Cooper, Alice
School's Out (expanded)
Alice Cooper was unstoppable during the 1970s when the band released four consecutive platinum albums and five Top 40
hits like "I'm Eighteen," "School's Out," "No More Mr. Nice Guy," and "Elected." Rhino will reissue two of those
platinum albums - KILLER (1971) and SCHOOL'S OUT (1972) - with newly remastered sound, rare recordings, and previously
unreleased live performances.
Both Deluxe Editions will be released on June 9 as 2-CD sets and 3-LP versions on 180-gram vinyl.
SCHOOL'S OUT (DELUXE EDITION) begins with a newly remastered version of the 1972 original, which peaked at #2 on the
albums chart. Essential tracks like "Luney Tune" and "Alma Mater" are joined by "Gutter Cat vs. The Jets." The latter is
an homage to West Side Story, a significant influence on the band. The song incorporates lyrics from "Jet Song" from the
1957 musical, which led to an unlikely songwriting credit for Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim on an Alice Cooper
track.
The Deluxe Edition contains rarities like the single versions of "School's Out" and "Gutter Cat vs. The Jets." Two
previously unreleased tracks are also included, an alternate version of "Alma Mater" and an early demo for "Elected," a
song that would appear in 1973 on the band's first #1 album, BILLION DOLLAR BABIES.
Alice Cooper's concert in Miami on May 27, 1972, adds even more unreleased music to the collection. The show was
recorded a few weeks before the band entered the studio to record School's Out. The live performance features standout
versions of "Halo Of Flies," "School's Out," and "Yeah, Yeah, Yeah," a song that gives Cooper a chance to show off his
impressive harmonica skills.
The vinyl versions for both Deluxe Editions recreate the original album sleeves down to the smallest detail. For KILLER,
that means a gatefold sleeve that opens to reveal a detachable 1972 calendar with a photo of Cooper in the gallows. The
cover of SCHOOL'S OUT looks like a wooden school desk and opens to reveal the LP wrapped in a pair of panties. The band
stopped including the underwear following a controversy as to whether or not they were flammable. Thankfully, the lacy
unmentionables in the new Deluxe Edition are not a fire hazard.
Both sets come with booklets that include track-by-track commentary by band members and former Creem Magazine editor
Jaan Uhelszki, plus liner notes by Bill Holdship, also a former Creem Magazine editor. In KILLER (DELUXE EDITION),
Holdship writes: "Listening to Killer again after all these years to write these notes was rewarding because, like The
Beatles and Elvis, it's gratifying to realize I ended up asting' my life on something that, even in retrospect, really
was that great. Fifty years later, Killer remains a perfect - perfect! - rock 'n' roll record.
Price
Genre
Format
LP - 3 disk
Release
09-06-2023
Label
Item-nr
1303005
EAN
0603497841004
Availability
Not in stock
Tracks
Title
Artist
1
SCHOOL'S OUT
2
LUNEY TUNE
3
GUTTER CAT VS. THE JETS
4
STREET FIGHT
5
BLUE TURK
6
MY STARS
7
PUBLIC ANIMAL #9
8
ALMA MATER
9
GRANDE FINALE
10
BE MY LOVER
11
YOU DRIVE ME NERVOUS
12
YEAH, YEAH, YEAH
13
I'M EIGHTEEN
14
HALO OF FLIES
15
DEAD BABIES
16
KILLER
17
LONG WAY TO GO
18
SCHOOL'S OUT
19
IS IT MY BODY
20
SCHOOL'S OUT (SINGLE VERSION)
21
GUTTER CAT (SINGLE VERSION)
22
ALMA MATER (ALTERNATE VERSION)
23
ELECTED (EARLY TAKE)