at the time child abuse wasn't really a topic that was talked about, Alice Cooper had a way of putting taboo subjects into song and bringing them to light, well said Chod
They don't call Alice the godfather of shock rock and theatrical rock for nothing. Musically there is a lot going on in this tune. Love Dennis Dunaway's bass playing on this. Like your thoughts and comments too. Thought you would be totally freaked and offended by the song. You took it seriously though. Most people don't get Alice, they can't get past the shock and just think he is weird. You get it. Your comparisons to Bob Dylan are interesting too.
An Alice Cooper show was more than a Rock & Roll concert, and very nearly a Broadway show. And it had major impacts in both worlds; Bowie's Ziggy Stardust and Diamond Dogs shows were directly influenced. Bowie saw Alice Cooper in 1971 and realized that the performances he dreamed of could actually happen. And Sweeney Todd debuted on Broadway in the same decade. The coolest thing is that the stars of vaudeville adopted Alice as one of their own; Groucho Marx and George Burns became great friends. They saw Alice as the latest iteration of their art form. Most only saw the shock value, but the show reflected medieval passion plays: sin, death, resurrection (Vince was the son of a preacher). The AC band were revolutionary and wildly intellectual - and yet insanely popular with rock & roll fans. It was something to see.
Alice was all about great rock music, and the presentation of his music. Still is, really. "Killer", "Love It To Death", "Billion Dollar Babies", and "Welcome To My Nightmare" define rock theater.
Good reaction and analysis Chod. I love that you're doing this whole album. I don't think anyone else has done that. Kudos to you! Alice Cooper Killer is one hell of an album.
this is so refreshing bro never heard anyone go into a full album like you not just the songs and lyrics but the musicianship the structure keep on keeping on bro : )
When Killer came out, I saw them do it in concert. it was probably the best concert I've ever been to. They went all out to entertain, but the artistry, the lyrics, the great guitar licks. Musically this is a really sophisticated song.. It also has the best opening line for a song: "Little Betty ate a pound of aspirin..."
@@fasteddie777666 - Every lyric site on the internet I checked, ten plus, says "agrophile". What's your source of "agraphile"? Is ever lyric site wrong about this?
@@NeverGiddy ...here are the meanings Agraphile- Fondness of sexual abuse.................... agrophile - Anything that thrives, or survives, in cultivated soils..........sounds like the lyrics and meaning are spelled wrong !!!....just saying....maybe Alice when writing the lyrics, fucked that one up !!!
This song was originally a little ditty that Alice and Dennis came up with about a lady they knew that didn't take very good care of her kids. When they got in the studio to record the others made their contributions and producer Bob Ezrin molded it into the Goth Opus that it is now.
Nice to see someone react to some of Alice's non commercial tunes. (In other words: Real Alice Cooper.) Other reactors think he only released three songs apparently.
Halo of Flies, Dead Babies and Killer are my favorite 3 songs on this album. I bought it when it first came out and still listen to it. Same with Love it to Death.
The original Alice cooper band you can't beat them. Very much a punk ethos in be the way they player and the content of their songs. I've got all these 70s album and singles on vinyl. Love them to death......
I can still remember listening to this album back then and thinking WOW, I got to go see Alice Cooper live! The people back then who ranted about this song never listened to the story. They only saw the title "Dead Babies". I pretty much thought the same about it.You got it all spot on as usual!
Really cool seeing someone take on a whole album especially an artist like Alice Cooper with his unique intelligent and certainly intense music and style; and you did it yourself with intelligence and style! KUDOS Dude Two other albums that are also compilations and should be listened to in their entirety and thusly also reviewed that way are: Alice Cooper, Welcome to my Nightmare And Queensryche, Operation Mindcrime And these are also two of my ALL Time Favorites!!
You understand music is sometimes a vehicle to make us think. A lot of artists in the 70's made great music but combining meaningful lyrics with the music made it special.
When this was released, it was like the world was coming to an end. It only lasted a year before it turned out to be a flash in the pan, what what a glorious time it was!
Alice Cooper was touching on taboo subjects like child neglect and domestic abuse when no other musician would even dream of it, and was often vilified for it at the time. It was pretty controversial when he appeared on the Muppet Show in 1978. Another song in this venue is Only Women Bleed from the Welcome to my Nightmare album, which deals with the topic of domestic violence.
