Shock rocker Alice Cooper throws his hat in the eighties metal ring, albeit with mixed results. In his first collaboration with guitarist Kane Roberts (who would later go on to front the underrated unit Phoenix Down), Cooper begins to show signs of becoming a true metal act, but the album suffers from a general lack of heavy distortion. It would also benefit greatly from bringing the bass more up-front in the mix. The best feature of the album is undoubtedly Roberts’ solo work: there are several instances where he rips off a shredding solo in the midst of a lighter song. It almost feels as if the he’s dying to go heavier and the songs are holding him back, which is odd given that he co-wrote every song on the album.
Alice, of course, gives his usual spirited vocal performance. "Life and the Death of the Party" is the darkest and best song on the album, featuring one of the strongest of the aforementioned solos. "Teenage Frankenstein," "Thrill My Gorilla," and "Simple Disobedience" are among the more metallic offerings. The last two songs on the album were written for movie soundtracks (to go along with the aforementioned "Teenage Frankenstein"). Another scorching solo appears on the otherwise stale "The Great American Success Story," while "He's Back" is full of dripping atmosphere and strong vocals, but lacks any real heaviness or kick.
One last sidenote would be the bassist... ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Kip Winger.

TRACK LIST: Teenage Frankenstein/Give It Up/Thrill My Gorilla/Life and Death of the Party/Simple Disobedience/The World Needs Guts/Trick Bag/Crawlin’/ The Great American Success Story/He’s Back