If there ever was an artist to record an album centered around the misadventures of life on the road, it’s Alice Cooper. The godfather of shock rock has been touring virtually nonstop for 55 years, longer than most of us have been alive. Sure, there was that brief period in the ’80s where he stepped out of the spotlight, and this nasty little thing in 2020 known as COVID, but aside from that, Cooper has been unstoppable. Hang him, stab him, electrocute him, decapitate him: You can’t kill the Coop, and the world is better off because of it!
Those who have paid close attention to Cooper in interviews of late are aware that Road was years in the making. The concept was simple: A collection of old school rockers chronicling all the aspects of road life, written and performed alongside his touring band. Yes, despite playing with these musicians night after night for over a decade now, this is the first time Alice has recorded a full length album with his live band, and I hope it’s not the last. Whereas the last Coop album, Detroit Stories, came off as an uneven “Alice and Friends” release, Road feels much more cohesive, natural, and stronger all around.
Like most of Cooper’s solo oeuvre, the lyrical content on Road is very tongue in cheek, bordering on the absurd. From groupies (“Go Away”) and truck drivers (“White Line Frankenstein”), to roadies (“Road Rats Forever”) and the Coop himself (“I’m Alice”), no stone is left unturned in this high volume tale of rock n’ roll dreams and nightmares. There’s no shortage of stripped down hard rock which put Cooper on the map 50+ years ago, showcased prominently on cuts like proto-punk rager “Welcome to the Shy”, downhome Detroit groove n’ roller “All Over the World”, and Stonesian sleaze rocker “Big Boots” (You can guess the innuendo there).
Equally as strong are the outliers, which have played a key part in Cooper’s musical narrative since School’s Out (1972). “Dead Don’t Dance” and “The Big Goodbye” are the obligatory metal crunchers, the former featuring ’80s guitarist Kane Roberts and bordering on Trouble style doom with its pummeling riffage. Oh what I would do to hear those two collaborate on a full length again. The dirty aggression of “White Line Frankenstein” feels like a throwback to the eternally underrated Muscle of Love (1974). And then we have the tremendous “100 More Miles”, which channels the eerie pomp of From the Inside. Are we sure David Foster didn’t have a hand in this one? This is hands down my favorite song on the album, and easily my favorite Cooper song since the equally sublime “The Sound of A” off Paranormal (2017).
From a musical perspective, teaming up with the musicians who know him best (outside of the original Alice Cooper band, that is) was the smartest move Cooper has made in a while. Even the mood of the album feels like that of a band proper, and not so much a solo outing. With the exception of a couple sleepers (Did we really need a half-baked rendition of The Who’s “Magic Bus”?), Road keeps up the pace and is yet another fine entry in the Cooper canon. Even at the age of 75, this is the sound of a man (and band) with a “Long Way to Go”.
7 out of 10
Label: earMUSIC
Genre: Hard Rock
For fans of: KISS, Aerosmith, AC/DC