Alice Cooper – Might As Well Be On Mars : Heartbreaks & Guitar Solos
by Niki N. Phaser on Dec.14, 2009, under Non-Single Masterpieces
Alice Cooper is best known for… almost everything he does, his name being one of the quintessential pillars of heavy-metal. His 1991 album, Hey Stoopid
(the title refers to drug addiction), didn’t receive as much attention as his 80′s work, probably because of the grungy circumstances of those days. But, when you draw the bottom line, you realize that the album contains some of the master’s most recognizable hits, like the title track, Feed My Frankenstein
or the symphy Might As Well Be On Mars
.
The horror-like intro (phasy pads, high piano keys, door effects), the classic whiny guitar solos suitable for hair metal ballads, they extend the song to a seven minutes length, but it all goes so fast, as if you are listening to a three minutes no.1 pop hit. Might As Well Be On Mars is what you would call a classic heavy ballad: it’s about love, heartbreak, alienation (as the title suggests), but from that ‘tough guy with long hair’ perspective: “You’ve, turned my world into a dark and lonely place, Like a planet lost in space”. It’s torch song for biker chicks, yes, but of the best quality. If you are familiar with Cooper’s Poison, you can expect the same kind of big loud, but romantic chorus, that anchors the track in mainstream and makes it appealing to non-rockers.




December 14th, 2009 on 9:07 pm
Good call! Hey Stoopid is actually my favorite AC album, by a long shot. (Then again, I am an unapologetic cheese/hair metal junkie.)
Might As Well Be On Mars (and Burning Our Bed) were two of my most oft-played breakup songs in the 90′s, and for me, Hey Stoopid is unique among AC albums, as it’s the only one that doesn’t contain at least one song that I feel the need to skip. Every track is solid, and can stand proud, IMHO.