Alice Cooper Goes to Hell

On his 1976 follow-up to *Welcome to my Nightmare*, Alice continues the narrative but goes all Dante on us in a comically absurd way, taking longtime producer Bob Ezrin and cowriter Dick Wagner with him. He’s the pre-eminent mirror star on the charging “Go to Hell,” condemning himself for havoc he\'s wrought upon the world. He’s a delusional narcissist on “I’m the Coolest,” revealing a Harry Nilsson–like wit and a sinister campfire croon that we knew had always lurked inside him. The striking ballad and album centerpiece “I Never Cry” is remarkable; it might be the first alcoholic’s confessional to top charts around the world. He’s all creepy sex in a hellish disco on “You Gotta Dance,\" and he’s a raise-the-dead infidel who rocks hard enough on “Guilty” and “Wish You Were Here” to satisfy followers of his early-’70s work. Still, hardcore fans cried sellout. In truth, the Coop was still all about innovation, evolving and testing limits—albeit with slicker production—long after the original group split up in 1974.

For the first time since 1992,Rolling Stone'sdefinitive classic returns to the scene, completely updated and revised to include the past decade's artists and sounds. When it comes to sorting the truly great from the merely mediocre, the enduring from the fleeting,The New Rolling Stone Album Guideprovides music buffs and amateurs alike with authoritative guidance from the best voices in the field. Filled with insightful commentary, it not only reviews the most influential albums of all time, but also features biographical overviews of key artists' careers, giving readers a look at the personalities behind the music.This fourth edition contains an impressive -- 70 percent -- amount of new material. Readers will find fresh updates to entries on established artists, hundreds of brand-new entries on the people and recordings that epitomize the '90s and the sounds of the 21st century -- from Beck to OutKast to the White Stripes and beyond -- along with a new introduction detailing changes in the music industry.Celebrating the diversity of popular music and its constant metamorphoses, with thousands of entries and reviews on every sound from blues to techno,The New Rolling Stone Album Guideis the only resource music lovers need to read.

Following the success of his first solo album, Welcome to My Nightmare, Alice Cooper followed it up with another concept album, Goes to Hell, similar in style to its predecessor.