Zipper Catches Skin

[AC Collect]

I was looking through the 80's era albums again. Thought I'd have another good listen to Zipper Catches Skin. I've seen people give quite bad reviews to ZCS. And I don't know why. I think it's really good, the best of the 80's era.

So I thought I'd make this thread to hear your views and opinions on it. Put it this way, It's better than Special Forces.

[NotSoPerfect]

So I thought I'd make this thread to hear your views and opinions on it. Put it this way, It's better than Special Forces.

Haha. I love Special Forces!

Haven't listened to ZCS recently, as it's not one that catches my attention as much as others. Though, it does have some good tunes--like Zorro's Ascent and Tag, You're It.

Hmmm, I think I'm off to listen to Special Forces!

[AC Collect]

It's not that I hate special forces, I like 3 songs I think. That's it.

[Somwhere In Auckland]

Been a while since I heard this one, remember not liking it all that much, but it does have its moments.

best of the early 80's for me is definatly DaDa, followed by Flush The Fashion, then its a toss up between ZCS and SF.

[TeresofBlood]

When I really started listening to Alice, I bought all of the albums in rapid succession, so the ones that didn't immediately grow on me were relegated to collecting dust on the shelf, but as I get sick of my favorite albums, I throw on the less frequent ones, which gives me a new appreciation for them. With that said, I love Zipper. The songs are great. To this day, the only Alice albums I've yet to fall in love with are Special Forces and Hey Stoopid.

I love Skeletons in My Closet, but if I never heard the rest of the album again, I wouldn't be that upset.

[recoop]

I used to really dislike zipper and only own it on vinyl..but thinking about buying on cd...my view.. rem. insincere/like girls brilliant...I am the Future...not great...tag you're it was disappointing at time because he seemed to be stepping out character and viewing someone else's movie(but ok now)...Adaptable to you(fair)...that was the day etc/pet etc..clever but i don't know...like a lot of Alice albums if I took the best (imo) and put it with best of say DADA i get a great album..thats my rambling twopenneth worth..

[Maurice]

I think Zipper is doubtless one of Alices 'lighter' albums in terms of the humourous elements that he very cleverly employs, starting with the album title and even the unique cover design.

The common Alice themes of sex, death and money are maintained through the album, but in a very obviously lighthearted way, unlike many other Alice albums, where the humour of these subjects is darker and perhaps less apparent.

It is a 'fun' album in so many respects, - I can't help but fall for the seductive sarcasm ("I Like Girls") of 'Pattie' (Donahue, of The Waitresses fame), who sadly died of cancer some years ago now.

Even the story of Zorro (Zorros' Ascent) is so tongue in cheek but underpinned by some great repetitive 'punk' riffs.

It is far from typical Alice - but a refreshing change & tracks like "I Had Better Be Good" and "Adaptable" are guaranteed to lift my mood.

[AC Collect]

The riff in Adaptable is amazing. So Catchy.

[Shoesalesman]

Special Forces does a tap dance on Zipper Catches Skin. No comparison - for me, SF is better.

ZCS is more of a collection of average to good songs 'bunched' together rather than 'themed' together. A good album on its own, but my least fave from the early 80s stuff.

[runarh73]

i think it´s a great album and when i put it in the cd player it stay´s there for a long time... i´m a big fan of the early 80´s albums flush up to dada but i cant say i´m a big fan of the 3 albums that he did after dada, but i did love them when they came out..

[damiennalice]

Here's a ZCS story ...

In 1982 I was living in New Jersry. Made the semi-regular trip to the local record store. Looked in the Alice bin and didnt see anything new. I decided to buy Ozzy's "Diary of a Madman". Was at the counter and cashier was ringing up my purchase. Out of the blue I asked,"Any new Alice Cooper coming out soon?" He told me that in fact yes there was a brand new one.He just hadnt put them out for sale yet. He went and got me a copy. I put back "Diary" and bought ZCS.

To this day I still have never purchased "Diary" (sorry Ozzy)

[RemarkablyInsincere]

I dig all three of the early 80s non-Ezrin albums.