Chad a brave song in 1971. Child neglect was not a topic in rock then. I was 13 when I bought this and even then understood what an important song this is. This song is one reason I love "Killer" so much!!! A legendary album. By the way all the band members wrote this! Cooper, Buxton, Bruce, Dunaway, Smith
@Zoey The Savannah :) After 40 years of thinking about two main questions in life, and about same time both clicked firmly after hundreds of times beeen decided..then changed... then deci... First the general 'Whats the meaning of life' then the evil'ish impossible 'Wich is the best band in the world' Alice been like my daddy since 70-71 8yo he and the unbeatable original band lived side by side with me til around 76-77 i can say their music (ok Sweet Kiss Purple Abba too) much formed me to who i am today, for good and for some bad i guess. Yet two years ago i confirmed officially on Face political-correct-we-ban-you-for-the-bitter-truth book, best band in the world.. so "On your FEET or on your KNEES, here they are! Xxx xxxxxxx Xxxx Xxxxxx Xxxx. Nice to meet someone with that 'odd' but respectful taste (Think i never known anyone with these two bands as first two). But still feel im cheating on Alice, Purple, Lizzy etc.. They all have a big library of top songs, but böc is so varied and i still do find new favs that i didnt like at all before, like Baby Icedog for one :) P.s It's so lonely in the state of Maine! D.s
The one song that approaches this subject in an impactful way is Jeremy by Pearl Jam. Parental indifference. Didn’t she say he was something mommy wouldn’t wear ? Very impactful lyrics.
dark humor, but with a very serious message. neglect and emotional detachment can be even worse than abuse. when parents don't spend time with their kids, the kids are subjected to a kind of loneliness that damages them for life. kids don't need video games and things to keep them distracted while you're out having fun. they need you AT HOME, showing them love and affection.
Spot on Again!! Another tune you would be interested in that really struck home with me that kinda goes along with this subject matter is by Pat Benatar called "Hell Is For Children "!! Definitely worthy of a Reaction!! Thanks Again for Boldly going where few reactionists have gone before!!
Pretty cool that you got the real social commentary meaning right off the bat, rather than being offended by the (quite intentional) shock / schlock. I mean, it was pretty outrageous at the time, and many people were offended, accusing him of just being a shock clown, but this song proves to be much, much deeper than that. Best, most intense song about child neglect / abuse until Suzanne Vega's "Luka". Well, Pat Benetar's "Hell Is For Children" is another good one. But AC was first, as far as I know.
I think Alice Cooper was an amazing band and I’m a huge fan of their music. But, I have no illusions about their lyrical content - music that makes the twisted look cool. When they played Dead Babies live, the Coop used to hack up dolls filled with fake blood. It was dark and gruesome - it was not sensitive or socially conscious…
Pre-Nirvana bass feel. I still love Desperado best, but this is up there. I bought Paranoid by Black Sabbath a bit earlier, it’s a great album to go through too!
So good. The master. Able to mix a great song with theatrics. Maybe just as important hitting social constructs in 71. Dead babies is about child abuse. on stage hes the villain that kills the baby. But the balance of good and evil was always there. Why he was hung by the band after hacking up the baby doll lol
you have just entered a world reality that you never wanted to face . this shit is real and happening everyday . the coop brought attention to it and everyone dismissed it .........
Excellent interpretation. AC is my favorite group and growing up I would skip this song when I bought the album as it was spooky even though the music was great. It wasn’t till I got older that I could understand it was about child neglect and just an in your face style. AC was my first concert
Want to do another revolutionary album, song by song? "Another Green World" by Brian Eno. It's impact on music and major artists from 1975 on can barely be comprehended.
Cooper has said all his music has had the element of good vs evil, he has a couple of albums out that are classified a Christian, Brutal Planet is one, I haven’t heard those , so can’t recommend them, i had all the early albums with original band.
at the time child abuse wasn't really a topic that was talked about, Alice Cooper had a way of putting taboo subjects into song and bringing them to light, well said Chod
Alice was so intense, he was not allow to sing in Australia.
The original band is just fucking awesome
Amen.
Absolutely. Very few bands could put together songs like they did.
@BlubberBrother There's also no need for whiny-ass snowflaking... can't handle that language, you shouldn't be listening to Alice...
