I bought my first records in 1976. Details are sketchy but I remember going to the department
store in my small midwestern town with my Mom and choosing Blue Oyster Cult's "Agents of Fortune" and Alice Cooper's "Welcome To My Nightmare." I liked them both but the Alice Cooper record was perfect, it was ghoulish and cartoony and totally rocked. Little did I know that, as an artist, Coopers best years were already behind him.
store in my small midwestern town with my Mom and choosing Blue Oyster Cult's "Agents of Fortune" and Alice Cooper's "Welcome To My Nightmare." I liked them both but the Alice Cooper record was perfect, it was ghoulish and cartoony and totally rocked. Little did I know that, as an artist, Coopers best years were already behind him.
The early 70's were very kind to Alice and his band; their "School's Out" record from 1972 made its way to #2 in the charts and 1973's "Billion Dollar Babies" LP made it all the way to #1, making the band international superstars. Their brand of FM ready hard rock and tawdry subject matter struck a chord with thousands of kids. You can still hear songs from these records on most classic rock stations today.
But, before all that, in 1969, the band released their first record, "Pretties For You" and, despite it's many faults, it's a record worth hearing. Released on Frank Zappa's Straight record label, the record finds the band dabbling in a mix of genres, from straight up blues
based rock and roll to a slightly deranged brand of psychedelia. The records abysmal production only adds to it's mystique.
I'll admit that things don't start off well. The records opener, "Titanic Overture" is a pretentious piano number the band probably thought was deep at the time but now sounds silly. It's not until the third song, "Swing Low, Sweet Cheerio" that the band begins to find it's stride. It's a guitar and harmonica based number that descends into a Hendrixesque jam that nearly loses control, then grabs itself from the abyss with some excellent guitar work from Glen Buxton. Further on in side one comes the record's high point. "Living" features a rolling guitar lead by Buxton that is truly transcendent. It's the first glimmer of real melody to make it's way to the record. It's reminiscent vocally of Pink Floyd's work from the same era but rocks in a way that Pink Floyd could never muster. Side one ends on a high note with the five minutes of heaviness that is "Fields of Regret." It's here where you get an inkling of the FM rock sound the band perfected only a few years later.
If you listen closely to "Reflected", which comes smack in the middle of side two, you can hear a few parts that were eventually reworked and show up in the bands first single from 1973 called "Elected." I prefer this version though for it's raw guitar work, with Buxton's solos jumping out of the mix gracelessly. There's a franticness here that's missing in the later version.
There is a certain feeling of drug fueled innocence that pervades this entire record, from the amateurish production to haphazard execution of the songs. It's the sound of a band barely keeping it together. It's almost as if, when they got into the studio they just started experimenting. They threw some sounds against the wall and waited to see what would stick. Five songs on the record clock in at under 2 minutes; almost unheard of for a rock band in 1969 and further evidence of the band's whimsical approach in the studio.
It's true that there are a few headscratching moments but they just add to the shambolic beauty of the record. With Zappa's approval and clout behind them the band, clearly thrilled to be in the studio, roam free, seemingly unconcerned about the results. They don't make records that sound like this anymore.
But, before all that, in 1969, the band released their first record, "Pretties For You" and, despite it's many faults, it's a record worth hearing. Released on Frank Zappa's Straight record label, the record finds the band dabbling in a mix of genres, from straight up blues
based rock and roll to a slightly deranged brand of psychedelia. The records abysmal production only adds to it's mystique.I'll admit that things don't start off well. The records opener, "Titanic Overture" is a pretentious piano number the band probably thought was deep at the time but now sounds silly. It's not until the third song, "Swing Low, Sweet Cheerio" that the band begins to find it's stride. It's a guitar and harmonica based number that descends into a Hendrixesque jam that nearly loses control, then grabs itself from the abyss with some excellent guitar work from Glen Buxton. Further on in side one comes the record's high point. "Living" features a rolling guitar lead by Buxton that is truly transcendent. It's the first glimmer of real melody to make it's way to the record. It's reminiscent vocally of Pink Floyd's work from the same era but rocks in a way that Pink Floyd could never muster. Side one ends on a high note with the five minutes of heaviness that is "Fields of Regret." It's here where you get an inkling of the FM rock sound the band perfected only a few years later.
If you listen closely to "Reflected", which comes smack in the middle of side two, you can hear a few parts that were eventually reworked and show up in the bands first single from 1973 called "Elected." I prefer this version though for it's raw guitar work, with Buxton's solos jumping out of the mix gracelessly. There's a franticness here that's missing in the later version.
There is a certain feeling of drug fueled innocence that pervades this entire record, from the amateurish production to haphazard execution of the songs. It's the sound of a band barely keeping it together. It's almost as if, when they got into the studio they just started experimenting. They threw some sounds against the wall and waited to see what would stick. Five songs on the record clock in at under 2 minutes; almost unheard of for a rock band in 1969 and further evidence of the band's whimsical approach in the studio.
It's true that there are a few headscratching moments but they just add to the shambolic beauty of the record. With Zappa's approval and clout behind them the band, clearly thrilled to be in the studio, roam free, seemingly unconcerned about the results. They don't make records that sound like this anymore.
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