Alice Cooper - Hey Stoopid
Epic Records - 1991
9.5/10
You would think Hey Stoopid would have dropped earlier, considering its big selling point around sobriety. But I’m almost glad it didn’t, because tailing the glam era served something more focused than either of the prior two albums. With another round featuring other musicians, such as Slash, Motley Crue members, and Steve Vai, it’s no surprise that this one has more of an Appetite For Destruction energy rather than a Slippery When Wet take. Regardless, Alice himself feels just a tad more in control than before, and it shows.
What helps this is the fact that the Coop returns to his earlier strategy of injecting several different angles of attack into one smooth surface. Holding the attention for the whole run, there’s a mix of rock ‘n roll stadium fun, balladry, steady jamming, and some that are near the epic line. Every one of these approaches are spread out perfectly, allowing nothing to feel out of place. Even the ones that could be fillers, “Hurricane Years” and “Dirty Dreams” work nicely and aren’t forced or obvious.
Hey Stoopid has so much to offer. The title track, and the classic “Feed My Frankenstein” reel in that radio energy in a creative way. Others work alongside these perfectly like “Love’s A Loaded Gun” And “Burnin’ Our Bed.” The slower energy around ballad territory could have easily made hits with a different outfit. Other songs do anything but try to be accessible, yet manage to hold the same hot flame. “Might As Well Be On Mars” is a long ballad with melancholic effects and powerful percussion, using repetition to its advantage and invokes a dark feeling of abandonment; truly, this is one of his greatest songs. Moreover, closer “Wind-Up Toy” brings back the spooky atmosphere of Welcome To My Nightmare but with a heavier punch and easier accessibility.
For so much being here as is, there’s still something that works as the glue to all of this. Build-up to chanted choruses mixing faster songs with steadier ones fills in every gap. “Snakebite” utilizes the former, injecting galloping rhythms to the max, while “Dangerous Tonight” focuses more on poetic clarity and a steadier beat. To the back half, there’s the “Little By Little” into “Die For You” combo, both mastering powerful choruses and beefy rhythms. The latter is a beautiful, criminally overlooked tune that’s heartwarming in an album that’s everywhere emotionally.
Damn, considering how long this record is, you would think the ideas would run dry. But not an inch of this is too much and all of the space gets filled. The glam element is masked more than anything since the general restructuring, and while I may prefer Constrictor, there’s no denying that this is the most intricate record of the era. Many ‘80s metal bands were on a swift plummet downward, but not the shock rocker. Someone who’s peak strengths appeared in the early ‘70s dropping this beast in the early ‘90s tells you all you need to know.
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