Alice Cooper : Breadcrumbs Review

Alice Cooper is releasing a six-track EP titled Breadcrumbs. Cooper penned two originals and explores three covers with a theme of garage rock heroes from his hometown Detroit. The covers are: “Sister Anne” by MC5, “Your Mamma Won’t Like Me” by Suzi Quatro and “Devil With a Blue Dress” by Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels. Cooper is joined on the recordings by MC5’s Wayne Kramer, jazz singer Paul Randolph, former Grand Funk Railroad member Mark Farner, ex Detroit Wheels drummer Johnny “Bee” Badanjek and Mick Collins. Along with being available on all digital platforms, Breadcrumbs will have 20,000 numbered 10-inch vinyl versions available worldwide. Breadcrumbs continues the long-time collaboration between Cooper and producer Bob Ezrin. Their collaboration began in 1971 with Love It to Death and will again be heard on Cooper’s twenty-first album coming in 2020.

From the onset “Detroit 2020,” signifies it’s a rocker. Crunchy guitars and a deeply felt rhythm that shoves it into overdrive.  Cooper rails it down the line with an authentic motor city edge.  Lyrically he touches on the “scene” making it a perfect Detroit anthem.  Some of the best rock and soul has come from Detroit City, and Cooper proves it is his city of brotherly rock.

“Go Man Go,” has a late set 70s punk feel.  All the raw energy and power of the real punk rebel days before the watered-down new wave sound took over the airwaves.  Replete with call and response shouts and heavy driving guitar, reminiscent of 999 and the Sex Pistols era, Cooper once again reaches into the nostalgia and saves the Queen.   Dirty, gritty and filled with self-deprecating lyrics Cooper rocks it into the night.

Breadcrumbs finds the seventy-one-year-old rocker going strong and capturing the energy and passion of the “Detroit” city sound on Breadcrumbs. The Motor City is known as the birthplace of the musical subgenres “The Motown Sound” and Techno. One of the highlights of Detroit’s musical history was the success of Motown Records during the 1960s and early 1970s. It is hard to imagine Cooper having that type of influence, but Breadcrumbs is meant to capture the energy and emotional impact of the music but with an application of Cooper’s hard rock sound. What everyone really wants to know though is, “Does Cooper still have it?” Well, yes, the mascara wearing rocker is still belting it out with power and control. Get you some!

Alice Cooper: Website