Great reaction. You definitely get it. Welcome to the world of Alice Cooper ! I’m so glad you’re doing the whole album. Great Job ❤️✌️🌼
They don't call Alice the godfather of shock rock and theatrical rock for nothing. Musically there is a lot going on in this tune. Love Dennis Dunaway's bass playing on this. Like your thoughts and comments too. Thought you would be totally freaked and offended by the song. You took it seriously though. Most people don't get Alice, they can't get past the shock and just think he is weird. You get it. Your comparisons to Bob Dylan are interesting too.
Saw this performed in 72 and it all led up to his hanging. Just an incredible experience and they rocked the Roosevelt Stadium in Jersey
"Alice Cooper already did that." - Cheech and Chong.
An Alice Cooper show was more than a Rock & Roll concert, and very nearly a Broadway show. And it had major impacts in both worlds; Bowie's Ziggy Stardust and Diamond Dogs shows were directly influenced. Bowie saw Alice Cooper in 1971 and realized that the performances he dreamed of could actually happen. And Sweeney Todd debuted on Broadway in the same decade. The coolest thing is that the stars of vaudeville adopted Alice as one of their own; Groucho Marx and George Burns became great friends. They saw Alice as the latest iteration of their art form. Most only saw the shock value, but the show reflected medieval passion plays: sin, death, resurrection (Vince was the son of a preacher). The AC band were revolutionary and wildly intellectual - and yet insanely popular with rock & roll fans. It was something to see.
Don't forget that Alice also became great friends with Salvador Dali, he thought of his music like his art.
Alice was all about great rock music, and the presentation of his music. Still is, really. "Killer", "Love It To Death", "Billion Dollar Babies", and "Welcome To My Nightmare" define rock theater.
Nothing like wrapping up an album with two of the darkest songs ever written...
Great take on this epic song. I appreciate your insight into the depth and genius of Alice Cooper's writing/composition.
I LOVE THE HORNS IN THIS TRACK also the riff in this a old Beatles riff my favorite alice song Aloha
If you wanted to shock your parents back the you listened to Alice Cooper and hung his posters on the bedroom wall.
I have posters of him all through my room, my dad isn’t pleased lol
I had that poster
Good reaction and analysis Chod. I love that you're doing this whole album. I don't think anyone else has done that. Kudos to you! Alice Cooper Killer is one hell of an album.
You got the point. It's so silly to see AC being simply written off as "shock rock", when there was so much more to it.
Subbed because no other reviewer would do the entire Killer album and recognize how great it really is.
this is so refreshing bro
never heard anyone go into a full album like you
not just the songs and lyrics but the musicianship the structure
keep on keeping on bro : )
When Killer came out, I saw them do it in concert. it was probably the best concert I've ever been to. They went all out to entertain, but the artistry, the lyrics, the great guitar licks. Musically this is a really sophisticated song.. It also has the best opening line for a song: "Little Betty ate a pound of aspirin..."
Alice Cooper has never been afraid to write songs about spooky subjects.
You nailed it. Best song on the album. "Daddy is an agrophile in Texas", think about that one for a while.
agraphile
@@fasteddie777666 - Every lyric site on the internet I checked, ten plus, says "agrophile". What's your source of "agraphile"? Is ever lyric site wrong about this?
@@NeverGiddy ...here are the meanings Agraphile- Fondness of sexual abuse....................
agrophile - Anything that thrives, or survives, in cultivated soils..........sounds like the lyrics and meaning are spelled wrong !!!....just saying....maybe Alice when writing the lyrics, fucked that one up !!!
This song was originally a little ditty that Alice and Dennis came up with about a lady they knew that didn't take very good care of her kids. When they got in the studio to record the others made their contributions and producer Bob Ezrin molded it into the Goth Opus that it is now.
Nice to see someone react to some of Alice's non commercial tunes. (In other words: Real Alice Cooper.) Other reactors think he only released three songs apparently.
Halo of Flies, Dead Babies and Killer are my favorite 3 songs on this album. I bought it when it first came out and still listen to it. Same with Love it to Death.
ne top.. I was 13 years old when i bought it as vinyl record..1971 - and i loved ir
Very well said...extremely impressive reaction!
