Review of Alice Cooper's "Pretties For You" album (1969)

Review and appreciation of Alice Cooper's debut album from 1969, "Pretties For You", a truly collaborative band effort that is an inventive and stunning album!

[@MrLive2win]

No other Cooper album sounds like this one or sounds this collaborative. A great review and a great album that transports the listener to another era.

[@CalicoSilver]

Thanks! Yes this is a very special album that even Alice himself seems to greatly underappreciate. Oh well. Like you said, it transports the listener to another place, for sure. Good way of putting it. Thanks again for the comment. Cheers!

[@oldcarnut1]

This album is great and always sounded like a Mother’s album to me

[@TripleThreat2405]

Wow! I don't believe Alice could do a 30 min video of PFY this interesting. Good job Cal (If that's indeed your REAL name). Looking forward to Easy Action!

[@CalicoSilver]

Haha, thanks Dan. There was a time when I really studied this album and wrote a fairly detailed article about it, but never published it anywhere. So I basically just took the article and went with it here, along with some guitar examples, etc.. It was very enjoyable to make this particular video and I look forward to Easy Action too! Thanks again, bud (and most folks know I am "Jeff" now here on KZbin, haha)

[@bjmombo]

Agreed. Easy action I think is a step up. But this is a weird, cool album

[@DamonMacready]

Fantastic walkthrough of a true gem! I've loved "Alice Cooper Pretties for you" for decades and there are still many things that unfold at each listen! And by the way, the key of "Titanic Overture" doesn't include a flat fifth (Fb) but a raised fourth (DX) (double-sharp D), both enharmonic with the e-note. This because the key is the Lydian mode. Sorry for being a nerd :)

[@CalicoSilver]

Haha, no worries, Damon! I'll take your raised fourth double-sharp D any day over my flat fifth! Haha! I tried studying music theory and just couldn't get through the first few chapters....so I wing it and just call it as I see it - same note. But thanks for your nice comments. YES, this has long been a favorite album of mine. Sometimes I wonder what would have happened to the Alice Cooper Group if Ezrin hadn't been introduced to them.....probably not much.....but I sure do love those pre-Ezrin albums (and I love the Ezrin ones too).

[@bjmombo]

Good call lol. Yeah this album gets a lot of hate, it got some good stuff. Alot of rankings put this as his worst, I think its underrated

[@gorvo31]

Hey Jeff, Really nice delve into this record! Okay....I have mine cued up for a revisit, and shall let you know what I think....I must say, your copy looks fabulous. I'm so used to looking at mine which looks like it was delivered to the record shop in a pizza box! Thanks for sharing. -Carm

[@CalicoSilver]

Carm, I lost 90% of my record collection while in college.....my parents divorced then and all our stuff got sold off or given away while I was gone. I only had a box of records left, and those first two AC albums were in that box. I always kept them very protected (because for a while there they were hard to find). Today, I have maybe a dozen LPs left in my possession, and these two are still in that dozen, haha! But trust me, I know what you mean....my other AC albums were so beat up!!! Some had skips on them that I heard for so many years that when CDs came out, I was shocked to hear the tiny bits of music that my old LPs had skipped out for so long....for a few brief seconds I thought that something was wrong with the CD! Haha.

[@bjmombo]

How was the revisit?

[@mistymangham4410]

Much as I love Alice's development of his signature Alice snarl, but damn it on PFY the man can freaking sing. I freaking love when he actually sings. He is underappreciated as a vocalist. I think that's the main reason his ballads are so dang good. I will say this any Alice Cooper album are pleasent to listen to. Honestly I prefer the era's Hey Stoopid on back to Pretties For You some of the later albums are to heavy and take away from Alice's genius of his lyricsism. I love his way of writing.... they are humorous and yet can be straightforward social commentary he's brilliant. I think he's probably one of the most relatable lyricist along with Robert Smith of The Cure. They both know how to encapsulate emotions like not many artists can. Great review.

[@CalicoSilver]

Great comment! Yes, even though I continued buying Alice's albums up to and including Paranormal, I just tired after the long years of his later albums sounding so same-ey to my ears, and it seemed he was on AutoPilot somewhat....EXCEPT for his lyrics, which like you said are always a hoot and simultaneously cutting and brilliant.

[@Arusticreviews]

Great record, sometimes my favorite by Alice. The production sometimes leaves something to be desired, but it has such a unique, drugged-up psychedelic garage rock sound that is like nothing else I’ve ever heard from that era.

[@CalicoSilver]

Hey there, therusticreviewer, nice to hear from you. I've enjoyed your channel for the past few years at least, including your Alice Cooper videos. Thanks for commenting. Nice to hear from another PFY fan also!

