When played live, the end section of this song was a soundtrack to a mock execution by hanging, with a gallows onstage and everything. You can hear the sound of the trap door at the very end. If memory serves, the sound of the flies buzzing played in an endless loop until you lifted the needle off the album.

@CousinCreepy

Жыл бұрын

I always took it to be the chaotic sound of his mind dying as he was hung and suffocated. We actually follow him up to the gallows and it doesn't stop until he's dead and we're trapped in his head and experience his death as well.

@deadeyedarwin

Ай бұрын

It also gives Alice a quick piss and change break

You never hear Alice Cooper labeled as progressive rock, but they did a lot of proggy stuff on those early albums!

@hotblackdesiato3022

Жыл бұрын

Agreed.

"Love It to Death" is another brilliant early Alice Cooper album.

@TacomaPaul

Жыл бұрын

try "Black Juju".... wow.

@jgsrhythm100

Жыл бұрын

" Ballad of Dwight Frye" is 100% what he shout hit next!! Of course agreed the whole album is 🔥

@Blair19

Жыл бұрын

Whole album top notch... Fave

Alice Cooper GROUP guitar work is so unique and distinct. They have their own sound.

Killer is one of my favourite albums ... actually all Alice Cooper's albums up until about 1978 - 79 are really great...

Before jumping into another Alice album...why not finish off that year? Love it to death was actually the first album released that year with several classics on it. The birthplace of the Alice Cooper rock anthems!

I Saw Alice live in 96 or 97 I think. And they closed the set with this song and the very end the loud clap or thumb... in concert Alice was hung and the thumping was the trap door being released and then Alice's body drops. It surely was a spectacle to see! My dad has the original vinyl for this and I've been trying to find one of my own for years. It's a gatefold and when it opens up it's a calendar for the year 1972 I think and the picture is Alice hanging from a noose. Every copy I come across has the calendar part torn out.

I agree Justin- Killer is the best song on this album, and that's saying something, cuz this album is literally killer. This Killer song is awesome. When it came out it was groundbreaking. Nothing else sounded like this. This album was one of my favorites in high school, and this song in particular I really liked. Glen Buxton's guitar tone, when he first starts playing notes, about 1:30 here, is incredible. As the note dies away, he slides down the fretboard and gets this nasally, almost articulate sound, like the guitar is saying "roumpf" or something. I'm quite sure he uses the wah pedal here as a variable EQ, rather than as a cliched rhythmic effect. He does that a lot. Glen Buxton is vastly underrated as a guitarist- he is a master of tone and composition. And Dunaway's bass playing is sublime, as is Neal Smith's drumming. Michael Bruce is an excellent guitarist, and Alice Cooper's vocals are so varied and right on for every song. And that organ part at the end: what musical drama! I think the organ is played by Bob Ezrin, their producer, and it is such a beautiful, hauntingly eerie piece. The rest of the band backs it up perfectly; it is very dirge-like. After the trapdoor falls at the end, that startling sound at the end is the spirit of the killer flying off to the never-never I think. Glad you finally got to this song JP! Next you must hear their album Love It To Death. I think you just need to hear the whole album, like you did with Killer. All the songs are good, and some of them are real gems, like Hallowed Be My Name, Second Coming and Ballad of Dwight Fry. Oh yeah you'll be amazed.

What a great, organic, and human record. Pretty much everything released in '71 was dope. Golden Era.

@gelsol

Жыл бұрын

All the OG Alice Cooper albums are great. Don't sleep on Muscle of Love! I think it's an underrated album, despite what critics had to say! Man With the Golden Gun should have been a Bond soundtrack, but never was. It's bullshit in hindsight!

The last thing you hear after the dirge is the sound of the trap door on the gallows falling, then the rope stretching then Alice dying.

One of Alice's best...love Halo, Dead Babies, and Killer. Alot more great 70s Alice out there!!

I have just recently relistened to all Alice's albums, there is a lot of great material here, it was always meant to try and shock and awe you. Billion Dollar Babies is a good example, so is Muscle of Love, From the Inside, even Lace and Whiskey... they all poke an ironic finger at something. The song Desperado always gets me. Great review as always.

