Title - 'Hey Stoopid: Expanded' (Cherry Red)
Artist - Alice Cooper
OK, for those not in the know, in 1989 Alice Cooper released his smash hit album, Trash. Hey Stoopid followed in 1991. It's a good, solid Alice Cooper album, with lots of good tracks. Indeed, songs like 'Die For You' and 'Wind-Up Toy' are - to me - the best ones on the entire album. But then again the entire album is well worth listening to over and over again, trust me!
We kick-off with the album title, 'Hey Stoopid.' A great song with some amazing anti-drug and anti-suicide lyrics, it gives us some Alice kicking and screaming from the off. Next is 'Love's a Loaded Gun,' which is actually a very dramatic track with some beautiful, yes sinister lyrics! A mix of acoustic and electric guitar, it's definitely got its hooks.
Then we get 'Snakebite,' which is another good song with a catchy guitar solo and riff. Decent lyrics too. Then comes 'Burning Our Bed,' which is backed by 'Dangerous Tonight' and the third-in-the-trilogy (of a mini storytelling escapade) 'Might As Well Be On Mars.' The sad, oh so sad ballad contains some truly beautiful music and lyrics and is a pure gem, without a doubt.
The powerhaus single 'Feed My Frankenstein' was just that; the only big "hit" from the album (I know, I'm amazed too!) and as much as it was overplayed back then, it still sounds fresh today. And that amazing guitar solo melds beautifully with the Nikki Sixx bass lines too!
'Hurricane Years' is another good song, 'Little By Little' is another dramatic tribute to Alice's little sick things (fans will know what I mean by this!), and 'Die for You' is one of Alice's best ballads EVER! It is simply beautiful and features some lovely hooks too.
Bringing it home we have both 'Dirty Dreams' - a song about teenage dirty dreams where Alice rebels against the fact it is classified as being just, well, so dirty, and then 'Wind Up Toy' - a song about a guy in a mental hospital, of course! This newly-expanded version also adds: 'Hey Stoopid (Beba Edit),' Fire (Non-Album Track),' and finally 'It Rained All Night.'
CD Purchase Link
www.cherryred.co.uk