Alice Cooper's 'Road' - Album Review

There is very little to be said about Alice Cooper which has not already been said. The 75 year old rocker has been ever-present on the scene since the late 1960s, and has been influencing generations ever since - particularly due to his theatrical image and gritty, sometimes garage, approach to hard rock. Whether as the leader of the original 'Alice Cooper' band or as a solo artist, Cooper is genuine rock royalty - and his legacy is rightly put on a pedestal where it belongs. Something that I have always liked about Cooper, though, is his wish to move forward with his sound and remain fresh. Whilst certainly not as iconoclastic as someone like David Bowie, Cooper's sound has evolved quite significantly over the years - in an attempt to keep up with the times and stay relevant. I think it is fair to say that there has been some scene chasing over the the years, particularly during the 1980s and 1990s, but Cooper has often excelled at whatever sound he has turned his hand at - with his raspy voice and theatrical presence tying each era together nicely. Sound wise, though, Cooper has arguably come full circle. He has remained pretty prolific over the years, and his recent run of albums, arguably since the mid-2000s, has seen him return to a sound akin to his work in the 1970s with the original Alice Cooper band. Cooper's recent albums have certainly stripped back some of the production, bombast, and heaviness of some of those which came before - and have returned to the garage rock aesthetics of the early days, albeit with plenty of swagger and hard rock grit. Not many acts who debuted in the 1960s are still regularly releasing albums, but Cooper seems to enjoy staying creative - and last month he released his 29th overall album of original material Road. Road is both similar and different to his other recent releases. Sound wise, it is very typical of Cooper's last few albums; with a dirty glam rock stop, a raw production, and snappy songwriting; but it is different in the fact that it is his first album for a while to utilise his live band throughout. Cooper has often used his live bands on his studio albums, but over the past decade or so this tradition has been far less prevalent - with the last few albums being made by huge casts of characters including live band members past and present, trusted studio hands, and guest stars. As such, Road features fewer musicians than has been typical of late - with guitarists Nita Strauss, Ryan Roxie, and Tommy Henriksen, bassist Chuck Garric, and drummer Glen Sobel behind most of what is heard here. Roxie, Henriksen, and Garric have all contributed to some of Cooper's albums in the past - but Strauss and Sobel make their debuts in the studio here. Some of the songs were even written by the full band, but there are also collaborations here with long-time producer Bob Ezrin, Keith Nelson (Buckcherry), session ace Dick Wagner, and former live band member Kane Roberts - to name a few. Some of these names turn up on the album, too, but the focus here is very much on Cooper's live band - which is fitting given that this album was written on, recorded on, and is about the 'road'.

The album contains 13 songs, but since none of them are particularly long Road does not outstay its welcome. In fact, it is a pretty snappy piece of work - and there is a lot to enjoy here, even if the album's first half is better than its second. Kicking off with lead single I'm Alice, the album sets out its stall pretty early. Sobel's percussive drumming and some harmony guitar leads set the tone, before Cooper starts to sing over this rather sparse arrangement. The song's opening is delivered in a somewhat spoken word manner, as the drums crash around him, but the song grows as it moves along - morphing into some thing more typical with ringing guitar chords and a propelling bassline. The chorus is a throwback to some of the circus-esque moments of Cooper's past, with lots of rolling snare work recalling some of the early harder rock which grew up in the 1960s. The song is deliciously retro, but there is still plenty of weight to be found thanks to the busy drumming and the crunchy guitar tones used throughout. A brief solo and the aforementioned leads create some interest, whilst a harmony vocal-led bridge adds a slightly psychedelic sound and briefly shifts the tone. Welcome to the Show is a bit more of a straight ahead hard rocker, with a strident opening riff, which is played in a call-and-response fashion, whilst Sobel's punky drumming later keeps the verses moving at a decent click. The song is a pretty pacy one overall, and Cooper whips up plenty of energy with his gritty vocal delivery. Snappy riffing also helps to bulk out the verses, whilst some band-led harmony vocals fill a hooky pre-chorus - before the chorus proper explodes with a barrel full of hooks and percussive swagger. A blistering solo is later full of bluesy goodness, and the kinetic excitement brought by the overall arrangement is partly thanks to the understanding of these musicians who have been playing together for a number of years. All Over the World is more of a mid-paced track, but it still rocks pretty hard - albeit with a few more nods back to some of the early rock of the 1960s. The approach to backing vocals and some subtle keyboards throughout conjures up that time period. Henriksen is responsible for most of the keyboards here, and his synth horns during the chorus add some swing to the mid-paced rocker, whilst the plethora of guitar leads also featured give the track a big sound. Cooper's trademark vocal style is very much the centre of everything, though, and this is another song which features some somewhat spoken word sections - particularly during some sparser instrumental sections, but either way he sounds as good as ever. Dead Don't Dance ups the heaviness, and it is likely the album's most metal song. It was co-written by Roberts, who also adds his muscular guitar playing to the piece. He recently filled in for Strauss for a stretch of shows, so it is clear that him and Cooper hooking up again led to the creation of this rocker - and it is a great addition to the album with its grinding riff, shooting guitar leads, and a gritty vocal performance. Cooper really goes for it vocally here, his powerful performance sitting nicely against the song's darkness, whilst the shredded guitar solo, presumably from Roberts, is a high-octane look back to the 1980s. Everything hangs around a stomping chorus, though, and the track is one of my overall highlights thanks to these hooks and the massive riffing throughout.

