And now we come to the end of '
Schools Out'
The penultimate track is entitled '
Alma Mater' and it is the perfect end to the school theme of the album
Once again there is a nod of the head to a previous song, with the "I wanna get out of here" line from "The Ballad Of Dwight Frye"
The song mentions both Camelback and Cortez high school`s. This is because everyone in the band went to Cortez, apart from Neal Smith, who attended Camelback
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
08/09 - Alma Mater (Smith)
"Rain is falling down my cheek
Searching for the sea
Tomorrow, like the rain
I'll be back home again
I watch the bus
As it pulls out of view
Someday like that bus
I will be leavin' too
But you know
It breaks my heart
To leave you
Camelback
My high school
And now, alone
Cryin' in my beer
'Cause old friends said "Goodbye"
I guess I'll be leavin too
But you know
It breaks my heart
To leave you
Cortez
I'll miss you
Yes I will
Yes I will
You know I will
Yes I will
Yes I will
You know I will
Well so long (so long)
Everybody (everybody)
I hope that I would see you again (again)
Goodbye (goodbye)
Everybody (everybody)
I finally grew up
They finally let me out of school
Hey, remember the time - 'member the time
We took that snake and we, we put it down little Betsy's dress?
Now I don't think Miss Axelrod was much impressed
Now I don't think Miss Axelrod was much impressed
Well I don't think Miss Axelrod was much impressed
Oh, goodbye (goodbye)
Everybody (everybody)
I hope that I would see you again (again)
So long (so long)
Everybody (everybody)
How do you like that
They finally let me out of school
Goodbye (goodbye)
Ah, I wanna get out of here (So long)
They let me out of school ( I finally got out of school)
How 'bout that, uh?
Goodbye
Hey, goodbye, guys
Maybe I'll see -
Maybe I'll see you around some time, uh?
'Ey, don't make a stranger of yourself, uh?
Remember the Coop, uh?
May -
I ho -
I hope - you don't - forget me or nothin'
Goodbye"
The final song on the album is '
Grande Finale'', which is an instrumental.
To celebrate the release and success of the album, the band held a press party at Chessington Zoo, south of London. However, apparently the stripper they had hired for the party wasn't very good, so Stacia, the exotic dancer for 'Hawkwind', was happy to takeover!
09/09- Grande Finale (David, Bernstein, Ezrin, Cooper, Smith, Dunaway, Buxton, Bruce))
"Pow"
The UK tour to promote 'Schools Out' consisted of a date at the Scotland Green's Playhouse, Glasgow on Nov 10th, 1972...and that was it!
Review
This was to be the last time that the Alice Cooper Group appeared live in the UK. As a solo artiste, Alice would return three years later in 1975 for the 'Welcome To My Nightmare' tour, but more of that later
A sample setlist for the 'School's Out' tour consisted of:
- Instrumental Intro
- Public animal # 9
- Caught in a Dream
- Under My Wheels
- Be My Lover
- I'm Eighteen
- Is It My Body-My Very Own
- Halo of Flies
- Gutter Cat Vs The Jets
- Street Fight
- Killer
- Long Way To Go (which was later replaced with 'Elected')
- School's Out
*Note - in revisiting this album, I think I might have been a bit hasty in describing it as being essential. Yes, there are some very good songs on it, but on the whole, I was disappointed. One to buy, absolutely, but there are other albums which are consistently better by the band