Detroit Stories
Detroit Stories | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | February 26, 2021 | |||
Recorded | 2019–2020 | |||
Genre | Hard rock | |||
Length | 50:28 | |||
Label | earMUSIC | |||
Producer | Bob Ezrin | |||
Alice Cooper chronology | ||||
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Detroit Stories is the twenty-first solo album by American singer-songwriter Alice Cooper. The album was released on February 26, 2021, by earMUSIC.[1][2]
Release
On November 11, 2020, Alice Cooper announced the release of his twenty-first studio album.[3]
Singles
The first single "Rock & Roll" was released on November 13, 2020, and is a cover of The Velvet Underground's song of the same name.[4]
On December 11, 2020, Alice Cooper released the second single "Our Love Will Change the World." The single is a cover of American power pop band Outrageous Cherry's 2005 song of the same name.[5]
The third single "Social Debris" was released on Alice's 73rd birthday on 4th February 2021. It was available as a free download for a limited time.[6]
"Hanging By a Thread (Don't Give Up)" had previously been released as a single by Alice on 15th May 2020, simply titled "Don't Give Up," to help fans through COVID-19.[7] The lyrics was subsequently altered for the album to raise awareness on mental health.
Critical reception
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 66/100[8] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [9] |
American Songwriter | [10] |
Metal Hammer | [11] |
Detroit Stories was met with "generally favorable" reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, this release received an average score of 66 based on 4 reviews.[8]
Gareth Williams from Wall of Sound scored the album a perfect 10/10, stating that "diehard fans of Alice Cooper will embrace this album for what it is, back to his roots mix of blues, jazz, soul, hard rock, humour and heart. Casual fans may be surprised at the rocker's versatility, but Alice has never been one dimensional."[12] Writing for AllMusic, Fred Thomas said "Detroit Stories is stuck in a confusing limbo somewhere between tribute to Detroit and another album of the kind of campy, theatrical, radio-geared hard rock Cooper has been turning in since Hey Stoopid. Never quite committing to either concept, Detroit Stories ends up feeling like a handful of solid covers of classic Detroit tunes with some Alice Cooper extras thrown in at random."[9]
Track listing
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Rock & Roll" | Lou Reed | 4:43 |
2. | "Go Man Go" | Alice Cooper, Bob Ezrin, Tommy Henriksen, Wayne Kramer | 2:40 |
3. | "Our Love Will Change the World" | Alice Cooper, Bob Ezrin, Matthew Smith | 3:39 |
4. | "Social Debris" | Alice Cooper, Bob Ezrin, Neal Smith | 3:05 |
5. | "$1000 High Heel Shoes" | Alice Cooper, Bob Ezrin, Wayne Kramer | 3:29 |
6. | "Hail Mary" | Alice Cooper, Bob Ezrin, Tommy Henriksen | 3:15 |
7. | "Detroit City 2021" | Alice Cooper, Bob Ezrin, Tommy Henriksen, Ryan Roxie, Chuck Garric | 3:20 |
8. | "Drunk and in Love" | Alice Cooper, Bob Ezrin, Dennis Dunaway | 3:52 |
9. | "Independence Dave" | Alice Cooper, Bob Erin, Wayne Kramer | 2:57 |
10. | "I Hate You" | Alice Cooper, Bob Ezrin, Dennis Dunaway | 2:34 |
11. | "Wonderful World" | Alice Cooper, Bob Ezrin, Tommy Henriksen, Tommy Denander | 3:20 |
12. | "Sister Anne (MC5 cover)" | Fred "Sonic" Smith | 4:47 |
13. | "Hanging on by a Thread (Don't Give Up)" | Alice Cooper, Bob Ezrin, Tommy Henriksen | 3:36 |
14. | "Shut Up and Rock" | Alice Cooper, Bob Ezrin, Tommy Henriksen, Tommy Denander | 2:09 |
15. | "East Side Story (Bob Seger & The Last Heard cover)" | Bob Seger | 2:52 |
Total length: | 50:28 |
Personnel
