| Zipper Catches Skin | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 1982 | |||
| Recorded | Mid 1982 | |||
| Studio | Cherokee (Los Angeles) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 32:25 | |||
| Label | Warner Bros. | |||
| Producer | Alice Cooper and Erik Scott; "I Am the Future" – Steve Tyrell | |||
| Alice Cooper chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Zipper Catches Skin | ||||
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Zipper Catches Skin is the seventh solo studio album by American rock singer Alice Cooper, released in October 1982, by Warner Bros. Records. [4]
The album was co-produced by bassist Erik Scott alongside Cooper. Cooper blended new wave and pop rock music into his hard rock style in an attempt to keep up with changing musical trends. [2] Scott stated the album "was meant to be lean, stripped down, and low on frills. Punkish and bratty." [5] At the time, Cooper described Zipper Catches Skin as "totally kill. Real hardcore. The stuff that I do has always been a lot like that. In fact, I invented a couple of songs that were remakes of other songs, just for the purpose of attacking clichés. There are no clichés on this album, and I did that for a specific reason. Rock and roll right now is jammed with clichés." [6] Cooper described the photograph of him on the album's back cover as "very Haggar slacks. I look good. I look like a GQ ad, only I'm zipping up my pants and you can see definite pain on my face."
Long-time Cooper guitarist Dick Wagner, who left halfway through the recording sessions, described Zipper Catches Skin as "the off to the races speedy album" [7] and a "drug induced nightmare". [7] Wagner later revealed in a segment of the Deleted Scenes on the 2014 documentary film Super Duper Alice Cooper that Cooper was smoking crack cocaine at the time and had a curtain set up behind the recording mic with a stool on it where he kept his crack pipe; he and other members of the band would sneak behind the curtain to take hits in between recording takes.
Zipper Catches Skin is the second of three studio albums which Cooper refers to as his "blackout" albums, the others being the preceding album, Special Forces (1981), and the following album, DaDa (1983), as he has no recollection of recording them, due to the substance abuse, although he did manage to film a television advertisement intended to promote Zipper at the time. [8] Cooper stated "I wrote them, recorded them and toured them and I don't remember much of any of that", [9] though he actually toured only Special Forces, the tour for which ended in February 1982. [10] There was no tour to promote Zipper, and none of its songs have ever been played live. [5] Despite this, Cooper has said he is proud of the music, and is surprised how good it is despite his state at the time. Also expressing his desire for the albums to be re-recorded to some degree...."I would actually like to go back and re-record those three albums because I never really gave them their due. I love the songs – I just don't remember writing them. My subconscious was writing some pretty good tracks! There's 'Zorro's Ascent' and 'No Baloney Homosapiens' for example where now I'm going, "Wow, that's clever!" (laughs). [9]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [1] |
Despite its first single "I Am the Future" being featured in the film Class of 1984 as its theme song, [11] and the Waitresses' Patty Donahue appearing on its other single "I Like Girls", Zipper Catches Skin failed to chart in most countries, including in the US where it became Cooper's first album to not dent the Billboard Top 200 since Easy Action (1970). [2] In a 30th anniversary look-back, Ultimate Classic Rock described it "an off-kilter hybrid of the Knack and the Cars." [2]
In a retrospective review for AllMusic, critic Donald A. Guarisco wrote that ".. while it's not a success on the level of Billion Dollar Babies or Welcome to My Nightmare , it is surprisingly listenable. The songwriting subjects are some of the most unusual of Cooper's career, which is saying a lot: "Tag, You're It" is a primarily spoken word spoof of slasher films, while "Zorro's Ascent" depicts the world's most famous swordsman facing down death. However, the strangest of these songs is "I'm Alive (That Was the Day My Dead Pet Returned to Save My Life)," which speaks for itself. These lyrics are often too cutesy for their own good, but this is effectively made up for by the well-crafted, tuneful music that backs them up. Cooper is also assisted by an enthusiastic and energetic performance by the band, who transform tunes like "I Better Be Good" and "Remarkably Insincere" into effective fusions of hard rock riffing and new wave staccato rhythms. While the experimental spirit that drives these songs is refreshing, none of the songs ever jells in a way that would create a cohesive album and none of the songs is strong enough to join the ranks of classics like "School's Out" or "No More Mr. Nice Guy." That said, Zipper Catches Skin contains enough solid tracks to make it a worthwhile listen for hardcore Alice Cooper fans." [1]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Zorro's Ascent" |
| 3:56 |
| 2. | "Make That Money (Scrooge's Song)" |
| 3:30 |
| 3. | "I Am the Future" (From the Motion Picture Class of 1984 ) | 3:29 | |
| 4. | "No Baloney Homosapiens (For Steve & E.T.)" |
| 5:06 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5. | "Adaptable (Anything for You)" |
| 2:56 |
| 6. | "I Like Girls" |
| 2:25 |
| 7. | "Remarkably Insincere" |
| 2:07 |
| 8. | "Tag, You're It" |
| 2:54 |
| 9. | "I Better Be Good" |
| 2:48 |
| 10. | "I'm Alive (That Was the Day My Dead Pet Returned to Save My Life)" |
| 3:13 |
| Total length: | 32:25 | ||
Credits are adapted from the Zipper Catches Skin liner notes. [12]
Musicians
| Chart (1982) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Top Albums/CDs ( RPM ) [13] | 94 |
Alice Cooper is an American rock singer and songwriter whose career spans sixty years. With a raspy voice and a stage show that features numerous props and stage illusions, including pyrotechnics, guillotines, electric chairs, fake blood, reptiles, baby dolls, and dueling swords, Cooper is considered by many music journalists and peers to be "The Godfather of Shock Rock". He has drawn equally from horror films, vaudeville, and garage rock to pioneer a macabre and theatrical brand of rock designed to shock audiences.
