Album of the Day

The first two albums Alice Cooper cut for Straight Records went largely unnoticed, but when Warner Bros. bought the Zappa-affiliated label, the band got a second chance and made the most of it. LOVE IT TO DEATH introduced the group to producer Bob Ezrin, with whom they'd make a string of hits, and the 1971 WB collection perfects the quintet's full-throttle hard rock attack. The songwriting also reaches a new peak, with such highlights as “Is It My Body,” “Caught in a Dream” and “I'm Eighteen,” a Top 40 single that provided inspiration to both the Ramones and the Sex Pistols. Those anthems – and a spectacular stage show – made LOVE IT TO DEATH Alice Cooper's first big success (it would eventually go platinum), and we'll give the album another spin now to wish the shock rocker a happy birthday.