Alice Cooper-Killer (1971)

With his fourth album, "Killer", Alice Cooper began his trilogy, which, along with "School Out" (1972) and "Billion Dollar Babies" (1973) (both reviewed in previous blog posts), formed what the Detroit-born American musician considered his finest works, now regarded as classics within his extensive and varied discography. Recorded at RCA Studios in Chicago, Cooper once again enlisted the production of Bob Ezrin and the backing of his extraordinary band, comprised of guitarist Glen Buxton, keyboardist Michael Bruce, bassist Dennis Dunaway, and drummer Neal Smith, while guest guitarist Rick Derringer lent his immense talent to several tracks on the album. Following the success of "Love It To Death" (1971), this new release solidified Alice Cooper's position, creating one of his most ambitious works, abandoning the raw, gritty rock of his early days for a more versatile and complex style. All of this is reflected in tracks like “Halo of Flies”, “Be My Lover”, and “Under My Wheels”. However, it maintains a certain parallel with his recent past, showcasing his more impetuous style in the raw “You Drive Me Nervous” and “Yeah, Yeah, Yeah”. With “Killer”, Alice Cooper would once again equal his best commercial performance to date, achieving platinum status for one million copies sold in the North American market.