Welcome to My Nightmare is the debut solo studio album by American rock musician Alice Cooper, released on February 28, 1975. It is his only album for the Atlantic Records label in North America; in the rest of the world, it was released on the ABC subsidiary Anchor Records. Welcome to My Nightmare is a concept album. Played in sequence, the songs form a journey through the nightmares of a child named Steven. The album inspired the Alice Cooper: The Nightmare TV special, a worldwide concert tour in 1975, and his Welcome to My Nightmare concert film in 1976. The ensuing tour was one of the most over-the-top excursions of that era. Most of Lou Reed's band joined Cooper for this record.
Alice Cooper Goes to Hell is the second solo studio album by American rock musician Alice Cooper, released in 1976. A continuation of Welcome to My Nightmare as it continues the story of Steven, the concept album was written by Cooper with guitar player Dick Wagner and producer Bob Ezrin.
Muscle of Love is the seventh and final studio album by American rock band Alice Cooper. It was released in late 1973, the band played its last concert a few months later.
Lace and Whiskey is the third solo and tenth overall studio album by American rock singer Alice Cooper, released on April 29, 1977, by Warner Bros. Records.
From the Inside is the fourth solo studio album by American rock singer Alice Cooper, released in December 1978 by Warner Bros. Records. It is a concept album about Cooper's stay in a New York asylum due to his alcoholism. Each of the characters in the songs were based on actual people Cooper met in the asylum. Among other collaborators, the album features three longtime Elton John associates: lyricist Bernie Taupin, guitarist Davey Johnstone and bassist Dee Murray.
Special Forces is the sixth solo studio album by American rock singer Alice Cooper, released in September 1981 by Warner Bros. Records. It was produced by Richard Podolor, best known for his work with Three Dog Night.
School's Out is the fifth studio album by American rock band Alice Cooper, released in June 1972. Following on from the success of Killer, School's Out reached No. 2 on the US Billboard 200 chart and No. 1 on the Canadian RPM 100 Top Albums chart, holding the top position for four weeks. The single "School's Out" reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 3 on the Canadian RPM Top Singles Chart and went to No. 1 in the UK Singles Chart.
DaDa is the eighth solo studio album by American rock singer Alice Cooper, released on September 28, 1983, by Warner Bros. Records. DaDa would be Cooper's final studio album until his sober re-emergence in 1986 with the album Constrictor.
Patricia Jean Donahue, known as Patty Donahue, was the lead singer of the 1980s new wave group The Waitresses. She is best known for the band’s singles "I Know What Boys Like" and "Christmas Wrapping".
Richard Allen Wagner was an American rock guitarist, songwriter and author best known for his work with Alice Cooper, Lou Reed, and Kiss. He also fronted his own Michigan-based bands, the Frost and the Bossmen.
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"Only Women Bleed" is a song by American rock singer Alice Cooper, released on his debut solo studio album Welcome to My Nightmare (1975). It was written by Cooper and Dick Wagner and was the second single from the album to be released.
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"I Am the Future" is a 1982 song by American rock musician Alice Cooper recorded for the 1982 film Class of 1984. The song was one of two singles released from his seventh solo studio album Zipper Catches Skin (1982). The single did not chart, and despite the advent of MTV at the time a promotional video was not created for it.
Pentti "Whitey" Glan was a Finnish-Canadian rock drummer, best known for his work with Alice Cooper and Lou Reed.
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Alice Cooper, also known as the Alice Cooper Group or the Alice Cooper Band, was an American rock band formed in Phoenix, Arizona, in 1968. The band consisted of lead singer Vincent Furnier, Glen Buxton, Michael Bruce, Dennis Dunaway, and Neal Smith (drums). The band was notorious for their elaborate, theatrical shock rock stage shows.
Erik Scott was an American bassist, record producer, and songwriter. Scott played bass for the band Flo & Eddie in the 1970s as well as Alice Cooper in the early 1980s, for whom he also produced. In the 1990s he was one of the founding members of Sonia Dada, which reached the number one position on the Australian music charts with their eponymous debut studio album. Scott was also the co-writer of the song "Father, Father", which was the title track for the Pops Staples' album of the same name, winner of the 1994 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album. In 2008 he became a solo artist as well, with his debut studio album Other Planets. He recorded four solo studio albums in total, including the 2016 ZMR Awards Album of the Year winner In the Company of Clouds.
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