[@CalicoSilver]

Oh, by the way, like I mentioned in the video, there was basically NO "production" for this album - it was merely recorded while they rehearsed the songs, and then the band was told something to the effect of "well, thanks boys, that's a wrap - we're done". Haha!! So, considering that, I'd say they did a damned good job and the record came out sounding pretty good (especially on a good stereo with 3-way speakers with good separation and transparency and soundstage, etc......). But yeah, Easy Action will sound better, as you know, and then especially LITD and afterwards....

[@harryzlotzlottos5715]

Hey rusticreviewer...nice attempt at cross-examining Peter Hammill ‘s Chameleon l.p a few months back..It’s not an easy task I tell you....That last song on the album..is a psychotic phenomenon !! excuse me Jeff...

[@bjmombo]

I agree. I like how different it is than the rest of his discography

[@CaretakerWanted]

I finished acquiring the discography a week ago. "Pretties for You" I feel is very overlooked (and I understand why). However, I do enjoy the album. It's not my favorite, but I definitely won't call it a bad album.

[@CalicoSilver]

I agree, but ever since this KZbin thing started I have noticed that many people (like us) do actually enjoy this album. And that makes me happy. ;-)

[@rockdogization]

a true classic!...just luv apple bush...the whole album is one big trip!.......

[@CalicoSilver]

Get this: for years I used to say that the debut was my FAVORITE ACG album......and sometimes I still think it is. It is sorta like Trout Mask Replica (which came out on the same label the same month of the same year) in that it is all over the place and blended so many influences in such a way that was actually quite unique. Totally underappreciated, indeed. Thanks! Jeff

[@islandhorizonvideos8230]

I think it’s a great album. Whenever I see people rate Alice Cooper albums and put this at the bottom I always think that they never really listen to it or gave it a chance.

[@CalicoSilver]

So true. So true. It is an amazing album. These young guys, on their own without direction by any producer (yet), managed to take a ton of their many influences and blend them into something that I thought was very unique. The album should be regarded as a psychedelic classic alongside other such regarded classics, instead of being regarded as a "weak debut effort" or something. Thanks for your comment! Jeff

[@cmacdhon]

I don't know if I would say the two albums were similar. "Trout Mask Replica" was more of a conglomeration of frequencies. "Pretties For You" was a collection of well written, intelligent songs.

[@CalicoSilver]

I actually hear more of the "Strictly Personal" Beefheart in early Alice Cooper, than of the "Trout Mask". But yeah, these Pretties For You songs are GREAT. Vastly underrated album. Thanks for your comment.

[@harryzlotzlottos5715]

I was close to buying this debut album on c.d back in 1989...but passed it up for beefheart’s ...Lick My Decals off,baby...😳........still prefer trout mask...😊

[@CalicoSilver]

Yeah, I still prefer TMR over LMDOB overall, too, Harry.

[@bjmombo]

I need to check that out

[@drkombat6458]

Hey, what's the Charlie Brown box in the background next to the Bob Dylan bootleg box sets? Great review by the way:)

[@CalicoSilver]

Haha, that is a tiny little set of books that I gave to my daughter when she was younger, and she recently gave it back to me for nostalgia's sake, and she set it on my shelf there. The box set is called "Peanuts Philosophers" and you can still order it on Amazon, it seems. I was a huge Peanuts fan as a kid, and still am somewhat.

[@drkombat6458]

@@CalicoSilver That's really cool:) I always loved The Peanuts. Especially all of the holiday specials! 👍

[@CalicoSilver]

@@drkombat6458 Charlie Brown Christmas is the greatest thing I ever watched as a kid, and I never miss it each Christmas today!

[@drkombat6458]

@@CalicoSilver That one is always a classic:)

[@MissAstorDancer]

This interview with a youngish Alice came up on my suggestions today, and I thought you might enjoy it! kzbin.info/www/bejne/e2qTm6KhetNrg5Y Hope you had a great Thanksgiving! ;)

[@CalicoSilver]

Oh yeah, that is a great interview. He was so young there, haha! (and had his actual real teeth too, hahaha) Had a nice Thanksgiving, yes. Busy, a lot of driving, etc., but nice. Hope yours was nice also!

[@bjmombo]

Excellent interview😎

[@vinylrichie007]

I'm surprised you can talk for over 30 minutes about what I think is a mediocre album.

[@CalicoSilver]

You've obviously given this album as much listening time as it took you to write your comment, Richie! Haha!! Because had you listened more carefully over the years, you would have been "enlightened" like I was, and would be singing its praises along with me, my friend!! ;-)

[@bjmombo]

A true fan. I did mine in about 11 minutes haha. Is even that too long??? Haha jk