Da Da - Alice Cooper

...fans and for Alice himself, Da Da was neither the final album he wrote nor was it representative of his general talent. Equally fortunately, this down period in Cooper's life did not last - by mid-1984, he had solved his marital problems and by 1986 he returned to the music scene with more "normal" albums, such as "Constrictor" and with his successful "The Nightmare Returns" tour.

Although one can hardly ...
...but like most tracks on Da Da, it just does not sound like anything you have heard before. It starts with a rock music intro, then it has angelic harmonies for the chorus - and then it falls straight back into the "musical show" feeling.

"I love America" is without doubt one of the worst tracks on the album and of Alice's career. All it really represents is a patriotic shout-out, there is no musical value to it ... more

To have heard about this album, you must be a real Alice Cooper nut. If you are the kind of person who thinks that the repertoire of this brilliant musician only extends to "School's out", "I'm eighteen", "Elected", "Poison" and "Feed my Frankenstein", you are unlikely to ever laid eyes upon this interesting piece of experimental musical writing.

The album was first released in 1983 on the Warner Brothers label, during a period which was rather quiet for Alice. It is known that he returned to alcoholism during this period of time and that he did not have any ambitions to continue recording music. Around the time when the album was being produced, Alice was going through some serious marital difficulties. His wife, Sheryl Cooper, moved out of the family home in Arizona and even filed for divorce.

Fortunately for all Alice fans and for Alice himself, Da Da was neither the final album he wrote nor was it representative of his general talent. Equally fortunately, this down period in Cooper's life did not last - by mid-1984, he had solved his marital problems and by 1986 he returned to the music scene with more "normal" albums, such as "Constrictor" and with his successful "The Nightmare Returns" tour.

Although one can hardly call this album a "hit album", it is nonetheless an album that should find its way into any Alice Cooper's fan collection and should be listened to by anyone who considers themselves a music expert, as it does have some historical value. Unlike most of Alice's albums, this one hardly contains any songs that could be classified as "rock music". Instead, the entire album is very electronic and new age. Most of the album was produced by using a computer programme. The sound of drums was mostly achieved by using computer programs to enhance the sound of live drumming. The album contains only nine tracks, most of which is fairly short, around 3-4 minutes.

"Da Da" is the first track on the album. It is a piece that is mostly instrumental with a distinct new age sort of feel. It is the sort of tune you would expect to be playing in the background during a massage theraphy session. About two minutes into the song, whispering talking begins, which could either be construed as creepy or hypnotic, which gives it its slightly schizophrenic nature - it is hard to decide whether you really would like to hear this kind of tune during a relaxing massage or as part of an "end of the world"-type movie. Either way, the song does definitely convey a sense of vast fields and emptiness.

"Enough's enough" is probably the best track on the album. It has a little bit less of a new age feel to it and sounds almost as if it could be part of a dramatic musical covering the subject-matter of a child's mother having died and the father failing to take care of the child. I picture a very confrontational scene - the child, having grown up, marching into a room and telling his father off for his failings. The chorus on this track has an almost angelic feel to it - almost like the mother is singing down from heaven. All in all, it is definitely a catchy tune that a listener would be compelled to sing along to.

"Former Lee Warner" returns to the new age feel of music and could be another track taken straight from a horror movie. The melody is rather spooky, almost supernatural sounding, conveying the feel of loneliness and darkness. This its right in with the context of the song, which talks about a brother being locked up in an upstairs room of a house to which only the "storyteller" has possession. What is indeed odd about this track is that somewhere in the middle, the horror-fell gets interrupted by an orchestra-like chorus, which neither fits the mood of the remainder of the melody nor the subject-matter of the song. One word of warning - this is in fact one of those songs that will enter your head and that you will sing over and over again until you hear another weird or catchy song.

