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ALICE COOPER
Road
earMusic
www.alicecooper.com

Road is the latest album by legendary rocker ALICE COOPER. It is his 29th studio album overall, and the first album written and recorded with his current live band; guitarist Ryan Roxie, bassist Chuck Garric, guitarist Nita Strauss, drummer Glen Sobel, and guitarist Tommy Henriksen. Road was produced by longtime Alice Cooper collaborator Bob Ezrin.

It took a little while for me to warm up to the opening track "I'm Alice". When it came out as a single, I thought it wasn't the best choice for a stand alone. In the context of the entire album, it makes a lot more sense. I still don't see it being more than a live show opening song for the current tour. "Welcome To The Show" pops with Glen Sobel's drum work. The song has a great early '70s Rock vibe. With three guitarists on the album, it's tough to figure out who's doing what.

"All Over The World" is an upbeat ode to all of the devoted ALICE COOPER fans around the globe. The chorus is quite catchy and throws in a couple call-back lyrics to past Cooper tunes. Former guitarist Kane Roberts makes a guest appearance on "Dead Don't Dance". A devoted fan can only hope he used the machine gun guitar he had in the 80s on this bluesy track.

"Go Away" tells the tale of an obsessive groupie. The track is loaded with fuzzy guitars courtesy of Strauss, Roxie, and Henriksen. I'm not sure I quite understand ALICE COOPER's fascination with Frankenstein. He's had at least two songs I can think of off the top of my head with that name in the title, and now he has a third. Alice shows why he is the consummate storyteller on "White Line Frankenstein". Is this guitar heavy track insight on how the road crew get the equipment to the next show?

It wouldn't be an ALICE COOPER album without a bit of levity and innuendo. The crew runs into a waitress at a run down diner and can't get enough of her "Big Boots". Hopefully this song makes it into the live set, because there are many comical stage presentation options here. "Rules of The Road" is a how-to on becoming a rockstar, and the burn out and eventual death that will follow.

While a lot of the album to this point is a throwback to that '70s sound of ALICE COOPER, "The Big Goodbye" takes things into the '80s with big riffs, big hooks, and over the top choruses. Lyrically the song recalls the all too common one night stands on tours during that time period. "Road Rats Forever" is an anthemic track that acts as a sequel to the ALICE COOPER song "Road Rats" from the 1980 MEAT LOAF starring movie Roadie.

"Baby Please Don't Go" is another classic ALICE COOPER ballad, full of emotion and accented by acoustic & electric guitars. DEEP PURPLE's Roger Glover handles bass duty for this song. I was a bit surprised it took this long to get to the ballad. "100 More Miles" bounces back and forth in tempo, as Alice laments about finally getting to return to home.

The album ends with a cover of Magic Bus" by THE WHO. While it seems like an appropriate track to close out the album's theme, it also feels like filler. ALICE COOPER has done covers before, but it's not very often. Included with the album is a DVD of the band's 17 song set at the 2022 HELLFEST festival in Clisson, France.

Road stands out as one of ALICE COOPER's best albums of the last 15 years. The songs are catchy, witty, and full of the Rock and Roll spirit of the '70s and '80s.

4.7 Out Of 5.0