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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
FROM THE INSIDE ... one of the best Alice Cooper releases ..., August 18, 2005
"FROM THE INSIDE"
REVIEW:
From October to December of 1977, Alice Cooper had voluntarily spent time in a New York mental hospital for treatment for his alcoholism. His three month stint at the hospital was the inspiration behind "From The Inside". All characters were loosely based on the patients he had met there. Some of the colorful characters featured here are: a wealthy teenage prostitute ("Wish I Was Born In Beverly Hills"), a religious man fantasizing about a nurse ("Nurse Rozetta"), two demented lovers who were incarecerated for killing off each other's spouses ("Millie and Billie"), a compulsive gambler ("Serious") and a tormented Vietnam veteran ("Jackknife Johnny"). Producer David Foster along with the excellent songwriting by Alice (and with 'some' assistance from Elton John's lyricist Bernie Taupin) create a fabulous concept album. Great guitar work and some lively drumming throughout propel this as one of the best Alice Cooper releases. Standouts: the title track, "Wish I Was Born in Beverly Hills," "Nurse Rozetta," "Millie and Billie," "Serious," "How You Gonna See Me Now," and "Inmates (We're All Crazy)".
MUSICIANS:
Guitars: Dick Wagner, Steve Lukather (of Toto), Rick Nielsen (of Cheap Trick), Davey Johnstone, Jefferson Kewley, Jay 'Wah Wah' Graydon
Bass Players: Kenny Passarelli, David Hungate, John Pierce, Dee Murray, Lee Skiar
Drums: Rick Shlosser, Dennis Conway, Michael Ricciardella
Percussion: Jim Keltner
Keyboards: David Foster, Fred Mandel, Robbie King
Lead Vocal: Marcy Levy - 'Millie'
Backing Vocals - Kiki Dee, Bill Champlin, Flo and Eddie, Tom Kelly, Davey Johnstone, Bobby Kimball, Marcy Levy, Sheryl Cooper, The Totally Committed Choir.
INTERESTING FACTS:
1. Released in November of 1978, "From The Inside" peaked at #68 on the Billboard Top 200. The single "How You Gonna See Me Now" peaked at U.S. #12 on Billboard singles chart.
2. In 1979, Marvel Comics released a comic book based off of the characters from this album.
3. "How You Gonna See Me Now" is based on an actual letter Alice wrote to his wife, Sheryl, while in the hospital.
PACKAGING:
Terrific album cover, as well as the back cover and the excellent inside photos are all capped off with the album's lyrics. This is certainly one of the best presentations for an Alice Cooper album.
APPROX. RUNNING TIME:
37 min.
FINAL ANALYSIS:
Excellent musicianship and tremendous lyrics all add up to a funny, twisted and even touching concept album. A must have!! ***** out of 5.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Stuck Here on the Inside Lookin' Out!, July 29, 2004
Alice Cooper has to be one of the most underrated songwriters in America. During his solo career he has created some fantastic characters, Steven from 'Welcome to my Nightmare', Former Lee Warmer on 'DaDa' and Gail on 'Raise Your Fist and Yell'. With 'From the Inside' Alice presents another group of colorful characters with a twist. This time they are based on actual people Cooper met while sobering up in an asylum. With the help of Elton John sidekick Bernie Taupin, Alice presents a concept album that sounds fresh and unique even 30 years after it's initial release. The title track, about Cooper's battle with booze, 'Serious' about a gambling addict, 'Wish I were Born in Beverly Hills' about a would-be socialite are pretty much straight ahead 70's rockers. 'Nurse Rozetta' is the highlight of the album and features a pretty heavy guitar line that forshadows Cooper's future sound. 'For Veronica's Sake' is another rocker about an inmate who is worried about his dog who has been thrown in the pound. The ballads presented here are excellent, 'How You Gonna See Me Now' is just a fantastic song, and may be Cooper's best ballad along with 'You and Me' off of 'Lace and Whiskey'. 'Millie and Billie' is a creepy little tune about murderous lovers, that hides behind a nice ballad. This is not your usual Alice Cooper fare, but it is a fantastic album and only gets better the more often you hear it. After several listens you too will be humming 'We're All Crazy...We're all Crazy...Crazy. Crazy. Crazy'
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Only Alice Cooper CD You Will Ever Need, December 20, 1999
Back in the late 70's, I was aware of Alice Cooper only because of this album. I bought it and played it until the grooves were practically worn out. Only later did I realize that Uncle Alice was the scary dude that all the kids' parents were freaked out about. And no Billion Dollar Babies or School's Out tracks compare with any single one of the cuts on this CD. This Alice is not the same guy as the one that you hear in the rest of his music. No sirree, Bob! This Alice is going thru some serious mental and physical pain and you can feel every bit of it right along with him. I can still picture "Nurse Rozetta". I can never forget "Serious". And "The Quiet Room" still haunts. Don't miss an opportunity to get yourself the Real Alice. Overlooked...definitely. Forgettable...definitely not.
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