"No Man's Land" escapes the new age feel again - it starts of with a fanfare and a marching sound and then falls into a beat and rhythm that could almost be as country music. It reminds me a little off some of the softer rock songs that Bruce Springsteen produced in the mid-70s. While Bruce's lyrics are just middle of the road and predictable, though, these lyrics here are slightly odd, of a nature where it is hard to conceive how Alice came up with them. Essentially, it tells the story of Santa Clause in Atlanta. Suddenly, a 23-year-old beauty queen comes up to him and next thing you know, Santa tales off for a one-night-stand and leaves the children crying.

"Dyslexia" returns to the new age feel. The music is clearly electronic in nature, sometimes sounding a little metallic and hollow. In many ways, the melody could be like something taken off a sci-fi album. The melody gives the impression of confusion, which fits in with the substance of the song. You get the vision of someone falling all over the place, half clumsy, half helpless, which fits in nicely with the lyrics:

"But since I bumped into you, I bumped into walls.
And noone knows what's wrong with me."

While the music fails to impress, the lyrics are simply brilliant - as there is more than one play on words contained in it: "Is this love - or is this dyslexia?" - a line that can be interpreted as a man being confused whether he is really in love or misreading all the feelings he has.

"Scarlet and Sheba" just represents another one of those odd tracks that interrupt the new age flow to the remainder of the album. It is probably the closest to rock music that you will get on this album - but like most tracks on Da Da, it just does not sound like anything you have heard before. It starts with a rock music intro, then it has angelic harmonies for the chorus - and then it falls straight back into the "musical show" feeling.

"I love America" is without doubt one of the worst tracks on the album and of Alice's career. All it really represents is a patriotic shout-out, there is no musical value to it whatsoever, no matter how hard you try to find any. In this ode to America, Alice simply lists the things he loves about America - which includes everything from Wonderbread to the Fourth of July. When you listen to it, it is very much like listening to a politician speaking from a podium, a patriotic-type lecture. According to some Alice fans, the shout-out was intended to be in a style that would mimic a second-hand car salesman selling his automobiles on TV. There is also a truly cheesy aspect to it, that can truly wind up the educated listener, which comes in the form of drum rolls, the sounds of American Indians hollering, marching sounds and gun shots. If I never hear this song again, it will be too soon.

"Fresh Blood" adds another aspect of uniqueness to this confused and messy album. If I were to place it, it would find its way into an episode of Miami Vice with a guest appearance by Buffy the Vampireslayer and her friends. If the track had been put on the Miami Vice soundtrack, melodically, it would have fit straight in. Even the lyrics at first glance might make the listener think that it is fitting, as it deals with a killer prowling the streets. Only the careful listener will notice that the lyrics are taking about a vampire taking victims - be it showgirls or businessmen in suits.

"Pass the gun around" brings the listener back into a more rock-like mood. The song deals with the subject of wasting time and getting drunk - feeling like there is nothing worth living for . It might almost have a biographical aspect to it, considering Alice's position at the time. Melodically, this almost is like a drinking tune - you can picture people locking arms and singing the song while swaying back and forth - I instantly think of Oktoberfest when I listen to it. It is one of the best tracks on the album. In many ways, it might actually be worth rewriting the melody to make it a rock song and releasing it. It's just that type of song where the listener feels like it's almost a hit, but it is just missing that little extra something to go all the way.

If you are confused about what to expect from this album after reading this review, don't be. It's what the album intended, in its weird and schizophrenic nature. Would I recommend buying it? That certainly depends on who you are. If you are a new age fan or someone who likes weird Zappa-type style music, yes. You'll love it. If you are an Alice fan who has not got this in his collection yet, yes. You'll need it. If you are someone with a great music collection and an interest in music history and the development of great artists, yes. You won't regret it. If you are the average person who likes middle-of-the-road music, no. You'll hate it.

And for all you Salavador Dali fans out there, the album may just be worth buying for the front cover. The picture is based on a painting by Dali called "Slave Market with the Disappearing Bust of Voltaire". If you look carefully, you will see an optical illusion. Depending on the way you look at it, you will eiher spot a man's head or two friars sitting down.

So with all that this album has to offer and with prices for used copies on Amazon starting from just £3.99, what are you waiting for?

♣ Further info ♣

Background information on the album taken from www.sickthings.co.uk.
 

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