- Alice Cooper - Vocals, Backing Vocals (track 1, 6, and 7), Harp (track 8, 12, and 15)
- Michael Bruce - Guitar (tracks 4 and 10), Vocals (track 10)
- Dennis Dunaway - Bass (tracks 4 and 10), Guitar (track 10), Vocals (track 10)
- Neal Smith - Drums (tracks 4 and 10), Vocals (track 10)
- Bob Ezrin - Organ (track 1), Percussion (tracks 1, 2, and 6), Piano (track 3), Backing Vocals (tracks 1-3, tracks 6-7, track 10, tracks 13-15), Programming (tracks 10, and 13), Keyboards (track 13)
- Johnny "Bee" Bedanjek - Drums (tracks 1-3, tracks 5-10, tracks 12, 13 and 15), Backing Vocals (track 1)
- Garret Bielaniec - Guitar (tracks 1-3, tracks 5-10, tracks 12-15)
- Tommy Henriksen - Guitar (tracks 2-4, tracks 6-7, tracks 9-10), Percussion (tracks 3, 4 and 10), Backing Vocals (tracks 2-4, tracks 6-7, tracks 9-10, tracks 13-14), Programming (tracks 10, and 13)
- Wayne Kramer - Guitar (tracks 2-3, tracks 5-7, tracks 9-10, tracks 12-13, and track 15), Backing Vocals (tracks 1, 12, and 15)
- Paul Randolph - Bass (tracks 1-3, tracks 5-10, tracks 12-13, and track 15), Backing Vocals (tracks 1, 12, and 15)
- Joe Bonamassa - Guitar (tracks 1, and 8)
- Carla Camarillo - Backing Vocals (tracks 5, and 9)
- Calico Cooper - Backing Vocals (tracks 1, and 3)
- Sheryl Cooper - Backing Vocals (tracks 1, and 3)
- Steven Crayn - Lead Guitar (track 4)
- Tommy Denander - Guitar (tracks 10, and 14), Keyboards (tracks 10, and 13)
- Mark Farner - Guitar (tracks 2, 7, 12, and 15), Backing Vocals (tracks 12, and 15)
- Steve Hunter - Guitar (track 1), Lead Guitar (track 13)
- Keith Kaminski - Saxophone (track 5)
- Jimmy Lee Sloas - Bass (track 14)
- Larry Mullen Jr - Drums (track 14)
- John Rutherford - Tromobone (track 5)
- James Shelton - Organ (tracks 1, and 5)
- Camilla Sledge - Backing Vocals (track 5)
- Debra Sledge - Backing Vocals (track 5)
- Matthew Smith - Guitar (track 13)
- Rick Tedesco - Guitar (tracks 4, and 10)
- Tanya Thillet - Backing Vocals (track 5)
- Walter White - Trumpet (track 5)
References
- ^ "?Detroit Stories by Alice Cooper on Apple Music". Apple Music. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
- ^ "Alice Cooper Announces New Album Detroit Stories". Consequence of Sound. November 11, 2020. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
- ^ Blistein, Jon (November 11, 2020). "Alice Cooper Details New Album 'Detroit Stories'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
- ^ Grow, Kory (November 13, 2020). "Hear Alice Cooper's Gritty Velvet Underground Cover, 'Rock and Roll'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
- ^ Blistein, Jon (December 11, 2020). "Alice Cooper Drops Bright But Eerie 'Our Love Will Change the World'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
- ^ Cooper, Alice (February 4, 2021). "New Single, 'Social Debris' – Free Download Today Only!". Alice Cooper. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
- ^ Cooper, Alice (May 15, 2020). "'Don't Give Up' – New Single + Video Out Now!". Alice Cooper. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
- ^ a b "Metacritic Review". Metacritic. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
- ^ a b Thomas, Fred. "AllMusic Review". AllMusic. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
- ^ Horowitz, Hal (February 24, 2021). "Alice Cooper Returns with Invigorating Collection, 'Detroit Stories'". American Songwriter. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
- ^ Daly, Joe (February 24, 2021). "Alice Cooper's Detroit Stories is a love letter to rock'n'roll's spiritual home". Louder Sound. Metal Hammer. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
- ^ Williams, Gareth (February 24, 2021). "Alice Cooper – Detroit Stories (Album Review)". Wall of Sound. Retrieved February 25, 2021.