Retro Review: Alice Cooper Special Forces

Just a note, this one’s going to be a little long winded. I generally try to stay away from doing track by track reviews, but this one is so good it's an exception. It also probably needs to be edited, but that'll be later.


Alice Cooper
Special Forces (1981)

1. Who Do You Think We Are
2. Seven and Seven Is
3. Prettiest Cop on the Block
4. Don't Talk Old To Me
5. Generation Landslide '81
6. Skeletons in the Closet
7. You Want It, You Got It
8. You Look Good In Rags
9. You're A Movie
10. Vicious Rumors

While Special Forces stays fairly consistent with the edgy New Wave style established on Flush The Fashion it adds a much more aggressive punk attitude into the mix. The result is not only the most stripped down, rocking effort since the AC band days, but one of his quintessential releases. Production wise, Richard Polodor does it clear enough so that you can hear all the instruments quite well. But, it also has a certain rawness that highlights the albums edge. Lyrically and vocally, snide sarcastic Alice really shines through with all his villainous vaudeville enthusiasm intact. Apparently he was really into reading Soldier of Fortune at the time, so the overall theme and lyrics of a couple tracks generally hint at war. The keys and synths really add to the theme. Overall giving the album a great mechanical, war in a dystopian future feel. There are certain sound effects that sound unnecessary at times, but it’s nothing bad enough to detract from the whole. Since he retained his touring band from 1980, everything‘s played tight and the band really have some chemistry together. The drums are punchy and intense, keeping a driving beat throughout the majority of the album with the aggressive attitude running strong, especially on the more rocking numbers where they break out more. The guitar sound on this album is great, and really reverbed out. Along with them being layered, so you get some nice chunky riff dueling going on coupled with a screeching solo playing over top. The bass chugs along and adds plenty of menace.

As for the songs themselves, the album kicks off with one of Alice’s best (although criminally overlooked) rockers ever in Who Do You Think We Are. The helicopter and key intro to it really help to set the sci-fi/war tone of the album before the drums punch in with the attitude and the crunchy guitars begin. “Seven and Seven Is” (a Love cover) is nothing but pure intensity. The percussion and synth backbeat in this song build a tension that is just insane coupled with the reverb fuzzed out guitars, this one sounds like it’s just going to explode. Cover or not, one of Alice’s best songs ever. From there, we jump into one of Alice’s most hilarious compositions ever “Prettiest Cop on the Block“. With just as much attitude as the rest of the album, this is a great tale of a transvetite cop complete with double entendre. “Don’t Talk Old To Me” is the first of the more synth dominate tracks and plays off both elements great, holding up the tension perfectly. Up next is, for the most part, a pretty faithful redo of Generation Landslide from the Billion Dollar Babies album. Unfortunately it’s one of the two low points on the record, owing mostly to it being completely unnecessary and that damn overdubbed crowd noise. Aside from that, the punk attitude and playing style actually work better for the song over all, dropping the over the top moments of the original and streamlining it. We pick up from that rather dull moment nicely with the pretty much straight new wave and superbly atmospheric “Skeletons In The Closet“. The keyboards on this song have a great thick sound and give it a genuinely creepy feel. Alice is in great voice and the lyrics are phenomenal, a genuine classic. The synths bump right on over into “You Want It, You Got It“, the only other low point on here. While it retains the albums’ feel and is catchy, it’s pretty boring. But never fear, we rock right out of that rut immediately with the balls out “You Look Good In Rags“. The riffs are great and it’s one of Alice’s best rockers since the days of Killer. “You’re A Movie” is another lyrically humorous and more synth driven song (as well as the 3rd in a row to start with You) with good old Sergeant Alice riffing on war heroes . Special Forces closes out with the unhinged “Vicious Rumors”, another ripper (and Alice classic) that leaves you wanting more. So if you don't have this album, you should.

I really enjoy this album, but the sound of his voice always seemed kind of thin and underpowered. I could never tell if that was a byproduct of the drug addiction he was knee-deep in by that point or if it was really just a production choice.

I'd have to dig out my vinyl copy to give it a listen as I've only been spinning the CD lately. I can't recall if it sounded much different on the record vs. CD.

Of the lot, "You Look Good in Rags" and "You're a Movie" are probably my favorite cuts after the opener.

I love, love this album its a great great album and Alice rules

Runicen wrote:

I really enjoy this album, but the sound of his voice always seemed kind of thin and underpowered.  I could never tell if that was a byproduct of the drug addiction he was knee-deep in by that point or if it was really just a production choice.

I'd have to dig out my vinyl copy to give it a listen as I've only been spinning the CD lately.  I can't recall if it sounded much different on the record vs. CD.

Of the lot, "You Look Good in Rags" and "You're a Movie" are probably my favorite cuts after the opener.

Hmm, interesting, I've always thought him to be in great voice here. I'd have to dig out the record and compare the two as well. Good picks on the cuts!

It's also possible that what I hear as weakness in the voice is just an intentional choice on his part to move to a more edgy sound vocally.

I think where you hear this most are in areas like the Generation Landslide re-recording. The original was very full throated and almost screamed from start to finish and the re-recording is almost spoken and there are a number of tracks in the run of "drug albums" (Flush the Fashion through to Dada) that have that speak-sung quality to them. It almost sounds like he doesn't put enough air behind his growl while singing, but again, that could have been an intentional change-up. It doesn't change my love for these albums. Dada in particular is a definite favorite of mine, even if it is sad to know the state the Coop was in while making it.