON sound like a BON JOVI cast-off. Within these dozen dirty ditties, there's nary a wasted lyric, riff, or emotion within ear-shot. AC's twin guitar attack was peppered with tone-cool aural embellishments such as BE MY LOVER's doo-woppin' backgrounds (with the oft-repeated line, "She asked me why the singer's name was ALICE"), soulful sax underpinnings on UNDER MY WHEELS, and VINCENT FURNIER's occasional harmonica stabs. Heck, hippy/folkie DONOVAN even laid down eerie backing vocals on BILLION DOLLAR BABIES. ALICE the singer purred, growled, and vamped his way through a trio of bona fide juvey delinquent anthems, I'M EIGHTEEN, TEENAGE LAMENT '74, and SCHOOL'S OUT, which all sound amazingly poignant even today. For all ALICE's shock rock imagery on stage, few of these class-sicks would make the grade at a HALLOWEEN party or horror flick soundtrack. ALICE COOPER was REALLY about forcing 70s AMERICA to take a look at itself; it wasn't very pretty, but it sure was good for a laugh.

RATING: FIVE FISTS

even after 35 years die-hard alice fans still argue over which alice cooper album is the best - proving that alice's music touches people on a very personal level. about the only thing they probably do agree on is that the alice cooper group belong in the rock and roll hall of fame (true) and alice the solo artist hasn't made a decent album since "welcome to my nightmare" (not true). while we all hold our breath for a long overdue reunion, we can take comfort in the fact that @61, alice still performs most of his classics on tour and with each new studio release proves that he at least still has a sense of humor.

if you are a fan of the group but not the solo artist, then this cd is for you but even a greatest hits album is open for debate due to the fact that fans have favorites that never reach the airwaves. "alice cooper's greatest hits" is no exception. unfortunately missing are any of the theatrical concert favorites (they probably wouldn't hold up when edited down anyway), but what we do have are 12 alice cooper group classics, opening with their breakthrough song "i'm eighteen". its followed by "eighteen's" b-side, "is it my body", which is interesting because "caught in a dream" was actually the second single released from "love it to death". off of "killer" we have "desperado", the b-side to the excellent "under my wheels", and the michael bruce penned "be my lover". i would personally substitute "desperado" with "luney tune" or even "public animal #9", since the signature title track is the singular tune represented from "school's out". "elected", "no more mr. nice guy" and "billion dollar babies" is a nice hat trick from the #1 billion dollar album but includes "hello hooray", the weakest single here. "working up a sweat" from their final release would have been a better choice. we close out this release with the "I'm eighteen" sequel "teenage lament 74", and alice's heaviest single, "muscle of love".

this was my first experience with the alice cooper group (i actually owned the eight track) and began an obsessive relationship with a true american legend. i highly recommend this, or the expanded rhino release, to anyone looking for a taste but if you're really curious over what the fuse is all about, purchase the following cds as well:

"love it to death", "killer", "school's out", "billion dollar babies", "muscle of love", "welcome to my nightmare", "from the inside", "the last temptation", "brutal planet" and his latest, "along came a spider".

Don't get me wrong, an excellent release that I first bought when it was released on vinyl. Yes the tracks have been remixed but the only thing I found strange was that most sites say the version of "Schools Out" is the single version. Well, it is the album version and slightly remixed (of course), they did put the single version on the box set and the later "Mascara" best of of which brings me to the point that this one could have had a few more tracks added, like "Gutter Cat" to name one track that could have been added(the single version "B" side with ending). The album was of course released in the age of vinyl and probably the reason for running order and time restraint. If your a fan of Alice Cooper,as I have been for years, get this one, my favorite track by him is "Hello Hooray" which they used the single version on the "Mascara" collection but in its full album version (punched up to due to the remix)& saw him on Halloween night and this one was not played & was a bit bummed out, anyway, so check it out, all the tracks are really good. I give it 4 stars.
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I think that this album is just great, but I am just curious why there is not a Best of Alice Cooper that has the song Poison, it frustrates me, so if anyone knows if there is one and I am just not finding it, please comment and tell me! Thanks :]

this is alice coopers greatest hits from 71-74.though this was his greatest time musically and in popularity it leaves alot to be desired from any except the most casual of fans.so if you our the aformentioned type of fan who is only looking for "schools out",no more mr.nice guy,eighteen and a few good album tracks then this is for you,if you are anything more than that then i reccomend the updated one disc or if your looking for the whole picture alice has a great box set.but no matter which option you pick your guaranteed great music.

Can't argue with the greatness of what's here. Only thing I wish is that they'd remaster this greatest hits collection because it's the only place to find this mix of "I'm Eighteen". The difference? more guitar, less harmonica in the intro. Being that this is the album that introduced me to Alice, I never thought the harmonica sounded right on the other version--it's just not an instrument that fits well with this band's sound.

Sometimes the remix made for the hits compilation is just the superior version: For instance, the version of The Grass Roots' "Where Were You When I Needed You" from Their 16 Greatest Hits vinyl LP, never again to appear in the U.S. It's not the hit version, but Rob Grille's vocal clearly outdoes that of the previous lead vocalist. Or "Question" by The Moody Blues as remixed for their This Is The Moody Blues compilation, also (at least arguably) superior to the version played on radio. While that compilation remains neglected in terms of remastering, the song in retooled form was included as a bonus track on the latest remaster of A Question Of Balance. Kate Bush's "Wuthering Heights" was given a second go with a vocal most consider far more appealing than that of the original version. And so it is with this Greatest Hits version of "I'm Eighteen." It's not the version played on radio, but it should be. It sounds to my ears more like classic Alice Cooper. Wish I could hear it in all its remastered glory.