Alice Cooper Goes to Hell
| Alice Cooper Goes to Hell | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Alice Cooper | ||||
| Released | June 25, 1976 | |||
| Recorded | Soundstage, Toronto; Record Plant East, New York and RCA Recording Studios, Los Angeles | |||
| Genre | Rock, hard rock, pop rock | |||
| Length | 43:15 | |||
| Label | Warner Bros. | |||
| Producer | Bob Ezrin | |||
| Alice Cooper chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
| Rolling Stone | mixed [2] |
Alice Cooper Goes to Hell is the ninth studio album by Alice Cooper, released in 1976. A continuation of Welcome to My Nightmare as it continues the story of Steven, this concept album was written almost exclusively by Cooper with guitar player Dick Wagner and producer Bob Ezrin.[3]
With the success of “Only Women Bleed” from his first solo effort, Alice continued with the rock ballads on this album. “I Never Cry” was written about his drinking problem, which would in one year send the performer into rehab and affect all his subsequent music up to and including 1983’s DaDa.[4] Cooper called the song “an alcoholic confession”.
The “Alice Cooper Goes To Hell” tour of 1976 was completely cancelled prior to commencement due to Cooper suffering from anemia at the time. However, “Go to Hell” proved the last song until his big hit “Poison” to become a consistent part of Cooper’s live setlists, being performed on most tours to the present.[5] “I Never Cry” was also regularly performed in the late 1970s and during the 2000s, whilst “Guilty” was performed regularly on the Flush the Fashion and Special Forces tours and occasionally during the 2000s[6] and “Wish You Were Here” frequently played on the tours for the following two albums.[7]
In 2005 the first track, “Go to Hell”, was featured as the theme song to the sixth episode of Lucy, the Daughter of the Devil titled "Human Sacrifice". The song was also featured in the 2009 video game Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned, and in the 1986 movie The American Way.
Track listing
All songs written and composed by Alice Cooper, Dick Wagner and Bob Ezrin, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Go to Hell" | 5:15 | |
| 2. | "You Gotta Dance" | 2:45 | |
| 3. | "I'm the Coolest" | 3:57 | |
| 4. | "Didn't We Meet" | 4:16 | |
| 5. | "I Never Cry" | Cooper, Wagner | 3:44 |
| 6. | "Give the Kid a Break" | 4:14 | |
| 7. | "Guilty" | 3:22 | |
| 8. | "Wake Me Gently" | 5:03 | |
| 9. | "Wish You Were Here" | 4:36 | |
| 10. | "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows" | Harry Carroll, Joseph McCarthy | 2:08 |
| 11. | "Going Home" | 3:47 |
Personnel
- Alice Cooper – vocals
- Dick Wagner – acoustic & electric guitar, vocals
- Steve Hunter – guitar
- Bob Babbitt – bass
- Jimmy Maelen – percussion
- Jim Gordon – drums (tracks 3, 10, 11)
- Tony Levin – bass
- Allan Schwartzberg – drums
Charts
Album
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Pop Albums | 27 |
| 1976 | UK Album Charts | 23[8] |
Singles – Billboard (North America)
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | "I Never Cry" | Pop Singles | 12 |
Cover versions
“Go to Hell” was covered by Dee Snider, Zakk Wylde, Bob Kulick, Rudy Sarzo, Frankie Banali and Paul Taylor on the 1999 tribute album Humanary Stew: A Tribute to Alice Cooper.
References
- ↑ http://www.allmusic.com/album/r4548
- ↑ Archived June 27, 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ Alice Cooper Goes to Hell (CD Booklet). Alice Cooper. 3300 Warner Blvd., Burbank, California: Warner Bros. Inc. 1976. p. 12. 2896-2.
- ↑ ‘Hanging with Mr. Cooper’; Phoenix New Times, June 20, 1996
- ↑ ‘Go to Hell’ live performance data
- ↑ ‘Guilty’ liver performance data
- ↑ ‘Wish You Were Here’ live performance data
- ↑ Alice Cooper – UK Album Charts
