Again, I have to ask "How do you follow up the release of an essential album? Easy - you release an equally essential album!
In 1972, the Alice Cooper Group were on top of the world, but while they could have recorded a collection of short hit single material, they continued to do it their way with another true classic mixing the hits with more complex material. This album went by the title 'Schools Out'
The album ran into problems due to the inclusion of a pair of paper panties (in pink, white or blue) which were included in initial copies of the LP in place of the usual inner sleeve as apparently they failed to comply with Trade Commission standards
The title, 'School's Out', came from an old Bowery Boys movie. entitled 'Angels In Disguise' (1948), while the song itself came when Alice was asked the question "What's the greatest three minutes of your life?". He replied: "There's two times during the year. One is Christmas morning, when you're just getting ready to open the presents. The greed factor is right there. The next one is the last three minutes of the last day of school when you're sitting there and it's like a slow fuse burning. I thought, 'If we can catch that three minutes in a song, it's going to be so big.'". It was!
Alice Cooper - Vocals and Harmonica
Neal Smith - Drums and Vocals
Dennis Dunaway - Bass and Vocals
Glen Buxton - Lead Guitar
Michael Bruce - Rhythm Guitar, Vocals, Piano and Organ
Bob Ezrin - Keyboards, Mini-Moog
Producer - Bob Ezrin
The opening song is 'School's Out', and I'm sure I don;t need to tell anyone about it! alongside The Who's @My Generation', it is the ultimate teen anthem
The single reached #1 in the UK charts in August 1872, staying there for 3 weeks
Of course it is still part of the stage show, usually being played as the final song of the evening, accompanied by Alice throwing huge balloons into the audience!
I'm not going to bother giving a list of all the films and television shows which have used it as part of their soundtrack!
The idea of having children sing on the song came from producer Bob Ezrin - a trick he used again when he produced the Pink Floyd album 'The Wall', containing the song 'Another Brick In The Wall (Part 2)'. As another strange connection here, Alice regularly performs 'Schools Out' as a medley, containing sections from 'ABITW(P2)'
01/09 - School's Out (Cooper, Bruce, Buxton, Dunaway, Smith) "Well we got no choice
All the girls and boys
Makin all that noise
'Cause they found new toys
Well we can't salute ya, can't find a flag
If that don't suit ya that's a drag
School's out for summer
School's out forever
School's been blown to pieces
No more pencils
No more books
No more teacher's dirty looks
Well we got no class
And we got no principles
And we got no innocence
We can't even think of a word that rhymes
School's out for summer
School's out forever
My school's been blown to pieces
No more pencils
No more books
No more teacher's dirty looks
Out for summer
Out 'till fall
We might not go back at all
School's out forever
School's out for summer
School's out with fever
School's out completely"
The second song on the album is 'Luney Tune ', which features additional guitar from 'Rocking Reggie Vincent'
02/08 - Luney Tune (Dunaway, Cooper) "I slipped into my jeans
Lead-hard and feelin' mean
I took a spit at the moon
It's all in this luney tune
Just a little insane
A couple shots, I can't feel no pain
Hey, where have I been?
And who are these scary men?
Is this all real?
Is this all necessary?
Or it this a joke?
Man, ya know
I don't regret at all
They locked me up for good
Pinned me against the wall
I can't find the exit
I quit lookin for doors
I stole a razor from the commissary
I just couldn't take it no more
I'm swimmin' in blood
Like a rat on a sewer floor
No longer insane
Just part of this crazy dream"
__________________
People try to put us down
Just because we get around Golly, Gee! it's wrong to be so guilty |