This amazing alnum is about a Gunfighter. I still have it in my collection of Alice's albums. The snake's name,btw,is Kachina. She was his personal pet.

JP Yes Yes!!!!!!! Finally a reaction channel delves into the brilliance that is Alice Cooper !!! So impressed that you decided to stay the course on this 1 album. My suggstion.from the previous album " Love it To Death" -(also 71) " Ballad of Dwight Frye" is an absolute masterpiece!!!! 🔥 🔥 A tribute of sorts to actor Dwight Frye who appeared in many horror films including the role of Reinfiekd in 1931's Dracula. It is an absolute masterpiece !

@JustJP

Жыл бұрын

Thanks jgs!

The outro was supposed to be the long slow walk to the gallows. Then the trap door opens and he drops. The last sound is the flies buzzing round the corpse

1971 was maybe the best year ever for rock albums. This album is not often mentioned in discussions of the great albums from that year, but I expect that having played it all the way through, you will never be one to make that mistake. Tremendous conclusion to an overlooked gem. Great video Justin.

This tune always gave me the shivers. I think Alice often used it for his death stunts at the end of his shows.

I've enjoyed this album since I was 9 years old way back in 1971. Saw it at K-Mart and said I gotta have it. Killer is killer!

The most amazing song to cover on this is ‘Halo of Flies’

@kato0828

Жыл бұрын

Thankfully he did - might have even been his first taste of this ability gem.

The "Love It To Death" lp has some great stuff on it like "Black Juju", Ballad Of Dwight Fry" and a cover of "Sun Arise".

The "loud part" is the experience of hanging ; trap door opening.

This is the song where Alice hung himself onstage. Unfortunately I didn’t see Alice in concert until 1975 so I missed it. He also had his head cut off by a Guillotine. He was know for his gore in the early 70’s.

"Killer is the best track on the album!". Yes..... yes, it is.

Great track and album. The lyrics for this song were written by bassist Dennis Dunaway. So many to choose from after this. "School's Out" and "Billion Dollar Babies" from the band and "Welcome To My Nightmare", "From The Inside" and "Dragontown" from the solo years. Most of the Alice discography is stellar.

Great track to end a great album. That was the sounds of the gallows trap door opening at the end of the song. The inside of this album had a fold out with a picture of Alice hanging from a noose and a 1972 calendar under the picture. If you like this you will love The Doors song The Soft Parade.

@alaska_uk1303

Жыл бұрын

Still have my copy with calendar attached.

again l love ALICE'S MUSIC ✌️👍🇦🇺

The older rock music wasn't made to be danced to it was made to be listened to. Much better music.

Always good to close an album on a high note.

Damn, Justin, you should have listened to Dead Babies and let it roll into Killer. They're made to be listened to together! Anyway, love the reaction. Keep more Alice coming! Oh, and I think the reactions will be MUCH more entertaining now that you're not muting yourself.

@j.woodbury412

Жыл бұрын

That's the only way to listen to those two songs, Also, "Second Coming", "Ballad of Dwight Fry" and "Sun Arise" are meant to be played together as well.

@cobrasys

Жыл бұрын

@@j.woodbury412 True. Alice has a few of these. "Devil's Food" / "The Black Widow" and "Years Ago" / "Steven" / "The Awakening" / "Escape" come to mind immediately as well.

@j.woodbury412

Жыл бұрын

@@cobrasys That's true. I hadn't thought about it, but those songs do sound like they belong together.

And all credit to Bob Ezrin for producing such an amazing sounding record.

you miss so much by not using Live performances. The stage show for this is epic.

The ending is an electric chair - theatrically used on stage at the time!

It was an execution at the end. A hanging, I believe.

@hotblackdesiato3022

Жыл бұрын

Could be electric chair, sounds like a switch being thrown and then the high-pitched thrumming sound.

@cattlecrossing458

Жыл бұрын

The album did originally come with a full size poster and calendar of Alice hanging by a hangman’s noose.