Recently, I've really gained a new appreciation for FTF. The album has it's own vibe from start to finish due to Roy Thomas Baker's production. It's really unlike anything Alice has done before or since. A very well produced album.

I really think FTF is a substantial piece of work that is too often overlooked.

[NotSoPerfect]

Definitely, RI....I love FTF, too! Multiple songs off that one get stuck in my head, but "Aspirin Damage" is the one that just never leaves!

[The son of Don Quijote]

I think Zipper is a pretty good album. For me it is definately a better one than Special Forces. Special Forces has some good moments like Skeletons in the closet, Who do you think we are and Seven and seven is but that's pretty much all it can offer for me. On the downside it has pretty disgusting You want, you got it and one of my least favourite Alice songs ever You're a movie. The latter is musically very clumsy despite the brilliant lyrics.

Zipper catches skin on the other hand features much better guitar solos. And it's not a big surprise because Dick Wagner had returned. It's a more fast paced curvy tongue in cheek album. It has even somekind of punky vibe in many places and it's played with more attitude. It doesn't feature any Dead babies or Ballad of dwight Frys or School's outs or any songs reaching those heights but it really is a quite listenable album.

Tag you're it sounds little unfinished but has a great intensive atmosphere and some nice sound effects too. It works pretty well despite its simplicity. I actually prefer it over This house is haunted. I am the future is pretty up to the point and dramatic and I like it a lot. Alice has some great vocals on it too. Two first songs also succeed especially Make that money, which has Alice's best vocal performace on the entire album and a fantastic guitar solo too. I like girls/Remarkably insincere combination is one of the most unique moments on the album and closer to conceptuality than any other parts. I like girls really is unlike anything you would expect from Alice.

The rest of the album ranges from horrible I better be good to stiff No baloney homo sapiens to okay I'm alive to little better than okay Adaptable. Flush the fashion has better highlights but is also quite unbalanced. DaDa clearly rules this perioid of Alic Cooper music bacause it is both balanced and has unique high quality material that rivals the classics.

[Maurice]

The riff in Adaptable is amazing. So Catchy.

I'd go with that too - I should have mentioned it earlier.
Plus, I wonder how many other Rock artists can claim to have worked in conjunction with Lalo Schifrin? That must feature as significant event in any musicians career, and his (L.S.'s) quote in the Life and Crimes booklet supports that.

[AC Collect]

My Favourite from the early 80's era has to be either ZCS or DaDa. But out of the 2, I prefer ZCS.

[Maurice]

My Favourite from the early 80's era has to be either ZCS or DaDa. But out of the 2, I prefer ZCS.

Both are good and both are 'unusual' Alice Cooper albums (in my opinion), and yet I sense each one is diametrically opposed to the other.

As I mentioned before, Dada still has the humour but of a much 'darker' nature, possibly underpinned by the apparent mental state of the protagonist. Plus this album has that unmistakeable Ezrin 'package' touch of 'tieing it up with a bow' evidenced most obviously by the circle he creates in reprising the opening of the album, on the final track, with the final 'shock' consequence.

This provides the overall 'concept' of a Psychosis or mental disturbance, no matter what the 'lighter' elements are within the package.

Generally I can find an Alice Cooper album to suit almost any mood or occasion, which - for me - proves that he is a man of many parts capable of some exceptionally deep thought.

[AC Collect]

Yeah, I have to agree about the dark humour elements to DaDa. You can also tell that he was exploring different sides to Alice then, like the song DaDa, Former Lee Warmer and Enough's Enough and I Love America.

But there is something about ZCS that gets me everytime I listen to it.

[Maurice]

But there is something about ZCS that gets me everytime I listen to it.

Can't disagree with you there! For me it is Patty and what seems to be a very special 'chemistry' to the humour going on. Plus some of the guitar parts are given a 'produced punk' feel - not as 'raw' as Special Forces' - but which are elements that always leave me with a smile.

[AC Collect]

Yeah, like 'oink off'