Classic Rock Bottom

ALBUM OF THE WEEK # 369 ALICE COOPER - BRUTAL PLANET (2000)

Disclaimer: All info that does not reside in my brain is gathered from wikipedia.com (mostly because Jon can't stand it) unless otherwise noted.

Alice Cooper's Brutal Planet was released in 2000.  It was his 21st studio album.  Of course, by 2000, old school rock musicians like Alice Cooper were finding it hard to make any headway in the music charts, especially in the United States.  This album is a proper example, as it topped out at number 193.  That showing did nothing to help album sales and Brutal Planet has never received a certification from the RIAA.  Gimme was the only single, and it failed to chart as far as I can tell.

Here's what Wikipedia has to say about the album:

Brutal Planet is the twenty-first studio album by Alice Cooper, released in 2000. Musically, this finds Alice tackling a much darker and heavier approach than on previous albums, with many songs approaching a somewhat modern-sounding, industrial/metal sound. Lyrically, it deals with themes of dark "social fiction", including domestic violence ("Take It Like a Woman"), prejudice ("Blow Me a Kiss"), psychopathic behavior ("It's the Little Things"), war ("Pick Up the Bones") and school shootings ("Wicked Young Man"). The album was followed by a sequel Dragontown.

Doug Van Pelt, editor of the alternative Christian music-oriented HM Magazine, found that the lyrics communicated biblical morals "in a very powerful way". Van Pelt stated further that the final argument is provided in the title track, which condemns the systems of judgment that the world uses. Moreover, "Blow Me a Kiss" urges the listener to think deeper about spiritual matters.

My opinion on the album is pretty simple, this thing is brutal.  In a good way.  Just excellently heavy.  If you've never heard it, there is no time like the present.  You can pick it up as a combo product with Dragontown for less than eleven dollars on Amazon.

One other item of note, Eric Singer (Kiss) plays drums on the album.

Tracks:

1. Brutal Planet

2. Wicked Young Man

3. Sanctuary

4. Blow Me A Kiss

5. Eat Some More

6. Pick Up The Bones

7. Pessi-Mystic

8. Gimme

9. It's The Little Things

10. Take It Like A Woman

11. Cold Machines

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I haven't heard this album, but when I heard the title track in live performance it was freaking awesome. I really need to pick this one up.

That's surprising.  But yes, you must hear it.  It's way cool!

Well, guess I need to thank you for ruining my goal of listening to albums only once this year. Now I have to wait four months to start all over again. Listened to this a couple months ago and now have to listen to it again. Not cool.

I remember watching a video for the title track and was blown away by the heaviness. Still had a bad taste in my mouth with that Poison song and it's not like I really wanted an AC album before this but to the store I went and picked this up and marveled at all the ooey-gooey heaviness. Love this album.

Never had anything against AC, probably had a greatest hits album, but never was in a rush to pick up any of his albums. Things have changed, but that's how it is. 

I believe the album that came out before this, The Last Temptation(?) is part of the trilogy. COuld be wrong, but that's a great album as well.

Anyway, thanks a bunch for ruining this year for me.

Never heard this album ...  My very first thought was this was his obligatory down-tuned late 90's grunge release.  Kinda like all Classic Rock bands tried to do, doesn't sound like I'm too far off...

I'm not opposed to the idea of conforming to the sounds of the times, almost every band does it, but the songwriting has be solid. When Cooper is on he's damn good!  But when he's experimenting, well...  hit and miss at best.  That sums up the first two tracks, Hit and then a Miss.  Sanctuary has some of the old chorus/vocal stylings from his earlier days which makes me listen close, but the song wasn't that great overall.

Tracks 4 and 5 nearly lose me... But tracks 6 and 7 bring me back, they are similar in styling so I'm wondering if their sequenced right, but hey I'm back into this!  

It seems weird to say that Cooper can write a cool ballad and he does it here again with Take It Like A Woman.  I like that one too..

Bottom line for me?  Not a big a fan of the Classic artists trying to be who they are not, so this is off my list of purchasing, but it had moments!

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