Listening to the composition, I had the impression that a murder would happen soon, at the end it happened and the centrifuge started working, when I listened to it for the first time it impressed me, it was very unexpected, a wonderful album, a masterpiece.

You can't go wrong with "Schools Out", "Billion Dollar Babies", "Welcome to my Nightmare" and "From the Inside" albums.

Great review JP My favorite album from Alice, favorite track on it: Halo of flies. At the end of killer the sound is supposed to means the execution on a gallow pole. The next Alice Cooper album you should listen to, the concept album Welcome to my Nightmare

The part you called haunted saloon reminded me of an instrumental part of Thick As a Brick

The original band was so tight

The end of the song, is the Killer being hung. The buzzing is their interpation of what it sounds like when you die.

One thing missed is that the album goes straight from the courtroom outbursts at the end of Dead Babies right into the brooding bass of Killer, almost as if Killer is the punishment phase of Dead Babies. I've always wondered, though, exactly who is getting punished? The negligent parents of Little Betty? The man who had his woman "Under My Wheels"? The double crossing spy of Halo Of Flies? Did the protagonist of Drive Me Nervous finally snap and do something rash to another or possibly himself? The self professed killer gunslinger in Desperado? Or was it Alice himself by late 60s society for daring to sing about such topics in such a shocking, acid wit way? There is a potential killer in almost every track on this album.

“This is the coolest song…” well, YES!!! Look back at how many times I told you I was waiting for you to get to this one, and then you nearly missed it completely! :) ok- you MUST do the Billion Dollar Babies album next. Please!

My favorite Alice Cooper album. You might consider looking up some details before giving a final statement so you understand better what you just listened to. You need more context, but good for you😊

"and nothing came at all until they came after me!" Perfect bookend with Desperado - in my mind, obviously the same character in both songs.... "someone gave me this gun, and I gave it everything - I gave it EVERYTHING!" hehe. Don't get much darker than this album. :)

FYI, I like hearing your brief in-song comments. In the past I've found myself wondering what you were trying to say when you would mouth your words and gesture. Its a nice change! Now do the Billion Dollars Babies album!!

@cobrasys

Жыл бұрын

And then Welcome to my Nightmare!

In the end, the killer gets hanged. and I suppose the very last (loud) sound is his soul going away from the scene. the drumming is a standard beat for accompanying the condemned to the gallows.

Killer, Billion Dollar Babies and Welcome to my Nightmare are my top 3 Alice Cooper Albums. Later on he got more heavy metal sounding IMO.

Yes the end is where He gets Hung on Stage....

I've been listening to this album since my older brother bought it when it came out and it still remains one of my all time favorite albums along with Love it to death!!!

The ending dirge is the walk to the gallows, including the prayers from the priest, as that ends, you hear the gallows trapdoor operate and the creak of the rope, the final sounds Isuspect are the death of Alice, the Killer. Live, it is brilliant, a morality show, do evil things, get punished.

The only AC lineup for me 👍

Times over!

The title track KILLER is a KILLER. A truly turly great song. So well written. The second half the song IS like a funeral march. It's the long mile march to the electic chair for the Killer. The Killer is getting electricuted at the end.

During his current live shows, Alice gets beheaded in the guillotine while Killer is playing and that Outro plays once he’s been executed. So great, as a real 40 pound blade comes down only missing him by a few inches. It really does look real. Killer and Love it to Death are my favorite albums from Alice, but I think you’d enjoy his first solo album, Welcome to my Nightmare. It’s a concept album where each song is a different piece of the nightmare. Also, Brutal Planet is great! A much heavier side as far as music and subject matter having to do with rather violent events around the world.

@ricmatteson225

Жыл бұрын

1972 saw this show at Roosevelt Stadium. They hanged him in this. Incredible show

Killer album, my favorite by them.

Alice Cooper? Clones (we're all) Model Citizen Cold Ethyl Department of Youth Take it Like a Woman You won't be disappointed!!!

Great band. Drive my parents nuts.

