Alice Cooper – ‘Keepin’ Halloween Alive’ (Shout! Factory)
CD Reviews
Written by Gaz E
Tuesday, 29 September 2009 19:46
Now this is the Alice Cooper I want – the Monster Movie Alice whose purchasing of a whole horror movie collection only to find that every title was on a betamax videocassette Alice. Not Golf Monster Alice, although hanging around all day on a golf course like some Pringle groupie was my only chance of meeting the great man – which I did, and very cool he was too! But you knew that, right?! I could also mention Monster Dog Alice, but you get the feeling that this is one uncared for creature not allowed on the Cooper couch these days…..
Released as a digital download exclusive in conjunction with Shout! Factory – and available exclusively through iTunes – ‘Keepin’ Halloween Alive’ is an autumnal anthem in waiting. Co-written and co-produced by Piggy D, who produced the great artwork for the last Cooper album ‘Along Came A Spider’ and can generally be found playing bass guitar for Rob Zombie, and featuring Dave Pino (Powerman 5000) on lead guitar and David Spreng (Bob Dylan, The Bravery) on drums, ‘Keepin’ Halloween Alive’ is another of Cooper’s slick slabs at that garage rock sound that has coursed through a wealth of his recent material.
“Keepin’ Halloween Alive – 365” is the aim here and, yeah, Alice’s aim is true. If anyone could produce – or is most deserving of – a supercool anthem for the night when he came home, it had to be Alice Cooper. While other vintage make-up wearing demons have sold their soul for the love of money (and themselves), Cooper has retained a constant coolness, and this song is no different. Classic Cooper sounds swathed in the blackest rock ‘n’ roll and smeared in a schlocky campness that we know and love, this song has come out of nowhere to bite us on the, not inconsiderable, ass. Buy the ‘album’ at iTunes for £1.29 and get the vocal-less edition – dubbed “Cooperoke” – and a crazy cool artwork booklet thrown in.
The only thing that really scares me about this Halloween release is the promo artwork that you can see above; “Alice Cooper Delivers A Timless Halloween Anthem!” Now what exactly did Tim do to be denied the chance to celebrate the greatest day of the year? How bad – maybe good – was Tim that he has been refused entry to the iTunes apple dunking? I’m sorry to say Timmy-boy, but you are missing out on an awesome All Hallow’s Eve anthem that will creepy crawl out of the grave every year that this rock keeps spinning. Long live Alice Cooper!