Alice Cooper - Muscle Of Love
Warner Bros Records - 1973
8.5/10
Muscle Of Love would see the end of Alice Cooper’s band era, strictly consisting of Buxton, Bruce, Smith, and Dunaway behind the shock rock legend. With several groundbreaking records behind them, it would be tough to measure up, but they do indeed go out on a strong note nonetheless. With things fairly dialed back in terms of ghoulish nature or experiments, this touches on a more Deep Purple-aligned sound. The youthful charm certainly returns, as many a theme revolve around teenage angst and sexual discovery.
What’s interesting is that this one may have some of the most accessible sounds from the band era, despite receiving little radio presence. Steady rock ‘n roll energy permeates every corner of this with multiple approaches. You can get the easy-going Nazareth-type “Never Been Sold Before” or the rather fun ‘60s rock energy in “Workin’ Up A Sweat.” I may also go as far as saying that “Hard Hearted Alice” is a little ahead of its time. This rakes in beautiful transitions, top-notch bass rhythms, a solid acoustic-backed start with organs, and a chanted chorus that sticks so well.
A few songs from Muscle Of Love did make it to the higher ranks, however. The title track breathes in some strong depictions of a teen boy discovering his dad’s porno stack, particularly with the frantic riff nature and bombastic drum build-ups. On the other hand, “Teenage Lament” cakes on those aggravating feelings of a kid stuck as an outcast in a world of status-quo importance. If nothing else, I see these tracks as relatable tunes that at worst may feel a bit inconsistent amongst everything else construction-wise.
But the songwriting here is so good that it’s easy to overlook, and the rough transitions aren’t as glaring as they are in School’s Out. Maybe it makes sense that the final band outing didn’t reach the following that the previous four records did. Either way, I find this to be a rather overlooked gem. Perhaps it was a bit rushed, or maybe band tensions had a hand, but this disc is every bit worthwhile.
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