Love that you loved this track. This was a stand out track back in the day and still is. Alice used to 'get executed' in the live shows, for being the baddie!. Hanging, electric chair and madam guillotine, which, btw is a real blade. He likes the idea of authenticity! What a (crazy) guy. But what a showman. Love him. So, as mentioned, "Love It To Death", "School's Out" (which I think you'd really dig .Great production), "Billion Dollar Babies", "Muscle Of Love", Welcome To My Nightmare", "Goes To Hell", and "From The Inside" (autobiographical, but with a twist and another great production. "Inside", being a hospital, not prison, ha ha.) This is the earlier stuff and it's all awesome and enough to be going on with. 😺Have a good one😊

The end sounds like the electric chair.

The end of this is Alice being taken to the Guillotine to have his head copped off. that explains the funeral Dirg at the end

Great video and song choice JP. Yeah it’s an awesome track with Alice the ‘Killer’ finally getting punished by being sent to the electric chair. Might I suggest that you try either of these AC albums next, ‘Billion Dollar Babies’ or ‘Welcome to my Nightmare’, both are absolute classics that I must’ve listened to about 500 times each in my lifetime. Cheers JP! 😁

Excellent master, my he he favorite song was Desperado, and Love It To Death would be cool because I’ve never really heard it. If not, Billion Dollar Babies or even Muscle of Luv.

After reading many of the comments under previous tracks for this album, I guess I was a little too hyped, expecting a lot from this one. It didn't quite hit the high mark I had (unreasonably?) expected but it was okay. I suppose I should now listen to the whole album and listen to it in context.

He got caught, and then the following execution, and it was meant to be frightening. It did me.

I was introduced to Alice wen I was 14 with School's Out; I never got into his older stuff until I was nearly 30! This song certainly tells a story, but I couldn't tell what it is. I don't care much for the dissonance but I do enjoy the track.

@scottschroeder1494

Жыл бұрын

It's about a killer found guilty at a trial, and hung at the end. I saw them live, and during the buzzing at the end Alice would kick and writhe around and the song ended when Alice's character died.

A great track, and fine end to the album. It's both Interesting, and slightly odd, as it plays through with those 2 juxtaposed sections. The first, a slow rock number with that interesting break that screamed The Door (I believe he was actually mates with Morrison), before transitioning into the more choral lament part. I wouldn't call it a dirge. Though funereal it was too light, dirges are usually darker, heavier. And then for good measure, a bunch of crazy sounds to finish... Alice at his best.

Please do more Alice albums!! You could randomly pick anything from him and and it would be awesome, I agree with others that billion dollar babies, welcome to my nightmare should be next, I personally also love heavy metal alice albums like raise your fist an yell

Great Album! One of my faves

I'm probably significantly in the minority, but my favorite AC album is Muscle of Love.

The path of the title track "Killer" is brilliant and everything leads to this kind of funeral march towards the scaffold or the electric chair (the various sound effects can evoke both at one time or another). Killer is at the top of Alice Cooper's discography. Billion Dollar Babies is not far from it but I find however some flaws and lengths while Killer is easier to digest.

@cobrasys

Жыл бұрын

To me, Alice was at the height of his powers during Welcome to my Nightmare. I enjoy almost all of his 70's albums the same, but Billion Dollar Babies has a special place in my heart particularly because of the title track and WTMN because of the theatricality and the genius of how music and lyrics intertwine, and because of "Steven" which, to me, is Alice's number 1 underrated song.

@a.k.1740

Жыл бұрын

@@cobrasys I always found Welcome to my Nightmare very overestimated and precisely I moderately appreciate the theatrical aspect of it. If it works on stage, on the other hand I am more skeptical on the album where I find it difficult to digest the concept and this very strong musical comedy aspect, especially since Bob Ezrin's production this time is much more polished in comparison of previous albums, and which brings out a smooth side, even on rockier tracks.

Halo of flies is the best song on the album

The Alice Cooper band through 74 was so much better than what came after. There really wasn't a good replacement for Buxton on guitar.

A lot of spoilers in the comment section, shame.