Search - Alice Cooper :: Freak Out

A Bad Bootleg

Brian Larson | American Fork, UT USA | 10/31/2002

(1 out of 5 stars)

"This is a bootleg recording of a 1969 show in Toronto. This collection is available under many, many different names including, Science Fiction, Freak Out, Freak Out Song, Painting a Picture, etc., all of which are available from Amazon. The last two songs "Going to the River" and "Ain't That Just Like A Woman" ARE NOT Alice Cooper songs, nor are they performed by Alice Cooper. (You can confirm that with Alice's assistent, Brian "Renfield" Nelson.)This is a very poor album. Save your money."

The "Plan 9 From Outter Space" of rock

Bill M. | MA, USA | 10/07/2000

(2 out of 5 stars)

"This is a recording of a 1969 concert in Toronto, and has been (and continues to be) frequently released under different names: "Science Fiction", "Ladies Man", "Nobody LIKE Me", "Nobody LIKES" Me", "Snorting Anthrax", and the list goes on. There are also two studio songs, which are NOT by Alice (as for how they ended up there, that's been a big subject of debate). So when you see a cheap Alice Cooper CD, check the track list because it may very well be another clone of "Freak Out".Alice said that when he and his band played shows in the early days (sometimes opening up for The Doors), people would walk out before the show was over. Alice's band was also called "the ones who droke the stake through the heart of the love generation." One listen to this album, and you'll see why both are true. It's almost pure noise with just a splash of melody and beat. If I didn't know any better, I'd say that they were completely drunk when they recorded it.Now there is, I suppose, some twisted avant-garde significance to that, which is why I give it 2 stars instead of 1. Frank Zappa (who signed AC to his label) said that there was something special about a band who could clear a room in 10 minutes.Don't get me wrong -- I am a die-hard Alice Cooper fan, and have every single one of his albums. And yes, I even listen to "Freak Out" once in a while. I love songs like "Nobody Likes Me", but I would only recommend this album to 1) fans who already have most of his other albums or 2) fans of complete noise. Playing this CD would make the average person run out of the room, covering their ears. I was talking with a friend once about Alice Cooper, and he said he didn't really like him. The reason was he bought this album to check him out, but he "had to return it the next day, because it was so bad." So please, by no means take this CD as being a representation of all Alice is capable of. If you're looking for "School's Out" or "Poison", you'll be totally disappointed. You'll greatly appreciate putting aside a few more dollars to get a CD like "Greatest Hits"."

Live Cooper from 1969 -- But not all it appears to be.

Bill M. | 03/15/1999

(2 out of 5 stars)

"This is a Bootleg release which has been issued under a number of diferent titles, i.e. Ladies Man, Toronto Rock'N'Roll Revival '69, Freak Out Song and I believe one or two others.The first two tracks, "Going to the River" and "Ain't That Just Like A Woman" aren't even Alice Cooper tracks. There has been considerable debate about who actually performed those numbers at the festival, but one thing is known for sure, it WASN'T Alice Cooper. The rest are very early Alice Cooper recordings which were to eventually appear on Pretties For You and Easy Action. I believe that a number of the tracks were originally done by the Spiders and/or the Nazz, Alice Coopers early group names. It is certainly not the best of his work but nonetheless worth having if you're a Cooper collector or at all interested in the beginnings of the Alice Cooper experience."