The original Alice cooper band you can't beat them. Very much a punk ethos in be the way they player and the content of their songs. I've got all these 70s album and singles on vinyl. Love them to death......
I can still remember listening to this album back then and thinking WOW, I got to go see Alice Cooper live! The people back then who ranted about this song never listened to the story. They only saw the title "Dead Babies". I pretty much thought the same about it.You got it all spot on as usual!
Really cool seeing someone take on a whole album especially an artist like Alice Cooper with his unique intelligent and certainly intense music and style; and you did it yourself with intelligence and style! KUDOS Dude
Two other albums that are also compilations and should be listened to in their entirety and thusly also reviewed that way are:
Alice Cooper, Welcome to my Nightmare
And
Queensryche, Operation Mindcrime
And these are also two of my ALL Time Favorites!!
This is a good reaction. I will click like and, I think I will watch your other stuff too.
I saw this tour in 1971. I consider Killer the Alice Cooper Group's best album.
While others are reacting to the hits of Alice Cooper you are reacting to their best.
As a Child, I, TOO Ate a Whole Bottle of Children's Aspirin, because they were Orange Flavored!!! I had to get my stomach pumped!
This is one bad ass song !!!!!!!!!!! Love it to death, Ha Ha!!
You understand music is sometimes a vehicle to make us think. A lot of artists in the 70's made great music but combining meaningful lyrics with the music made it special.
Great review.Cooper has a way with words. His album Brutal Planet is Alice going into Meatal and the lyrics are KILLER !!!
What an outstanding reaction/review of this song...and album, I might add. The album is aptly named, eh? Thank you very very much.
This track is definitely macabre...
I'm with you, my favorite off this album too.
When this was released, it was like the world was coming to an end. It only lasted a year before it turned out to be a flash in the pan, what what a glorious time it was!
Alice Cooper was touching on taboo subjects like child neglect and domestic abuse when no other musician would even dream of it, and was often vilified for it at the time. It was pretty controversial when he appeared on the Muppet Show in 1978. Another song in this venue is Only Women Bleed from the Welcome to my Nightmare album, which deals with the topic of domestic violence.
Chad a brave song in 1971. Child neglect was not a topic in rock then. I was 13 when I bought this and even then understood what an important song this is. This song is one reason I love "Killer" so much!!! A legendary album. By the way all the band members wrote this! Cooper, Buxton, Bruce, Dunaway, Smith
Pat Benatar's "Hell Is For Children" has a similar message.
I think Blue Oyster Cult was definitely inspired by Alice cooper, especially this album. I hear a lot of Blue Oyster Cult in this music.
As you say it, it may be something i missed for 50 years...
Been listening to both since childhood.
@Zoey The Savannah :) After 40 years of thinking about two main questions in life, and about same time both clicked firmly
after hundreds of times beeen decided..then changed... then deci...
First the general 'Whats the meaning of life'
then the evil'ish impossible
'Wich is the best band in the world'
Alice been like my daddy since 70-71 8yo he and the unbeatable original band lived side by side with me til around 76-77 i can say
their music (ok Sweet Kiss Purple Abba too) much formed me to who i am today, for good and for some bad i guess.
Yet two years ago i confirmed officially on Face political-correct-we-ban-you-for-the-bitter-truth book, best band in the world.. so
"On your FEET or on your KNEES, here they are! Xxx xxxxxxx Xxxx Xxxxxx Xxxx.
Nice to meet someone with that 'odd' but respectful taste (Think i never known anyone with these two bands as first two).
But still feel im cheating on Alice, Purple, Lizzy etc..
They all have a big library of top songs, but böc is so varied and i still do find new favs that i didnt like at all before, like Baby Icedog for one :)
P.s It's so lonely in the state of Maine! D.s
Killers. One of the best rock albums ever.
that bass!
Love it to death and Killer are not nearly reacted enough on UA-cam reaction videos.
The one song that approaches this subject in an impactful way is Jeremy by Pearl Jam. Parental indifference. Didn’t she say he was something mommy wouldn’t wear ? Very impactful lyrics.
I was reading commits and someone suggested doing billion dollar baby album id like to add Dion did backing vocals on that album Aloha
dark humor, but with a very serious message. neglect and emotional detachment can be even worse than abuse. when parents don't spend time with their kids, the kids are subjected to a kind of loneliness that damages them for life. kids don't need video games and things to keep them distracted while you're out having fun. they need you AT HOME, showing them love and affection.