Go Away opens with a riff which sounds a bit like Rainbow's All Night Long, but the track has plenty of 1970s grit despite this arena rock opening. There is less of the whimsical psychedelic sound which has been present on some of the songs up to this point, and instead the track is a bit punkier. Cooper has often had a punk streak in his music - and Garric's bass is arguably the most prominent instrument throughout the verses which only furthers this sound. Subtle vocal harmonies and thrashing guitar chords make up the frantic chorus, whilst there is plenty of guitar soloing as the song moves on - with plenty of fast-paced phrases adding to the punky nature. It is one of two songs here co-written by Nelson, and his songwriting style is very much evident here - with a good mix of punk, sleaze, and hard rock. Another highlight for me, though, is White Line Frankenstein, co-written by and featuring Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine; Audioslave; Prophets of Rage). It is another mid-paced hard rocker, and like Dead Don't Dance it is on the heavier side than much of the rest of the album. There is less of Cooper's garage rock aesthetic here, with Morello's main riff having a bit of a 1980s hard rock edge - which sits nicely against Sobel's punchy drumming and some choice occasional gang vocals. Morello adds a typically chaotic guitar solo to the piece, but this is a track which is more about groove - and the riffing throughout really settles in on a groove early on and never really lets up. This helps the song to snake its way through the album - with even the simple chorus making use of the same rhythms. Big Boots returns to something a bit less heavy, but there is still plenty of classic rock within the song's riffy sound - as well as more than a few nods to the British glam rock scene of the 1970s. The guitar tones used throughout, and the simple riffing, harks back to that era, whilst the barroom piano used during the chorus adds a bit of a joyful edge. The song is one of those which feels a bit off-the-cuff and throwaway, but it is anything but - and it is another one of my favourites here. The simple riffing is what makes the song stand out, and the addition of the piano adds a different edge. Cooper's vocal delivery is quite playful, too, and the shout-along chorus is one of the album's best. Rules of the Road is more up-tempo and it was co-written by Wayne Kramer (MC5) - whom Cooper has been working with quite a bit of late. Unsurprisingly, given Kramer's involvement, the song is a bit punky and harks back to those early garage rock days of the 1960s, but there is still a strong vibe throughout thanks to some of the smooth backing vocals used - as well as the shuffling drum groove throughout from Sobel. The darkly-comic spoken mid-section is very memorable, but the rest of the song is filled with lots of little hooks - so there is a lot to enjoy within the quirky riffing. The Big Goodbye ups the heaviness again, and it the last of four songs here co-written by the whole band. Garric's bass drives everything, whilst the slab-like riffing of the band's three guitarists is powerful - and makes the song stand out. There is not much riffing here which could genuinely be considered to be metal, but this song is one such piece - and it rivals Dead Don't Dance for toughness. This song is not as catchy as that one, though, as the chorus is not as hooky as it could be. It has a strong atmospheric vibe, though, which mixes well with the riffing - and it helps the chorus to stand out from the rest of the song. There is lots of guitar soloing, too, and the hard-driving rocker is, overall, another strong cut.

The album's home straight is a little on the weaker side, but nothing here is bad. Many albums are frontloaded, and Road is no different - but Road Rats Forever, co-written by Wagner, is a decent rocker. Like Big Boots, keyboards have been used here to good effect, and session man Buck Johnson's piano playing adds a different dimension to the piece. Given Cooper's big, theatrical sound, I am surprised that he has not made more use of keyboards throughout his career - but the moments where they surface here they add significantly to the song. Elsewhere, the riffing is pretty bluesy - so it is another song which sticks quite closely to the template of the early 1970s, with a strong garage rock vibe. Baby Please Don't Go is the second Nelson co-write, but it is very different to his earlier effort - as the song is an acoustic-based ballad. It is the slowest song on the album overall, but it works well to create a bit of a different atmosphere. The acoustic guitars form the basis of the song, whilst occasional bluesy guitar leads add depth. For some reason, though, Garric is not featured here - with Roger Glover (Deep Purple; Rainbow) playing the bass instead. Glover has collaborated with Cooper in the past, but this ballad seems like a strange track to bring him on board for - unless he just happened to be hanging around the studio at the time it was recorded! It is not a bad track, but I am not sure that ballads are generally Cooper's strong point - although he did lay down a decently-emotional vocal here. Perhaps the song would have worked better coming earlier in the album, where it would have been able to provide some respite from the harder riffing. The penultimate track, and final original song, here is 100 More Miles and it is a bit of a strange one. It is another somewhat slower piece, but it does not really feel like a ballad - as the track is a bit more psychedelic overall, with a strong 1960s vibe. There are quite a lot of keyboards used here to add depth, whilst the guitar playing mixes big chords during the heavier chorus and spacey melodies during the verses. It is definitely the album's most atmospheric piece, so it stands out quite a bit. The rest of the album is generally heavier, so this spookier piece does feel somewhat out of place. It is a fun diversion, though, and it does hark back to some of the artier moments of Cooper's early solo albums - as well as his 1960s releases with the original band. The album then comes to a close with a raucous version of The Who's Magic Bus, which is pretty tough - although it mixes acoustic and electric guitars throughout for depth. The band add gang vocals throughout, giving the song a live feel, whilst the mix of guitar types gives the song a massive overall sound. I am not the biggest Who fan, but Cooper does the song justice, and it very much fits the overall sound of the album thanks to the garage rock stomp throughout - as well as the theme of being on the road. Sobel is featured quite heavily towards the end, with a pretty lengthy drum solo, before the rest of the band crash back in for a final moment of riffing - as the sound of a crowd fades in and out to close out the album. It is a fun end to an album which is overall very strong. Not many artists release 29 studio albums - and even fewer have a 29th album which is as strong as Road. Cooper's recent run of albums has generally been solid, but this one might be my favourite of the lot. Using his current band was a wise move, and I hope that this is something which he continues to do again going forward - as the results here are excellent.

The album was released on 25th August 2023 via earMusic. Below is Cooper's promotional video for White Line Frankenstein.