Alice Cooper's DaDa- Albums Unleashed w/Dick Wagner

[pitkin88]

I can't believe you are comparing trite like Freedom to Elected. The lyrics are just an embarrassment. Freedom to talk my arse.

[killer wolf]

many thanks for this, working my way through it now.

to be honest, i've always been convinced there was at least one f-bomb on this record. i'm still not convinced there isn't, lol.

[concolz]

I can't believe you are comparing trite like Freedom to Elected. The lyrics are just an embarrassment. Freedom to talk my arse.

I quite like 'Freedom', despite KR's Spinal Tap guitar, but I also like your pithy irreverence. If only Alice had actually sung your final sentence! (The album's a load of cobblers though.)

[E_maniac]

It was an interesting interview. Its an interesting album.
I say interesting in a positive and negative way.
While DADA had its moments (pass the gun around, scarlet and sheba) it also has one of his worst ever songs (dyslexia)
The album as a whole is a mess with no consistency and no clear through line in the album. Better than special forces yes, but is that hard?
While constrictor was not a shining beacon of brilliance (horrible, truly horrible production job) It had its moements (largly when Kane is allowed to play)
RYFAY was amazing (one of my top albums of his along with BDB, WTMN, FTI, HS, TLT and BP.) A classic heavy metal album with verve and excitement which has rarely been heard in his music since. Kane, Alice, Kip and Ken all shine on that album.
Trash is a classic 80s hair album. Not to the depth of WTMN but so what? its light years ahead of muscle of love and (i shudder to even mention it) lace and whiskey.
I love trash for the good time 80s hair vibe
Hey stoopid i still feel is a true classic alice album and is up there with his best (i only dislike the title track)
But as someone pointed out earlier, there are different generations who are into him who appreciate differetn styles etc. I like the heavy dark stuff as much as i like his dirty sexy side.
It is fantastic that so many people passionatly love/hate so many different albums of his.

[TangoCharlie]

Thanks for posting this link! I am a major fan of this album. The song Pass the Gun Around is stunning!!!! The solo is one of the best I have heard and the lyrics are spot on.
The album has a lot of humour! How many albums have a Christmas song about a schizophrenic Santa Claus?! Nativital Insanity!
I still love this album.

[patrick]

seeiing all those titles from the past:the mysterie of the final cover choice..
I remember in the early days wading through those records hoping to find something by Alice, and stumbling across ZCS of Lace and Whiskey, with nothing of a(classic) Alice reference on it..Same for the DD cover..(took me some time to get the picture)
whereas RYFAY and Constrictor covers left no doubt about it : this was Alice
Recently on a website the cover for WTMN2 was voted one of the worst covers of that year...
(to me the Schooldays cover is one of my all time favourites)
Any idea who decides which picture/image finally makes it ?

[A_MichaelUK]

>Any idea who decides which picture/image finally makes it ?

Usually a combination of the artist, the art director and the record company.

[TangoCharlie]

Was so pleased Dick spoke about this album with such affection!
Perhaps we can have a part two where they discuss another huge fav of mine…'From the Inside'?

[DecibelGeek]

Was so pleased Dick spoke about this album with such affection!
Perhaps we can have a part two where they discuss another huge fav of mine…'From the Inside'?

We've got our fingers crossed.

[tuneylune]

Finally got around to listening to this and really very good...lots of info and detail although Dick does speak quite softly in parts. Good job by all around.
Speaking for myself, I do like DADA very much, although it is not an album you can "get" from the start...most people I played it for or let borrow did not care for it at all. It took me awhile to appreciate it and all I can say is it's an album that is better than it should have been, considering Alice's health/personal problems and zilch support from Warners.

[Crazy Little Child]

I think that sometimes a lack of label support, when making an album at least, can be a good thing. Can you imagine what Dada would have sounded like if The Bros. Warner HAD been sending it's mucky-mucks around to the sessions?

[dadascot]

Thank you for this incredible podcast. It is amazing to hear the background and inside stories of what is a very important album in my life. This combined with super duper, has given a depth and truthful insight into parts of Alice's life and career that have been blanked or obscured. I still remember buying this album in Glasgow the day it came out. I immediately fell in love with the art work. I loved the back cover as well. I was mildly disappointed there was no art work on the inner sleeve. When I got home and put it in the turntable I was just blown away. I actually got a review I wrote for it printed in a local paper! Thirty one years later and I used the opening track as part of the soundtrack to a one man show I did and was asked many times whose music it was and the audience were astounded when I told them. I think the big difference between this album and constrictor is the fact that on Dada Alice visited the dark places that he was facing in his real life and with the collaboration of the two people he was closest to musically and whom he could trust to help fulfill his vision, he produced, along with FTI, probably his most personal album. This combined with the fact that Warner brothers didn't care and therefor didn't put any pressure on creatively. Constrictor, as has been pointed out, was written with the intention of appealing to a definate target audience and therefor doesn't have that depth.

[obsession77]

Out of the three 80's New Wave/Synth-Punk/Alternative/whatever-you-want-to-call-them-albums, "DaDa" is my favourite one.

#2 would go to "Zipper catches Skin", leaving "Special Forces" ranking at #3 because only "Who do you think we are" & "You look good in rags" are standout songs.

On "Zipper", I like "Tag you're it" most because it's a slasher movie turned into a song (it's actually some kind of "Halloween" hommage)

But "DaDa" has heavily underrated tracks:
- "Pass the gun around" - brilliant Wagner-solo,
- "Fresh Blood" - I love that single female voice at the end ("...cry to me!")
- "No man's land" - one of the greatest lyrics Alice has ever written

It also has something that most other albums don't have - a very strange atmosphere.
The whole album feels like it comes from another world...

BTW, I like "Constrictor" a lot. It was the first album I bought because I had the "He's back" music video, from then on, it got me started: The next thing was the "Nightmare Returns" show aired on TV and I knew I had to get all those back catalogue albums... Then "Trash" and "Hey Stoopid" (one of my personal favourites because of tracks like "Might as well..." (similar to 'pass the gun around' by the way). From then on, I didn't really like the following albums.

[I'm Pain]

This album was in no way a "cash grab" or something intended for a specific demographic. It's an interesting artistic piece, and it's nice to see some attention being paid to it's existence.. Pass the Gun Around, and Former Lee warner are both just perfect in every way..

[DecibelGeek]

Just wanted to give this thread a bump. With the recent talk of Alice possibly re-recording the "blackout" tunes, thought it seemed topical.

We were truly honored to spend time with Dick and were deeply saddened by his death. I had been corresponding with him in the weeks before his death and hoping to line up another talk with him to discuss the From the Inside album. Sadly, he didn't get out of the hospital and we lost him.

Only until recently have I been able to listen to Dada and it puts a smile on my face with the incredible combination of Dick's music, Bob's production, and Alice's lyrics and vocals. RIP Maestro. You are definitely missed.

Chris, Decibel Geek Podcast