We had a Korean chic that hung out with us and when she got totally stoned we would put the headphones on her when this played. Freaked her out. Lol
Spot on Again!! Another tune you would be interested in that really struck home with me that kinda goes along with this subject matter is by Pat Benatar called "Hell Is For Children "!! Definitely worthy of a Reaction!! Thanks Again for Boldly going where few reactionists have gone before!!
It's the sound of a horrific lullaby!
Aerosmiths song Uncle Salty was another song about child abuse...
Pretty cool that you got the real social commentary meaning right off the bat, rather than being offended by the (quite intentional) shock / schlock. I mean, it was pretty outrageous at the time, and many people were offended, accusing him of just being a shock clown, but this song proves to be much, much deeper than that. Best, most intense song about child neglect / abuse until Suzanne Vega's "Luka". Well, Pat Benetar's "Hell Is For Children" is another good one. But AC was first, as far as I know.
Great job , Chod.
"Betty, so long!"
I think Alice Cooper was an amazing band and I’m a huge fan of their music. But, I have no illusions about their lyrical content - music that makes the twisted look cool. When they played Dead Babies live, the Coop used to hack up dolls filled with fake blood. It was dark and gruesome - it was not sensitive or socially conscious…
Great reaction as always. You should give Jackknife Johnny a listen. Very deep song about Vietnam vets
Can you imagine releasing this song nowadays?
Pre-Nirvana bass feel.
I still love Desperado best, but this is up there.
I bought Paranoid by Black Sabbath a bit earlier, it’s a great album to go through too!
If you do this again you'll have to do Welcome to My Nightmare 😅 the whole album is an extended storyline. With each song as a separate chapter.
You need to listen to Pat Benatar's Hell is for Children
Love that bass line. Disturbing social statement, but typical Alice.
I wish I could give your reaction to this song/album a thousand likes! You deserve more subscriptions, but I can only give you mine. :)
I think I was about 10 when this came out, it scared the poop out of me then…. 😀
Sometime you have got to hit his Ballad Of Dwight Fry. I think you’ll like it.
more alice please!!
So good. The master. Able to mix a great song with theatrics. Maybe just as important hitting social constructs in 71. Dead babies is about child abuse. on stage hes the villain that kills the baby. But the balance of good and evil was always there. Why he was hung by the band after hacking up the baby doll lol
You should check out the song by 10,000 Maniacs "What's The Matter Here", another song along the same topic.
This part of the show Whas heavy when he gets hang for killing the baby and then he comme back to life and start throwing money in the crowd!
My parents hated this song. 😆
I think nirvana were influenced by this song.. Its so ahead of its time ...
you have just entered a world reality that you never wanted to face . this shit is real and happening everyday . the coop brought attention to it and everyone dismissed it .........
😊👍
Excellent interpretation. AC is my favorite group and growing up I would skip this song when I bought the album as it was spooky even though the music was great. It wasn’t till I got older that I could understand it was about child neglect and just an in your face style. AC was my first concert
Check out "Hell is for Children" by Pat Benatar.
Alice"s lyrics were shocking, but 100% facts.
Try ONLY WOMEN BLEED next.
He wrote that song because he saw something on the news about these rich people who let their baby die it's a really messed up story
Want to do another revolutionary album, song by song? "Another Green World" by Brian Eno. It's impact on music and major artists from 1975 on can barely be comprehended.
I'm happy you took tune 4 it's intent . name n lyrics can n are off putting to many .. But it's a real deal thing
If you decide to check out another Alice Cooper album somewhere down the road, I'd suggest Billion Dollar Babies. It's awesome from beginning to end.
Totally agree. Great album for a full album reaction.
Shock Value.
Fantastic song. Alice was/is no joke. If anything, more serious than Black Sabbath! (that's goin some).
Cooper has said all his music has had the element of good vs evil, he has a couple of albums out that are classified a Christian, Brutal Planet is one, I haven’t heard those , so can’t recommend them, i had all the early albums with original band.
I heard a Ouija board gave him his name
Great song but your not getting it. Your bobbing your head and smirking. Close your eyes and actually listen to the words.